Notice of Availability of the Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan for the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway National Memorial/Midway Atoll Special Management Area, 77406-77407 [E6-22112]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 247 / Tuesday, December 26, 2006 / Notices
species’ range for the purpose of
enhancing its survival and recovery.
Dated: November 14, 2006.
James J. Slack,
Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. E6–22035 Filed 12–22–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Interim Visitor Services Plan for the
Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/
Battle of Midway National Memorial/
Midway Atoll Special Management
Area
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service) has completed a Draft Interim
Visitor Services Plan (VSP) and
associated Environmental Assessment
(EA) for the Midway Atoll National
Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway
National Memorial/Midway Atoll
Special Management Area (Refuge). The
Draft VSP/EA is available for public
review and comments. This remote
Pacific island Refuge is a U.S. territory
located in the Northwestern Hawaiian
Islands, and part of the newly
established Northwestern Hawaiian
Islands Marine National Monument
(Monument). The VSP is intended to
guide visitor activities on the Refuge for
an interim period of time until a broader
Monument management plan is
completed that meets the applicable
requirements of a refuge comprehensive
conservation plan.
DATES: Written comments must be
received (see ADDRESSES) by midnight
on February 6, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft
VSP/EA should be submitted via
electronic mail to midway@fws.gov.
Please use ‘‘VSP’’ in the subject line.
Alternatively, comments may be
addressed to: Barbara Maxfield, Chief,
Pacific Islands Division of External
Affairs and Visitor Services, 300 Ala
Moana Blvd., Room 5–231, Honolulu,
HI 96850. You may view or obtain
copies of the Draft VSP/EA as indicated
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara
Maxfield, Chief, Pacific Islands Division
of External Affairs and Visitor Services,
phone number (808) 792–9531.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft
VSP and EA were prepared pursuant to
the National Wildlife Refuge System
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:15 Dec 22, 2006
Jkt 211001
Administration Act of 1966, as amended
by the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997, and the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, in consultation with the Secretary
of Commerce through the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), and the State
of Hawaii.
Important elements of the Draft VSP/
EA include: Allowing visitation only in
limited numbers, and only from
November through July, to ensure no
adverse impacts to wildlife or their
habitats occurs and to maintain a high
quality visitor experience; and
developing and maintaining a
financially self-sustaining program and
an associated table of proposed fees.
The Draft VSP/EA will be available
for viewing and downloading online at
https://www.fws.gov/midway. Limited
copies of the Draft VSP/EA may be
obtained by writing to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Attn: Barbara
Maxfield, Chief, Pacific Islands Division
of External Affairs and Visitor Services,
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5–231,
Honolulu, HI, 96850. Copies of the Draft
VSP/EA may be viewed at the Hawaiian
and Pacific Islands National Wildlife
Refuge Complex Office, Monday
through Friday, during regular business
hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office
is located in the Prince Jonah Kuhio
Kalanianaole Federal Building at 300
Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5–231,
Honolulu, HI.
Background
In 1996, the Service prepared a public
use plan to guide visitor services on the
Refuge. Since then, new laws and policy
regarding wildlife-dependent recreation
in the National Wildlife Refuge System
have been promulgated, and a new
visitor services plan is required to
ensure recreational uses at the Refuge
are compatible with the National
Wildlife Refuge System mission and the
purposes of the Refuge and the Battle of
Midway National Memorial. In addition,
all recreational activities must be
compliant with the requirements of the
newly designated Monument, which
refers to the Refuge as a Special
Management Area.
The Draft VSP/EA is an interim plan
to guide visitor activities on the Refuge
until such time as the broader
management plan is completed for the
Monument that meets the applicable
requirements of a refuge comprehensive
conservation plan. The Monument’s
management plan will incorporate
opportunities to participate in broader
management and conservation
activities, within the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands and throughout the
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
main Hawaiian Islands, benefiting the
Monument.
The development of this Draft VSP/
EA began prior to the establishment of
the Monument to fulfill Service
requirements necessary to allow a
regularly scheduled visitor services
program to resume at the Refuge. As
such, the focus of activities under the
Draft VSP/EA is limited to initial visitor
services within the Midway Atoll
Special Management Area only. Future
planning for a Monument-wide visitor
services program will be further
developed to more fully realize the
President’s vision to create a visitor
window to the Monument at the Refuge.
In addition, future planning will explore
opportunities for visitor use at Kure
Atoll (under the jurisdiction of the State
of Hawaii) and in the main Hawaiian
Islands, using distance learning and
remote educational opportunities. The
Service will continue to work closely
with its co-trustees of the Monument,
NOAA and the State of Hawaii, when
the final VSP is implemented, and in
the development of the Monument’s
management plan. Longer-term
strategies are included in this Draft
VSP/EA, so the interested public may
gain a vision of what the co-trustees
envision at the Refuge.
This Draft VSP/EA evaluates
recreational activities at the Refuge, and
describes the structure of the proposed
visitor services program. It also outlines
activities that honor and interpret the
World War II history at Midway Atoll,
in recognition of its status as the Battle
of Midway National Memorial. It
discusses operational limitations,
biological constraints, and partnership
opportunities beyond Midway Atoll.
Since 1995, the Service has been
strongly committed to welcoming
visitors to the Refuge. This is the first
and only remote island national wildlife
refuge in the Pacific Ocean to provide
the general public with an opportunity
to learn about and experience these
unique ecosystems. A regularly
scheduled visitor program operated on
the Refuge until early in 2002, when it
ended after our cooperator left the atoll.
Since then, visitors have arrived almost
exclusively by the occasional cruise
ship or sailboat, or for a Battle of
Midway commemorative event. In the
Draft VSP/EA, opportunities to expand
the visitor program and allow more
people to experience Midway’s wildlife
and historic treasury are proposed.
Preliminary compatibility
determinations are provided in the Draft
VSP/EA that would allow the following
wildlife-dependent recreational uses:
Wildlife observation and photography,
environmental education and
E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM
26DEN1
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 247 / Tuesday, December 26, 2006 / Notices
interpretation, and participatory
research. Hunting and fishing, two uses
normally given priority on national
wildlife refuges, will not take place on
the Refuge. All animal species occurring
on the Refuge are protected by law, or
occur in numbers too low to provide
hunting opportunities. Recreational
fishing is precluded under the
Presidential proclamation (Proclamation
8031) designating the Monument.
Additional preliminary compatibility
determinations allow for beach use
activities such as swimming and
volleyball, non-administrative airport
operations, limited outdoor sports such
as bicycling and jogging, and amateur
radio use. Each preliminary
compatibility determination includes
stipulations necessary to ensure
protection of the Refuge’s natural and
historic resources. Any additional
activities that may be proposed within
the Refuge would need to be evaluated
through the compatibility determination
process with formal public review.
Activities that are determined to be
compatible are authorized through the
issuance of Monument permits, which
fall within six permit types:
Conservation and management,
research, education, Native Hawaiian
uses, special ocean uses, and recreation.
Goals, objectives, and strategies for
the visitor program are discussed in
Chapter 4 of the Draft VSP/EA. The
Service will encourage individual
visitors as well as organized groups to
visit the Refuge. Opportunities for
teacher workshops in environmental
education, college courses, and distance
learning will be explored.
Improvements to trails and installation
of blinds will benefit wildlife
observation and photography
opportunities, as will snorkeling and
guided kayaking tours. Onsite and
offsite interpretation of Midway Atoll’s
historic and wildlife resources will be
enhanced.
In order to ensure a quality visitor
experience using the limited
infrastructure currently available,
limiting the total number of overnight
visitors that would be allowed on
Midway Atoll at any one time to 30
people in 2007, and 50 people in 2008
and beyond, as long as the VSP is
effective, is proposed. The number of
visitors may exceed these limits for
short periods of time (less than a day)
for prearranged visits by ocean vessels
or aircraft. In these cases, visitor
activities are closely supervised and
primarily consist of guided tours or
participation in commemorative events.
Annual goals for the number of
overnight visitors are 100 people in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:15 Dec 22, 2006
Jkt 211001
2007 and 500 people in 2008 and
beyond.
For the next 5 years (2007–2011),
visitor programs would operate from
November through July, which
coincides with the albatross season on
the Refuge. The months of August
through October would be reserved
primarily for planned construction and
major maintenance activities.
With no additional Service funding
available to support a visitor program,
visitation at the Refuge must be
financially self-sustaining. Fees
reflecting actual costs for transportation,
lodging, food services, and visitor
services staffing are included in this
Draft VSP/EA. Additional permitting
requirements also are discussed.
For this interim period, the Service
intends to operate the visitor program
primarily with its own staffing and with
help from Monument co-trustees and
volunteers. Outside entities may be
needed to provide assistance with
marketing the program, and to establish
a dive program at the Refuge. These
options will be evaluated over the
coming year.
Public Comments
Public comments are requested,
considered, and incorporated
throughout the planning process. After
the review and comment period ends for
the Draft VSP/EA, comments will be
analyzed by the Service and addressed
in revised planning documents. All
comments received from individuals,
including names and addresses, become
part of the official public record and
may be released. Requests for such
comments will be handled in
accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act, the Council on
Environmental Quality’s NEPA
regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)], and
Service and Department of the Interior
policies and procedures.
Dated: December 6, 2006.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,
Oregon.
[FR Doc. E6–22112 Filed 12–22–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Inventory of Geological and
Geophysical Collections at State
Surveys
U.S. Geological Survey.
Request for Public Comments on
Proposed Information Collection
Submitted to the Office of Management
AGENCY:
ACTION:
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
77407
and Budget for Review Under the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
SUMMARY: The proposal to initiate the
collection of information described
below will be submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget for approval
under the provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Copies of the proposed collection of
information and related forms may be
obtained by contacting the Bureau’s
Clearance Officer at the phone number
listed below. OMB has up to 60 days to
approve the information collection, but
may respond after 30 days; therefore
public comments should be submitted
to OMB within 30 days in order to
assure maximum consideration.
Comments and suggestions on the
proposal should be made directly to the
Desk Officer for the Interior Department,
OMB–OIRA, via e-mail to
OIRA_DOCET@omb.eop.gov or via
facsimile to (202) 395–6566, and to the
Bureau Clearance Officer, U.S.
Geological Survey, 807 National Center,
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston,
Virginia 20192.
Specific public comments are
requested as to:
1. Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
Bureau, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
2. The accuracy of the Bureau’s
estimate of the burden of the collection
of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions use;
3. The quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and
4. How to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including the use of the
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other forms of
information technology.
Title: Inventory of Geological and
Geophysical Collections at State
Surveys.
OMB approval number: 1028–.
Abstract: Section 351 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 directs the Secretary
of the Interior, through the Director of
the U.S. Geological Survey, ‘‘to carry out
a National Geological and Geophysical
data Preservation Program’’ (NGGDPP).
The Implementation Plan for the
National Geological and Geophysical
Data Preservation Program submitted to
Congress in August 2006 outlines the
vision and purpose of the program and
makes recommendations for
implementation of the program. One of
the action items in the FY 2007
implementation plan is to ‘‘begin
interactions with State geological
surveys and other DOI agencies that
E:\FR\FM\26DEN1.SGM
26DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 247 (Tuesday, December 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77406-77407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-22112]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Interim Visitor Services Plan
for the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Battle of Midway National
Memorial/Midway Atoll Special Management Area
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has completed a Draft
Interim Visitor Services Plan (VSP) and associated Environmental
Assessment (EA) for the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge/Battle of
Midway National Memorial/Midway Atoll Special Management Area (Refuge).
The Draft VSP/EA is available for public review and comments. This
remote Pacific island Refuge is a U.S. territory located in the
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and part of the newly established
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument (Monument). The
VSP is intended to guide visitor activities on the Refuge for an
interim period of time until a broader Monument management plan is
completed that meets the applicable requirements of a refuge
comprehensive conservation plan.
DATES: Written comments must be received (see ADDRESSES) by midnight on
February 6, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft VSP/EA should be submitted via
electronic mail to midway@fws.gov. Please use ``VSP'' in the subject
line. Alternatively, comments may be addressed to: Barbara Maxfield,
Chief, Pacific Islands Division of External Affairs and Visitor
Services, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, HI 96850. You may
view or obtain copies of the Draft VSP/EA as indicated under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Maxfield, Chief, Pacific Islands
Division of External Affairs and Visitor Services, phone number (808)
792-9531.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Draft VSP and EA were prepared pursuant
to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as
amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997,
and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, in consultation with
the Secretary of Commerce through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), and the State of Hawaii.
Important elements of the Draft VSP/EA include: Allowing visitation
only in limited numbers, and only from November through July, to ensure
no adverse impacts to wildlife or their habitats occurs and to maintain
a high quality visitor experience; and developing and maintaining a
financially self-sustaining program and an associated table of proposed
fees.
The Draft VSP/EA will be available for viewing and downloading
online at https://www.fws.gov/midway. Limited copies of the Draft VSP/EA
may be obtained by writing to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attn:
Barbara Maxfield, Chief, Pacific Islands Division of External Affairs
and Visitor Services, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, HI,
96850. Copies of the Draft VSP/EA may be viewed at the Hawaiian and
Pacific Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex Office, Monday through
Friday, during regular business hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office
is located in the Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Federal Building at
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5-231, Honolulu, HI.
Background
In 1996, the Service prepared a public use plan to guide visitor
services on the Refuge. Since then, new laws and policy regarding
wildlife-dependent recreation in the National Wildlife Refuge System
have been promulgated, and a new visitor services plan is required to
ensure recreational uses at the Refuge are compatible with the National
Wildlife Refuge System mission and the purposes of the Refuge and the
Battle of Midway National Memorial. In addition, all recreational
activities must be compliant with the requirements of the newly
designated Monument, which refers to the Refuge as a Special Management
Area.
The Draft VSP/EA is an interim plan to guide visitor activities on
the Refuge until such time as the broader management plan is completed
for the Monument that meets the applicable requirements of a refuge
comprehensive conservation plan. The Monument's management plan will
incorporate opportunities to participate in broader management and
conservation activities, within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and
throughout the main Hawaiian Islands, benefiting the Monument.
The development of this Draft VSP/EA began prior to the
establishment of the Monument to fulfill Service requirements necessary
to allow a regularly scheduled visitor services program to resume at
the Refuge. As such, the focus of activities under the Draft VSP/EA is
limited to initial visitor services within the Midway Atoll Special
Management Area only. Future planning for a Monument-wide visitor
services program will be further developed to more fully realize the
President's vision to create a visitor window to the Monument at the
Refuge. In addition, future planning will explore opportunities for
visitor use at Kure Atoll (under the jurisdiction of the State of
Hawaii) and in the main Hawaiian Islands, using distance learning and
remote educational opportunities. The Service will continue to work
closely with its co-trustees of the Monument, NOAA and the State of
Hawaii, when the final VSP is implemented, and in the development of
the Monument's management plan. Longer-term strategies are included in
this Draft VSP/EA, so the interested public may gain a vision of what
the co-trustees envision at the Refuge.
This Draft VSP/EA evaluates recreational activities at the Refuge,
and describes the structure of the proposed visitor services program.
It also outlines activities that honor and interpret the World War II
history at Midway Atoll, in recognition of its status as the Battle of
Midway National Memorial. It discusses operational limitations,
biological constraints, and partnership opportunities beyond Midway
Atoll.
Since 1995, the Service has been strongly committed to welcoming
visitors to the Refuge. This is the first and only remote island
national wildlife refuge in the Pacific Ocean to provide the general
public with an opportunity to learn about and experience these unique
ecosystems. A regularly scheduled visitor program operated on the
Refuge until early in 2002, when it ended after our cooperator left the
atoll. Since then, visitors have arrived almost exclusively by the
occasional cruise ship or sailboat, or for a Battle of Midway
commemorative event. In the Draft VSP/EA, opportunities to expand the
visitor program and allow more people to experience Midway's wildlife
and historic treasury are proposed.
Preliminary compatibility determinations are provided in the Draft
VSP/EA that would allow the following wildlife-dependent recreational
uses: Wildlife observation and photography, environmental education and
[[Page 77407]]
interpretation, and participatory research. Hunting and fishing, two
uses normally given priority on national wildlife refuges, will not
take place on the Refuge. All animal species occurring on the Refuge
are protected by law, or occur in numbers too low to provide hunting
opportunities. Recreational fishing is precluded under the Presidential
proclamation (Proclamation 8031) designating the Monument.
Additional preliminary compatibility determinations allow for beach
use activities such as swimming and volleyball, non-administrative
airport operations, limited outdoor sports such as bicycling and
jogging, and amateur radio use. Each preliminary compatibility
determination includes stipulations necessary to ensure protection of
the Refuge's natural and historic resources. Any additional activities
that may be proposed within the Refuge would need to be evaluated
through the compatibility determination process with formal public
review. Activities that are determined to be compatible are authorized
through the issuance of Monument permits, which fall within six permit
types: Conservation and management, research, education, Native
Hawaiian uses, special ocean uses, and recreation.
Goals, objectives, and strategies for the visitor program are
discussed in Chapter 4 of the Draft VSP/EA. The Service will encourage
individual visitors as well as organized groups to visit the Refuge.
Opportunities for teacher workshops in environmental education, college
courses, and distance learning will be explored. Improvements to trails
and installation of blinds will benefit wildlife observation and
photography opportunities, as will snorkeling and guided kayaking
tours. Onsite and offsite interpretation of Midway Atoll's historic and
wildlife resources will be enhanced.
In order to ensure a quality visitor experience using the limited
infrastructure currently available, limiting the total number of
overnight visitors that would be allowed on Midway Atoll at any one
time to 30 people in 2007, and 50 people in 2008 and beyond, as long as
the VSP is effective, is proposed. The number of visitors may exceed
these limits for short periods of time (less than a day) for
prearranged visits by ocean vessels or aircraft. In these cases,
visitor activities are closely supervised and primarily consist of
guided tours or participation in commemorative events. Annual goals for
the number of overnight visitors are 100 people in 2007 and 500 people
in 2008 and beyond.
For the next 5 years (2007-2011), visitor programs would operate
from November through July, which coincides with the albatross season
on the Refuge. The months of August through October would be reserved
primarily for planned construction and major maintenance activities.
With no additional Service funding available to support a visitor
program, visitation at the Refuge must be financially self-sustaining.
Fees reflecting actual costs for transportation, lodging, food
services, and visitor services staffing are included in this Draft VSP/
EA. Additional permitting requirements also are discussed.
For this interim period, the Service intends to operate the visitor
program primarily with its own staffing and with help from Monument co-
trustees and volunteers. Outside entities may be needed to provide
assistance with marketing the program, and to establish a dive program
at the Refuge. These options will be evaluated over the coming year.
Public Comments
Public comments are requested, considered, and incorporated
throughout the planning process. After the review and comment period
ends for the Draft VSP/EA, comments will be analyzed by the Service and
addressed in revised planning documents. All comments received from
individuals, including names and addresses, become part of the official
public record and may be released. Requests for such comments will be
handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, the Council
on Environmental Quality's NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)], and
Service and Department of the Interior policies and procedures.
Dated: December 6, 2006.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. E6-22112 Filed 12-22-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
