[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11929-11931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03863]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-NWRS-2022-N025; FF06R0ZS00-FXRS12610600000-223]
Intent To Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan for Bear
River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, UT, and Bear River
Watershed Conservation Area in UT, ID, and WY
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to gather
information necessary to prepare a
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comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Bear River Migratory Bird
Refuge and Bear River Watershed Conservation Area, pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and its implementing
regulations. The Service provides this notice in compliance with the
Service's CCP policy to advise other Federal and State agencies, Native
American Tribes, and the public of intentions, and to obtain
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the
planning process.
DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received or
postmarked on or before March 27, 2023.
Media, newspapers, Refuge offices, and the websites for Refuges
contained within the Bear Lake Watershed Conservation Area (Bear River
Migratory Bird Refuge, Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge, Cokeville
Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge,
and Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge) will be used to inform the
public and State and local government agencies of the opportunities for
written input throughout the CCP planning process. Open-house style
meeting(s) will be held throughout the scoping phase of the
comprehensive conservation plan development process.
ADDRESSES: Please submit comments and questions by one of the following
methods:
Email: BearRiver@fws.gov; or
U.S. mail: Erin Holmes, Project Leader, Bear River
Migratory Bird Refuge, 2155 W Forest St., Brigham City, UT 84302.
For more information, please see Public Availability of Comments in
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin Holmes, 435-723-5887 (phone).
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, the Service initiates the process for developing
a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for the Bear River Migratory
Bird Refuge, Brigham City, Utah, and the Bear River Watershed
Conservation Area in the states of Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming. This
notice complies with the CCP policy to: (1) advise other Federal and
State agencies, Native American Tribes, and the public of the intention
to conduct detailed planning on the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
and the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area; and (2) obtain
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the
environmental document and during development of the CCP.
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 the Service to
develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy
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
Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction
on conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans identify compatible
wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the public,
including, where appropriate, opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education
and interpretation. Each plan must be updated every 15 years in
accordance with the Administration Act.
Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System was established
for specific purposes. These purposes are used as the foundation for
developing and prioritizing the management goals and objectives for
each refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to
determine how the public can use each refuge. The planning process is a
way for the Service and the public to evaluate management goals and
objectives for the best possible conservation approach to this
important wildlife habitat, while providing for wildlife-dependent
recreation opportunities that are compatible with the refuge's
establishing purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge
System.
The CCP process provides participation opportunities for Tribal,
State, and local governments; agencies; organizations; and the public.
The Service encourages input in the form of issues, concerns, ideas,
and suggestions for the future management of Bear River Migratory Bird
Refuge and the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area.
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
An environmental review of this project will be conducted 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 the policies and procedures for compliance with
those laws and regulations.
Tribal Responsibilities
The Service has unique responsibilities to Tribes, including under
the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.); the
American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996); Native American
Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001); Religious
Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.); Joint
Secretarial Order 3403, Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility to Indian
Tribes in the Stewardship of Federal Lands and Waters (November 15,
2021); Secretarial Order 3206, American Indian Tribal Rights, Federal-
Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered Species Act (June 5,
1997); Executive Order 13007, Indian Sacred Sites (61 FR 26771, May 29,
1996); and the Service's Native American Policy. We apply the term
``Tribal'' or ``Tribe(s)'' generally to federally recognized Tribes and
Alaska Native Tribal entities. We will refer to Native Hawaiian
Organizations separately when we intend to include those entities.
The Service will separately consult with Tribes on the proposals
set forth in this notice of intent. We will also ensure that those
Tribes wishing to engage directly in the NEPA process will have the
opportunity to do so. As part of this process, we will protect the
confidential nature of any consultations and other communications we
have with Tribes, to the extent permitted by the Freedom of Information
Act and other laws.
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge was established by Presidential
Proclamation in 1928 and Public Law 304 of the 70th Congress as
``suitable refuge and feeding, and breeding grounds for migratory wild
fowl.'' Currently, the Refuge encompasses 77,102 acres and is comprised
of deltaic wetlands that make up numerous wetland impoundments, wet
meadows, and uplands. Located at the terminus of the Bear River, and
part of the Great Salt
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Lake (GSL) ecosystem, the Refuge is a priority area within the Bear
River Watershed Conservation Area and plays a critical role in
providing habitat for migratory birds along the Central and Pacific
Flyways. More than 210 species of birds have been documented during
migration on the Refuge, and 70 species are known to nest there. During
migration, the GSL ecosystem provides habitat for an estimated 217
million waterfowl use-days in the fall and 60 million waterfowl use-
days in spring (Intermountain West Joint Venture 2013). Refuge habitats
alone may support up to 500,000 waterfowl and 200,000 shorebirds
annually during migration. In addition, about 15 percent of the western
population of tundra swan utilizes Refuge habitats during fall and may
remain throughout the winter in mild years.
Bear River Watershed Conservation Area
Bear River Watershed Conservation Area, which encompasses Bear
River Migratory Bird Refuge, Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife
Refuge, and Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, was established in
2016. This conservation easement program has the potential to protect
up to 920,000 acres of wetland, grassland, and agricultural land in the
Bear River Watershed by purchasing easements on private land from
willing landowners within the roughly 4.8-million-acre project area. As
of September 2021, 3,283.44 acres within the Bear River Watershed
Conservation Area have been protected by conservation easements.
Conservation easements are a legal agreement between a willing
landowner and the Service. The Service purchases the conservation
easements in the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area with money
generated by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. These
funds are derived from oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental
Shelf, motorboat fuel tax revenues, and sale of surplus Federal
property.
Public Availability of Comments
All information provided voluntarily by mail, by phone, or at
public meetings (e.g., names, addresses, letters of comment, input
recorded during meetings) becomes part of the official public record.
Before including your address, phone number, email 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, the Service cannot guarantee we will be
able to do so.
Authority
This notice is published under the authority of the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 105-57.
Anna Munoz,
Deputy Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2023-03863 Filed 2-23-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P