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 in the Kankakee River Basin in northwestern Indiana and northeastern Illinois. Meetings will be held May 26, 1998, in Wheatfield, Indiana, and May 27, 1998, in Kankakee, Illinois.
On May 26, the meeting will be held at the Kankakee Valley High School on State Road 10, west of Wheatfield, Indiana. The May 27 meeting will be held at the Joint Armed Forces Reserve Center, located near the airport on County Road 4000 South, south of Kankakee, Illinois. Directions and maps to the meeting locations are available by calling 812-334-4261.
Each meeting will begin with an open house starting at 4 p.m., where visitors can speak to Service personnel, gather information about the proposed refuge, and ask questions. At 6 p.m., a public meeting will begin with a presentation by the Service about the proposed refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System, followed by an opportunity for individuals to present oral and written comments. Oral and written comments will also be accepted during the open house. The open house will continue until 10 p.m. or until all registered speakers have had an opportunity to present comments.
Individuals who wish to present oral comments during the public meeting must register before speaking. A registration table will be staffed during the open house, and prior to and during the meeting for those who wish to speak. Speakers will be given a time limit, depending on the number of speakers. Individuals who have questions about the proposal during the public meeting may visit the open house to receive additional information. Those who do not wish to speak may submit written comments during the open house, or at the public meeting, or they may send them to the address listed below. Deadline for receiving comments on the proposed refuge is June 20, 1998. Written comments, whether submitted in person or by mail, are given the same consideration as oral comments presented during the public meeting.
For more information on the public meetings, a copy of the draft environmental assessment, or to submit written comments, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 620 South Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403; or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ascertainment and Planning, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056. A summary of the draft environmental assessment may be viewed on the Services worldwide web site at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/ext_affr/news.htm
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
