[Federal Register: May 28, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 103)]
[Notices]
[Page 30052-30054]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28my10-115]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-R-2009-N185; BAC-4311-K9-S3]
Nomans Land Island National Wildlife Refuge, Town of Chilmark, MA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
draft environmental assessment (EA) for Nomans Land Island National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for a 30-day public review and comment period. In
this draft CCP/EA, we describe three alternatives, including our
Service-preferred Alternative C, for managing this refuge for the next
15 years. Also available for public review and comment is the draft
wilderness review, which is included as Appendix C in the draft CCP/EA.
DATES: To ensure our consideration of your written comments, please
send them by June 28, 2010. We will also hold at least one public
meeting in Chilmark, Massachusetts, during the 30-day review period to
receive comments and provide information on the draft plan. We will
announce and post details about public meetings in local news media,
via our project mailing list, and on our regional planning Web site,
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/nomansland/ccphome.html.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments or requests for more information by any
of the following methods.
Agency Web site: View or download the draft document at http://
www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/nomansland/ccphome.html.
Electronic mail: northeastplanning@fws.gov. Include ``Nomans Land
Island NWR CCP/EA'' in the subject line of the message.
U.S. Postal Service: Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, 73 Weir
Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.
In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 978-443-4661 to make
an appointment during regular business hours at the above address.
Facsimile: Attn: Carl Melberg, 978-443-2898.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carl Melberg, Planning Team Leader, at
978-443-4661 extension 32.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Nomans Land
Island NWR in Chilmark, Massachusetts, which we started with the notice
of intent (NOI) that was published in the Federal Register (73 FR
76376) on December 16, 2008. We prepared the draft CCP in compliance
with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) (NEPA) and the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act
of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), as amended by the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Act). This refuge is one of
eight refuges in the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex.
Nomans Land Island NWR is a 628-acre roadless island located
approximately 3 miles south of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. It was
established for the conservation and management of migratory birds. The
Service first began managing a portion of the eastern side of the
island in 1975 as an ``overlay'' refuge under a Joint Management
Agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S.
Department of the Navy (DoN), while it was still under DoN ownership.
In 1998, management responsibility for the island was transferred to
the Service and became Nomans Land Island NWR.
This island has a unique history, from use by Native Americans as a
summer camp, to sheep grazing when the island was privately owned in
the 1800s, to use as a bombing range to train DoN pilots during and
after World War II. The refuge provides diverse habitats that include
intertidal, freshwater wetland, grassland and shrubland habitats, and
serves an important role for nesting landbirds and colonial waterbirds
and as a stopover habitat for migratory birds and raptors such as the
peregrine falcon.
Public access has never been allowed on the refuge due to
unexploded ordnance (UXO), therefore, none of the six priority uses of
the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) established by Congress in
the Act occur on the island. Off-site interpretation opportunities
exist with potential partners such as the Town of Chilmark, the
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) (the Tribe), and the Aquinnah
Cultural Center.
Background
The CCP Process
The Act requires us to develop a CCP for each national wildlife
refuge. The purpose for developing CCPs is to provide refuge managers
with 15-year plans for achieving refuge purposes and the mission of the
NWRS, in conformance 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 priority 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
each CCP at least every 15 years, in accordance with the Act.
[[Page 30053]]
The Wilderness Review
Service planning policy (602 FW 3) requires that we conduct a
wilderness review in association with the development of a refuge CCP,
pursuant to the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.). The purpose of
the wilderness review is to identify and describe wilderness values and
evaluate appropriate management alternatives. The wilderness review
process has three phases: Inventory, study, and recommendation. After
first identifying lands and waters that meet the minimum criteria for
wilderness during the inventory phase, the resulting wilderness study
areas (WSAs) are further evaluated to determine if they merit
recommendation from the Service to the Secretary of the Interior
(Secretary) for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation
System (NWPS).
Public Outreach
There is a long planning history for this CCP. On February 24,
1999, a NOI to prepare a CCP and environmental impact statement (EIS)
for what was then known as Great Meadows NWR Complex, of which Nomans
Land Island NWR is a part, was printed in the Federal Register. In
2001, we determined it was not feasible to prepare one plan for eight
refuges, and on February 15, 2001, another notice was printed in the
Federal Register indicating that a CCP/EIS would be prepared for
Monomoy, Nantucket, and Nomans Land Island NWRs. However, no work was
done on those plans at that time. On December 13, 2004, another NOI was
printed in the Federal Register to indicate that the planning process
for Nomans Land Island NWR and Monomoy NWR was being re-initiated, and
that comments already received under previous notices would be
considered. In 2008, because of the different issues facing the
refuges, the Service determined it to be more efficient to proceed
separately with the Nomans Land Island NWR CCP/EA.
Scoping began in 1999 with public meetings and the solicitation of
public comments via planning workbooks. In April 2005, two scoping
meetings were held in Chilmark, Massachusetts. Interagency,
stakeholder, and public scoping was re-initiated through partner and
public meetings held on October 14, 2008, at the Chilmark Library,
followed by a comment period ending November 14, 2008. Federal and
State natural resource agency staff, current and potential refuge
partners, and members of the general public attended these meetings.
During these meetings, we asked attendees specific questions about
their views on the refuge's wildlife and habitat values, how they view
the refuge, and their suggestions for future refuge management.
Some of the key issues we identified were the management of
migratory birds and their habitats including shrubland, rocky shoreline
and wetlands, coordination with the DoN to ensure safety, UXO removal,
enforcement of no public access, better communication with the public
about the refuge and our management activities, and protection of
cultural resources.
CCP Alternatives, Including Selected Alternative
We developed three management alternatives based on the purposes
for establishing the refuge, its vision and goals, and the issues and
concerns identified by the public, State agencies, the Tribe, and the
Service during the planning process. The alternatives have some actions
in common, such as protecting and monitoring fish and wildlife species,
managing the extensive shrubland habitat, controlling invasive plants
and wildlife diseases, protecting cultural resources, planning for
limited Tribal use of the island, developing a partnership agreement
with the Tribe, maintaining a no public use policy, and distributing
refuge revenue sharing payments to the Town of Chilmark.
Other actions distinguish the alternatives. The draft CCP/EA
describes the alternatives in detail, and relates them to the issues
and concerns identified. Highlights are as follows:
Alternative A (Current Management)
This alternative is the ``No Action'' alternative required by NEPA.
Alternative A defines our current management activities, and serves as
the baseline against which to compare the other alternatives. Our
current habitat management focuses on allowing natural processes and
prescribed burns conducted by the DoN for UXO removal operations to
maintain the diversity of the maritime shrubland habitat that supports
migratory and nesting birds of conservation concern such as the eastern
towhee and gray catbird. Other than some invasive species management,
only natural processes affect the ponds and wetlands on the refuge that
provide important breeding habitat for Virginia rail and other species
of conservation concern.
We would continue to maintain the 15 acres of herbaceous upland and
100 acres of intertidal beach and rocky shore to provide suitable
habitat conditions for nesting American oystercatcher, piping plover,
and terns, as well as other shorebird, colonial waterbird, and seabird
species identified as species of conservation concern. We would
continue to enforce the no public access policy along the shoreline to
prevent public use activities that may pose safety risks due to UXO.
We would continue to work with our partners to monitor these
habitats for invasive plants and disease, and we would treat the
vegetation to fight invasive species if we have available funding and
staffing. Our biological monitoring and inventory program and habitat
and trail management would continue at its current minimal level, and
would be limited by safety concerns and UXO removal conducted by the
DoN.
We would continue to protect cultural resources by strengthening
our relationships with the Tribe and the Chilmark Historical
Commission. We would consult with the DoN Regional Archeologist prior
to any ground-disturbing activities.
Our visitor services programs would not change, as minimal off-site
interpretation now occurs via our Web site and virtual tour. Our
staffing and facilities would remain the same. Existing staff for the
refuge complex would remain in place, and the headquarters would remain
at the Sudbury, Massachusetts office. No new staff would be hired
specifically for this refuge.
Alternative B (Enhanced Management and Habitat Diversity)
In this alternative, the Service takes a more active role in
managing habitats, research, monitoring, and inventorying its priority
natural and cultural resources.
We would coordinate with the DoN on all management activities and
provide additional trails for monitoring and management access
throughout the island. Under this alternative, we would establish a
fire-based management regime with prescribed burns to maintain 400
acres of desired shrubland habitat conditions in order to support focal
nesting bird species and provide critical shrubland stop-over habitat
for migrating landbirds and butterflies. We would also explore the
potential to introduce the New England cottontail on the refuge in
support of regional recovery efforts for this species of State and
regional conservation concern.
We would manage the 15 acres of herbaceous upland vegetation that
provides habitat for shorebirds and terns, and the 100 acres of marine
intertidal beach and rocky shore habitats to benefit marine mammals and
nesting and migrating shorebirds. We
[[Page 30054]]
would manage the 100 to 150 acres of freshwater wetland communities to
support breeding marsh birds and native plant and animal communities,
and control non-native invasive species and predators as necessary to
support nesting focal species of conservation concern. We would create
a habitat map for the refuge, and conduct inventories, research, and
monitoring on rare and special concern species.
Since no public use is allowed, we would increase visitor services
programming off-site with environmental education and interpretation by
developing partnerships with the Tribe, Town of Chilmark, and the
Aquinnah Cultural Center. We would work with partners to conduct
shoreline surveys for archeological resources at risk from erosion and
develop protocols for collection and repository of artifacts and
remains.
We would increase refuge complex staff by three new positions--
Biological, Visitor Services, and Law Enforcement. Under this
alternative, we would focus on strengthening partnerships with the
Tribe for ceremonial access. We would also increase access and
management throughout the refuge with the cooperation of the DoN.
Alternative C (Natural Processes Emphasis-Service Preferred
Alternative)
This alternative is the one we propose as the best way to manage
this refuge over the next 15 years. It includes an array of less active
management actions that, in our professional judgment, works best
toward achieving the refuge purposes, our vision and goals, and the
goals of other State and regional conservation plans. We also believe
it most effectively addresses the key issues that arose during the
planning process. Lastly, it is the most realistic, given the
relatively modest increase in staffing and funding that is anticipated
over the next 15 years.
This alternative acknowledges that the refuge meets the minimum
criteria for a WSA. Under this alternative, a Nomans Land Island WSA
would be recommended as suitable for designation and inclusion in the
NWPS. The analysis of environmental consequences is based on the
assumption that Congress would accept the recommendation and designate
Nomans Land Island NWR as wilderness. The Nomans Land Island WSA would
be managed according to the provisions of the Wilderness Act and
Service Wilderness Stewardship Policy (610 FW 1-3). The wilderness area
would be managed to accomplish refuge purposes and the NWRS mission,
while also preserving wilderness character and natural values for
future generations. Use of motorized vehicles, motorized equipment,
mechanical transport on the island would be allowed for emergency
purposes, and when necessary to meet minimum requirements for the
administration of the area as wilderness, and to accomplish refuge
purposes. The island would continue to be accessible by motorboat.
The information and analyses in the CCP/EA would be used to compile
a wilderness study report and legislative EIS to accompany the
wilderness recommendation. Since Congress has reserved the authority to
make final decisions on wilderness designation, the wilderness
recommendation is a preliminary administrative determination that would
receive further review and possible modification by the Director, the
Secretary, or the President. We would conduct some survey, inventory,
research, and monitoring of focal species such as common and roseate
terns, and would implement necessary measures to protect any colonies
larger than 50 pairs. We would work with partners on specific priority
efforts, such as analyzing the feasibility of New England cottontail
introduction. We would track vegetation changes and invasive species,
and control those that threaten healthy ecosystems. Under Alternative
C, we would primarily allow coastal processes of wind and wave action
to shape the refuge habitats, but would consider using fire to maintain
shrubland stopover habitat for migratory birds, if necessary. We would
focus our efforts to provide quality habitat on the refuge for
landbirds, including raptors, during fall migration.
This alternative resembles Alternative A in its minimal management
approach, refuge administration, and facilities. We would provide
oversight and coordination to the DoN contaminant and UXO cleanup,
pursue a partnership agreement with the Tribe that provides, in part,
access to the refuge for ceremonial purposes, and work with partners on
cultural resource protection.
As with Alternative B, we would enhance visitor services to provide
additional off-site opportunities for interpretation and communication,
since no public access is allowed on the refuge. Staffing would remain
the same as in Alternative A.
Public Meetings
The public will have the opportunity to provide input at one public
meeting in Chilmark, Massachusetts. We will release mailings, news
releases, and announcements electronically and provide information
about opportunities for public review and comment on our Web site and
in local newspapers with the contact information below. You can obtain
the schedule from the planning team leader or project leader (see
ADDRESSES). You may also submit comments anytime during the planning
process by mail, electronic mail, or facsimile (see ADDRESSES). For
specific information, including dates, times, and locations, contact
the planning team leader (see ADDRESSES) or visit our Web site at
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/nomansland/ccphome.html.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, electronic mail
address, or other personal identifying information in your comments,
you should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal
identifying information--may be made available to the public 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: April 26, 2010.
James G. Geiger,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Hadley, Massachusetts.
[FR Doc. 2010-12669 Filed 5-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P