[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] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternative B: Alternative A: Current Modified management Alternative C: management (no action) (proposed action) Intensive management ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. [[Page 65577]] 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Meeting Opportunity for public input will be provided at the following open house public meeting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Time Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------ October 30, 2012.............. 7-9 p.m.......... Lake Andes Community Center, 207 West Main Street, Lake Andes, SD 57356. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P