[Federal Register: June 25, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 122)]
[Notices]
[Page 36437-36438]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jn10-88]
[[Page 36437]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2010-N085; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge, Pope and Yell Counties, AR
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 Holla Bend National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage
this refuge for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the CCP by writing to: Mr. Durwin
Carter, Refuge Manager, Holla Bend NWR, 10448 Holla Bend Road,
Dardanelle, AR 72834. The CCP may also be accessed and downloaded from
the Service's Web site: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning under ``Final
Documents.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mike Dawson, Refuge Planner,
Jackson, MS; telephone: 601/965-4903, Ext. 20; fax: 601/965-4010; e-
mail: mike_dawson@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Holla Bend NWR.
We started this process through a notice in the Federal Register on May
17, 2007 (72 FR 27837).
Holla Bend NWR is about 6 miles southeast of the city of Dardanelle
in west-central Arkansas. The refuge is situated on a meander in the
Arkansas River (i.e., Holla Bend) that was cut off when the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) straightened the channel in 1954. When the
work was completed, the Corps transferred the 4,068-acre Holla Bend
cutoff site to the Service and Holla Bend NWR was formally established
in 1957. We have acquired additional lands in the intervening years,
and the fee title boundary presently includes 6,616 acres. We also
manage 441 acres of a Migratory Bird Closure Zone outside of the fee
title boundary, bringing the total managed area to 7,057 acres. The
boundaries of the refuge are roughly defined by the main channel of the
Arkansas River and the cutoff meander channel.
The principal focus of the refuge is on providing a wintering area
for ducks and geese that use the Arkansas River corridor as they
migrate along the Mississippi and Central Flyways. The number of
waterfowl on the refuge in any given year varies, depending on water
levels and weather conditions further along the flyways. However, it is
not uncommon for the refuge to host up to 100,000 ducks and geese at
once during the winter months. Mallards are the most abundant, but at
least 18 species of ducks and 4 species of geese have been observed on
the refuge.
More than 40,000 people visited the refuge in 2009. Almost half of
these visitors came to the refuge to watch wildlife; bald eagles are an
important draw. The refuge also provides opportunities for wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation. There are opportunities for hunting and fishing as
well, although these activities are limited to ensure that they are
compatible with refuge purposes.
We announce our decision and the availability of the final CCP and
FONSI for Holla Bend NWR 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 Holla Bend NWR for the next 15 years. Alternative D is
the foundation for the CCP.
The compatibility determinations for hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation and photography, environmental education and
interpretation, all-terrain vehicle use, cooperative farming,
commercial fishing, haying, research studies, and trapping are
available in the CCP.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Administration Act), as amended by the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, 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 Administration
Act.
Comments
Approximately 100 copies of the Draft CCP/EA were made available
for a 30-day public review period as announced in the Federal Register
on January 8, 2010 (75 FR 1073). Five public comments were received.
The Draft CCP/EA identified and evaluated four alternatives for
managing the refuge.
Selected Alternative
After considering the comments we received, we have selected
Alternative D for implementation. This alternative is judged to be the
most effective management action for meeting the purposes of the refuge
by optimizing habitat management and visitor services.
Refuge operations will be improved by balancing enhanced habitat
and fish and wildlife population management and enhanced wildlife-
dependent public use. This adaptive management alternative is basically
concurrent implementation of selected enhancements from alternatives B
(Enhanced Management of Habitat and Fish and Wildlife Populations) and
C (Enhanced Management for Wildlife-Dependent Public Use), focusing on
specific enhancements for which inherent linkages will result in
greater benefits to the refuge and surrounding area than simple
addition of the benefits of each enhancement implemented separately.
For example, the baseline biological information developed under
Alternative B will be useful in identifying opportunities to improve
visitor experiences, and the increased volunteer support management
developed under Alternative C will lead to increased efficiencies in
collecting data on biological resources and responses (e.g., nuisance
and invasive species occurrence, deer herd status, and evaluation of
habitat management efforts) identified in Alternative B.
Habitat management will include converting 100 acres from
agricultural production to grassland and scrub/shrub habitat;
cooperative farming will continue on 1,200 acres. To the extent
possible, crops will be converted to preferred waterfowl foods. We will
monitor acreage of invasive plants and develop a strategy to eliminate
non-
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native plants. Enhancements in the management of moist-soil habitat
will include developing complete water control capability on all moist-
soil unit acreage and use of periodic disturbance to set back
succession. Further, we will pursue cooperative projects to improve
habitat quality on 500 acres of open water. Waterfowl usage and
shorebird response to habitat management also will be monitored.
Wildlife-dependent recreation activities will be the same as under
Alternative A (Current Management).
The two significant enhancements in the public use program will be
development of an environmental education center and the addition of a
park ranger (visitor services) position. These enhancements will
greatly increase our capability and opportunity to conduct
environmental education and interpretation programs, and to better
utilize qualified volunteers in support of Holla Bend NWR's mission and
objectives. One function of the park ranger will be to develop a plan
for recruiting and effectively managing volunteer support.
This alternative also will include the addition of an ADA-compliant
fishing pier at Lodge Lake's bank fishing area, development of a bird
observation trail north of the refuge office, improvements to the Lodge
Lake Trail and the loop to the Levee Trail, and selective vegetation
management along refuge roads to improve wildlife viewing
opportunities. Information kiosks, directional signs, parking lots, and
other visitor use facilities also will be improved to the extent
feasible. This will include determining the maximum number of archery
hunters we can support and evaluating the feasibility of adding a dove
hunt season.
Under this alternative, we will pursue opportunities that arise to
purchase or exchange priority tracts within the refuge acquisition
boundary, which includes 1,703 acres in private ownership distributed
in numerous small tracts around the perimeter of the refuge. We will
maintain the refuge as resources allow.
The staff will be made up of the following: refuge manager, deputy
refuge manager, heavy equipment operator, office assistant, biologist,
biological science technician, park ranger (public use), park ranger
(law enforcement), refuge operations specialist, and heavy equipment
mechanic.
Authority
This notice is published under the authority of the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 105-57.
Dated: April 22, 2010.
Mark J. Musaus,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-15434 Filed 6-24-10; 8:45 am]
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