The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a draft Environmental Assessment for altering approximately 200 acres of habitat to make it suitable for the introduction and sustainment of the federally threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea). The draft is available for public review and comment during a 30-day public comment period. Comments will be accepted July 3 through Aug. 2, 2000.
Those interested in reviewing the draft assessment can download a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services home page: http://midwest.fws.gov/pdf/epforchid.pdf
Copies of the Environmental Assessment can also be obtained by writing or calling the Services East Lansing Michigan Field Office. The address is: East Lansing Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2651 Coolidge Road - Suite 101, East Lansing, MI 48823. The phone number is: (517) 351-5293
Written comments should also be mailed to the East Lansing Field Office address.
The eastern prairie fringed orchids preferred habitat consists of tallgrass prairies and meadows. Listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened in 1989, the main causes for its decline include habitat loss or degradation, collection and pesticides. This proposal is part of the recovery plan for the species.
The proposed management techniques involve controlling woody vegeatation and returning areas to a natural prairie habitat. Proposed management methods include prescribed burns, chemical application, mechanical removal of unwanted vegetation, or no action. Management techniques would be applied to primarily state of Michigan owned and managed lands.
The Services practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home address from the public record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law.
There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the public record a respondents identity, as allowable by law. If you wish to have your name and/or address withheld, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. Anonymous comments will not be accepted.
All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.
