[Federal Register: March 30, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 60)]
[Notices]
[Page 15721-15723]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30mr10-88]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-R-2008-N0242; BAC-4311-K9-S3]
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, City of Virginia Beach, VA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability of the draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
draft environmental assessment (EA) for Back Bay National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR) for a 30-day public review and comment period. In this
draft CCP/EA, we describe three alternatives, including our Service-
preferred Alternative B, for managing this refuge for the next 15
years. Also available for public review and comment are the draft
compatibility determinations, which are included as Appendix A in the
draft CCP/EA.
DATES: To ensure our consideration of your written comments, we must
receive them by April 29, 2010. We will also hold public meetings in
Virginia Beach, Virginia during the 30-day review period to receive
comments and provide information on the draft plan. We will announce
and post details about public meetings in local news media, via our
project mailing list, and on our regional planning Web site, http://
www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/back bay/ccphome.html.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments or requests for copies of the draft CCP/
EA by any of the following methods. You may also drop off comments in
person at Back Bay NWR, 4005 Sandpiper Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
U.S. Postal Service: Thomas Bonetti, Natural Resource Planner, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley,
Massachusetts 01035.
Facsimile: Attention: Thomas Bonetti, 413-253-8307.
Electronic mail: northeastplanning@fws.gov. Include ``Back Bay NWR
CCP'' in the subject line of your e-mail.
Agency Web site: View or download the draft document at http://
www.fws.gov/backbay/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jared Brandwein, Project Leader, Back
Bay NWR, 4005 Sandpiper Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456-4325; 757-721-
2412 (phone); 757-721-6141 (facsimile).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Back Bay NWR. We
started the CCP process by publishing a notice in the Federal Register
(67 FR 30950) on May 8, 2002, and then updating that notice (72 FR
8196) on February 23, 2007. We prepared the draft CCP in compliance
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-
4347, as amended) (NEPA) and the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997 (Improvement Act).
Back Bay NWR, currently 9,035 acres, was established in 1938 by
Executive Order 7907 ``* * * as a Refuge and breeding ground
for migratory birds and other wildlife.'' Another of the refuge's
primary purposes (for lands acquired under the Migratory Bird
Conservation Act) is ``* * * use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any
other management purpose, for migratory birds.'' The Emergency Wetlands
Resources Act of 1986 also authorizes purchase of wetlands for the
purpose of ``* * * the conservation of the wetlands of the Nation in
order to maintain the public benefits they provide and to help fulfill
international obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties
and conventions * * *,'' using money from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund. In 1939, 4,600 acres of open bay waters within the
refuge boundary were closed to the taking of migratory birds by
Presidential proclamation.
The refuge includes five miles of oceanfront beach, a 900-acre
freshwater impoundment complex, numerous bay islands, bottomland mixed
forests, old fields, and freshwater wetlands adjacent to Back Bay and
its tributary shorelines. The Back Bay NWR Station Management Plan in
1993 expanded the role of the refuge to include management emphases on
other migratory bird groups, including threatened and endangered
species, shorebirds, wading birds, marsh birds and songbirds/land
birds.
Although wildlife and habitat conservation come first on the
refuge, the public can enjoy excellent opportunities to observe and
photograph wildlife, fish, hunt, or participate in environmental
education and interpretation. Current visitor facilities are primarily
located in the eastern, barrier island portion of the refuge, where
annual visitation is greater than 100,000. Back Bay NWR provides scenic
trails, a visitor contact station, and, with advance scheduling, group
educational opportunities. Outdoor facilities are open daily dawn to
dusk.
Background
The CCP Process
The Improvement Act requires us to develop a CCP for each national
wildlife refuge. The purpose for developing CCPs is to provide refuge
managers with 15-year plans for achieving refuge purposes and the
mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), in conformance
with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation,
legal mandates, and our policies. In addition to outlining broad
management direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs
identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the
public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation and photography, and environmental education and
interpretation. We will review and update each CCP at least every 15
years, in accordance with the Improvement Act.
Public Outreach
In conjunction with our Federal Register notice announcing our
intent to begin the CCP process, open houses and public information
meetings were held throughout the Virginia Beach area at three
different locations during January 2002. Meetings were advertised
locally through news releases, paid
[[Page 15722]]
advertisements, and our mailing list. Participants were encouraged to
actively express their opinions and suggestions. The public meetings
allowed us to gather information and ideas from local residents,
adjacent landowners, and various organizations and agencies.
An ``Issues Workbook'' was developed to encourage written comments
on topics such as wildlife habitats, nuisance species, and public
access to the refuge. These workbooks were mailed to a diverse group of
over 1,500 people on our mailing list, given to people who attended a
public meeting, and distributed to anyone who requested one. More than
100 people returned completed workbooks.
Throughout the process, we have conducted additional outreach via
newsletters and participation in meetings, and continued to request
public input on refuge management and programs. Some of the comments we
received pertained to issues that included managing various invasive
and pest species, providing access to and through the refuge, providing
desired facilities and activities, and searching for ways to improve
opportunities for public use while ensuring the restoration and
protection of priority resources. We considered and evaluated all of
those comments, and incorporated many of them into the varied
alternatives in the draft CCP/EA.
CCP Actions We Are Considering, Including the Service-Preferred
Alternative
We developed three management alternatives based on the purposes
for establishing the refuge, its vision and goals, and the issues and
concerns the public, State agencies, and the Service identified during
the planning process. The alternatives have some actions in common,
such as protecting cultural resources, developing step-down management
plans, encouraging research that benefits our resource decisions,
maintaining a proactive law enforcement program, continuing to acquire
land from willing sellers within our approved refuge boundary, and
distributing refuge revenue sharing payments to Virginia Beach.
Other actions distinguish the alternatives. The draft CCP/EA
describes the alternatives in detail, and relates them to the issues
and concerns we identified. Highlights follow.
Alternative A (Current Management)
This alternative is the ``No Action'' alternative, as required by
NEPA. Alternative A defines our current management activities, and
serves as the baseline against which to compare the other alternatives.
A selection of this alternative would maintain the status quo in
managing the refuge for the next 15 years. No major changes would be
made to current management practices. This alternative provides a basis
for comparing the other two alternatives.
Under current management, we manage a series of wetland and moist-
soil impoundments, forested and shrub-scrub habitats, and coastal beach
and dune habitats. Under Alternative A, we would continue to conduct
land bird, marsh bird, and migratory waterfowl surveys, continue to
conduct nesting and stranded sea turtle patrols, and continue current
methods of nuisance and non-native species control. We would maintain
existing opportunities for visitors to engage in wildlife observation,
photography, and environmental education and interpretation, as well as
maintain existing hunting and fishing opportunities on the refuge. We
would maintain existing infrastructure and buildings, and maintain
current staffing levels.
Alternative B (Service-Preferred Alternative)
This alternative is the one we propose as the best way to manage
this refuge over the next 15 years. It includes an array of management
actions that, in our professional judgment, works best toward achieving
the refuge purposes, our vision and goals, and the goals of other State
and regional conservation plans. We also believe it most effectively
addresses the key issues raised during the planning process.
This alternative focuses on enhancing the conservation of wildlife
through habitat management, as well as providing additional visitor
opportunities on the refuge. Alternative B incorporates existing
management activities and/or provides new initiatives or actions, aimed
at improving efficiency and progress towards refuge goals and
objectives. Some of the major strategies proposed include: Opening up
forest canopy by selectively removing loblolly pine, sweetgum, and red
maple; withdrawing the 1974 wilderness designation proposal for Long
Island, Green Hills, and Landing Cove (2,165 acres); developing a
canoe/kayak trail on the west side of Back Bay NWR; expanding the deer
hunt and developing new hiking trails; and developing and designing a
new headquarters/visitor contact station. We would also expand
opportunities for the six priority public uses of the NWRS, and
emphasize wildlife observation and photography, and interpretation.
The expansion of visitor facilities and services, as well as the
projected increase in visitation, would require additional staffing
support to meet public expectations, and provide for public safety,
convenience, and a high quality experience for refuge visitors.
Partnering, interagency agreements, service contracting, internships,
and volunteer opportunities would increase in order to help provide
this staffing support.
We would also continue our monitoring and inventory program, and
regularly evaluate the results to help us better understand the
implications of our management actions and identify ways to improve
their effectiveness.
Alternative C (Improved Biological Integrity)
Alternative C prominently features additional management that aims
to restore (or mimic) natural ecosystem processes or functions to
achieve refuge purposes.
Alternative C focuses on using management techniques that would
encourage forest growth and includes an increased focus toward the
previously proposed wilderness areas. Some of the major strategies
proposed include: Developing an interagency agreement that would allow
the 1974 proposed wilderness areas at Long Island, Green Hills, and
Landing Cove (2,165 acres) to again meet minimum criteria, and then
manage accordingly; and, creating conditions that allow us to shift
more resources from intensive management of the refuge impoundment
system to the restoration of Back Bay-Currituck Sound. In addition, we
propose to continue enhancing visitor services by: Developing a hiking
trail along Nanney's Creek; initiating actions to open the Colchester
impoundment for fishing opportunities; considering additional waterfowl
hunting areas; developing and designing a new headquarters/visitor
contact station that provides more office space than proposed for
Alternative B; and working with partners to provide a shuttle (for a
fee) service from the new headquarters site to the barrier spit.
Public Meetings
We will give the public opportunities to provide input at two
public meetings in Virginia Beach, Virginia. You can obtain the
schedule from the project leader or natural resource planner (see
ADDRESSES or FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, above). You may also
submit comments at any time during the planning process by any means
shown in the ADDRESSES section.
[[Page 15723]]
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comments to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: March 2, 2010.
Wendi Weber,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-7058 Filed 3-29-10; 8:45 am]
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