This proposal has generated considerable interest in the Kankakee River watershed. We have placed a high priority on public involvement throughout the process, said David Hudak, field supervisor of the Services Bloomington, Indiana, field office. Extending the comment period continues our commitment to providing as much opportunity as possible for the public to participate in this project.
Available for comment is the Services draft environmental assessment which outlines possibilities for establishing a 30,000-acre refuge in the watershed. The draft document provides information on expected environmental impacts and benefits of such a refuge, as well as an economic analysis of the effects of the proposed refuge.
The Service is also planning to host two public meetings so that interested individuals can voice their opinions and provide written comments on the draft environmental assessment. Details of the meetings will be announced shortly.
Copies of the document are available for review at many public libraries throughout the Kankakee River Basin. In addition, a summary of the document may be viewed on the Services worldwide web site at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/ext_affr/news.htm
may be submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ascertainment and Planning, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 South Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403-2121. For more information, contact the Service at 812-334-4261.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices 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 fish and 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://midwest.fws.gov
