Notice of Availability of Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, and Draft Wilderness Stewardship Plan for Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, 12895-12896 [05-5145]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 16, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12895-12896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-5145]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan, 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement, and Draft Wilderness Stewardship 
Plan for Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (Service) will make available copies of the Draft Comprehensive 
Conservation Plan (CCP), Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 
and Draft Wilderness Stewardship Plan for the Cabeza Prieta National 
Wildlife Refuge in Pima and Yuma Counties, Arizona, for public review 
and comment. This draft CCP was prepared in compliance with the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended 
by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), and the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969. It describes how the Service intends to manage the Refuge over 
the next 15 years.

DATES: Please submit written comments on the draft CCP on or before 
June 14, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The draft CCP is available on a compact disk or as a hard 
copy. To request a copy of the draft CCP please contact: Mr. John 
Slown, Biologist/Conservation Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
National Wildlife Refuge System, Southwest Region, Division of 
Planning, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103; please specify the 
format you prefer. You may also access or download a copy of the draft 
CCP at the following Web site address: https://southwest.fws.gov/
refuges/Plan/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Slown, 505-248-7458; or e-
mail: john_slown@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Wildlife System Administration 
Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act 
of 1997, requires the Service to develop a CCP for each National 
Wildlife Refuge.
    The purpose in developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with 
a 15-year strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing 
toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent 
with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, 
legal mandates, and Service policies. In addition to outlining broad 
management direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, the CCP 
identifies wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to 
the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife 
observation and photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation.
    Review of this project will be conducted in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, including the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement

[[Page 12896]]

Act of 1997, Executive Order 12996, and Service policies and procedures 
for compliance with those regulations.

Background

    Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1939 by 
Executive Order to protect wildlife and forage resources of the Sonoran 
Desert. In 1990 approximately 93 percent of the Refuge land area was 
designated Federal Wilderness by the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act of 
1990.
    The Refuge occupies approximately 860,010 acres of Sonoran Desert, 
including mountains, broad desert, and bajadas. The Refuge and adjacent 
Federal lands; including the Organ Pipe National Monument, managed by 
the U.S. National Park Service, and the USAF Barry M. Goldwater Range 
military training area; comprise the United States' range of the 
Endangered Sonoran pronghorn. The desert bighorn sheep is another 
species of conservation interest occurring on the Refuge.
    The draft CCP and EIS propose and evaluate five management 
alternatives for the Refuge. All management alternatives implement 
recovery actions for the Endangered Sonoran pronghorn. The alternatives 
differ primarily in the level of active management intervention 
proposed to support the desert bighorn sheep. The first alternative is 
``no action'' or continuance of current Refuge management. Under this 
alternative, the Refuge would continue to offer a limited desert 
bighorn sheep hunt each year in cooperation with the Arizona Game and 
Fish Department. Refuge staff would continue to maintain and supply 
supplemental water to exiting developed waters in desert bighorn sheep 
habitat. The second alternative focuses on limiting management 
interventions within Refuge wilderness. Under this alternative, 
developed wildlife waters in sheep habitat within the Refuge wilderness 
would not be maintained or supplied with supplemental water. The desert 
bighorn sheep hunt would also be discontinued. The third alternative 
includes limited management intervention in wilderness. Under this 
alternative, the Refuge would supply supplemental water to developed 
waters in sheep habitat within Refuge wilderness only during periods of 
severe drought. The desert bighorn sheep would be continued, but no 
hunting would be allowed during years of severe drought. The fourth 
alternative, identified as the Service's proposed alternative, would 
allow continued maintenance and water supply to existing developed 
waters in sheep habitat within Refuge wilderness and would include 
projects to increase the water collection efficiency of such waters. 
The Refuge desert bighorn sheep hunt program would continue unchanged 
under this alternative. The fifth alternative would include the maximum 
management intervention within Refuge wilderness. Under this 
alternative all existing developed waters in Refuge wilderness would be 
maintained and supplied with water, and new developed waters would be 
created. The desert bighorn sheep hunt program would continue unchanged 
under this alternative.

Public Meetings

    The Service will hold public meetings to present the draft CCP, 
answer questions, and receive formal public comments in Yuma, Tucson, 
Sells, and Ajo, Arizona, during the public comment period. The exact 
location, time, and date of these meetings will be determined based on 
logistic issues. Notice of the meetings will be posted in local 
newspapers and other media outlets and given through mailings to 
individuals and organizations that have expressed interest in this 
planning effort.

    Dated: March 4, 2005.
Domenick R. Ciccone,
Acting, Regional Director, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 05-5145 Filed 3-15-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P