The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold public hearings in November on a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental impact statement for the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
The public hearing schedule is as follows:
Nov. 2 from 6-8p.m. - St. Johnsbury, Vt. (St. Johnsbury School, 257 Western Ave.)
Nov. 5 from 6-8p.m. - Keene, N.H. (Keene Public Library, 60 Winter Street)
Nov. 9 from 6-8p.m. - Hadley, Mass. (U.S.F.W.S. Regional Office, 300 Westgate Center Drive)
Nov. 12 from 6-8p.m. - Burlington, Conn. (Sessions Woods WMA, 341 Milford St., Route 69)
The public hearings are an opportunity for individuals to provide oral comments on the proposed plan prior to the end of a 90-day comment period on November 16. The meetings will be structured so that people providing testimony will each have 3-5 minutes to make recorded comments on the plan. The hearings follow 14 informational sessions that the Service held in the four states in August, September and October.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this meetings for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, close captioning, or other accommodation needs to 413-548-8002, ext. 112 (TTY: 800-877-8339) with your request at least five business days prior to the meeting date.
The draft plan, or CCP, can be found at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Silvio_O_Conte/what_we_do/conservation.html. The plan describes four alternatives that have been evaluated for management of the refuge, including the Service’s preferred alternative (Alternative C). Alternative C would protect, restore, and manage a diversity of habitats, increase the range of compatible public uses and access, and expand the refuge boundary.
As an alternative to making oral comments at a public hearing, written comments may be submitted by November 16:
Electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the “Search” box, commenters should enter the docket number for this project (FWS-R5-NWRS-2015-0036). Comments can be submitted by clicking on “Comment Now!” Attachments can be made to the electronic comment form. Comments provided in this manner will be posted and made available for public review.
By hard copy via U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R5-NWRS-2015-0036; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
The Service intends to publish the final CCP/EIS in spring 2016 for a 30-day review, with a final decision expected in summer 2016.
The Conte refuge is a national model for conserving wildlife at a landscape scale. It was legislated by Congress in 1991 to protect the diversity of native species of plants, fish and wildlife and their ecosystems within the Connecticut River Watershed and officially established in 1997 when the Connecticut River Watershed Council donated Third Island; located in Deerfield Massachusetts. The natural environment of the 7.2 million acre watershed is extremely diverse and expansive. Refuge lands are managed to support wildlife and habitats of conservation concern, such as federal listed species, migratory birds and fish and wetlands. The vast natural area also provides for an array of outdoor recreational opportunities for the public.
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