Public Invited to Open Houses about Future of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking public comments on the Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) preliminary draft alternatives. Comments on the preliminary draft alternatives will be considered as the Service develops the draft CCP/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The current preliminary draft alternatives were developed using public feedback received during the scoping process in summer 2010 and scientific research. The range of action alternatives is designed to meet Refuge purposes and the Refuge System mission, and to provide sufficient sanctuary for wildlife, while allowing most recreational uses to continue on the Refuge.
To provide information and answer questions about the preliminary draft alternatives and the CCP process, the Service is hosting an extended open house at the Refuge Visitor Center on July 8 and 9. The public is invited to meet Refuge staff, learn more about the preliminary draft alternatives, and provide written comments. The Refuge Visitor Center entrance road is located at the ntersection of Indiana and Roosevelt. Directions are available at http://www.fws.gov/deerflat/visit/Driving.html
GPS and online mapping sites do not give correct directions.
Open house times are as follows.
Friday, July 8: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 9: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
We are requesting comments by July 29, 2011. Comments may be submitted the following ways
Online: www.fws.gov/deerflat
Email: deerflat@fws.gov
Mail: Jennifer Brown-Scott, Refuge Manager
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
13751 Upper Embankment Road
Nampa, ID 83686
Phone: (208) 467-9278
Fax: (208) 467-1019
The Draft CCP/EIS is expected to be available for public review and comment in the spring of 2012.The final CCP, expected to be completed in fall/winter 2012, will guide the next 15 years of Refuge management.
When Congress amended the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act (Act) in 1997, it incorporated an underlying philosophy that "wildlife comes first" on refuges. The Act provided the Service with guidance for managing refuges to ensure the long-term conservation of fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. It also established six priority public uses on National Wildlife Refuges: wildlife observation and photography, hunting, fishing, interpretation, and environmental education. The Act also requires all lands within the Refuge System to be managed in accordance with a CCP to ensure that the management of each refuge reflects the purposes of that refuge and the mission, policies, and goals of the Refuge System.
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt to provide a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge includes two units. The Lake Lowell Unit includes Lake Lowell and surrounding lands southwest of Nampa. The Snake River Islands Unit includes over 100 islands along 113 river miles between the Canyon-Ada County line and Farewell Bend in Oregon.
