Public input

As this project develops, we welcome input from stakeholders and the general public at any time, however there will be two specific periods when we actively solicit public input:

Spring, 2013 - Your input sought on draft planning documents

We are pleased to announce the public review of the Draft Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft LPP/EA) for the proposed establishment of Mountain Bogs National Wildlife Refuge.

The assessment outlines the actions proposed to conserve and protect rare and severely threatened wetlands in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. In the assessment, two alternatives and their potential impacts on the environment are evaluated.

We welcome any comments or recommendations you have concerning this proposal. To be considered in the preparation of the final Environmental Assesment/Land Protection Plan, your comments must be received no later than April 10, 2013.

Comments on the draft documents should be directed to: Oliver Vand Den Ende, Project Planner, Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Comples, 2700 Refuge Headquarters Rd., Decatur, Alabama 305603; telephone 256/353-7243, ext. 28; or mountainbogs@fws.gov.

Requests for further information, or requests for paper copies of the documents should be directed to: Gary Peeples, 160 Zillicoa St., Asheville, NC; or gary_peeples@fws.gov; or 828/258-3939, ext. 234.

Download the Draft Environmental Assessment/Land Protection Plan in its entirety (.pdf 18.55 MP)

Download individual portions of the Draft Environmental Assessment/Land Protection Plan:

• Cover and table of contents (.pdf 721 KB)
• Land Protection Plan (.pdf 2.7 MB)
• Sections of the Draft Environmental Assessment are listed below:
• Purpose and need (.pdf 5 MB)
• Affected environment (.pdf 6.5 MB)
• Alternatives (.pdf 3.8 MB)
• Environmental consequences (.pdf 214 KB)
• Appendices (.pdf 475 KB)
• Glossary (.pdf 136 KB)
• References (.pdf 123 KB)

 

Summer, 2012 - Hearing your thoughts, answering your questions

From June through August, 2012 we heard stakeholder's thoughts on the proposal, allowing us to decide how best to move ahead.

You sent comments via e-mail, telephone call, written correspondence, fax, or office visit to the contact information at right.

We had a series of open houses in June and July. Informal in format, these drop-in events provided stakeholders a chance to interact one-on-one with Service staff. The open houses were:

• June 26, 2012, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Henderson County Public Library in Hendersonville, N.C.;
• June 27, 2012, 4:30 pm. to 6:30 p.m. at the Ashe County Public Library in West Jefferson, N.C.;
• July 10, 2012, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin, N.C.;
• July 11, 2012, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Watauga County Public Library in Boone, N.C.