[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] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alternative B: Issue Alternative A: proposed future current management management ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Library Address Phone number ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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