Record of Decision for the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan, Wilderness Stewardship Plan for Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in Pima and Yuma Counties, AZ, 54281-54283 [07-4715]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 184 (Monday, September 24, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54281-54283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-4715]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Record of Decision for the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan, 
Wilderness Stewardship Plan for Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge 
in Pima and Yuma Counties, AZ

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of record of decision.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce our decision 
and availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), Wilderness Stewardship Plan 
(WSP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Cabeza Prieta 
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.

ADDRESSES: The ROD and Final CCP/WSP/EIS may be viewed at Cabeza Prieta 
National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 1611 North Second Street, Ajo, 
Arizona 85321. You may obtain a copy of the ROD at the Planning 
Division Web site at https://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/Plan/
completeplans.html or by writing to the following address: U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, Southwest 
Region, Planning Division, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, New Mexico 
87103.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Slown at (505) 248-7458 or e-
mail: john_slown@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
announce our decision and availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) 
for the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), Wilderness 
Stewardship Plan (WSP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in accordance with 40 CFR 
1506.6(b). We completed a thorough analysis of the environmental, 
social, and economic considerations, which we included in the Final 
CCP/WSP/EIS. We released the Final CCP/WSP/EIS to the public and 
published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register (72 FR, 
20132-20133, April 23, 2007). The ROD documents the selection of 
Alternative D, the Preferred Alternative in the Final CCP/WSP/EIS. The 
ROD was signed by the Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Southwest Region, on July 19, 2007. The CCP/WSP/EIS for the 
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge will provide management guidance 
for conservation of Refuge resources and public use activities during 
the next 15 years. Five alternatives and their consequences were 
described in detail in the Draft and Final Environmental Impact 
Statements. Under all alternatives the recovery plan for the Sonoran 
pronghorn would be implemented, wilderness resources would be protected 
and the Refuge would work cooperatively with the Department of Homeland 
Security, Customs and Border Patrol, to protect Sonoran Desert 
resources while securing the Nation's border.
    Alternative 1--No Action. No change from present management 
practices. The No Action alternative is a status quo scenario in which 
current conditions and trends would continue. This

[[Page 54282]]

alternative served as the baseline to compare and contrast with the 
other alternatives. Under existing conditions 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 existing developed waters 
in desert bighorn sheep habitat.
    Alternative 2--Minimum Intervention. Under this alternative the 
primary focus of Refuge management is avoidance or limitation of 
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. Sonoran pronghorn recovery activities would continue to be 
implemented, but any new developed waters, forage enhancements or radio 
collaring capture operations would be restricted to the refuge non-
wilderness.
    The desert bighorn sheep hunt would also be discontinued. The use 
of horses by Refuge visitors would be prohibited, visitor party size 
would be limited to eight individuals and the maximum length of stay 
would be limited to seven (7) consecutive days. Collecting firewood on 
the Refuge would be prohibited. Only one vehicle-accessible developed 
campsite would be retained.
    Alternative 3--Restrained Intervention. The theme of this 
alternative is increased levels of active habitat and wildlife 
management above that of Alternative 2, with management activities 
focused on the non-wilderness portion of the Refuge. Under this 
alternative, the Refuge would supply supplemental water to developed 
waters in sheep habitat within Refuge wilderness only during periods of 
severe drought. Sonoran pronghorn recovery activities would continue to 
be implemented, but any new developed waters, forage enhancements or 
radio collaring capture operations would be restricted to the Refuge 
non-wilderness.
    The desert bighorn sheep hunt would be continued, but no hunting 
would be allowed during years of severe drought. The use of horses by 
Refuge visitors would be allowed subject to special use permit. Visitor 
party size would be limited to eight individuals and the maximum length 
of stay would be seven (7) consecutive days. Collecting firewood on the 
Refuge would be prohibited. Only one vehicle-accesible developed 
campsite would be retained.
    Alternative 4--Active Management (the Service's Preferred 
Alternative). The theme of this alternative is active intervention, as 
justifiable, throughout the Refuge to recover the Sonoran pronghorn and 
maintain a target population level for the Refuge's desert bighorn 
sheep.
    Under this alternative, maintenance and water supply to existing 
developed waters in sheep habitat within Refuge wilderness would 
continue and projects to increase the water collection efficiency of 
such waters would be implemented. Sonoran pronghorn recovery activities 
and developments would occur wherever determined best suited for 
species recovery, subject to minimum requirements analysis in 
wilderness.
    The Refuge desert bighorn sheep hunt program would continue 
unchanged under this alternative. The use of horses by Refuge visitors 
would be allowed subject to special use permit. Visitor party size 
would be limited to eight individuals or four vehicles and the maximum 
length of stay would be fourteen (14) consecutive days. Collecting dead 
and down firewood would be allowed for visitors traveling in the Refuge 
backcountry (hiking away from the access roads). Three existing 
vehicle-accessible developed campsites would be retained.
    Alternative 5--Maximum Effort. This alternative focuses on 
maximizing both the provision of visitor services and Refuge population 
levels of desert bighorn sheep. Under this alternative all existing 
developed waters in Refuge wilderness would be maintained and supplied 
with water, and new developed waters would be created. In addition to 
developed waters, the Refuge would develop forage enhancements in 
suitable areas of desert bighorn sheep habitat to provide forage for a 
larger desert bighorn sheep population.
    The desert bighorn sheep hunt program would continue unchanged 
under this alternative. Horses would be allowed on the Refuge for 
visitors, restrictions of collection of firewood would be eliminated 
and two additional developed campsites would be developed along the 
non-wilderness access roads. No visitor party size limitations would be 
imposed, and the maximum length of stay would be fourteen (14) 
consecutive days.
    We have selected Alternative 4, the Preferred Alternative, for 
implementation at the Refuge. Alternative 4 addresses the key issues 
identified during the planning process and will best achieve the 
purposes and goals of the Refuge as well as the mission of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System. This decision includes adoption of 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan Chapters (Appendix M of the Final CCP/
WSP/EIS). Implementation of the CCP will occur over the next 15 years 
and will depend on future staffing levels and funding.
    The Service's Basis for the Decision: Based on a review of the 
environmental consequences of each alternative, we judged Alternative 4 
to be the environmentally preferable alternative. Alternative 4 is also 
expected to lead to more overall public support and a more appropriate 
level of public use opportunities than the other alternatives. 
Alternative 1 was not considered for selection as it describes current 
management and was presented primarily as a baseline against which to 
compare the proposed alternatives. Alternatives 2 and 3 were not 
selected primarily because their spatial restrictions of management 
activity would likely lead to inefficient and sub-optimal sampling and 
recovery implementation for the Sonoran pronghorn. Alternative 5 was 
not selected because its level of management intervention within 
wilderness to manage a larger population of desert bighorn sheep on the 
Refuge would create excessive impacts to wilderness character. The 
increased levels of public use anticipated under Alternative 5 and the 
absence of any restrictions on firewood collection, visitor horse use 
and visitor party size would likely create localized adverse impacts to 
habitat and wildlife populations.
    The rationale for choosing the selected alternative as the best 
alternative for the CCP/WSP/EIS is based on the impact of this 
alternative on the issues and concerns that surfaced during the 
planning process. Because all practicable means to avoid or minimize 
environmental harm have been incorporated into the preferred 
alternative, no mitigation measures have been identified.
    Public Comments on Final CCP/WSP/EIS: During the 30-day waiting 
period, we received three written comments. The comments did not raise 
any issues not addressed in the Final CCP/WSP/EIS, and the comments did 
not result in changes to the analysis of environmental consequences or 
affect our response to similar comments in the Final EIS. All written 
comments received during the 30-day waiting period are available for 
review at the Refuge headquarters in Ajo, Arizona (see ADDRESSES).


[[Page 54283]]


    Dated: July 19, 2007.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New 
Mexico.
[FR Doc. 07-4715 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M