Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 27329-27330 [E7-9285]

Download as PDF cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 93 / Tuesday, May 15, 2007 / Notices The Service will conduct a comprehensive conservation planning process that will provide opportunity for Tribal, State, and local governments; agencies; organizations; and the public to participate in issue scoping and public comment. The Service is requesting input for issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the future management of the Complex. Anyone interested in providing input is invited to respond to the following questions. (1) What problems or issues do you want to see addressed in the CCP? (2) What improvements would you recommend for the Complex? The Service has provided the above questions for your optional use; you are not required to provide information to the Service. The planning team developed these questions to facilitate finding out more information about individual issues and ideas concerning these three units of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Comments received by the planning team will be used as part of the planning process; individual comments will not be referenced in our reports or responded to directly. An opportunity will be given to the public to provide input at open houses to scope issues and concerns (schedules can be obtained from the planning team leader at the above address). Comments may also be submitted anytime during the planning process by writing to the above address. All information provided voluntarily by mail, phone, or at public meetings becomes part of the official public record (i.e., names, addresses, letters of comment, input recorded during meetings). If requested under the Freedom of Information Act by a private citizen or organization, the Service may provide informational copies. The environmental review of this project will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); other appropriate Federal laws and regulations; and Service policies and procedures for compliance with those regulations. All comments received from individuals on Service Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements become part of the official public record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, NEPA (40 CFR 1506.6(f)), and other Departmental and Service policies and procedures. VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:50 May 14, 2007 Jkt 211001 Dated: September 19, 2006. James J. Slack, Deputy Regional Director, Region 6, Denver, Colorado. Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the Federal Register on May 10, 2007. [FR Doc. E7–9278 Filed 5–14–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent to revise the comprehensive conservation plan and prepare an environmental impact statement for Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. AGENCY: SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we), will be developing a revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). We will use local announcements, special mailings, newspaper articles, the Internet, and other media announcements to inform people of opportunities to provide input throughout the planning process. We will hold public meetings in communities within the Refuge during preparation of the revised plan. We will visit each of the 36 occupied communities within the Refuge boundary as we revise this plan. DATES: Please provide written comments on the scope of the CCP revision by January 31, 2008. ADDRESSES: Address comments, questions, and requests for further information to: Peter Wikoff, Planning Team Leader, Division of Conservation Planning and Policy, 1011 East Tudor Rd., MS–231, Anchorage, AK 99503. Comments may be faxed to (907) 786– 3965, or sent via electronic mail to YukonDelta_planning@fws.gov. Additional information about the Refuge is available on the Internet at: https:// alaska.fws.gov/nwr/planning/ ydpol.htm. Peter Wikoff, Planning Team Leader, phone (907) 786–3837 or Mikel Haase, Planning Team Leader, phone (907) 786–3402. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Established by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (94 FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 27329 Stat. 2371) in 1980 (ANILCA), Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge is the second largest Refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Stretching east for 300 miles from Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea to the village of Aniak, the Refuge spans more than 19 million acres. The two largest rivers in Alaska, the Yukon and the Kuskokwim, flow through the Refuge creating a delta which covers about 70% of the Refuge. This broad, flat area is less than 100 feet in elevation and covered by countless lakes and ponds. Flooding is common along rivers and lowlands. Wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams, inlets, bays, and coastal areas support an extremely varied community of fish and wildlife including one of the largest aggregations of water birds in North America. Each year over one million ducks, half a million geese and millions of shorebirds use the Refuge for both breeding and staging. The Refuge is also home to significant salmon fisheries. Thirty-six occupied communities lie within the Refuge boundaries. Alaskan Native peoples have occupied the region for close to 10,000 years and their lives and culture are intertwined with the Refuge. Local Native corporations own vast tracts of lands within the Refuge. Refuge purposes include: (1) Conserving fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity, including, but not limited to, shorebirds, seabirds, whistling swans, emperor, white-fronted and Canada geese, black brant and other migratory birds, salmon, muskox, and marine mammals; (2) fulfilling international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats; (3) providing, in a manner consistent with purposes (1) and (2) above, the opportunity for continued subsistence use by local residents; and (4) ensuring, to the maximum extent practicable and in a manner consistent with purpose (1) above, water quality and necessary water quantity within the Refuge. We furnish this notice in accordance with the ANILCA, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S. C. 668dd-688ee), the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1500–1508), and Service policies. These laws and policies require all lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System to be managed in accordance with an approved CCP which articulates a 15 year plan for managing a Refuge and identifies Refuge goals and objectives. During the CCP process, we will consider many E:\FR\FM\15MYN1.SGM 15MYN1 27330 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 93 / Tuesday, May 15, 2007 / Notices elements, including: (1) Conservation of the Refuge’s fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity; (2) facilitation of subsistence use by local residents; (3) access for traditional activities; and (4) conservation of resource values, including cultural resources, wilderness, and rivers. The final revised CCP will detail programs, activities, and measures necessary to best administer the Refuge to protect these values and fulfill Refuge purposes over the next 15 years. Until the revised CCP is completed, management will continue to be guided by the original CCP, Federal legislation regarding management of National Wildlife Refuges, and other legal, regulatory, and policy guidance. The original CCP was approved in 1988. Public Involvement We plan to hold public involvement activities in communities within the Refuge. We plan to visit every one of the occupied villages within the Refuge at least once during plan revision. With appropriate advance notice, scoping meetings will be held between October 15, 2007, and the end of February 2008, as weather and other conditions permit. We will also be accepting comments via mail, e-mail, telephone, and through personal contacts throughout the planning process. Public Availability of Comments Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Dated: May 8, 2007. Thomas O. Melius, Regional Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska. [FR Doc. E7–9285 Filed 5–14–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR cprice-sewell on PROD1PC62 with NOTICES Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered and Threatened Species Permit Applications Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of permit applications; request for comments. AGENCY: VerDate Aug<31>2005 13:50 May 14, 2007 Jkt 211001 SUMMARY: The following applicant has applied for a permit to conduct certain activities with endangered species. DATES: We must receive any written comments on or before June 14, 2007. ADDRESSES: Regional Director, Attn: Peter Fasbender, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, MN 55111–4056. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Peter Fasbender, (612) 713–5343. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Endangered Species The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (Act), with some exceptions, prohibits activities affecting endangered species unless authorized by a permit from the Service. Before issuing a permit, we invite public comment on it. Accordingly, we invite public comment on the following applicant’s permit application for certain activities with endangered species authorized by section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act and the regulations governing the taking of endangered species (50 CFR part 17). Submit your written data, comments, or requests for copies of the complete applications to the address shown in ADDRESSES. Permit Number: TE049738 Applicant: Third Rock Consultants, Lexington, Kentucky. The applicant requests a permit amendment to take listed fish, mussel, and bat species throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. The applicant also requests to take the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) throughout the range of the species. The scientific research is aimed at enhancement of survival of the species in the wild. Permit Number: TE151107 Applicant: Redwing Ecological Services, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky. The applicant requests a permit to take the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), gray bat (M. grisescens), Ozark big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii ingens), and Virginia big-eared bat (C. t. virginianus) throughout the range of the species. The scientific research is aimed at enhancement of survival of the species in the wild. Permit Number: TE151109 Applicant: Ohio Division of Wildlife, Columbus, Ohio. The applicant requests a permit to take the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) for the purpose of establishing captive colonies to be used for release into the wild. The PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 scientific research is aimed at enhancement of survival of the species in the wild. Permit Number: TE151117 Applicant: Sarah Bradley, Salem, Missouri. The applicant requests a permit to take the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and gray bat (M. grisescens) throughout the Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri. The scientific research is aimed at enhancement of survival of the species in the wild. Permit Number: TE152002 Applicant: FMSM Engineers, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky. The applicant requests a permit to take 5 listed fish species, 23 species of listed mussels, 4 species of listed bats, and 2 listed reptile species throughout 28 states. The scientific research is aimed at enhancement of survival of the species in the wild. Permit Number: TE152216 Applicant: Marlin Bowles, The Morton Arboreteum, Lisle, Illinois. The applicant requests a permit to take Mead’s milkweed (Asclepius meadii) throughout Illinois. The scientific research is aimed at enhancement of survival of the species in the wild. Public Comments We solicit public review and comment on this permit application. Please refer to the respective permit number when you submit comments. We make all comments we receive, including names and addresses, part of the official administrative record, and may make them available to the public. Our 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 addresses from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the record a respondent’s identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment, but you should be aware that we may be required to disclose your name and address pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available E:\FR\FM\15MYN1.SGM 15MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27329-27330]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-9285]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to revise the comprehensive conservation plan 
and prepare an environmental impact statement for Yukon Delta National 
Wildlife Refuge.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we), will be 
developing a revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Yukon Delta National Wildlife 
Refuge (Refuge). We will use local announcements, special mailings, 
newspaper articles, the Internet, and other media announcements to 
inform people of opportunities to provide input throughout the planning 
process. We will hold public meetings in communities within the Refuge 
during preparation of the revised plan. We will visit each of the 36 
occupied communities within the Refuge boundary as we revise this plan.

DATES: Please provide written comments on the scope of the CCP revision 
by January 31, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Address comments, questions, and requests for further 
information to: Peter Wikoff, Planning Team Leader, Division of 
Conservation Planning and Policy, 1011 East Tudor Rd., MS-231, 
Anchorage, AK 99503. Comments may be faxed to (907) 786-3965, or sent 
via electronic mail to YukonDelta_planning@fws.gov. Additional 
information about the Refuge is available on the Internet at: https://
alaska.fws.gov/nwr/planning/ydpol.htm.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Peter Wikoff, Planning Team Leader, 
phone (907) 786-3837 or Mikel Haase, Planning Team Leader, phone (907) 
786-3402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Established by the Alaska National Interest 
Lands Conservation Act (94 Stat. 2371) in 1980 (ANILCA), Yukon Delta 
National Wildlife Refuge is the second largest Refuge in the National 
Wildlife Refuge System. Stretching east for 300 miles from Nunivak 
Island in the Bering Sea to the village of Aniak, the Refuge spans more 
than 19 million acres. The two largest rivers in Alaska, the Yukon and 
the Kuskokwim, flow through the Refuge creating a delta which covers 
about 70% of the Refuge. This broad, flat area is less than 100 feet in 
elevation and covered by countless lakes and ponds. Flooding is common 
along rivers and lowlands. Wetlands, lakes, ponds, streams, inlets, 
bays, and coastal areas support an extremely varied community of fish 
and wildlife including one of the largest aggregations of water birds 
in North America. Each year over one million ducks, half a million 
geese and millions of shorebirds use the Refuge for both breeding and 
staging. The Refuge is also home to significant salmon fisheries.
    Thirty-six occupied communities lie within the Refuge boundaries. 
Alaskan Native peoples have occupied the region for close to 10,000 
years and their lives and culture are intertwined with the Refuge. 
Local Native corporations own vast tracts of lands within the Refuge.
    Refuge purposes include: (1) Conserving fish and wildlife 
populations and habitats in their natural diversity, including, but not 
limited to, shorebirds, seabirds, whistling swans, emperor, white-
fronted and Canada geese, black brant and other migratory birds, 
salmon, muskox, and marine mammals; (2) fulfilling international treaty 
obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and 
their habitats; (3) providing, in a manner consistent with purposes (1) 
and (2) above, the opportunity for continued subsistence use by local 
residents; and (4) ensuring, to the maximum extent practicable and in a 
manner consistent with purpose (1) above, water quality and necessary 
water quantity within the Refuge.
    We furnish this notice in accordance with the ANILCA, the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act as amended by the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S. C. 668dd-
688ee), the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy 
Act (40 CFR 1500-1508), and Service policies.
    These laws and policies require all lands within the National 
Wildlife Refuge System to be managed in accordance with an approved CCP 
which articulates a 15 year plan for managing a Refuge and identifies 
Refuge goals and objectives. During the CCP process, we will consider 
many

[[Page 27330]]

elements, including: (1) Conservation of the Refuge's fish and wildlife 
populations and habitats in their natural diversity; (2) facilitation 
of subsistence use by local residents; (3) access for traditional 
activities; and (4) conservation of resource values, including cultural 
resources, wilderness, and rivers. The final revised CCP will detail 
programs, activities, and measures necessary to best administer the 
Refuge to protect these values and fulfill Refuge purposes over the 
next 15 years. Until the revised CCP is completed, management will 
continue to be guided by the original CCP, Federal legislation 
regarding management of National Wildlife Refuges, and other legal, 
regulatory, and policy guidance. The original CCP was approved in 1988.

Public Involvement

    We plan to hold public involvement activities in communities within 
the Refuge. We plan to visit every one of the occupied villages within 
the Refuge at least once during plan revision. With appropriate advance 
notice, scoping meetings will be held between October 15, 2007, and the 
end of February 2008, as weather and other conditions permit. We will 
also be accepting comments via mail, e-mail, telephone, and through 
personal contacts throughout the planning process.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Dated: May 8, 2007.
Thomas O. Melius,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska.
 [FR Doc. E7-9285 Filed 5-14-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

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