[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 176 (Friday, September 11, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54799-54800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21925]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-R-2015-N090;BAC-4311-K9-S3]
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Wallops Island National
Wildlife Refuge, Accomack County, Virginia; Final Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; final comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability for review of our final comprehensive conservation plan
(CCP) and environmental impact statement (EIS) for Chincoteague
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR, refuge) and Wallops Island NWR. The CCP/
EIS describes how we propose to manage both the staffed 14,032-acre
Chincoteague NWR and the unstaffed 373-acre Wallops Island NWR over the
next 15 years.
DATES: We will sign a record of decision no sooner than 30 days after
the publication of this notice.
ADDRESSES: You may view, obtain, or request CD-ROM copies of the final
CCP/EIS by any of the following methods.
Agency Web site: Download a copy of the document at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Chincoteague/what_we_do/conservation.html.
Email: Send requests to northeastplanning@fws.gov. Include
``Chincoteague NWR'' in the subject line of your email.
U.S. Mail: Thomas Bonetti, Natural Resource Planner, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035.
In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Visit during regular business hours at
refuge headquarters, 8231 Beach Road, Chincoteague Island, VA 23336.
To view comments on the final CCP-EIS from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), or for information on EPA's role in the EIS
process, see EPA's Role in the EIS Process under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Bonetti, Natural Resource
Planner, 413-253-8307 (phone); northeastplanning@fws.gov (email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Chincoteague NWR
and Wallops Island NWR, which we began by publishing a notice of intent
in the Federal Register (75 FR 57056) on September 17, 2010. For more
about the initial process and the history of the refuges, see that
notice. On May 15, 2014, we announced the release of the draft CCP/EIS
to the public and requested comments in a notice of availability in the
Federal Register (79 FR 27906). We subsequently extended the public
comment period in another notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 41300)
on July 15, 2014. In addition, EPA published a notice announcing the
draft CCP and EIS (79 FR 29759; May 23, 2014), as required under
section 309 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). We now
announce the final CCP and EIS. Under the CAA, EPA also will announce
the final CCP and EIS via the Federal Register.
EPA's Role in the EIS Process
The EPA is charged under section 309 of the Clean Air Act to review
all Federal agencies' EISs and to comment on the adequacy and the
acceptability of the environmental impacts of proposed actions in the
EISs.
EPA also serves as the repository (EIS database) for EISs prepared
by Federal agencies and provides notice of their availability in the
Federal Register. The EIS Database provides information about EISs
prepared by Federal agencies, as well as EPA's comments concerning the
EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, which publishes a notice of
availability on Fridays in the Federal Register.
The notice of availability is the start of the 45-day public
comment period for draft EISs, and the start of the 30-day ``wait
period'' for final EISs, during which agencies are generally required
to wait 30 days before making a decision on a proposed action. For more
information, see http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/eisdata.html. You
may search for EPA comments on EISs, along with EISs themselves, at
https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/action/eis/search. We
completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment in
the final CCP/EIS, and responded to public comments.
The CCP will guide us in managing and administering the refuges for
15 years. Alternative B, as we described in the final CCP/EIS, is our
preferred alternative.
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 NWR. The purpose for developing a CCP is to
provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving refuge
purposes and goals and contributing to the mission of the National
Wildlife Refuge System. CCPs should be consistent with sound principles
of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and our
policies, as well as respond to key issues and public concerns. 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 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.
CCP/EIS Alternatives
We evaluated three alternatives for managing Chincoteague NWR and
Wallops Island NWR; alternative B is our preferred alternative. Based
on feedback on the draft CCP/EIS, some modifications have been made to
alternative B and are summarized below. A full description of all
alternatives, including changes to our preferred alternative, can be
found in the final CCP/EIS at the sources identified in ADDRESSES.
Changes to Alternative B, the Service's Preferred Alternative
The assigned area, consisting of the 1-mile recreational
beach, associated parking, and new Visitor Contact Station, would
extend south 1 more mile to the terminus of Swan Cove Trail (2 miles
total), thus doubling the length of the assigned area.
Over sand vehicles (OSV) and hiking access would continue
via Beach Road across Toms Cove south to Fishing Point September 16
through March 14.
A new \1/2\-mile, OSV zone to facilitate the six priority
uses (March 15 through September 15) would be
[[Page 54800]]
developed south of new recreational beach, and added to the new
assigned area. We would continue current management of the Overwash and
Hook area for shorebirds until the new recreational beach is
established, at which time the March 15 through September 15 closure
would go into effect.
We will keep current biking access open via Swan Cove
Trail and will not propose an alternative bike route north to the
relocated public beach (from Wildlife Loop to Mallard (C Dike)).
The Service Road would continue to be open year-round to
hikers north to the refuge/National Seashore boundary.
A section of the Affected Environment (Chapter 3) on
cultural resources was inadvertently left out of the draft CCP/EIS.
This section, which has been coordinated with the Virginia Department
of Historic Resources, is included in the final CCP/EIS.
Other Features of Alternative B
Alternative B would continue established habitat and wildlife
management strategies but focus them in light of the new goals and
vision established by the CCP. The alternative balances habitat
management, public use and access, and administration of the refuge. We
would continue to preserve approximately 2,650 acres of wetland
impoundments, but make adjustments in accordance with a new impoundment
management plan that takes into account various factors, such as the
habitat needs of black ducks and monarch butterflies, climate change
and natural coastal processes, and relocated beach access and parking.
The refuge would continue to protect and enhance the wilderness
character of the 1974 proposed wilderness area, and there would be no
change in its size (1,300 acres) or location.
In recognition of the vulnerability of the current parking, the
refuge would develop and implement a site design plan for parking and
access to a new beach location, approximately 1.5 miles north of the
existing beach. We are committed to working with the National Park
Service (NPS) and others to future design, refine, and analyze beach
relocation infrastructure in a separate National Environmental Policy
Act document.
Over the next 15 years, the refuge would maintain and, where
possible, expand current hunting opportunities by including additional
species, extending hours, and providing special events. The refuge
would add mourning doves, light geese, and non-migratory Canada goose
hunting opportunities to the refuge's migratory bird hunting program.
Additionally, the refuge would allow migratory bird hunting on Federal
holidays within the Commonwealth of Virginia hunting seasons. The
refuge would also add turkeys to the big game hunting program and
pursue development of a trapping program for furbearers. The refuge
would continue sika hunting and would conduct research to identify a
desired population size.
The refuge would pursue partnerships to enhance land conservation,
environmental education, and interpretation on the Delmarva Peninsula.
The ``Chincoteague ponies'' have a strong cultural tie to the
community, and the refuge would implement a Chincoteague pony
management plan that meets multiple objectives: visitor viewing,
habitat management, and pony health. The refuge would allow grazing of
the current pony population, with a maximum pony herd size of 150, per
the management agreement with the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
Public Availability of Documents
You can view or obtain the final CCP/EIS as indicated under
ADDRESSES.
Comments
During the public comment period, a total of 236 emails and 94
letters were received, including official comments from the town of
Chincoteague, the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, The Nature
Conservancy, NPS, Environmental Protection Agency, various departments
from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and other local interest groups. In
addition a petition was submitted supporting Alternative ``A plus,'' an
alternative with elements of both alternative A and B, with
approximately 600 individuals signing. Another petition supporting the
preferred alternative (alternative B) was submitted with 112
individuals signing. We held two public open house meetings in
Chincoteague, and additional meetings in Melfa, Virginia, and Pocomoke
City, Maryland. As part of the public involvement process, we held a
public hearing on June 26, 2014, in Chincoteague with 28 people
formally raising a variety of issues and concerns.
We evaluated all the letters and emails sent to us during that
comment period, along with comments recorded at our public hearing, and
addressed all substantive comments. A summary of those comments and our
responses to them is included in the final CCP/EIS as appendix R.
Next Steps
We will document the final decision in a record of decision, which
will be published in the Federal Register after a 30-day ``wait
period'' that begins when EPA announces this final CCP-EIS. For more
information, see EPA's Role in the EIS Process.
Dated: August 18, 2015.
Deborah Rocque,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-21925 Filed 9-10-15; 8:45 am]
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