Notice of Availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment for Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in Cameron and Evangeline Parishes, LA, 65832-65833 [06-9135]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 217 / Thursday, November 9, 2006 / Notices
If we determine that all requirements
are met, we will sign the Agreement and
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under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act to
TNC for the take of Oregon silverspot
butterflies, incidental to otherwise
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terms of the Agreement. This notice is
provided pursuant to section 10(c) of
the Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
Dated: November 3, 2006.
Miel Corbett,
Acting State Supervisor, Fish and Wildlife
Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office,
Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. E6–18970 Filed 11–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Environmental Assessment for
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge in
Cameron and Evangeline Parishes, LA
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service
announces that a Draft Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and Environmental
Assessment for Lacassine National
Wildlife Refuge is available for
distribution. This document was
prepared pursuant to the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration
Act of 1966, as amended, and the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969. The draft plan and environmental
assessment describes the Service’s
proposal for management of the refuge
for 15 years.
DATES: Written comments must be
received at the postal or electronic
address listed below no later than
December 11, 2006.
ADDRESSES: To provide written
comments or to obtain a copy of the
draft plan and environmental
assessment, please contact the Project
Leader, Southwest Louisiana National
Wildlife Refuge Complex, 1428
Highway 27, Bell City, Louisiana 70630;
Telephone: 337–598–2216. Comments
may also be submitted via electronic
mail to judy_mcclendon@fws.gov. The
draft plan and environmental
assessment may be accessed and
downloaded from the Service’s Internet
site https://southeast.fws.gov/planning/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:26 Nov 08, 2006
Jkt 211001
by the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C.
668dd–66ee), requires the Service to
develop a comprehensive conservation
plan for each refuge. The purpose in
developing a plan 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, plans identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities
available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental
education and interpretation.
Background: Lacassine National
Wildlife Refuge is one of four refuges
that makes up the Southwest Louisiana
National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is
located at the edge of Grand Lake and
15 miles from the Gulf of Mexico in
Cameron and Evangeline Parishes in
Louisiana. The 34,724-acre refuge is
strategically located on the boundary of
coastal marsh and agricultural habitats;
as well as at the southern terminus of
the Mississippi and Central Flyways,
making the refuge critically important to
migratory birds, especially wintering
waterfowl. Habitat types and
approximate acreage on the refuge
include: 14,700 acres of fresh marsh;
16,000 acres of impounded fresh marsh;
1,048 acres of open water, 352 acres of
forested wetlands, 348 acres of shrub
wetlands; 1,109 acres of croplands (e.g.,
rice and fallow); 307 acres of early
successional wetlands; and 334 acres of
coastal prairie, plus roads, levees, etc.
About 3,300 acres are set aside with
wilderness designation.
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge
was established on December 30, 1937,
as Lacassine Migratory Waterfowl
Refuge by the following: (1) Executive
Order 7780 ‘‘as a Refuge and breeding
ground for migratory birds and other
wildlife,’’ and (2) the Migratory Bird
Conservation Act ‘‘for use as an
inviolate sanctuary, or any other
management purpose, for migratory
birds’’ (16 U.S.C. 715d). Additional
lands were added to the refuge under
the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 ‘‘for
the development, advancement,
management, conservation, and
protection of fish and wildlife
resources’’ [16 U.S.C. 742f(a)(4)] and
‘‘for the benefit of the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service in performing its
activities and services’’ [16 U.S.C.
742f(b)(1)].
PO 00000
Frm 00062
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Significant issues addressed in the
draft plan and environmental
assessment include: Migratory bird
management; management for special
habitats, such as the wilderness area,
Lacassine Pool (i.e., freshwater
impoundment), and prairie habitat;
water management; management of oil
and gas activities; access management
for public use activities, including
recreational freshwater sportfishing,
fishing tournaments, and hunting; and
protection of cultural resources.
Also included in the draft plan and
environmental assessment are
compatibility determinations for the
following: Berry picking (collecting
berries, fruits, and nuts); environmental
education and interpretation;
recreational freshwater sportfishing;
recreational freshwater sportfishing
tournaments; recreational hunting;
research and monitoring; wildlife
observation and photography;
commercial alligator harvests;
commercial video and photography;
commercially guided wildlife viewing,
photography, environmental education,
and interpretation; and cooperative
farming.
The Service developed three
alternatives for management of the
refuge and chose Alternative B as the
proposed alternative.
Alternative A represents no change
from current management of the refuge.
Under the ‘‘No Action’’ Alternative the
refuge will remain at 34,724 acres in fee
title, including Farm Service Agency
transfer lands and the lease of the 652acre Cameron Parish school section.
With no action, marsh loss rates of at
least 0.23 percent per year are
anticipated (low to moderate loss) in the
Mermentau River Basin; similar rates
are expected in other areas of the refuge.
The refuge will continue to manage
impounded freshwater marsh (16,000
acres), state-jurisdictional waterways
(Lacassine Bayou and Mermentau
River), ephemeral freshwater marsh
(Streeter Canal and Duck Pond), and
manage upland vegetation to benefit
native plants. Acreages of different
habitats will remain as they are now.
About 3,300 acres south of the Gulf
Intracoastal Waterway will continue to
be formally designated as wilderness.
Management at Lacassine Refuge will
focus on biological monitoring, wildlife
management, invasive plant
management, moist-soil management,
cooperative farming program
management, and priority public use
management, including hunting, fishing
and environmental education.
Alternative B is the Service’s
proposed action to maximize refuge
management capabilities in all
E:\FR\FM\09NON1.SGM
09NON1
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 217 / Thursday, November 9, 2006 / Notices
programs. Under the proposed
alternative, the refuge would pursue
acquiring, from willing sellers, lands
within its approved acquisition
boundary. The 3,300-acre Wilderness
Area would remain the same size. Gross
habitat acreages (until approved
acquisition boundary expansion occurs)
would not change appreciably from
those under Alternative A, but habitats
in general would be managed more
intensively. The refuge would also
expand existing wildlife management
programs including: Focus refuge
management on improving and
extending the value of Lacassine Pool as
a waterfowl sanctuary through adaptive
management and increased emphasis on
research; provide additional waterfowl
food by increasing early successional
wetland acreage from 300 to 500 acres
and expanding the farming program;
pursue opportunities to reduce erosion
to refuge marshes caused by commercial
navigation, wind/wave action, other
natural forces, and oil and gas industry
traffic/activities. The refuge would
evaluate the seasonality and habitat
conditions for prescribed fire in
Lacassine Pool and other refuge marshes
to enhance habitat for migratory birds,
fish, and other wildlife; seek support to
control invasive plants in the
Wilderness Area and refuge-wide using
approved minimum tools; continue
partnerships to manage and protect the
334-acre coastal prairie on the Duralde
Unit; improve quality hunting/fishing
experiences; and manage oil and gas
activities in accordance with Service
policy. Under this alternative, levees
would be constructed within Lacassine
Pool, subdividing it into four units (Unit
D, plus three additional units). This
action would facilitate the management
of the pool and lengthen its longevity by
increasing the ability of refuge staff to
dewater it, drawing it down to facilitate
oxidation of accumulating organic
sediments and more frequent use of
prescribed fire. Thus, management
could proceed unit-by-unit on a regular
basis without having to impact the value
of the entire pool to migratory birds and
fisheries all at once. The six priority
wildlife-dependent public uses would
continue to be supported and in some
cases would be expanded. This
alternative would also strengthen the
close working relationship in existence
between the Service, the local
community, conservation organizations,
and the Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries.
Under Alternative C, the refuge would
remain at 34,724 acres but would
refocus management priority to actively
investigating and extending the life/
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:26 Nov 08, 2006
Jkt 211001
value of Lacassine Pool as a migratory
waterfowl sanctuary. Due to
sedimentation rates and constraints on
water level management capabilities,
the pool’s lifespan is limited and, if
nothing is done, it would gradually lose
its value to both migratory waterfowl
and fish populations, eventually
becoming a wet meadow rather than a
marshy wetland characterized by a mix
of open water and emergent vegetation.
Other programs dealing either with nonpool areas of the refuge or non-habitat
aspects of refuge management (i.e.,
cooperative farming, moist-soil
management, upland vegetation
management, visitor services and
priority public uses) would be managed
at a reduced level since refuge resources
would be directed to the pool. Under
this alternative, levees would be
constructed within the pool,
subdividing it into six units over the
next 10–15 years. This action would
facilitate the management of the pool
and lengthen its longevity by increasing
the ability of refuge staff to dewater it,
drawing it down to facilitate oxidation
of accumulating sediments and more
beneficial use of prescribed fire. Thus,
management could proceed unit-by-unit
on a regular basis without having to
impact the value of the entire pool to
fisheries and migratory birds all at once.
The Service believes that Alternative
B will be the most effective one to
contribute to the purpose for which the
refuge was established and to the
mission of the National Wildlife Refuge
System. Implementation of the goals,
objectives, and strategies of Alternative
B will allow the refuge to maintain
freshwater marsh and upland prairie
habitat; serve as a critical resting area
for waterfowl in a heavily hunted area;
conserve, restore, and enhance diverse
habitats for migratory and native
wildlife species; maintain healthy and
viable native fish and wildlife
populations; provide opportunities for
safe, quality, compatible, wildlifedependent public use and recreation;
and protect cultural resources.
After the review and comment period
for the draft plan and environmental
assessment, all comments will be
analyzed and considered by the Service.
All comments received from individuals
on the draft plan and environmental
assessment become part of the official
public record. Requests for such
comments will be handled in
accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act and other Service and
Departmental policies and procedures.
Authority: This notice is published under
the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997, Pub. L.
105–57.
PO 00000
Frm 00063
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65833
Dated: October 6, 2006.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director
[FR Doc. 06–9135 Filed 11–8–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–M
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement
Notice of Proposed Information
Collection for 1029–0057 and 1029–
0087
Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior.
ACTION: Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement (OSM) is announcing
its intention to request approval for the
collections of information under 30 CFR
Part 882, Reclamation of private lands;
and Form OSM–76, Abandoned Mine
Land Problem Area Description form.
These information collection activities
were previously approved by the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB), and
assigned clearance numbers 1029–0057
and 1029–0087, respectively.
DATES: Comments on the proposed
information collection must be received
by January 8, 2006, to be assured of
consideration.
Comments may be mailed to
John A. Trelease, Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement,
1951 Constitution Ave. NW., Room 202–
SIB, Washington, DC 20240. Comments
may also be submitted electronically to
jtrelease@osmre.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request a copy of either information
collection request, explanatory
information and related forms, contact
John A. Trelease, at (202) 208–2783.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office
of Management and Budget (OMB)
regulations at 5 CFR 1320, which
implement provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13),
require that interested members of the
public and affected agencies have an
opportunity to comment on information
collection and recordkeeping activities
[see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)]. This notice
identifies information collections that
OSM will be submitting to OMB for
approval. These collections are
contained in (1) 30 CFR Part 882,
Reclamation on private lands; and (2)
Form OSM–76, Abandoned Mine Land
Problem Area Description form. OSM
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\09NON1.SGM
09NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 217 (Thursday, November 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65832-65833]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9135]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Lacassine National Wildlife
Refuge in Cameron and Evangeline Parishes, LA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment for
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is available for distribution. This
document was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended, and the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969. The draft plan and environmental assessment
describes the Service's proposal for management of the refuge for 15
years.
DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal or electronic
address listed below no later than December 11, 2006.
ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the draft
plan and environmental assessment, please contact the Project Leader,
Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 1428 Highway 27,
Bell City, Louisiana 70630; Telephone: 337-598-2216. Comments may also
be submitted via electronic mail to judy_
mcclendon@fws.gov. The draft plan and environmental
assessment may be accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet
site https://southeast.fws.gov/planning/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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-66ee), requires the
Service to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for each refuge.
The purpose in developing a plan 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, plans
identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the
public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation.
Background: Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge is one of four
refuges that makes up the Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge
Complex. It is located at the edge of Grand Lake and 15 miles from the
Gulf of Mexico in Cameron and Evangeline Parishes in Louisiana. The
34,724-acre refuge is strategically located on the boundary of coastal
marsh and agricultural habitats; as well as at the southern terminus of
the Mississippi and Central Flyways, making the refuge critically
important to migratory birds, especially wintering waterfowl. Habitat
types and approximate acreage on the refuge include: 14,700 acres of
fresh marsh; 16,000 acres of impounded fresh marsh; 1,048 acres of open
water, 352 acres of forested wetlands, 348 acres of shrub wetlands;
1,109 acres of croplands (e.g., rice and fallow); 307 acres of early
successional wetlands; and 334 acres of coastal prairie, plus roads,
levees, etc. About 3,300 acres are set aside with wilderness
designation.
Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge was established on December 30,
1937, as Lacassine Migratory Waterfowl Refuge by the following: (1)
Executive Order 7780 ``as a Refuge and breeding ground for migratory
birds and other wildlife,'' and (2) the Migratory Bird Conservation Act
``for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or any other management purpose,
for migratory birds'' (16 U.S.C. 715d). Additional lands were added to
the refuge under the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 ``for the
development, advancement, management, conservation, and protection of
fish and wildlife resources'' [16 U.S.C. 742f(a)(4)] and ``for the
benefit of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in performing
its activities and services'' [16 U.S.C. 742f(b)(1)].
Significant issues addressed in the draft plan and environmental
assessment include: Migratory bird management; management for special
habitats, such as the wilderness area, Lacassine Pool (i.e., freshwater
impoundment), and prairie habitat; water management; management of oil
and gas activities; access management for public use activities,
including recreational freshwater sportfishing, fishing tournaments,
and hunting; and protection of cultural resources.
Also included in the draft plan and environmental assessment are
compatibility determinations for the following: Berry picking
(collecting berries, fruits, and nuts); environmental education and
interpretation; recreational freshwater sportfishing; recreational
freshwater sportfishing tournaments; recreational hunting; research and
monitoring; wildlife observation and photography; commercial alligator
harvests; commercial video and photography; commercially guided
wildlife viewing, photography, environmental education, and
interpretation; and cooperative farming.
The Service developed three alternatives for management of the
refuge and chose Alternative B as the proposed alternative.
Alternative A represents no change from current management of the
refuge. Under the ``No Action'' Alternative the refuge will remain at
34,724 acres in fee title, including Farm Service Agency transfer lands
and the lease of the 652-acre Cameron Parish school section. With no
action, marsh loss rates of at least 0.23 percent per year are
anticipated (low to moderate loss) in the Mermentau River Basin;
similar rates are expected in other areas of the refuge. The refuge
will continue to manage impounded freshwater marsh (16,000 acres),
state-jurisdictional waterways (Lacassine Bayou and Mermentau River),
ephemeral freshwater marsh (Streeter Canal and Duck Pond), and manage
upland vegetation to benefit native plants. Acreages of different
habitats will remain as they are now. About 3,300 acres south of the
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway will continue to be formally designated as
wilderness. Management at Lacassine Refuge will focus on biological
monitoring, wildlife management, invasive plant management, moist-soil
management, cooperative farming program management, and priority public
use management, including hunting, fishing and environmental education.
Alternative B is the Service's proposed action to maximize refuge
management capabilities in all
[[Page 65833]]
programs. Under the proposed alternative, the refuge would pursue
acquiring, from willing sellers, lands within its approved acquisition
boundary. The 3,300-acre Wilderness Area would remain the same size.
Gross habitat acreages (until approved acquisition boundary expansion
occurs) would not change appreciably from those under Alternative A,
but habitats in general would be managed more intensively. The refuge
would also expand existing wildlife management programs including:
Focus refuge management on improving and extending the value of
Lacassine Pool as a waterfowl sanctuary through adaptive management and
increased emphasis on research; provide additional waterfowl food by
increasing early successional wetland acreage from 300 to 500 acres and
expanding the farming program; pursue opportunities to reduce erosion
to refuge marshes caused by commercial navigation, wind/wave action,
other natural forces, and oil and gas industry traffic/activities. The
refuge would evaluate the seasonality and habitat conditions for
prescribed fire in Lacassine Pool and other refuge marshes to enhance
habitat for migratory birds, fish, and other wildlife; seek support to
control invasive plants in the Wilderness Area and refuge-wide using
approved minimum tools; continue partnerships to manage and protect the
334-acre coastal prairie on the Duralde Unit; improve quality hunting/
fishing experiences; and manage oil and gas activities in accordance
with Service policy. Under this alternative, levees would be
constructed within Lacassine Pool, subdividing it into four units (Unit
D, plus three additional units). This action would facilitate the
management of the pool and lengthen its longevity by increasing the
ability of refuge staff to dewater it, drawing it down to facilitate
oxidation of accumulating organic sediments and more frequent use of
prescribed fire. Thus, management could proceed unit-by-unit on a
regular basis without having to impact the value of the entire pool to
migratory birds and fisheries all at once. The six priority wildlife-
dependent public uses would continue to be supported and in some cases
would be expanded. This alternative would also strengthen the close
working relationship in existence between the Service, the local
community, conservation organizations, and the Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries.
Under Alternative C, the refuge would remain at 34,724 acres but
would refocus management priority to actively investigating and
extending the life/value of Lacassine Pool as a migratory waterfowl
sanctuary. Due to sedimentation rates and constraints on water level
management capabilities, the pool's lifespan is limited and, if nothing
is done, it would gradually lose its value to both migratory waterfowl
and fish populations, eventually becoming a wet meadow rather than a
marshy wetland characterized by a mix of open water and emergent
vegetation. Other programs dealing either with non-pool areas of the
refuge or non-habitat aspects of refuge management (i.e., cooperative
farming, moist-soil management, upland vegetation management, visitor
services and priority public uses) would be managed at a reduced level
since refuge resources would be directed to the pool. Under this
alternative, levees would be constructed within the pool, subdividing
it into six units over the next 10-15 years. This action would
facilitate the management of the pool and lengthen its longevity by
increasing the ability of refuge staff to dewater it, drawing it down
to facilitate oxidation of accumulating sediments and more beneficial
use of prescribed fire. Thus, management could proceed unit-by-unit on
a regular basis without having to impact the value of the entire pool
to fisheries and migratory birds all at once.
The Service believes that Alternative B will be the most effective
one to contribute to the purpose for which the refuge was established
and to the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Implementation of the goals, objectives, and strategies of Alternative
B will allow the refuge to maintain freshwater marsh and upland prairie
habitat; serve as a critical resting area for waterfowl in a heavily
hunted area; conserve, restore, and enhance diverse habitats for
migratory and native wildlife species; maintain healthy and viable
native fish and wildlife populations; provide opportunities for safe,
quality, compatible, wildlife-dependent public use and recreation; and
protect cultural resources.
After the review and comment period for the draft plan and
environmental assessment, all comments will be analyzed and considered
by the Service. All comments received from individuals on the draft
plan and environmental assessment become part of the official public
record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance with
the Freedom of Information Act and other Service and Departmental
policies and procedures.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Pub. L.
105-57.
Dated: October 6, 2006.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director
[FR Doc. 06-9135 Filed 11-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
