[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 209 (Monday, October 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65574-65577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26482]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-R-2012-N239; FF06R06000 134 FXRS1265066CCP0]
Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Lake Andes, SD;
Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; announcement of meeting; request for
comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce
that our draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental
assessment (EA) for the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex
(Complex), which includes Lake Andes NWR (National Wildlife Refuge),
Karl E. Mundt NWR, and Lake Andes Wetland Management District, is
available for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes how
the Service intends to manage these units for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
on the draft CCP/EA by November 28, 2012. Submit comments by one of the
methods under ADDRESSES. We will hold a public meeting; see Public
Meeting under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the date, time, and
location.
[[Page 65575]]
ADDRESSES: Send your comment or requests for more information by any of
the following methods.
Email: bernardo_garza@fws.gov. Include ``Lake Andes NWR Complex
Draft CCP and EA'' in the subject line of the message.
Fax: Attn: Bernardo Garza, 303-236-4792.
U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge
Planning, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225.
In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 303-236-4377 to make
an appointment (necessary for view/pickup only) during regular business
hours at 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80228.
Document Request: A copy of the CCP/EA may be obtained by writing
to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge Planning, 134
Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80228; or by download from
http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/planning.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernardo Garza, 303-236-4377, (phone);
303-236-4792 (fax); or bernardo_garza@fws.gov (email); or David C.
Lucas, 303-236-4366 (phone); 303-236-4792 (fax); or david_c_lucas@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for the Lake Andes
NWR Complex. We started this process through a notice in the Federal
Register (72 FR 27328; May, 15, 2007).
The Lake Andes NWR Complex encompasses three distinct units: Lake
Andes NWR, Lake Andes Wetland Management District (WMD), and Karl E.
Mundt NWR. The Complex lies within the Plains and Prairie Potholes
Region (Region) in South Dakota, which is an ecological treasure of
biological importance for wildlife, particularly waterfowl and other
migratory birds. This Region alone produces approximately 50 percent of
the continent's waterfowl population. Hunting and wildlife observation
are the two most prevalent public uses on the Complex, followed by
fishing and wildlife photography.
Lake Andes NWR was authorized by Executive Order in 1936 and
formally established in 1939 to preserve an important piece of shallow
water and prairie habitats for waterfowl and other water birds. This
5,639-acre refuge includes Lake Andes, a 4,700-acre lake created by the
last ice age. The lake's shallow waters and surrounding grasslands
provide optimal feeding, resting, nesting, and brooding habitats for
migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and other waterbirds, and also
songbirds. Water levels in the lake vary from 0 to 12 feet, depending
entirely on climatic conditions and precipitation, and create a boom-
and-bust fishery dependent on water quality and quantity.
The Federal Migratory Bird Conservation Fund finances the
acquisition of waterfowl production areas (WPA) and conservation
easements by providing the Department of Interior with monies to
acquire migratory bird habitat. The 1958 amendment to the Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act (16 U.S.C. 718) authorized the
Small Wetlands Acquisition Program and provided for the acquisition of
lands in addition to the previously authorized habitats. Receipts from
the sale of Duck Stamps are used to acquire habitat under the
provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 715). The Lake
Andes WMD was established in 1958 to manage lands purchased under these
two authorities to protect wetland and grassland habitat that is
critical to our nation's duck population. The District manages 18,782
acres of grassland and wetland habitats in WPAs distributed within
Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson,
Hutchinson, Lincoln, Turner, Union and Yankton Counties in southeastern
South Dakota. All of these WPAs are open to hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, trapping, and other forms of compatible wildlife-dependent
recreation. Approximately 15,000 people visit the WPAs of the District
each year to engage in these types of outdoor recreational
opportunities. Additionally, the District protects nearly 80,000 acres
of grassland and wetland habitats through easements that prevent
habitat degradation or loss on private lands.
Karl E. Mundt NWR was established in 1974, under the legislative
authority of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1534), to protect an
area hugging the eastern bank of the Missouri River in Gregory County,
South Dakota, and Boyd County, Nebraska, that supports nearly 300
endangered bald eagles each winter. While being the first national
wildlife refuge specifically established for the conservation of bald
eagles, its riparian forests, prairie, and upland habitats provide
important resting, feeding, breeding, and nesting sites for a wide
array of neotropical migratory birds, indigenous turkey, and white-
tailed deer. Haying, grazing, prescribed burning, invasive plant
control, and prairie restoration are used to maintain riparian and
upland habitats. Cottonwoods and other native tree species have been
planted in the past to anchor riverine banks in attempts to safeguard
important bald eagle roosting sites. In order to reduce disturbance to
bald eagles, this refuge is currently closed to public use, with the
sole exception of occasional guided tours.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge Administration Act), as amended by the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to
develop a CCP for each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System
(System). The purpose for developing a CCP is to provide refuge
managers with a 15-year plan for achieving the purposes for which their
refuge and/or District was established and contributing toward the
mission of the 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 and photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update
the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Refuge
Administration Act.
Public Outreach
We started the CCP for the Lake Andes NWR Complex in August 2006 by
inviting the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department and six Native
American tribal governments to participate in the planning process. The
planning team was assembled in September, and the planning kickoff
occurred in October of the same year. We developed a mailing list and
sent a planning update to all the individuals and groups in that list.
The planning update included basic information on the Complex, the
planning process, how the public could provide comments and become
involved in the planning process, and the dates, times, and places of
the three public meetings we held throughout the Complex in November
2006. At that time and throughout the process, we requested public
comments and considered and incorporated them in numerous ways.
Comments we received cover topics such as invasive plant control on
Complex lands, increased hunting and fishing
[[Page 65576]]
opportunities, improvement of the water quality and fisheries in Lake
Andes, public access to Karl E. Mundt NWR, and Complex habitats'
management tools (e.g., grazing, prescribed fire, tree plantings and/or
removal, etc.). We have considered and evaluated all of these comments,
with many incorporated into the various alternatives addressed in the
draft CCP and the EA.
CCP Alternatives We Are Considering
During the public scoping process with which we started work on
this draft CCP, we, State of South Dakota wildlife officials, a
representative of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, and the public raised
several issues. Our draft CCP addresses them. A full description of
each alternative is in the EA. To address these issues, we developed
and evaluated the following alternatives, summarized below.
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Alternative B:
Alternative A: Current Modified management Alternative C:
management (no action) (proposed action) Intensive management
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Lake Andes' Water and Fishery Continued Complex staff Same as Alternative A. Same as Alternative B.
Quality. participation with and Additionally, the Additionally, the
support of the efforts Complex's staff would Complex's staff would
of the Charles Mix investigate the seek new partnerships
County Lake Andes possibility of with landowners within
Restoration installing additional the lake's watershed
Organization, such as fish screens on all to help improve the
sediment removal, soil tributaries to the lake's water and
conservation practices, lake and under both fisheries quality.
and control of rough dikes, and a water
fish population. delivery system to
pump more water onto
the lake's South Unit
to improve sport
fisheries.
Invasive Plants Control............. Continue control of Invasive plant The Complex's staff
invasive plants on infestations on Lake would pursue the
infested wetlands, Andes NWR, Karl E. formation of an
uplands, and riparian Mundt NWR, and high- invasive plant species
lands, using chemical, priority WPAs would be ``strike team'' to
mechanical, and treated yearly; all more effectively
biological control other infestations control invasive
methods once every 3 will be treated every plants. Prescribed
years on average. 3 years on average. fire would be used in
a manner to help
decrease cool-season
grasses in favor of
warm-season native
grasses.
Monitoring and Research............. Continue limited Similar to, but more Similar to, but even
monitoring of habitat proactive than, more proactive than,
conditions and wildlife Alternative A. Alternative B.
populations in Additionally, Complex staff would
wetlands, uplands, and monitoring studies and pursue funding and
riparian areas. surveys will be research opportunities
Continue permitting expanded, and habitat with universities on
research activities restoration research habitat management and
when deemed compatible led by universities more effective
with the purposes of would be actively surveying
the units of the encouraged and methodologies.
Complex. pursued.
Prairie Restoration................. Continued restoration Similar to Alternative Same as Alternative B.
and enhancement of tall A, but the main focus However, with
and mixed-grass plant would be the increased funding and
communities to create a restoration of a high staffing, the Complex
mosaic of the required diversity of native staff would be able to
elements for waterfowl grasses and forbs, treat and restore many
and other grass-nesting along with the more acres of land
birds. Previously pursuance of the than in Alternative B.
farmed lands would be purchase of equipment
restored to native for the collection of
prairie. desirable plant seeds
and construction of
necessary
infrastructure.
Public Access to Wildlife-Dependent Karl E. Mundt NWR to Similar to Alternative Same as Alternative B.
Recreation. remain closed to most A, except that the Additionally, the
activities, with the staff would study and staff would develop
exception of limited open areas currently and execute an
staff-guided tours. All closed to hunting, as outreach plan to
``Big 6'' wildlife- well as provide expand environmental
dependent recreational special hunts, if it education and
opportunities to is deemed compatible interpretation
continue on all and suitable. Boat opportunities
waterfowl production launching ramps for throughout the
areas in the Complex, the lake's Center and Complex. Also, we
as well as in the Lake South Units would be would build an
Andes' Owens Bay and improved. The addition observation tower and
Center Units. of an outdoor develop a self-guiding
recreation planner and auto tour route on
the remodeling of the Lake Andes NWR to
headquarters building provide more
to include a visitor opportunities for
center and wildlife observation
environmental and photography.
education classroom
would allow the
expansion of
environmental
education and
interpretation
opportunities.
Currently closed
portions of Lake Andes
and Karl E. Mundt NWRs
would be opened to
wildlife observation
and photography, and
observation and
photography blinds
would be provided for
the public at
appropriate locations
on the Complex.
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Funding, Infrastructure, and No new or added Staffing and funding Staffing and funding
Partnerships. infrastructure or would need to be would be expanded
equipment or vehicles, expanded to carry out beyond Alternatives A
which would be replaced this plan. The and B to accomplish
only as needed. Current existing headquarters this alternative.
staffing and funding building would need to Instead of remodeling
would preclude be remodeled to the headquarters
pursuance of new provide a visitor building, we would
partnerships. center and educational have to build a new
facilities, and to visitor center, as
accommodate new well as seed drying
employees. The and storage
maintenance shop and facilities.
storage buildings
would need to be
remodeled to correct
deficiencies and
accommodate expanded
staffing and
equipment.
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Public Meeting
Opportunity for public input will be provided at the following open
house public meeting.
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Date Time Location
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October 30, 2012.............. 7-9 p.m.......... Lake Andes Community
Center, 207 West
Main Street, Lake
Andes, SD 57356.
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Next Steps
After the public reviews and provides comments on the draft CCP and
EA, the planning team will present this document, along with a summary
of all substantive public comments, to the Regional Director. The
Regional Director will consider the environmental effects of each
alternative, including information gathered during public review, and
will select a preferred alternative for the draft CCP and EA. If the
Regional Director finds that no significant impacts would occur, the
Regional Director's decision will be disclosed in a finding of no
significant impact included in the final CCP. If the Regional Director
finds a significant impact would occur, an environmental impact
statement will be prepared. If approved, the action in the preferred
alternative will compose the final CCP.
Public Availability of Comments
All public comment information provided voluntarily by mail, by
phone, or at meetings (e.g., names, addresses, letters of comment,
input recorded during meetings) becomes part of the official public
record. If requested under the Freedom of Information Act by a private
citizen or organization, the Service may provide copies of such
information.
Authority
The environmental review of this project will be conducted in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508, 43 CFR part 46); other appropriate
Federal laws and regulations; Executive Order 12996; the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and Service policies
and procedures for compliance with those laws and regulations.
Dated: October 11, 2012.
Noreen E. Walsh,
Deputy Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-26482 Filed 10-26-12; 8:45 am]
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