[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 20 (Thursday, January 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4952-4953]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01849]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-HQ-R-2013-N246; FXRS12650900000-145-FF09R20000]
Draft Strategic Growth Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge
System
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose a
[[Page 4953]]
policy to implement a strategic approach to the growth of the National
Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System, System). The National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act (Administration Act), as amended by
the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act, requires that we
``plan and direct the continued growth of the System in a manner that
is best designed to accomplish the mission of the System.'' This draft
policy instructs the Refuge System to focus its protection measures on
priority conservation features in order to ensure that our limited
resources are directed to make the greatest contribution to the
conservation of species in a strategic, cost-effective, and transparent
manner. It ensures the growth of the System reflects our vision towards
managing functional landscapes, enhancing our scientific rigor,
improving our effectiveness, and involving our partners and the
American people. We propose to incorporate this draft policy as Part
602, chapter 5 of the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by
March 3, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this draft policy by any of the
following methods:
U.S. Mail or Hand Delivery: Sarena Selbo, Division of Natural
Resources and Conservation Planning, National Wildlife Refuge System,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 600A,
Arlington, VA 22203;
Email: nwrsstrategicgrowthpolicy@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sarena Selbo, at the address above, or
telephone: (703) 358-2664.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft guidance document which is the
subject of this notice is available at: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/planning/StrategicGrowth.html.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 amends
the Administration Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd-ee) and provides an organic act
for the Refuge System. It states that the Refuge System mission is to
``administer a national network of lands and waters for the
conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the
fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit
of present and future generations of Americans.'' It requires us to
``plan and direct the continued growth of the System in a manner that
is best designed to accomplish the mission of the System'', ``to
fulfill the mission of the System, as well as the specific purposes for
which [the] refuge was established'', and to ``ensure timely and
effective cooperation and collaboration with Federal agencies and State
fish and wildlife agencies during the course of acquiring and managing
refuges.'' We cannot fulfill our mission in the face of unparalleled
challenges related to climate and non-climate stressors unless we
provide consistent direction for adding lands and waters to the System
in a science-based, cost-effective, and transparent manner. Based on
statutory requirements, we developed a draft policy for Strategic
Growth of the Refuge System.
Draft Policy
The purpose of the draft policy is to provide guidance for the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to implement a strategic approach to the
growth of the National Wildlife Refuge System including: national
wildlife refuges and other areas managed by the Refuge System. It
prioritizes acquisitions within existing refuge boundaries, expanding
existing refuges, and establishing new refuges. As well, the draft
policy focuses protection measures on priority conservation features to
ensure our limited resources make the greatest contribution to the
conservation of species in a strategic, cost-effective, and transparent
manner. This policy ensures strategic growth of the System and reflects
our vision towards managing for functional landscapes, enhancing our
scientific rigor, improving our effectiveness, and involving our
partners and the American people.
This draft policy is consistent with the biological planning and
conservation design components of Strategic Habitat Conservation, the
Service's science-based, adaptive management framework for determining
where and how to deliver conservation efficiently to achieve specific
biological outcomes. The draft policy identifies threatened and
endangered species, migratory birds of conservation concern, waterfowl,
or the surrogate species that represent them, as priority conservation
features.
The draft policy requires application of the best available science
to incorporate elements of conservation design in the identification of
priority conservation areas, which support priority conservation
features, to contribute in achieving measurable conservation targets
such as population objectives. This draft policy ensures projects
discuss vulnerability to climate change and other non-climate stressors
(e.g. habitat fragmentation, invasive species, etc.), describe how the
Refuge System will mitigate stressors to ensure the project's
resiliency, are arranged in a geographically efficient manner to
safeguard ecological processes across the landscape, and complement the
resilience of other conservation areas.
This draft policy identifies how the Service Director will receive
project proposals, potential outcomes of Director project review, and
how designated representatives at the local level, the refuge managers,
must interact, coordinate, cooperate, and collaborate with State fish
and wildlife agencies in the acquisition and management of refuges.
Request for Public Comments
We seek public comments on the draft Strategic Growth policy, and
will consider comments and any additional information we receive during
the comment period (see DATES). You may submit comments to any of the
places cited in ADDRESSES.
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 9, 2014.
Dan Ashe,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-01849 Filed 1-29-14; 8:45 am]
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