[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18856-18857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7403]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2011-N-170; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, LA; 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 Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in St. Martin
and Iberville Parishes, Louisiana. In the final CCP, we describe how we
will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the CCP by writing to: Mr. Daniel
Breaux, Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Bayou
Lacombe Centre, 61389 Highway 434, Lacombe, LA 70445. Alternatively,
you may download the document from our Internet Site: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/ under ``Final Documents.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Breaux, at 985/882-2030
(telephone), 985/882-9133 (fax), or Daniel_breaux@fws.gov (email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Atchafalaya NWR.
We started this process through a notice in the Federal Register on
January 9, 2009 (74 FR 915). For more about the refuge, see that
notice.
Atchafalaya NWR is one of eight refuges managed as part of the
Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex).
Atchafalaya NWR is located in the lower Atchafalaya Basin Floodway
System. Atchafalaya NWR is bounded on the north by U.S. Highway 190, on
the south by Interstate 10, on the west by the Atchafalaya River, and
on the east by the East Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee.
Atchafalaya NWR was established in 1986, when 15,255 acres were
purchased from the Iberville Land Company, as directed by Public Law
98-548. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have also purchased fee title
land adjacent to and within the Atchafalaya NWR, which brings the
current acreage to approximately 44,000. The USACE has authority to
purchase additional lands within the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System.
Approximately 12 percent of the refuge is inundated open water,
with isolated cypress trees and willow stands. Bottomland hardwood
forest is the primary habitat.
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 May 24, 2011
(76 FR 30190). A news release was sent out to four local, state, and
regional newspapers, six online media outlets, and two local radio
networks. Copies of the Draft CCP/EA were posted at refuge headquarters
and on the Service's Internet Web site and more than 100 copies were
distributed to local landowners; the general public; and local, state,
and federal agencies. Respondents representing the following submitted
comments: LDWF; Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and
Tourism; Jena Band of Choctaw Indians; National Park Service; Audubon
Society; Friends of the Atchafalaya; The Nature Conservancy; Gulf
Restoration Network; Atchafalaya Basinkeeper; Louisiana Crawfish
Producers Association--West; Sierra Club--Delta Chapter; Lower
Mississippi Riverkeeper; Louisiana Environmental Action Network; and
local citizens.
Selected Alternative
The Draft CCP/EA identified and evaluated three alternatives for
managing the refuge over the next 15 years. After considering the
comments we received and based on the professional judgment of the
planning team, we selected Alternative B for implementation.
Alternative B best signifies the vision, goals, and purposes of the
refuge. Under Alternative B, emphasis will be on restoring and
improving the resources needed for wildlife and habitat management and
providing appropriate and compatible wildlife-dependent public use
opportunities, while addressing key issues and refuge mandates.
The compatibility determinations for (1) Wildlife observation/
photography; (2) recreational fishing; (3) recreational hunting; (4)
environmental education and interpretation; (5) walking, hiking, and
jogging; (6) forest management; (7) scientific research; (8) kayaking,
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canoeing, and paddling; (9) all-terrain vehicle use; (10) bicycling;
and (11) boating are also available within the CCP.
Alternative B 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 objective 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. Additionally, information gaps will
be addressed by the initiation of baseline surveying, periodic
monitoring, and ultimately adding adaptive habitat management.
Habitat management programs for impoundments, greentree reservoir,
wetlands, open waters, forested habitats, scrub/shrub habitat,
grasslands, and open lands will be reevaluated, and step-down
management plans will be developed to meet the foraging, nesting, 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.
The control of invasive and exotic plant species will be more
aggressively managed by implementing a management plan, completing a
baseline inventory, supporting research, and controlling with strategic
mechanical and chemical means. Additionally, the Complex will utilize
this management plan and monitoring to enhance efforts to control/
remove invasive, exotic, and/or nuisance wildlife on the refuge.
Alternative B will enhance our visitor services opportunities by:
(1) Improving the quality of fishing opportunities; (2) implementing an
environmental education program component that utilizes volunteers and
local schools as partners; (3) enhancing wildlife viewing and
photography opportunities by implementing blinds, a swamp trail
boardwalk, and additional observational areas; (4) developing and
implementing a visitor services management plan, (5) working with
partners to develop a Complex visitor center, including a law
enforcement office and maintenance facility with an attached visitor
contact station; and (6) enhancing personal interpretive and outreach
opportunities. Volunteer programs and friends groups also would be
expanded to enhance all aspects of management and to increase resource
availability.
In addition to the enforcement of all Federal and State laws to
protect archaeological and historical sites, we will identify and
develop a plan to protect all known sites. The development of an onsite
office for law enforcement officers will not only better provide
security for these resources, but will also ensure visitor safety and
public compliance with refuge regulations.
Land acquisitions within the approved acquisition boundary will be
based on the importance of the habitat for wildlife, management, and
access. Alternative B also will develop a preliminary land protection
proposal to achieve a congressionally authorized refuge boundary
expansion of approximately 17,000 acres within the Atchafalaya Basin
Floodplain to improve buffer conditions, contribute to biological
objectives, close gaps between existing tracts, and improve public
access. 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 adding a visitor services specialist, assistant
manager, biological technician, forestry technician, maintenance
worker, and law enforcement officer to the staff. The increased 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: September 27, 2011.
Mark J. Musaus,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-7403 Filed 3-27-12; 8:45 am]
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