[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 56 (Thursday, March 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16854-16856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6892]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-R-2011-N196; BAC-4311-K9-S3]
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, Delaware and
Philadelphia Counties, PA; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (we, the Service),
announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment (CCP/EA) for John Heinz National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR) at Tinicum, located in Delaware and Philadelphia Counties,
Pennsylvania, for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes
our proposal for managing the refuge for the next 15 years.
Also available for public review and comment are the draft findings
of appropriateness and draft compatibility determinations for uses to
be allowed upon initial completion of the plan, if alternative B is
selected, and the draft habitat management plan. These are included as
appendix B and appendix C, respectively, in the draft CCP/EA.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your comments no later than
April 23, 2012. We will announce upcoming public meetings in local news
media, via our project mailing list, and on our regional planning Web
site: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/John%20Heinz/ccphome.html.
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ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or requests for copies or more
information by any of the following methods. You may request hard
copies or a CD-ROM of the documents.
Email: northeastplanning@fws.gov. Please include ``John Heinz NWR
Draft CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
Fax: Attn: Lia McLaughlin, 413-253-8468.
U.S. Mail: Lia McLaughlin, Natural Resource Planner, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035.
In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 215-365-3118 to make
an appointment (necessary for view/pickup only) during regular business
hours at 8601 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19152. [For more
information on locations for viewing or obtaining documents, see
``Public Availability of Documents'' under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Stolz, Refuge Manager, phone:
215-365-3118, or Lia McLaughlin, Planning Team Leader, phone: 413-253-
8575; email: northeastplanning@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for John Heinz NWR.
We started this process through a notice in the Federal Register (75 FR
25285; May 7, 2010).
John Heinz NWR was established in 1972 to preserve and restore the
natural area known as Tinicum Marsh, to promote environmental
education, and to afford visitors an opportunity to study wildlife in
its natural habitat. The total approved acquisition boundary
encompasses 1,200 acres along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania.
Currently, John Heinz NWR includes 993 acres of freshwater tidal marsh,
open water, grassland, and forest habitats. It is an important
migratory stopover for birds along the Atlantic Flyway, and provides
habitat for State-listed threatened and endangered species such as the
red-bellied turtle (Pseudemys rubriventris). The refuge offers unique
opportunities for environmental education and interpretation in an
urban setting. Visitors to the refuge also participate in wildlife
observation, photography, and fishing.
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 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 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 pre-planning for the John Heinz NWR CCP in January 2010.
In April 2010, we distributed our first newsletter and press release
announcing our intent to prepare a CCP for the refuge. In May through
June 2010, we had a formal public scoping period. The purpose of the
public scoping period was to solicit comments from the community and
other interested parties on the issues and impacts that should be
evaluated in the draft CCP/EA. To help solicit public comments, we held
two public meetings at the refuge during the formal public scoping
period. Throughout the rest of the planning process, we have conducted
additional outreach by participating in community meetings, events, and
other public forums, and by requesting public input on managing the
refuge and its programs. We received comments on topics such as the
potential effects of climate change, improving biological connectivity,
invasive species control, environmental contaminants, environmental
education programs, and other public uses of the refuge.
CCP Alternatives We Are Considering
During the public scoping process, we, the Pennsylvania Game
Commission, other governmental partners, and the public, raised several
issues. To address these issues, we developed and evaluated three
alternatives in the draft CCP/EA. Here we present a brief summary of
each of the alternatives; a full description of each alternative is in
the draft CCP/EA.
Alternative A (Current Management)
Alternative A (current management) satisfies the National
Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1506.6(b)) requirement of a ``No
Action'' alternative, which we define as ``continuing current
management.'' It describes our existing management priorities and
activities, and serves as a baseline for comparing and contrasting
alternatives B and C. It would maintain our present levels of approved
refuge staffing and the biological and visitor programs now in place.
We would continue to focus on providing native tidal marsh habitat for
migrating and nesting wading birds; wintering marshbirds, waterfowl,
and shorebirds; and other wildlife. We would also continue to actively
control invasive species, manage grassland habitats, and maintain dikes
and water levels in the impoundment. Our environmental education
program would continue to focus on providing training for teachers so
they could guide field trips on refuge property.
Alternative B (Focus on Environmental Education for Urban Youth)
This alternative is the Service-preferred alternative. It combines
the actions we believe would most effectively achieve the refuge's
purposes, vision, and goals, and respond to the issues raised during
the scoping period. Under alternative B, we would expand our freshwater
tidal marsh restoration efforts, implement additional forest habitat
restoration and management efforts, and increase monitoring efforts for
species and for climate change effects. Our environmental education
program would focus on expanding staff-led and volunteer-led programs
for urban youth. We would also develop environmental education programs
that focus on this audience, and work to develop long-term
relationships with schools and school districts. We would work to
expand environmental interpretation opportunities and infrastructure on
the refuge as well.
Alternative C
Alternative C would focus on restoring degraded forests and
converting specific grassland areas to shrubland habitat. As in
alternative B, we would emphasize invasive species management,
freshwater tidal marsh restoration, and monitoring for climate change
adaptation. However, under alternative C, we would delay much of these
efforts to more fully assess the potential effects of climate change
and propose restoring all of the impoundment to tidal marsh. Under
alternative C, environmental educational programming would concentrate
on providing high school
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and college-level programs focused on encouraging and training the next
generation of conservation professionals and environmentally concerned
citizens. We would also focus on playing a more regional role in
conservation efforts.
Public Availability of Documents
In addition to any methods in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain
documents at the following locations:
Our Web site: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/John%20Heinz/ccphome.html.
Public Library: the Northeast Regional Library, located at
2228 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19149, during regular
library hours.
Submitting Comments/Issues for Comment
We are seeking substantive comments, particularly on the following
issues:
Issue 1--Our environmental education program;
Issue 2--Management and restoration options for the
refuge's impoundment; and,
Issue 3--Partnership opportunities.
We consider comments substantive if they:
Question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of the
information in the document;
Question, with reasonable basis, the adequacy of the EA;
Present reasonable alternatives other than those presented
in the EA; and/or
Provide new or additional information relevant to the EA.
Next Steps
After this comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and
address them in the form of a final CCP and finding of no significant
impact.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email 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 any time. 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: January 25, 2012.
Wendi Weber,
Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Hadley, MA 01035.
[FR Doc. 2012-6892 Filed 3-21-12; 8:45 am]
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