[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62439-62440]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25981]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2011-N052; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge Complex, GA and SC; Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact
for Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental
assessment for Savannah Coastal National Wildlife Refuge Complex
(Complex). The Complex consists of the following refuges: Pinckney
Island NWR in Beaufort County, South Carolina; Savannah NWR in Chatham
and Effingham Counties, Georgia, and Jasper County, South Carolina;
Tybee NWR in Jasper County, South Carolina; Wassaw NWR in Chatham
County, Georgia; and Blackbeard Island NWR off the coast of McIntosh
County, Georgia. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage these
refuges for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the CCP by writing to: Ms. Jane
Griess, 694 Beech Hill Lane, Hardeeville, SC 29927. Alternatively, you
may download the document from our Internet Site: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning, under ``Final Documents.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jane Griess, at 843/784-9911
(telephone), 843/784-2465 (fax), or jane_griess@fws.gov (e-mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for the Complex. The
CCP for Wolf Island NWR, which is a part of the Complex, was completed
in 2008. We started this process through a Federal Register notice on
May 19, 2008 (73 FR 28838). Please see that notice for more about the
refuges.
We announce our decision and the availability of the final CCP and
FONSI for the Complex in accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6 (b)) requirements. We completed a
thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment, which we
included in the draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental
assessment (Draft CCP/EA).
[[Page 62440]]
Compatibility determinations for beach use, bicycling, commercial
guiding for wildlife-wildland observation, environmental education and
interpretation, recreational fishing, hiking, public hunting, mosquito
control, scientific research, timber harvest, salvage timber harvest
and sale, utility rights-of-way, and wildlife observation and
photography are available in the CCP.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Administration Act), as amended by the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to develop
a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose for developing a
CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan 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 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, wildlife photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update
the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Administration
Act.
Comments
We made copies of the Draft CCP/EA available for a 30-day public
review and comment period via a Federal Register notice on September
15, 2010 (75 FR 56133). We received comments from State and Federal
government agencies, local government agencies, non-governmental
organizations, and local citizens.
Selected Alternative
We developed three alternatives for managing the Complex. After
considering the comments we received and based on the professional
judgment of the planning team, we selected Alternative B for
implementation. The primary focus under Alternative B will be to
increase management. This alternative best signifies the vision, goals,
and purposes of the Complex. We will emphasize restoring and improving
resources needed for wildlife and habitat management and providing
enhanced appropriate and compatible wildlife-dependent public use
opportunities, while addressing key issues and individual mandates.
We will focus on augmenting wildlife and habitat management to
identify, conserve, and restore populations of native fish and wildlife
species, with an emphasis on migratory birds and threatened and
endangered species. This will partially be accomplished by increased
monitoring of waterfowl, other migratory and resident birds, and
endemic species in order to assess and adapt management strategies and
actions. We will address information gaps by the initiation of baseline
surveys and periodic monitoring.
Habitat management programs for impoundments, beaches, wetlands,
open waters, forested habitats, scrub/shrub habitats, grasslands, and
open lands will be re-evaluated and step-down management plans will be
developed to meet the foraging, resting, and breeding requirements of
priority species. Additionally, monitoring and adaptive habitat
management will be implemented to potentially counteract the impacts
associated with long-term climate change and sea level rise.
We will more aggressively manage invasive and exotic plant species
by implementing a management plan, completing a baseline inventory,
supporting research, and controlling by strategic mechanical and
chemical means. Additionally, we will utilize this management plan to
enhance our efforts to control/remove invasive, exotic, and/or nuisance
animals on the refuges.
Alternative B enhances each refuge's visitor service opportunities
(except for Tybee NWR, which will remain closed to the public) by: (1)
Improving the quality of fishing opportunities; (2) streamlining the
quota hunt process and where possible evaluating the options of
allowing the use of crossbows and creating additional hunting
opportunities; and (3) maintaining and where possible expanding
environmental education opportunities. Volunteer programs and a friends
group will be expanded to enhance all aspects of management and to
increase resource availability. The Complex is also evaluating the
possibility of utilizing a concessionaire at Pinckney Island NWR, to
implement a tram tour of the refuge that will provide access in a
controlled manner and allow participation of patrons with mobility
issues.
Under this alternative, the priority of land acquisition at Harris
Neck NWR will be to acquire lands that provide resource and public use
values. This will be accomplished by acquiring lands from willing
sellers by fee title purchase, donation, mitigation purchase and
transfer, or other viable means. This will include an investigation
into expanding the current acquisition boundary. At Savannah NWR, focus
will be increased on acquiring lands that provide resource and public
use values. This, too, will be accomplished by acquiring lands from
willing sellers.
Law enforcement activities to protect archaeological and historical
sites and to provide visitor safety will be intensified. The allocation
of an additional law enforcement officer for the Complex will provide
security for cultural resources, but will also ensure visitor safety
and public compliance with refuge regulations.
Administration plans will stress the need for increased maintenance
of existing infrastructure and construction of new facilities. Funding
for new construction projects will be balanced between habitat
management and public use needs. Additional staff will be required to
accomplish the goals of this alternative. Personnel priorities will
include employing an environmental education coordinator, law
enforcement officers/park rangers, a volunteer coordinator, biological
technicians, maintenance workers, refuge managers, assistant refuge
managers, and a geographic information systems specialist. The
increased Complex budget and staffing levels will better enable us to
meet the obligations of wildlife stewardship, habitat management, and
public use.
Authority
This notice is published under the authority of the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 105-57.
Dated: April 5, 2011.
Mark J. Musaus,
Acting Regional Director.
Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the
Federal Register on Monday, October 4, 2011.
[FR Doc. 2011-25981 Filed 10-6-11; 8:45 am]
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