[Federal Register: July 7, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 129)]
[Notices]
[Page 39037-39038]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jy10-85]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-R-2010-N117; 30136-1265-0000-S3]
Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Morrison County, MN
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: Draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and draft
environmental assessment (EA) for Crane Meadows National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. In this draft CCP/EA we
describe how we propose to manage the refuge for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by August 6, 2010. An open house style meeting will be held during the
comment period to receive comments and provide information on the draft
plan. Special mailings, newspaper articles, internet postings, and
other media announcements will inform people of the meeting and
opportunities for written comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments or requests for more information can be sent by any
of the following methods. You may also drop off comments in person at
Crane Meadows NWR.
1. Agency Web site: View or download a copy of the document and
comment at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/CraneMeadows/index.html.
2. E-mail: r3planning@fws.gov. Include ``Crane Meadows Draft CCP/
EA'' in the subject line of the message.
3. Fax: 763-389-3493.
4. Mail: Attention: Refuge Manager, Sherburne-Crane Meadows
National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 17076 293 Avenue, Zimmerman,
Minnesota 55398.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anne Sittauer, 763-389-3323.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Crane Meadows
NWR, which we began by publishing a notice of intent on (73 FR 76677-
76678, December 17, 2008). For more information about the planning
process, see that notice.
Crane Meadows NWR was established in 1992 for `* * * the
conservation of the wetlands of the Nation * * *' under the Emergency
Wetland Resources Act of 1986. The Service owns and manages
approximately 1,800 acres of 13,540 acres proposed for acquisition. The
unique wetland complex contains rare and declining habitat types,
important archaeological resources, a diversity of local and migratory
species, and an abundance of recreational opportunities.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as
amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997
(16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), requires us to develop a comprehensive
conservation plan for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy
for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of
the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles
of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and
Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction
on conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental education and interpretation.
CCP Alternatives and Our Preferred Alternative
Priority Issues
During the public scoping process, we, other stakeholders and
partners, and the public identified several priority issues related to
habitat, land acquisition, water resources, wildlife, visitor services,
archaeological resources, and support for the Refuge. To address these
issues, we developed and evaluated the following alternatives during
the planning process.
Alternative A: Current Management Direction (No Action)
The current management direction of Crane Meadows NWR would be
maintained under this alternative. Required by NEPA, this is referred
to as the ``No Action'' alternative. Land acquisition is minimal,
conservation work on private lands is extensive, and both occur
opportunistically. As land is acquired quality habitats are maintained
in their current state, degraded habitats are improved or restored, and
all habitat types are considered to have relatively equal priority.
There is an active prescribed fire program, little involvement with
local water resources, minimal active wildlife management, and
monitoring efforts follow existing, broader state and federal efforts.
Visitor use is concentrated on the Headquarters Unit, and consists of
wildlife observation, photography, hiking, cross-country skiing, and
snowshoeing as seasons and trail conditions allow. No hunting or
fishing is permitted.
Alternative B: Habitat Restoration to Pre-Settlement Benchmark
Conditions and Increased Provision of Visitors Services (Preferred
Alternative)
Alternative B portrays a long-term vision for habitat restoration
to near-historic benchmark conditions and increases recreation
opportunities for visitors. Historic ecological data is used to set
habitat restoration priorities favoring savanna and wetland habitats
over existing prairies and woodlands. This alternative includes active
participation in monitoring and improving local water resources, a
well-developed prescribed fire plan, increased land acquisition efforts
in high priority areas, additional inventories and monitoring of plant
and animal species, recreational opportunities in a greater number of
[[Page 39038]]
locations, and new visitor uses including hunting.
Alternative C: High Involvement in Watershed Improvement
The third alternative, Alternative C, retains many of the concepts
and objectives from alternative B, but increases the emphasis given to
water resources both on-Refuge and in the watershed upstream of the
wetland complex. Alternative C restores additional wetland and upland
acres up-watershed of the Refuge, expands water resource monitoring and
improvement activities throughout the east half of the Platte-Spunk
watershed, targets a limited quantity of additional lands with critical
water resource value adjacent to the existing Refuge boundary for
acquisition, increases and directs private lands work to priority
aquatic and riparian areas upstream of the Refuge, emphasizes fishing
as a primary recreation opportunity, directs additional education and
interpretation efforts to water resource topics, and highlights
partnerships, outreach opportunities, and volunteerism that occur
within, or directly affect the Refuge's watershed.
Public Meeting
We will give the public an opportunity to provide input at a public
meeting. You can obtain the schedule from the address or Web site
listed in this notice (see addresses). You may also submit comments
anytime during the comment period.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at anytime. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: June 18, 2010.
Lynn M. Lewis,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort
Snelling, Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 2010-16426 Filed 7-6-10; 8:45 am]
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