[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 114 (Thursday, June 13, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35640-35641]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14043]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-R-2013-N264: FF02R06000-FXRS1265022LPP-134]
Establishment of the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge,
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) has established the Valle de Oro National Wildlife
Refuge as a unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Service
established the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge on September 21,
2012, with a purchase of 389 acres in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
This action completes the first of two acquisition phases, which will
ultimately provide 570 acres of protected lands for public access,
recreation, and environmental education.
ADDRESSES: A map depicting the approved boundary and other information
regarding the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge are available on
the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/Plan/planindex.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Kettler, Land Protection
Planner, by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of
Planning, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103-1306, or by email at
steve_kettler@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 21, 2012, the Service purchased
389 acres of former farm land in Albuquerque's South Valley.
Acquisition of these lands formally established the Valle de Oro
National Wildlife Refuge in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. As an urban
National Wildlife Refuge, a distinction shared by only a handful of
refuges nationwide and the first for the southwestern United States,
this refuge will provide
[[Page 35641]]
easy access and key outdoor recreation opportunities to more than
150,000 students and nearly two-thirds of the entire State population
and will become a new stop on the nationally recognized Paseo del
Bosque recreation trail. This refuge strongly emphasizes recreation and
outdoor education for urban youth. It also serves as a gateway to other
outdoor venues in the area, as well as to other refuges within the
State. The project is the result of close cooperation with Bernalillo
County, the Trust for Public Lands, and many other partners, as well as
extensive public involvement.
The Service acquired the property using the acquisition authority
of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a-j) and the Refuge
Recreation Act of 1962 (16 U.S.C. 460k-460k-4). The federal funding
source to acquire the property is the Land and Water Conservation Fund
Act of 1965 (16 U.S.C. 460l-4-460l-11). Funds received from this act
are derived primarily from oil and gas leases on the outer continental
shelf, motorboat fuel tax revenues, and sale of surplus federal
property. There could be additional funds to acquire lands, waters, or
interest therein for fish and wildlife conservation purposes through
other congressional appropriations, donations, or grants from non-
profit organizations and other sources.
The Service has involved the public, agencies, partners, and
legislators throughout the planning process for the refuge. In January
of 2011, the Service initiated public involvement and announced public
scoping meetings to be held to describe the proposed project and
solicit feedback. Three public meetings were held in the Albuquerque
metropolitan area (on February 7, 9, and 12, 2011) during the initial
scoping process to identify issues to be analyzed for the proposed
project.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Service prepared an environmental
assessment that evaluated two alternatives and their potential impacts
on the project area. The draft environmental assessment and land
protection plan documents were made available for a 30-day public
comment period beginning on July 15, 2011. Two public meetings were
held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on July 27 and 28, 2011, where
comments were recorded by a court reporter. Over 70 people attended the
meetings, and the Service received a total of 80 comments during the
public comment period. Comments received at the meetings and by other
means throughout the comment period were reviewed, added to the
administrative record, and, if substantial, addressed in the
environmental assessment or land protection plan.
Based on the documentation contained in the environmental
assessment, a Finding of No Significant Impact was signed on September
23, 2011, for the establishment the Middle Rio Grande National Wildlife
Refuge. In September, 2012, that name was officially changed to Valle
de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. The Service established the Valle de
Oro National Wildlife Refuge on September 21, 2012, with a purchase of
389 acres in Bernalillo County, New Mexico.
Dated: December 3, 2012.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register June 10, 2013.
[FR Doc. 2013-14043 Filed 6-12-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P