[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 181 (Thursday, September 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56088-56090]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22272]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-R-2014-N062; FXRS12610800000-145-FF08R00000]
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge Complex; Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Sonny Bono Salton Sea
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex, which includes the Sonny Bono
Salton Sea NWR and Coachella Valley NWR. In the CCP, we describe how we
will manage these Refuges for the next 15 years.
DATES: The CCP and FONSI are available now. The FONSI was signed on
March 6, 2014. Implementation of the CCP will begin immediately.
ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the final CCP and FONSI by
any of the following methods. You may request a CD-ROM. A limited
number of paper copies are available.
Agency Web site: Download a copy of the document(s) at http://
www.fws.gov/refuge/SonnyBonoSaltonSea/
whatwedo/planning.html.
Email: VictoriaTouchstone@fws.gov. Include ``Sonny Bono
Salton Sea CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
Fax: Attn: Victoria Touchstone, 619-476-9149.
[[Page 56089]]
U.S. Mail: Victoria Touchstone, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
P.O. Box 2358, Chula Vista, CA 91912.
In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Copies of the final CCP and FONSI may
also be viewed at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Office between 8 a.m.
to 3 p.m.; call 760-348-5278 for directions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria Touchstone, Refuge Planner,
at 619-476-9150, extension 103 (by telephone; you may also use one of
the methods under ADDRESSES), or Chris Schoneman, Project Leader, at
760-348-5278, extension 227.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex,
which includes the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR and Coachella Valley NWR.
The Refuge Complex is located in parts of Imperial and Riverside
Counties, California. In the CCP, we describe how we will manage these
Refuges for the next 15 years.
Background
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR was established as a 32,766-acre
sanctuary and breeding ground for birds and other wildlife in 1930
(Executive Order 5498). Additional leased lands have been added to the
Refuge under the authorities of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16
U.S.C. 715d), ``for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other
management purpose, for migratory birds,'' and the Lea Act (16 U.S.C.
695), ``for the management and control of migratory waterfowl, and
other wildlife.'' Today, with the original Refuge lands covered by the
waters of the Salton Sea, management activities are focused on about
2,000 acres of primarily leased land. Approximately 900 acres consist
of managed wetlands that support resident and migratory birds, and
another 850 acres are farmed to provide forage for wintering geese and
other migratory birds. Existing public uses include waterfowl hunting,
fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education,
interpretation, and scientific research.
The Coachella Valley NWR was established in 1985 under the
authorities of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1534),
``to conserve (A) fish or wildlife which are listed as endangered
species or threatened species or (B) plants.'' The 3,577-acre Refuge,
which is part of the larger Coachella Valley Preserve, protects the
federally listed endangered Coachella Valley milk-vetch (Astragalus
lentiginosus var. coachellae) and threatened Coachella Valley fringe-
toed lizard (Uma inornata), as well as other desert-dwelling species
adapted to living in the sand dune habitat of the Coachella Valley.
Access onto the Refuge is limited to a designated corridor for
equestrian and hiking use.
We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the
final CCP for the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Complex 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 environmental assessment (EA)
that accompanied the draft CCP.
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, environmental
education and interpretation. We intend to review and update the CCP at
least every 15 years in accordance with the Administration Act.
Our draft CCP and EA were available for a 30-day public review and
comment period, which we announced via several methods, including press
releases, updates to constituents, and a Federal Register notice (78 FR
44144; July 23, 2013). The draft CCP/EA identified and evaluated three
alternatives for managing the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR and three
alternatives for managing the Coachella Valley NWR for the next 15
years.
Alternatives Considered
Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR
Under Alternative A (no action), management would continue
unchanged. Under Alternative B (preferred alternative), the Service
would expand current habitat management activities to enhance habitat
quality, particularly in managed wetlands and agricultural fields;
initiate the phased restoration of shallow saline water habitat at Red
Hill Bay, an area of the Salton Sea that has recently receded;
implement predator management to protect nesting western gull-billed
terns (Gelochelidon nilotica vanrossemi) and black skimmers (Rynchops
niger); and implement an integrated pest management (IPM) plan to
control invasive plants. Various actions were also proposed to improve
existing public use facilities and provide additional opportunities for
wildlife observation and photography.
Under Alternative C, the Service would implement wildlife and
habitat management actions, including predator management and an IPM
plan, similar to those proposed in Alternative B. The proposals for
public use in Alternative C would focus on enhancing existing
facilities in Units 1 and 2, rather than providing additional public
use facilities.
Coachella Valley NWR
Under Alternative A (no action), management would continue
unchanged. Under Alternative B (preferred alternative), the Service
would increase listed and sensitive species management; implement an
IPM plan to control invasive plants; enhance the habitat quality of an
old agricultural site by reintroducing appropriate native plant
species; and, in partnership with others, develop and implement a long-
term sand transport monitoring plan. Also proposed is an expanded
public outreach program. Occasional guided tours of the Refuge would
continue at current levels, and the only public access onto the Refuge
would occur on a designated trail corridor that extends along portions
of the Refuge's western and northern boundary. The remainder of the
Refuge would continue to be closed to the public.
Under Alternative C, the Service would expand current management to
protect listed and sensitive species; implement an IPM Plan to control
invasive plants; and initiate a comprehensive restoration plan for an
old agricultural site on the Refuge to restore creosote bush scrub
habitat. In addition, the existing public outreach program would be
expanded and interpretive signs would be installed along the existing
trail corridor. Occasional guided tours of the Refuge would continue at
current levels, and public access would continue to be limited to the
existing public trail corridor. All other areas within the
[[Page 56090]]
Refuge would remain closed to the public.
Selected Alternative for Each Refuge
During the review period for the draft CCP and EA, we received 13
letters containing over 85 comments. Comments focused on land tenure,
Colorado River water history, water rights, water levels in the Salton
Sea, groundwater availability in the Coachella Valley, cultural
resource protection, water quality, geothermal development, restoration
of Red Hill Bay, protection of nesting western gull-billed terns, and
restoration and management of the Salton Sea. We incorporated comments
we received into the CCP when appropriate, and we responded to the
comments in an appendix to the CCP. In the FONSI, we selected
Alternative B (restore and enhance habitat quality; expand
opportunities for wildlife observation, environmental education, and
interpretation) for implementation on the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR and
Alternative B (expand management actions to support listed and
sensitive species; expand public outreach) for implementation on the
Coachella Valley NWR. The FONSI documents our decision and is based on
information and analysis contained in the EA.
The alternative we selected for each of the Refuges within the
Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Complex was determined to be the alternative
that would most effectively achieve Refuge purposes, goals, and
objectives; contribute to the National Wildlife Refuge System mission;
and be consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife
management. Implementation of the selected alternative will be subject
to the availability of funding and other resources, and may occur
incrementally over the life of the 15-year plan. Based on the
associated EA, the selected alternatives are not expected to result in
significant environmental impacts and therefore do not require the
preparation of an environmental impact statement.
Alexandra Pitts,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 2014-22272 Filed 9-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P