[Federal Register: August 4, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 150)]
[Notices]
[Page 45240-45241]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04au08-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0147; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Hyde, Tyrrell, and
Washington Counties, NC
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: Final comprehensive conservation plan
and finding of no significant impact.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this
refuge for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the CCP may be obtained by writing to: Howard A.
Phillips, Refuge Manager, Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, P.O.
Box 329, Columbia, NC 27925. The CCP may also be accessed and
downloaded from the Service's Internet site: http://southeast.fws.gov/
planning.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Howard A. Phillips; Telephone: 252/
796-3004.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Pocosin Lakes
National Wildlife Refuge. We started this process through a notice in
the Federal Register on November 3, 2000 (65 FR 66256). For more about
the process, see that notice.
Congress established the 12,000-acre Pungo National Wildlife Refuge
in 1963 by the authorities of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of
1929 and the Fish
[[Page 45241]]
and Wildlife Act of 1956. In 1990, we established Pocosin Lakes
National Wildlife Refuge, making Pungo Refuge a unit of Pocosin Lakes
Refuge. The refuge now consists of 110,106 acres. We named the refuge
for the pocosin habitat that dominates the landscape and for the lakes
that occur within the pocosin.
We announce our decision and the availability of the final CCP and
FONSI for Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6(b))
requirements. We completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human
environment, which we included in the draft comprehensive conservation
plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA). The CCP will guide us
in managing and administering Pocosin Lakes Refuge for the next 15
years.
The compatibility determinations for hunting; fishing; wildlife
observation and photography; environmental education and
interpretation; access for public uses; trapping of selected furbearers
and feral hogs for nuisance animal management; refuge resource research
studies; cooperative farming program; commercial photography;
commercial tours and guiding; wood and reed gathering and cutting; and
meetings of non-service agencies and organizations are all available in
the CCP.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, 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 hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Improvement Act.
Comments
Approximately 130 copies of the Draft CCP/EA were made available
for a 30-day public review period as announced in the Federal Register
on July 12, 2007 (72 FR 38097). Twelve agencies and/or individuals
submitted comments, either in writing or at public forums. Four persons
spoke at the public forums and eight presented written comments,
representing state agencies, local government agencies, non-
governmental organizations, businesses, and local citizens.
Selected Alternative
We developed four alternatives for management of the refuge and
chose Alternative 2 as the preferred alternative. We selected
Alternative 2 based on the sound professional judgment of the staff and
after considering the comments we received on the draft document. The
primary focus under Alternative 2 will be to optimize management of the
impoundments very intensively by controlling water levels and
vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating waterfowl.
Implementing the CCP will result in moderate program increases to
address the refuge's highest priorities. We will manage pine forests
and marshes with prescribed fire and will manage the vegetative
composition of habitats in selected areas. Waterfowl will be surveyed
on a routine basis. We will develop inventory plans for all species and
implement them in selected habitats. We will develop and implement a
black bear management plan. The visitor center will be maintained by
volunteers and cooperating agency personnel supplementing refuge
personnel. The volunteer program will be expanded by recruiting
volunteers to contribute 4,000 hours of service. We will construct two
pads for recreational vehicles in order to attract volunteers. There
will be 17.5 staff members dedicated to refuge management and 7.5 staff
members dedicated to fire management. The six priority public uses will
be allowed, with the refuge staff conducting environmental education
and interpretation programs to meet local needs.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: June 10, 2008.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E8-17766 Filed 8-1-08; 8:45 am]
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