By approving the final environmental assessment in mid-August, the Service authorized creation of the new refuge, but regulations require a 30-day review period before implementing recommendations in the assessment. Because of the length of the report and the number of people interested in the project, the Service has elected to provide an additional 30 days for public review before beginning the next phase of the project.
The next step for the Service, to be initiated after October 15, is development of a comprehensive conservation plan or CCP for the project. The CCP will be the blueprint to be used by the Service to develop the refuge. A CCP outlines the purpose of a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge ; identifies fish, wildlife and other natural resources; maps out areas where the Service may seek opportunities among willing landowners to acquire land for the refuge; and addresses potential public uses, including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and other wildlife-dependent activities.
Development of the plan will also offer additional opportunity for the Service to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Service and the Corps earlier signed a memorandum of agreement to coordinate their activities within the Kankakee Basin. During the planning process, the Service will also work with the states of Indiana and Illinois, along with the Corps, through the Kankakee River Steering Committee, a working group composed of representatives of the Service, the Corps, and the directors of the Indiana and Illinois natural resources departments.
It is expected that once work has begun on the CCP, the plan will be completed within 12 to 18 months. During that time, it is unlikely that any land acquisition funds will be available to implement the project. As one of the first steps in the CCP process, the Service will establish a public involvement program so that residents of the Kankakee River Basin and others interested in the refuge can contribute to the planning process. The Service will announce opportunities for public involvement as soon as they are developed.
Copies of the final environmental assessment are available for review at public libraries throughout the Kankakee River Basin. A summary of the document may be viewed on the Services Region 3 website at www.fws.gov/r3pao/planning/kankakee/top.htm
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/
