Notice of Availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment for Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Tyrrell, Washington, and Hyde Counties, NC, 38097-38098 [E7-13563]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 133 (Thursday, July 12, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38097-38098]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13563]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation 
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife 
Refuge in Tyrrell, Washington, and Hyde Counties, NC

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce that a Draft 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft 
CCP/EA) for Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is available for 
distribution. The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 
1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act 
of 1997, requires that we develop a comprehensive conservation plan for 
each national wildlife refuge. This Draft CCP, when final, will 
describe how we intend to manage Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge 
over the next 15 years.

DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal address listed 
below no later than August 13, 2007.

ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft 
CCP/EA, please write to: Howard Phillips, Refuge Manager, Pocosin Lakes 
National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 329, Columbia, North Carolina 27925; 
or telephone: 252/796-3004, Extension 226. The Draft CCP/EA may also be 
accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet Site: https://
southeast.fws.gov/planning/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Public Availability of Comments: Before including your 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.
    Background: Congress established the 12,000-acre Pungo National 
Wildlife Refuge in 1963, by the authority of the Migratory Bird 
Conservation Act of 1929 and the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956. Pocosin 
Lakes National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1990. At that time, 
Pungo Refuge was made a unit of Pocosin Lakes Refuge. The refuge, in 
northeast North Carolina, consists of 110,106 acres in fee simple 
ownership, and is made up of the following habitats: 63,896 acres of 
pocosin wetlands; 4,280 acres of bay forest; 3,124 acres of peatland 
Atlantic white cedar; 13,649 acres of mixed pine flatwoods; 14,045 
acres of hardwood swamp forest; 970 acres of cypress-gum swamp; 987 
acres of marsh; 276 acres of xeric sandhill scrub; 1,250 acres of 
cropland; 443 acres of moist-soil areas; 446 acres of natural 
shoreline; and 6,740 acres of open water. These habitats support a 
variety of wildlife species, including red wolves, red-cockaded 
woodpeckers, waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, marsh birds, and 
neotropical migratory songbirds.
    The refuge hosts approximately 80,000 visitors annually who 
participate in hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife 
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. Because of 
the estimated number of people stopping at the Tyrrell County Visitor 
Center (460,000), which is located immediately adjacent to the refuge's 
visitor center and Scuppernong River Interpretive Boardwalk, actual 
refuge visitation is likely much higher; perhaps exceeding 200,000.
    Significant issues addressed in the Draft CCP/EA include: managing 
impoundments to create optimum habitat for migrating waterfowl, 
shorebirds, wading birds, and aquatic organisms; managing and providing 
optimum habitat for threatened and endangered species; managing marshes 
and pine forests with prescribed fire; monitoring, managing, and 
eradicating invasive pest plants and animals; restoring natural 
hydrology on the refuge; surveying for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading 
birds, and neotropical migratory songbirds; providing adequate law 
enforcement; providing outreach and interpretive opportunities to the 
public; providing quality hunting and fishing opportunities; and 
managing access for public use activities.
    Also addressed in the Draft CCP/EA are compatibility determinations 
for the following uses: (1) Hunting; (2) Fishing; (3) Wildlife 
Observation and Photography; (4) Environmental Education and 
Interpretation; (5) Refuge Access for Public Uses; (6) Trapping of 
Selected Furbearers for Management; (7) Collecting Reptiles and 
Amphibians; (8) Refuge Resource Research Studies; (9) Cooperative 
Farming; (10) Commercial Photography; (11) Commercial Tours and 
Guiding; (12) Wood and Reed Gathering; (13) Meetings of Non-Service 
Agencies and Organizations on the

[[Page 38098]]

Refuge; and (14) Group All-Terrain Vehicle Ride on Northwest Fork Road 
All-Terrain Vehicle Trail.
    Alternatives: We developed four alternatives for management of the 
refuge and chose Alternative 2 as the proposed action. We believe this 
alternative will be the most effective one to contribute to the 
purposes for which the refuge was established and to the mission of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System.
    Alternative 1, also called the ``No Action'' alternative, is the 
baseline or status quo of refuge programs and is usually a continuation 
of current planning objectives and management strategies. The refuge 
currently manages its impoundments very intensively by controlling 
water levels and vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating 
waterfowl. It also manages pine forests and marshes with prescribed 
fire. Waterfowl are surveyed on a routine basis. The refuge has a 
visitor center, which includes an auditorium and indoor and outdoor 
classrooms, but depends on volunteers and cooperating agency personnel 
to staff and maintain the center. With regard to public use, each of 
the six priority public uses (e.g., hunting, fishing, wildlife 
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation) is encouraged. The staff conducts a limited number of 
environmental education and interpretation programs.
    When the planning process started, there were 7.5 full-time 
employees stationed at Pocosin Lakes Refuge dedicated to refuge 
management (two of those positions have been lost recently) and 7.5 
full-time employees dedicated to fire management.
    Alternative 2, the proposed action, would allow for moderate 
program increases to address refuge priorities. The refuge would manage 
its impoundments very intensively by controlling water levels and 
vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating waterfowl. It would 
also manage pine forests and marshes with prescribed fire and would 
manage the vegetative composition of habitats in selected areas. 
Waterfowl would be surveyed on a routine basis. The staff would develop 
inventory plans for all species and implement them in selected 
habitats. The staff would develop and implement a black bear management 
plan. The staff would maintain the visitor center with volunteers and 
cooperating agency personnel supplementing refuge personnel.
    There would be 17.5 staff members dedicated to refuge management 
and 7.5 staff members dedicated to fire management. The volunteer 
program would be expanded to recruit volunteers to contribute 4,000 
hours of service.
    The six priority public uses would be allowed and the staff would 
conduct environmental education and interpretation programs to meet 
local needs.
    Alternative 3 would allow for substantial program increases. The 
refuge would manage its impoundments very intensively by controlling 
water levels and vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating 
waterfowl. It would also manage pine forests and marshes with 
prescribed fire and would manage the vegetative composition of habitats 
on the entire refuge. Waterfowl would be surveyed on a routine basis. 
The staff would develop inventory plans for all species and implement 
them over the entire refuge. The staff would develop and implement a 
black bear management plan. The staff would maintain the visitor center 
with volunteers and cooperating agency personnel supplementing refuge 
personnel.
    There would be 25 staff members stationed at Pocosin Lakes Refuge 
dedicated to refuge management and 7 staff members dedicated to fire 
management. The refuge would conduct forest management and hydrology 
restoration by contract. The volunteer program would be expanded to 
recruit volunteers to contribute 10,000 hours of service.
    The six priority public uses would be allowed and the staff would 
conduct environmental education and interpretation programs to meet 
local needs and expand outreach to the communities.
    Alternative 4 would maintain the refuge in caretaker status. The 
refuge would manage its impoundments very intensively by controlling 
water levels and vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating 
waterfowl. It would manage pine forests and marshes with prescribed 
fire. Waterfowl would be surveyed on a routine basis. Cooperating 
agency personnel and volunteers would staff and maintain the visitor 
center.
    There would be 4.5 staff members stationed at Pocosin Lakes Refuge 
dedicated to refuge management and 7.5 staff members dedicated to fire 
management.
    The six priority public uses would be allowed; however, the staff 
would not conduct any environmental education and interpretation 
programs.

    Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 
105-57.

    Dated: May 25, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
 [FR Doc. E7-13563 Filed 7-11-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P