[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9410-9415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02976]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-R-2012-N277; FXRS1265022CCP0-134-FF02R06000]
Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge; Adair, Cherokee, Craig,
Delaware, Mayes, Ottawa, and Sequoyah Counties, OK; 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 (Service), announce the
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (Draft CCP) and
an environmental assessment (EA) for Ozark Plateau National Wildlife
Refuge (NWR), which is located within the approved acquisition area of
Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Ottawa, and Sequoyah Counties
of Oklahoma, for public review and comment. The Draft CCP/EA describes
our proposal for managing the Refuge for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by
March 8, 2013. Public meetings will be hosted on Monday, February 25th
at the Delaware County Library, in Jay, OK 74346; Tuesday, February
26th at the Stilwell Community Center in Stilwell, OK; and Thursday,
Februay 28th in the Community Ballroom of the Cherokee Nation Tribal
Headquarters in Tahlequah, OK. All three meetings will begin at 5:30
p.m.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or requests for copies or more
information on the Draft CCP/EA by any of the methods listed below. You
may request hard copies or a CD-ROM of the Draft CCP/EA documents.
Please contact Sarah Catchot, Lead Planner, or Shea Hammond, Refuge
Wildlife Specialist.
Email: sarah_catchot@fws.gov. Include ``Ozark Plateau NWR Draft
CCP and EA'' in the subject line of the message.
U.S. Mail: Sarah Catchot, Lead Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, NWRS Division of Planning, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM
87103.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shea Hammond, Refuge Wildlife
Specialist of Ozark Plateau National Wildlife Refuge, 16602 County Road
465, Colcord, OK 74338, Phone: 918-326-0156.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 9411]]
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for the Ozark Plateau
National Wildlife Refuge. We started this process through a notice in
the Federal Register on June 19, 1998 (63 FR 33693).
The Refuge manages several units scattered throughout its seven-
county (Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Mayes, Ottawa, and Sequoyah)
approved acquisition area in northeastern Oklahoma. Management units of
Ozark Plateau NWR are identified, acquired, and/or managed based upon
impact to federally listed threatened or endangered Ozark cave species,
including cave habitat, groundwater recharge areas, foraging areas, and
movement corridors important to these species as well as other species
of concern. In addition, Ozark Plateau NWR's management units play a
role in conserving continuous tracts of mature oak-hickory or oak-
hickory-pine Ozark forest, beneficial to nesting and migrating
Neotropical birds as well as cave species.
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 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
Formal scoping began with publication of a notice of intent to
prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment
in the Federal Register on June 19, 1998 (63 FR 33693). The Refuge
solicited public comments on issues and concerns to aid in CCP
development through three open house meetings held in December 2009 at
Tribal Headquarters of the Cherokee Nation in Tahlequah, the Senior
Center in Stilwell, and the Delaware County Library in Jay, Oklahoma.
The Refuge also met on March 3, 2010, with the Cherokee Nation
Environmental Protection Commission at the Cherokee Nation Headquarters
to understand issues concerning the tribe and discuss potential ways to
collaborate on solving issues common to the two agencies. On March 4,
2010, the Refuge met with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation staff at the Porter Office in Oklahoma also to discuss
their concerns regarding past management, future management, and issues
common to both agencies.
The feedback received at the conclusion of the public scoping
period identified numerous concerns from a variety of stakeholders.
These concerns were organized by the following seven broad issue
categories: Landscape-level, Habitat Management, Wildlife Management,
Public Use Opportunities, Cultural Resources, Facilities &
Infrastructure, and Administration.
CCP Alternatives We Are Considering
During the public scoping process with which we started work on
this Draft CCP, we, other Federal agencies, Tribal Nations, State
agencies, and the public raised multiple issues. Our Draft CCP
addresses them. A full description of each alternative is in the EA
(see Appendix A). To address these issues, we developed and evaluated
the following alternatives, summarized in the table below.
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Alternative B:
Issue Alternative A: proposed future
current management management
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Landscape-Level Management Acquire land from Alternative (Alt) A
Issue 1: Ozark Habitat Loss willing sellers or + partner with the
& Fragmentation. enter into FWS southwestern,
agreements for midwestern,
conservation southeastern and
easements; maintain mountain-prairie
strong landscape- regions to expand
level partnerships; acquisition
maintain 4,000 boundaries in the
acres of forested Ozark ecoregion;
habitat; restore 70 maintain, conserve,
acres of and restore up to
agricultural land 15,000 acres of
to forested habitat acquired lands to
at Beck Unit; native forest
refrain from habitat.
developing new
roads or
infrastructure.
Landscape-Level Management Monitor baseline Alt A + implement
Issue 2: Climate Change. data on cave long-term Anabat
microclimate monitoring stations
changes; use energy- to monitor climate
efficient heating/ change impacts to
cooling system and bat species; expand
water filtration data loggers for
system on Looney climate info;
facility. install weather
stations; install
solar panels on
Refuge facilities;
sequester carbon by
restoring up to
15,000 acres of
acquired lands to
native forest
habitat.
Landscape-Level Management Survey groundwater Alt A + partner with
Issue 3: Surface and recharge areas; U.S. Geological
Groundwater Quality & acquire land and Services (USGS) and
Quantity. conservation local universities
easements from to implement a
willing sellers to permanent water
restore forest and quality and
control run-off; quantity monitoring
partner with program.
adjacent and nearby
landowners; sample
water quality.
Landscape-Level Management Implement actions in Alt A + coordinate/
Issue 4: White-nose WNS National Plan; partner to
Syndrome (WNS). close caves to the implement permanent
public; partner to monitoring program
monitor for WNS on to monitor species
and off Refuge; at risk, track
take recommended movement and
preventative occurrence of WNS,
measures in and search for
decontamination of physical signs in
staff caving gear; Ozark ecoregion;
perform public develop a Refuge-
outreach; gain Law specific WNS
Enforcement (LE) contingency plan;
support from identify migration
Sequoyah NWR. corridors; increase
LE support;
investigate
feasibility of
installing alarms
inside caves.
[[Page 9412]]
Landscape-Level Management Monitor baseline Alt A + identify bat
Issue 5: Wind Energy Farms. data of bird/bat migration
populations corridors; use GIS
affected by wind to delineate high-
turbines and risk areas;
determine locations quantify impacts;
to minimize impacts. investigate
mitigation
measures.
Habitat Management Issue 1: Build and repair Alt A + increase LE
Degradation of Cave, cave gates on- and presence; install
Stream, and Forest Habitat. off-Refuge; post alarm systems and
signs prohibiting infrared cameras at
entry of caves; caves; search for
maintain unknown caves with
confidentiality of partners; outreach
cave locations; to landowners.
gain LE support
``on call'' from
Sequoyah NWR;
partner with
landowners; survey
and mark
boundaries;
implement fire
management plans
for Looney and
Sally Bull Hollow
Units.
Habitat Management Issue 2: Perform cave bio- Alt A + partner to
Lack of Detailed Scientific inventories; survey develop habitat
Cave Habitat Data. bat hibernacula and suitability indexes
maternity sites; for cave species;
survey cavefish and research effects of
cave crayfish; map prescribed burning/
subterranean extent thinning on cave
of caves. habitats and
wildlife; implement
acoustic monitor
program for non-
listed species;
survey
macroinvertebrates
and other cave
fauna.
Habitat Management Issue 3: Remove with Alt A + work with
Invasive Flora. handtools, partners to
chainsaws, and mow identify, document,
on 10 acres; and monitor all
partner for burns plant species
and invasive occurring on the
control; inventory Refuge; assess
vegetation with changes in
Oklahoma State vegetation over
University; (see time; use
Fire Management, mechanical
below). treatments and if
necessary, use
herbicide spot-
treatment a maximum
of one to three
applications per
year, March-
November (see Fire
Management, below).
Habitat Management Issue 4: Coordinate response Alt A + develop a
Fire Management. to all wildfires Refuge-wide Fire
based on Management Plan to
ecological, social, increase use of
and legal prescribed fire to
consequences of \1/3\ of Refuge's
fire; implement total acreage/year
Fire Management every 3-5 years;
Plans for Looney establish
and Sally Bull agreements with
Hollow Units, landowners to
including increase use of
prescribed burns of prescribed fire
400 acres/year surrounding the
every 3-5 years. Refuge; monitor
effects of
prescribed fire and
midstory thinning
on habitats and
species.
Wildlife Management Issue 1: Continue annual bio- Alt A + establish
Threatened and Endangered inventorying permanent,
(T&E) Species and Species research of cave stationary acoustic
of Concern. fauna; monitor monitors in and
surveys of bat around caves on all
populations, Units; establish
activity, guano permanent acoustic
measurements, and survey program on
cavefish/crayfish designated routes;
counts; monitor develop a habitat
emergence/foraging/ suitability index
migration of bat model for T&E cave
species using radio species; increase
telemetry, infrared genetic research;
video, and thermal install permanent
imaging; partner cameras in caves;
with universities increase prescribed
for genetic fires to all Units
research. (see Fire
Management).
Wildlife Management Issue 2: Conduct bird counts Alt A + identify all
Migratory and Resident Bird during migration migratory bird
Species. seasons; use species occurring
prescribed fire on on or near the
Looney and Sally Refuge (spring and
Bull Hollow Units; fall); conduct
enforce limited seasonal nesting
public use. studies and MAPS
banding of birds
monthly for 6
months each year;
increase prescribed
fires to all Units
(see Fire
Management).
Wildlife Management Issue 3: Conduct mobile Alt A + establish
Resident Non-T&E Species. acoustic monitoring permanent,
once or twice a stationary acoustic
month from spring monitors in and
through fall from around caves on all
roadways and cave Units; establish
entrances; perform permanent acoustic
bio-inventories in survey program on
2-3 caves every 5 designated routes;
years. perform annual
count surveys of
non-listed cavefish
and mark recapture
of cave crayfish;
survey all wildlife
species occurring
on Refuge; increase
genetic research of
cave species;
install permanent
cameras in caves;
increase prescribed
fires to all Units
(see Fire
Management).
Wildlife Management Issue 4: No management for Partner to identify,
Invasive Fauna Species and invasive fauna document, and
Pest Management. species and/or monitor all species
pests. occurring on the
Refuge; conduct a
feral hog, feral
cat, and hothouse
millipede survey;
research
eradication
strategies; if
necessary, develop
an Integrated Pest
Management Plan.
Public Use Management Issue No hunting permitted Develop a Hunt Plan
1: Hunting. to allow walk-in-
only, open-access
hunting on the
Sally Bull Hollow
Unit, adjacent to
the State-managed
Ozark Plateau
Wetlands Management
Area (WMA).
[[Page 9413]]
Public Use Management Issue Partner to offer Alt A + increase
2: Environmental Education place-based EE visitation to 50-
(EE). programs on the 100 people per
Looney Unit and at week, 3-4 times per
the Mary & Murray week in spring,
Looney Education & summer, and fall
Research Center and 10-20 people
(MMLERC), by permit per week, 1-2 times
only, limited to 10- per week in winter;
20 people, 2-3 expand programs to
times per month in include after- and
spring and fall, 1- home- school,
2 times per month teacher continuing
in summer and 1 per education,
month in winter. gardening program,
tribal-lead; train
other FWS and
partner agencies in
effective EE
methods; if
necessary, develop
a Visitor Services
Plan.
Public Use Management Issue Partner to conduct Alt A + offer
3: Interpretation. interpretation interpretive
programs on the programs to include
Looney Unit and permaculture
MMLERC, by permit gardening, showcase
only, for Refuge use of
approximately 25 sustainable/green
people per month on- technologies; if
site and to 5 to necessary, develop
100s of people per a Visitor Services
month off-site. Plan.
Public Use Management Issue Provide Alt A + allow walk-
4: Wildlife Observation & opportunities by in access of
Photography. permit only on the wildlife
Looney Unit, in observation and
conjunction with photography on
interpretive and/or Sally Bull Hollow
EE programs. Unit, aside from
hunting season;
explore additional
opportunities on
acquired lands;
prohibit use in
caves; install
photography blinds
and 3 primitive
overlook areas on
Looney Unit trails
and potentially
newly acquired
lands.
Public Use Management Issue Prohibit wood Permit wood
5: Wood Harvesting. harvesting by the harvesting by the
public. public of downed-
trees as Refuge
forest and wildlife
management needs
dictate.
Public Use Management Issue Maintain Create a flier/
6: Public Outreach. confidentiality to brochure to
protect Refuge advertise Visitor
resources (no Services
pamphlets/fliers opportunities and
available). update Refuge
websites to include
contact info; work
with volunteers to
establish an
official Friends
group to assist
with public
outreach.
Cultural/Historical Keep sites Alt A + increase LE
Resources Management Issue confidential; from Sequoyah NWR
1: Historical Sites. partner with State to secure known
Historic sites; partner to
Preservation Office preserve and
(SHPO) to preserve perform studies on
sites. known sites and
newly discovered
sites.
Cultural/Historical Keep sites Alt A + increase LE
Resources Management Issue confidential; from Sequoyah NWR
2: Archeological and partner with SHPO, to secure known
Paleontological Sites. Sam Noble Museum sites; partner to
archeologists, and preserve and survey
paleontologists to known sites and
preserve sites. newly discovered
sites.
Facilities/Infrastructure Operate and maintain Alt A + renovate
Management Issue 1: Mary & MMLERC (1,200 sq. roof; insulate
Murray Looney Education & ft.) facility; basement and attic;
Research Center (MMLERC). maintain Americans renovate cabin
with Disability Act exterior; renovate
(ADA) accessibility. porch; renovate
front door to be
ADA-accessible;
renovate one
bathroom to be ADA-
accessible; install
monitored alarm
system; replace
plumbing system;
replace electrical
system; replace
propane gas lines;
install energy-
efficient windows;
maintain water
filter; install
rainwater
collection system;
build raised garden
beds and re-
landscape with
native plants;
install solar
panels; use energy-
efficient heating
and cooling system
and appliances;
install A/V
technology; remove
small cabin
adjacent to MMLERC
and replace with a
800 sq. ft. outdoor
pavilion studio
space and bridge.
Facilities/Infrastructure Maintain a 0.25-mile Alt A + improve
Management Issue 2: Access unpaved and roads and parking
Roads. unimproved access areas, including:
road to the MMLERC, widen MMLERC access
with a gate; drive/parking area
maintain an unpaved by 2 feet and
parking area for improve with
approximately 10 gravel; improve
vehicles; excess road with gravel
parking near the from county road to
maintenance shop. maintenance shop;
improve parking
area surfaces with
gravel; improve 0.3
miles of gravel
road on Beck Unit;
improve and/or
maintain roads on
newly acquired
lands, if
necessary.
[[Page 9414]]
Facilities/Infrastructure Utilize and maintain Alt A + Establish a
Management Issue 3: Nature trails around the 0.25-mile primitive
Trails and Overlooks. Refuge, including: trail to connect
deteriorating path the MMLERC trail to
from the MMLERC to maintenance shop
the pavilion, small trail; build a 2-
path from the mile primitive
parking area to the trail around the
MMLERC, \1/4\-mile perimeter of the
trail from MMLERC Looney Unit; repave
to Spavinaw Creek, the 0.1-mile
\1/8\-mile trail concrete path from
from MMLERC to the the MMLERC cabin to
old garden area at the pavilion;
top of hill, 150- improve the 0.25-
yard trail from mile trail with
Guess house to the gravel from the
MMLERC, and \1/4\- Looney maintenance
mile trails near shop to the MMLERC;
the Guess house; no improve the 0.1-
established mile primitive
overlook areas. trail with gravel
from the parking/
camping area on top
of the hill down to
the MMLERC.
Facilities/Infrastructure No public use signs Construct and post a
Management Issue 4: Public or interpretive sign for the MMLERC
Use Signs and Interpretive signs posted on any and new HQ site;
Displays. Refuge units, install directional
except for outside MMLERC sign at the
of caves stating county road
that they are entrance; install
closed to the signs at all cave
public. entrances to
prohibit public
entry and also to
inform them about
White-nose Syndrome
(WNS); install
limited
interpretive
signage on Looney
Unit.
Facilities/Infrastructure No centralized HQ Acquire up to 15,000
Management Issue 5: Refuge site--each staff acres of land and
Headquarters (HQ) Site. member works out of conservation
the Oklahoma ES easements from
Office in Tulsa, willing sellers
the MMLERC within the approved
(Refuge), and/or acquisition
Sequoyah NWR. boundary and
utilize an acquired
building(s), if
appropriate, for
new centralized HQ
site; or build a
new HQ site on
centralized
acquired site.
Facilities/Infrastructure Maintain and repair Alt A + Contract
Management Issue 6: 60 miles of Unit surveyors to survey
Boundaries. boundaries with a and mark all un-
total of over 4 surveyed/un-marked
miles of fencing Unit boundaries on
and 11 gates. the Refuge;
maintain new
markers.
Facilities/Infrastructure Utilize and maintain Alt A + build an
Management Issue 7: three maintenance additional 50 x 100
Maintenance Shops and shops: Beck Unit ft metal building
Service Buildings. Shop--50 x 30 ft on concrete pad
metal building on maintenance shop at
concrete pad, new HQ site;
Looney Unit: 50 x construct
30 ft metal additional
building on decontamination and
concrete pad, and storage facility at
Guess House Shop. new HQ, with
ventilation
building; outfit
facilities;
construct a fueling
station for Refuge
vehicles and
equipment at new
HQ; reconstruct
existing pole barn
on the Beck Unit.
Facilities/Infrastructure Provide Refuge Alt A + once HQ is
Management Issue 8: Refuge housing for Refuge established,
Housing. staff at the Guess convert existing
House and one Refuge office to a
bedroom for staff, second guest room
volunteers, guests, at the MMLERC; new
etc. at the MMLERC HQ plan would
cabin (Looney include kitchen/
Unit); maintain bath facilities;
agreement with construct two
Leslie Krause. Recreational
Vehicle (RV) pads
at the new HQ site;
construct RV pad on
the Looney Unit;
when agreement with
Leslie Krause is
terminated
(donation),
renovate Krause
residence for
Refuge housing.
Administration Management Receive funding and Same as Alt A.
Issue 1: Funding and staffing for
Staffing. operations,
infrastructure, and
maintenance,
determined by
Congress and
allocated to
refuges by the
Southwest Regional
Office of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife
Service; seek
additional funding
such as applying
for grants and
working with Non-
Government
Organizations
(NGOs) in order to
leverage funds.
Administration Management No official Friends Alt A + coordinate
Issue 2: Volunteers/Friends group established with unofficial
Program. (support from Friends group and/
National or dedicated
Speleological volunteer members
Society local to encourage
chapters); formation of
approximately 5,000 official Friends
to 10,000 volunteer Group; perform
hours total per outreach to
year. increase part-time,
non-resident
volunteers to
approximately
10,000 to 20,000
volunteer hours per
year; educate and
train volunteers.
[[Page 9415]]
Administration Management No management Coordinate with the
Issue 3: Coordinate Beyond agreement in place State of Arkansas
FWS Regional Boundaries to to coordinate and FWS Region 4 to
More Effectively Manage across FWS Regional manage or co-manage
Federally Listed Cave boundaries to Logan Cave NWR as a
Species on a Landscape manage cave habitat Unit of Ozark
Level. and species. Plateau NWR;
coordinate with the
State of Missouri
and FWS Region 3 to
manage or co-manage
Cavefish NWR and
Pilot Knob NWR as
Units of Ozark
Plateau NWR;
coordinate with the
State of Kansas and
FWS Region 6 for
Ozark Plateau NWR
to cooperate
management of
federally listed
Ozark cave species;
expand and
establish new
acquisition areas
within the Ozark
landscape across
multiple State and
Regional
boundaries.
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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/southwest/refuges/Plan/plansinprogress.html.
At the following public libraries:
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Library Address Phone number
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Delaware County Library...... 429 South 9th St., 918-253-8521
Jay, OK 74346.
Stilwell Public Library...... 5 N 6th St., 918-696-7512
Stilwell, OK 74960.
Tahlequah Public Library..... 120 S College Ave., 918-456-2581
Tahlequah, OK 74464.
Miami Public Library......... 200 N. Main, Miami, 918-542-3064
OK 74354.
Stanley Tubbs Memorial 101 E Cherokee Ave., 918-596-7897
Library. Sallisaw, OK 74955.
Central Library.............. 400 Civic Ctr., 918-596-7897
Tulsa, OK 74103.
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Submitting Comments/Issues for Comment
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
environmental assessment (EA);
Present reasonable alternatives other than those presented
in the EA; and/or
Provide new or additional information relevant to the
assessment.
Next Steps
After this comment period ends, we will analyze each comment and
address them in an appendix form of the Final CCP along with a 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: November 30, 2012.
Joy Nicholopoulos,
Regional Director, Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-02976 Filed 2-6-13; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P