[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 77 (Tuesday, April 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22173-22174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08407]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-NWRS-2020-N067]; [FXRS12610800000-190-FF08R00000]
Butte Sink, Willow Creek--Lurline, and North Central Valley
Wildlife Management Areas, CA; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan/
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
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 a final comprehensive conservation Plan (CCP),
environmental assessment (EA), and finding of no significant impact
(FONSI) for the Butte Sink, Willow Creek-Lurline, and North Central
Valley Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in California. The CCP/EA/
FONSI, prepared under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement
Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act, describes how the Service will manage the three WMAs for the next
15 years. Compatibility determinations for six public uses are also
included in the final CCP.
ADDRESSES: You will find the final CCP and the EA/FONSI on the WMAs
website at https://go.usa.gov/xPm3r.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Planning Team Leader, by email at
fw8plancomments@fws.gov. Include ``WMAs Final CCP/EA'' in the subject
line of the message.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We announce the availability of a final
comprehensive conservation plan/environmental assessment and finding of
no significant impact (CCP/EA/FONSI) for Butte Sink, Willow Creek-
Lurline, and North Central Valley Wildlife Management Areas, which are
located in Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Yuba, Sacramento, Sutter,
Placer, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin Counties,
California. The CCP/EA/FONSI, prepared under the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service
will manage the three WMAs for the next 15 years. Compatibility
determinations for public uses are also included in the final CCP.
Introduction
With this notice, we complete the CCP process for Butte Sink,
Willow Creek--Lurline, and North Central Valley Wildlife Management
Areas, which we began by publishing a notice of intent in the Federal
Register on November 30, 2009 (74 FR 62584). For more about the initial
process and the history of the Wildlife Management Area, see that
notice. We released the draft CCP and EA to the public, announcing and
requesting comments in a notice of availability on June 15, 2015 (80 FR
34166). The 85-day comment period ended on September 9, 2015. A summary
of public comments and our responses are included in the final CCP.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), which amended the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, requires the
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Service to develop a CCP for each National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose
of 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 (NWRS), 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 will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Improvement Act.
Each unit of the NWRS was 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 NWRS, and to
determine how the public can use each refuge. The planning process is a
way for us 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 NWRS.
Additional Information
The final CCP may be found at https://go.usa.gov/xPm3r. The final
CCP includes detailed information about the planning process, WMAs,
issues, and management alternative selected. The website also includes
an EA, prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) (43 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The EA includes discussion of
three alternative management options. The Service's selected
alternative is reflected in the final CCP, and also in the FONSI.
The selected alternative focuses on reducing the existing North
Central Valley wetland easement acquisition objective by 19,000 acres,
and adding an agricultural easement objective by the same amount. The
CCP also describes limiting wetland easement acquisition to Butte,
Colusa, Glenn, Placer, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. All three
alternatives included the acquisition of up to 3,321 additional acres
of Service-owned lands from willing landowners in the North Central
Valley WMA.
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the
Final CCP/EA for the Butte Sink, Willow Creek--Lurline, and North
Central Valley Wildlife Management Areas, in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act requirements (40 CFR 1506.6(b)). We
completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment,
which we included in the draft EA that accompanied the Draft CCP. This
notice is in addition to our announcement of the completion of the CCP
process on the Refuge Complex website.
The final EA discusses the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
of the alternatives on biological resources, cultural resources, water
quality, and other environmental resources. Measures to minimize
adverse environmental effects are identified and discussed in the final
CCP/EA.
Priscilla Wheeler,
Acting Regional Director, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2020-08407 Filed 4-20-20; 8:45 am]
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