[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 154 (Thursday, August 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47660-47662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19538]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-R-2012-N142; FXRS12610200000S3-123-FF02R06000]
Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Austin and
Colorado Counties, TX; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental
assessment (EA) for the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife
Refuge (Refuge, NWR). In this final CCP, we describe how we will manage
this Refuge for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the final CCP and FONSI/EA
by any of the following methods. You may request a hard copy or CD-ROM.
Agency Web Site: Download a copy of the documents at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/Plan/planindex.html.
Email: monica_kimbrough@fws.gov. Include ``Attwater Prairie
Chicken NWR final CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Monica Kimbrough, Natural Resource Planner, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Division of Planning, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM
87103-1306.
In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Call 505-248-6642 to make an
appointment during regular business hours at 500 Gold Avenue SW.,
Albuquerque, NM 87102 or the Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR Headquarters,
1206 APC NWR Road, Eagle Lake, TX 77434; phone: (979) 234-3021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Rossignol, Refuge Manager,
Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR, CCP--Project, P.O. Box 519, Eagle Lake,
TX 77434; phone: (979) 234-3021; fax: (979) 234-3278.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Attwater Prairie
Chicken NWR. We started this process through a notice in the Federal
Register (73 FR 65871; November 5, 2008). We released the draft CCP and
the EA to the public, announcing and requesting comments in a notice of
availability in the Federal Register (76 FR 77245; December 12, 2011).
The Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR, which consists of 10,541 acres
located approximately 60 miles west of Houston, Texas, is one of the
largest remnants of coastal prairie habitat remaining in southeast
Texas. The Refuge was officially established on July 1, 1972, to
preserve and restore coastal prairie habitat for the endangered
Attwater's prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri).
We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the
final CCP for Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR in accordance with 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 EA that accompanied the draft CCP.
The CCP will guide us in managing and administering Attwater
Prairie Chicken NWR for the next 15 years.
[[Page 47661]]
Alternative B, as we described in the final CCP, is the foundation for
the CCP.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge 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 Refuge Administration Act.
CCP Alternatives, Including Selected Alternative
Our draft CCP and our EA (76 FR 77245; December 12, 2011) addressed
several issues. To address these, we developed and evaluated the
following alternatives.
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B--Optimal habitat
management and public C--Maximal habitat
Issue topic A--No action alternative use (proposed action) management and public
alternative use alternative
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Habitat Management Issue 1: Combination of planting Same as Alternative A; Same as Alternative B;
Prairie Restoration. native grasses, grazing, plus explore except establish seed
burning, hydrologic partnership options to harvest and production
restoration. produce native grass on the Refuge; grazing
seed to increase the bison only.
number of restoration
acres; expand
monitoring for grazing
and burning effects;
remove infrastructure,
including two manmade
wetland impoundments,
restoring a functional
level of hydrology.
Habitat Management Issue 2: Land/ Acquire acres within Continue to acquire land Same as Alternative B.
Property Acquisition. approved acquisition within acquisition
boundary; not boundary, proactively
proactively seeking out seek out land
additional land protection options and
protection options. diversify those options.
Habitat Management Issue 3: Treatments include a Same as Alternative A; Same as Alternative B.
Invasive Species Control (Flora). combination of chemical, plus conduct one-time
mechanical, and systematic chemical
prescribed fire. invasive species
control for entire
refuge, unit by unit;
afterward, treatment is
expected to be required
every 2-3 years as
invasive species re-
establish.
Wildlife Management Issue 1: Continue to implement Same as Alternative A... Same as Alternative A.
Attwater's Prairie-Chicken Attwater's Prairie-
Recovery. Chicken Recovery Plan.
Wildlife Management Issue 2: Eliminate feral hogs and Same as Alternative A; Same as Alternative B.
Invasive Species Control (Fauna). nutria based on sighting plus work with adjacent
and/or documented land owners to control
damage; treat nest sites feral hog population;
and conduct research on remove brush and other
impacts of red imported elements of hog
fire ants on insect movement corridors;
community. depending on results of
current research of red
imported fire ants,
expand treated area to
full extent of refuge
and work with adjacent
landowners to expand
treatment off refuge.
Wildlife Management Issue 3: Manage three food plots Same as Alternative A; Eliminate wildlife food
Wildlife Food Plots (Farming totaling up to 150 acres. plus explore additional plots.
Program). ways to provide
supplemental food to
Attwater's prairie-
chicken, including
capability to irrigate
and addition of food
plots when the species'
populations expand.
Visitor Services Issue 1: Provide wildlife Same as Alternative A; Same as Alternative B.
Wildlife Observation and observation and plus realign auto-tour
Wildlife Photography. photography to include route; exclude cattle
auto-tour route and two from public hiking
hiking trails. trails; establish a new
platform and hiking
trail around Horseshoe
Lake; remove Pipit
Trail; increase guided
van tours.
Visitor Services Issue 2: Provide environmental Develop an environmental Develop an outdoor
Environmental Education. education as requested education program and classroom through
and as staff time promote in local school partnerships with local
permits. districts. schools, volunteers,
and friends group.
Visitor Services Issue 3: Host annual Attwater's Same as Alternative A; Same as Alternative B.
Interpretation. Prairie-Chicken plus add interpretive
Festival; interpretive signage and kiosk to
signage at headquarters new auto-tour route and
and along auto-tour new trail; expand
route. interpretive
opportunities using
recent technologies.
[[Page 47662]]
Facilities Issue 1: Roads........ Cooperate with county Same as Alternative A; Same as Alternative B.
maintenance personnel plus acquire
for refuge entrance jurisdiction and
road, and maintain other maintenance
refuge roads. responsibilities of
existing refuge
entrance road and widen
to two full lanes; bury
powerline along
entrance road; evaluate
and remove services
roads where necessary.
Facilities Issue 2: Development Administrative operations Develop and approve site Same as Alternative B.
of Administrative Complex. conducted out of three plan for new integrated
portable structures. administrative complex.
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Comments
We solicited comments on the draft CCP and the EA for the Attwater
Prairie Chicken NWR from December 12, 2011, to January 23, 2012 (76
FR77245). The public was notified of the release of the draft CCP and
the EA through the NOA, through local media outlets, and public notices
were posted on various community bulletin boards. The draft CCP and EA
were made available, online, at the Regional Office in Albuquerque, at
the Refuge, and at three public libraries in surrounding communities. A
public open house meeting was held on January 14, 2012. The Service
received four comment letters. The comments were thoroughly reviewed
and the CCP did not change substantially based on public comment.
Selected Alternative
After considering the comments we received, we have selected
Alternative B for implementation. Alternative B was selected over the
other alternatives because it best meets the Refuge's vision for the
future, the purposes for which the Refuge was established, and the
habitat, wildlife and visitor services goals identified in the CCP.
This alternative is the basis for the CCP and describes how habitat
objectives will be accomplished through a combination of management
activities to encourage ecological integrity, control invasive species,
improve or maintain habitats, and most importantly support recovery of
the Attwater's prairie-chicken. Opportunities for wildlife-dependent
recreation activities will be enhanced. Future management actions will
have a neutral or positive impact on the local economy and the
recommendations in the CCP will ensure that Refuge management is
consistent with the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Public Availability of Documents
In addition to the methods in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain
documents at the following locations:
At the following libraries:
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Library Address Phone number
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Eula and David Wintermann Library........ 101 North Walnut Ave., Eagle 979-234-5411
Lake, TX 77434.
Nesbitt Memorial Library................. 529 Washington Street, Columbus, 979-732-3392
TX 78934.
Virgil and Josephine Gordon Memorial 917 North Circle Dr., Sealy, TX 979-885-7469
Library. 77474.
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Dated: August 3, 2012.
Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-19538 Filed 8-8-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P