[Federal Register: April 29, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 82)]
[Notices]
[Page 22620-22621]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29ap10-96]
[[Page 22620]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-R-2009-N236; 80230-1265-0000-S3]
Upper Klamath, Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, Bear Valley, and Clear
Lake National Wildlife Refuges, Klamath County, OR, Siskiyou and Modoc
Counties, CA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental impact statement; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare
a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for Upper Klamath, Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, Bear
Valley, and Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges) located in
Klamath County, Oregon, and Siskiyou and Modoc Counties, California.
The Refuges are part of the Klamath Basin Complex. We provide this
notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other Federal and
State agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the
planning process.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by June 28, 2010. We will hold public meetings to begin the CCP
planning process; see Public Meetings under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments or requests for more information by any
of the following methods.
E-mail: R8KlamathCCP@fws.gov. Include ``Klamath Basin CCP'' in the
subject line of the message.
Fax: Attn: Michelle Barry, (530) 667-8337.
U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin National
Wildlife Refuge Complex, 4009 Hill Road, Tulelake, CA 96134.
In-Person Drop off: You may drop off comments during regular
business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Klamath
Basin National Wildlife Refuges, 4009 Hill Road, Tulelake, CA 96134.
Additional information about the CCP planning process is available on
the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/klamathbasinrefuges.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Barry, Refuge Planner at
(530) 667-2231.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we initiate our process for developing a CCP for
Upper Klamath, Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, Bear Valley, and Clear Lake
Refuges located in Klamath County, Oregon, and Siskiyou and Modoc
Counties, California. This notice complies with our CCP policy to: (1)
Advise other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of our
intention to conduct detailed planning on this refuge and (2) obtain
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the
environmental document and during development of the CCP.
Background
The CCP Process
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 and photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update
the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Administration
Act.
Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established for
specific purposes. We use these purposes as the foundation for
developing and prioritizing the management goals and objectives for
each refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System, and to
determine how the public can use each refuge. The planning process is a
way for us and the public to evaluate management goals and objectives
that will ensure the best possible approach to wildlife, plant, and
habitat conservation, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation
opportunities that are compatible with each refuge's establishing
purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Our CCP process provides participation opportunities for Tribal,
State, and local governments; agencies; organizations; and the public.
At this time we encourage input in the form of issues, concerns, ideas,
and suggestions for the future management of Klamath Refuges.
We will conduct the environmental review of this project in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508); other appropriate Federal laws
and regulations; and our policies and procedures for compliance with
those laws and regulations.
Klamath Refuges
Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge was established by President
Calvin Coolidge in 1928 as a ``refuge and breeding ground for birds and
wild animals'' (Executive Order 4851). The Refuge comprises 15,000
acres, mostly freshwater hardstem-cattail marsh and open water, along
with 30 acres of forested uplands. These habitats serve as excellent
nesting and brood rearing areas for waterfowl and colonial nesting
birds, including American white pelican and several heron species. Bald
eagle and osprey nest nearby and can sometimes be seen fishing in
refuge waters.
The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge was established by
President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908 as a ``preserve and breeding
ground for native birds'' (Executive Order 924). Located in rural
northeastern California and southern Oregon, Lower Klamath NWR was the
nation's first waterfowl refuge. The Refuge, with a backdrop of 14,000-
foot Mount Shasta to the southwest, is listed in the National Register
of Historic Places as both a National Historic Landmark and a National
Natural Landmark. The 50,092-acre refuge is a varied mix of intensively
managed shallow marshes, open water, grassy uplands, and croplands that
provide feeding, resting, nesting, and brood-rearing habitat for
waterfowl and other water birds. This refuge is one of the most
biologically productive refuges within the Pacific Flyway.
Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the fertile and
intensively farmed Tule Lake Basin of northeast California. It was
established in 1928 by President Calvin Coolidge ``as a preserve and
breeding ground for wild birds and animals'' (Executive Order 4975).
This 39,116-acre refuge contains about 14,000 acres of open water and
marsh surrounded by 8,000 acres of uplands and 17,000 acres of
croplands.
[[Page 22621]]
Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1978 under
the authority of the Endangered Species Act to protect a major night
roost site for wintering bald eagles in Southern Oregon. The refuge
consists of 4,200 acres, primarily of old growth ponderosa pine,
incense cedar, and white and Douglas fir. Bear Valley National Wildlife
Refuge also provides nesting habitat for several bald eagle pairs.
Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established by President
William Taft in 1911 as a ``preserve and breeding ground for native
birds'' (Executive Order 1332). Located in northeastern California, the
Refuge consists of approximately 20,000 acres of open water surrounded
by over 26,000 acres of upland bunchgrass, low sagebrush, and juniper
habitat. Small, rocky islands in the lake provide nesting sites for
American white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, and other colonial
nesting birds.
The Klamath Basin Refuges consist of a variety of habitats,
including freshwater marshes, open water, grassy meadows, coniferous
forests, sagebrush and juniper grasslands, agricultural lands, and
rocky cliffs and slopes. These habitats support diverse and abundant
populations of resident and migratory wildlife, with 433 species having
been observed on or near the Refuges. In addition, each year the
Refuges serve as a migratory stopover for about three-quarters of the
Pacific Flyway waterfowl, with peak fall concentrations of over 1
million birds.
Public Meetings
We will give the public an opportunity to provide input on the
scope of issues to consider in this planning process at public
meetings. We will announce the dates, times, and locations of these
meetings in local news media and on our Web site. You may also submit
comments anytime during the planning process by mail, e-mail, or fax
(see ADDRESSES). There will be additional opportunities to provide
input once we have prepared a draft CCP.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available 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 21, 2010.
Ken McDermond,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 2010-9949 Filed 4-28-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P