Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan With Goose Management Strategies, 1643-1644 [E8-245]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 6 / Wednesday, January 9, 2008 / Notices
plan for the Steens Mountain
Cooperative Management and Protection
Area.
Topics to be discussed by the Steens
Mountain Advisory Council at these
meetings include the Steens Mountain
Comprehensive Recreation Plan; North
Steens Ecosystem Restoration Project
implementation; Science Strategy;
South Steens Water Development
Project EA; easements and acquisitions;
In-holder Access EA; and categories of
interest such as wildlife, special
designated areas, partnerships/
programs, cultural resources, education/
interpretation, volunteer-based
information, adaptive management and
socioeconomics; and other matters that
may reasonably come before the Steens
Mountain Advisory Council.
All meetings are open to the public in
their entirety. Information to be
distributed to the Steens Mountain
Advisory Council is requested prior to
the start of each Steens Mountain
Advisory Council meeting. Public
comment is generally scheduled for 11
a.m. to 11:30 a.m., local time, both days
of each meeting session. The amount of
time scheduled for public presentations
and meeting times may be extended
when the authorized representative
considers it necessary to accommodate
all who seek to be heard regarding
matters on the agenda.
Under the Federal Advisory
Committee Act management regulations
(41 CFR 102–3.15(b)), in exceptional
circumstances an agency may give less
than 15 days notice of committee
meeting notices published in the
Federal Register. In this case, this
notice is being published less than 15
days prior to the meeting due to the
urgent need to meet legal requirements
for completion of the Steens Mountain
Travel Management Plan/Environmental
Assessment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Thissell, Burns District Office,
28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon,
97738, (541) 573–4400 or
Kevin_Thissell@blm.gov.
Dated: January 3, 2008.
Dana R. Shuford,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. E8–247 Filed 1–8–08; 8:45 am]
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Jkt 214001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Anacostia Park Wetlands
Management Plan With Goose
Management Strategies
National Park Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for the
Anacostia Park Wetlands Management
Plan With Goose Management
Strategies.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with
§ 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4321 et. seq.), the National Park Service
(NPS) will prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement for the Anacostia Park
Wetlands Management Plan with Goose
Management Strategies (EIS).
The current Proposed Action is a
modification of the original proposal to
prepare an Environmental Assessment.
Based on comments received during
internal scoping (February 2007),
agency scoping (March 2007) and public
scoping (June–August 2007) for the
Anacostia Park Wetlands Restoration
Plan with Goose Management Strategies
Plan/Environmental Assessment (EA),
the NPS recognizes that wetland
management actions could result in
some significant impacts to the park’s
resources.
This notice serves as an
announcement of an additional 30-day
public comment period. Comments
submitted to the park or through
Planning, Environment and Public
Comment (PEPC) during the public
scoping period (June 25–August 10,
2007) and at the public meetings (July
17 and 18, 2007) for the EA will be
considered as part of the planning
process for the current proposed action
and do not need to be resubmitted. The
intent of this notice is to obtain
suggestions and additional information
on the scope of issues to be addressed
in the EIS.
DATES: NPS is soliciting further public
input into this planning process until
February 8, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be
submitted through the Planning,
Environment and Public Comment
(PEPC) Web site at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/anac or they may
be submitted by mail to:
Superintendent, National Capital Parks
East, RE: Wetlands Restoration Plan/EIS,
1900 Anacostia Dr., SE., Washington,
DC 20020.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
1643
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.
The NPS considers public
participation and input as an integral
part in the planning and environmental
impact analysis process guiding
preparation of the EIS. As mentioned
above, comments submitted during the
public scoping process for the EA do not
need to be resubmitted, but additional
input is welcome.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephen Syphax, Supervisory Resources
Management Specialist, National
Capital Parks-East, RE: Wetlands
Restoration Plan/EIS, at 1900 Anacostia
Drive, SE., Washington, DC 20020, by email at Stephen_Syphax@nps.gov, or by
telephone at (202) 690–5160.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
purpose of this action is to develop and
implement a wetlands management plan
that facilitates the protection of natural
wetland functions within Anacostia
Park. Action is needed at this time to
address the protection of natural
wetland functions within wetlands in
Anacostia Park. A plan is considered
necessary to identify wetland
restoration strategies that address factors
affecting current and future restoration
activities.
The Anacostia River was historically
flanked with nearly 2,500 acres of tidal
marsh. However, in the early 20th
century the Army Corps of Engineers
was charged with a major ‘‘reclamation’’
effort designed to improve navigation by
channeling and containing the river
within a stone seawall. Tidal flats and
wetlands were also drained and filled to
help rid the area of mosquito-borne
diseases.
Public and government interest in
restoring wetlands in the Anacostia
River Watershed grew in the 1980s and
the National Park Service began working
with others to restore nearly 100 acres
of tidal marsh.
Over the past decade an increasing
number of Canada geese have been
observed in Anacostia Park. Normally a
migratory species, these ‘‘resident’’
geese are the descendents of individuals
that were captured and prevented from
migrating in order to attract more of
their kind. As a result, their offspring
never migrated either. The abundance of
E:\FR\FM\09JAN1.SGM
09JAN1
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
1644
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 6 / Wednesday, January 9, 2008 / Notices
food and lack of predators in urban
areas have fostered a rapidly growing
population of these non-migratory
Canada geese.
In recent years, invasive exotic plant
species have also increased, and
restored wetlands have proven to be
especially vulnerable to these.
Construction methods, soil elevations,
and hydrologic regimes have also
proven to be critical to the success or
failure of these efforts.
Through scoping efforts, several draft
objectives were outlined for the EIS:
General—Ensure actions are
consistent with the laws, policies and
regulations that guide the National Park
Service.
Habitat and Vegetation—Restore,
protect, and maintain wetlands for
native fish and wildlife populations;
maintain native wetlands vegetation and
manage the encroachment of invasive
and exotic plant species; and restore,
protect, and maintain wetland
functions.
Wildlife—Manage the resident Canada
goose population to allow for the
restoration and protection of park
resources.
Visitor Experience—Enhance visitor
experience by restoring, maintaining,
protecting, and interpreting wetlands;
and enhance public understanding of
the value of wetland restoration and
issues associated with the management
of resident Canada geese.
Park Operations—Consider and plan
for impacts of wetland restoration
efforts and resident Canada goose
management response activities on
current park operations, including
budget, workload, and visitor
experience.
Cooperation and Coordination—
Cooperate and coordinate with the
District of Columbia, the Army Corps of
Engineers, and other governmental
agencies as well as other stakeholders in
implementing a wetlands management
plan and goose management strategy.
Preliminary scoping also identified
several factors relevant to the success of
wetland restoration efforts in Anacostia
Park, including: resident Canada goose
herbivory, erosion and sedimentation,
hydrologic regimes, wetland vegetation
planting methods, urbanization effects
and invasive and exotic plant species.
Some preliminary solutions have been
proposed that will be evaluated as part
of the planning process. To address
resident Canada goose management, the
following suggestions have been
proposed for evaluation: Habitat
alteration, visual deterrents or
repellants, egg addling to control
reproduction, and lethal controls such
as capture and euthanasia or
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:53 Jan 08, 2008
Jkt 214001
sharpshooting. To respond to erosion
and sedimentation, proposed actions
include: the use of bio logs to stabilize
wetlands, vegetation evaluation, and
soft and hard armoring. Suggestions for
tackling issues surrounding hydrologic
regimes and wetland vegetation are:
Address surface elevation of wetland
areas by planting vegetation appropriate
to elevation, and provide conditions
allowing wetlands to establish naturally
without revegetation efforts. To address
the effects of urbanization on the
wetlands, suggestions include: Planting
high uptake plants, using volunteers to
remove trash, and mitigating outfall
impacts. Lastly, to address the impacts
of invasive and exotic plants potential
actions include: Mapping and surveying
invasive and exotic plant species in
wetland areas, mechanical removal,
chemical control (EPA approved
herbicides), and biocontrols such as
insects. The scope of the EIS includes
the restored freshwater emergent tidal
marshes in Anacostia Park. Potential
areas for future restoration efforts will
be identified in the EIS, but not
analyzed in detail.
Dated: December 21, 2007.
Joseph M. Lawler,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. E8–245 Filed 1–8–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–JK–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
[OMB Number 1103–NEW]
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services; Agency Information
Collection Activities: Proposed
Collection; Comments Requested
ACTION: 30–Day Notice of Information
Collection Under Review: COPS NonHiring Progress Report.
The Department of Justice (DOJ)
Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) will be submitting the
following information collection request
to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) for review and approval in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995. The revision of
a currently approved information
collection is published to obtain
comments from the public and affected
agencies. This proposed information
collection was previously published in
the Federal Register Volume 72,
Number 234, Pages 68898–68899, on
December 6, 2007, allowing for a 60 day
comment period.
The purpose of this notice is to allow
for an additional 30 days for public
comment February 8, 2008. This process
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is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR
1320.10.
If you have comments especially on
the estimated public burden or
associated response time, suggestions,
or need a copy of the proposed
information collection instrument with
instructions or additional information,
please contact Rebekah Dorr,
Department of Justice Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services,
1100 Vermont Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20530.
Written comments and suggestions
from the public and affected agencies
concerning the proposed collection of
information are encouraged. Your
comments should address one or more
of the following four points:
—Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information will have
practical utility;
—Evaluate the accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
—Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
—Minimize the burden of the collection
of information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Overview of This Information
Collection
(1) Type of Information Collection:
Proposed collection; comments
requested.
(2) Title of the Form/Collection: COPS
Non-Hiring Progress Report.
(3) Agency form number, if any, and
the applicable component of the
Department sponsoring the collection:
None. U.S. Department of Justice Office
of Community Oriented Policing
Services.
(4) Affected public who will be asked
or required to respond, as well as a brief
abstract: Primary: Law enforcement and
partner public safety agencies,
institutions of higher learning and nonprofit organizations that are recipients
of COPS Non-Hiring Grants from Fiscal
Year 2007 and forward.
(5) An estimate of the total number of
respondents and the amount of time
estimated for an average respondent to
respond/reply:
E:\FR\FM\09JAN1.SGM
09JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1643-1644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-245]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan With Goose Management
Strategies
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
for the Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan With Goose Management
Strategies.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.), the National Park
Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan with Goose Management
Strategies (EIS).
The current Proposed Action is a modification of the original
proposal to prepare an Environmental Assessment. Based on comments
received during internal scoping (February 2007), agency scoping (March
2007) and public scoping (June-August 2007) for the Anacostia Park
Wetlands Restoration Plan with Goose Management Strategies Plan/
Environmental Assessment (EA), the NPS recognizes that wetland
management actions could result in some significant impacts to the
park's resources.
This notice serves as an announcement of an additional 30-day
public comment period. Comments submitted to the park or through
Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) during the public
scoping period (June 25-August 10, 2007) and at the public meetings
(July 17 and 18, 2007) for the EA will be considered as part of the
planning process for the current proposed action and do not need to be
resubmitted. The intent of this notice is to obtain suggestions and
additional information on the scope of issues to be addressed in the
EIS.
DATES: NPS is soliciting further public input into this planning
process until February 8, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through the Planning, Environment
and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/anac
or they may be submitted by mail to: Superintendent, National Capital
Parks East, RE: Wetlands Restoration Plan/EIS, 1900 Anacostia Dr., SE.,
Washington, DC 20020.
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.
The NPS considers public participation and input as an integral
part in the planning and environmental impact analysis process guiding
preparation of the EIS. As mentioned above, comments submitted during
the public scoping process for the EA do not need to be resubmitted,
but additional input is welcome.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Syphax, Supervisory Resources
Management Specialist, National Capital Parks-East, RE: Wetlands
Restoration Plan/EIS, at 1900 Anacostia Drive, SE., Washington, DC
20020, by e-mail at Stephen--Syphax@nps.gov, or by telephone at (202)
690-5160.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this action is to develop and
implement a wetlands management plan that facilitates the protection of
natural wetland functions within Anacostia Park. Action is needed at
this time to address the protection of natural wetland functions within
wetlands in Anacostia Park. A plan is considered necessary to identify
wetland restoration strategies that address factors affecting current
and future restoration activities.
The Anacostia River was historically flanked with nearly 2,500
acres of tidal marsh. However, in the early 20th century the Army Corps
of Engineers was charged with a major ``reclamation'' effort designed
to improve navigation by channeling and containing the river within a
stone seawall. Tidal flats and wetlands were also drained and filled to
help rid the area of mosquito-borne diseases.
Public and government interest in restoring wetlands in the
Anacostia River Watershed grew in the 1980s and the National Park
Service began working with others to restore nearly 100 acres of tidal
marsh.
Over the past decade an increasing number of Canada geese have been
observed in Anacostia Park. Normally a migratory species, these
``resident'' geese are the descendents of individuals that were
captured and prevented from migrating in order to attract more of their
kind. As a result, their offspring never migrated either. The abundance
of
[[Page 1644]]
food and lack of predators in urban areas have fostered a rapidly
growing population of these non-migratory Canada geese.
In recent years, invasive exotic plant species have also increased,
and restored wetlands have proven to be especially vulnerable to these.
Construction methods, soil elevations, and hydrologic regimes have also
proven to be critical to the success or failure of these efforts.
Through scoping efforts, several draft objectives were outlined for
the EIS:
General--Ensure actions are consistent with the laws, policies and
regulations that guide the National Park Service.
Habitat and Vegetation--Restore, protect, and maintain wetlands for
native fish and wildlife populations; maintain native wetlands
vegetation and manage the encroachment of invasive and exotic plant
species; and restore, protect, and maintain wetland functions.
Wildlife--Manage the resident Canada goose population to allow for
the restoration and protection of park resources.
Visitor Experience--Enhance visitor experience by restoring,
maintaining, protecting, and interpreting wetlands; and enhance public
understanding of the value of wetland restoration and issues associated
with the management of resident Canada geese.
Park Operations--Consider and plan for impacts of wetland
restoration efforts and resident Canada goose management response
activities on current park operations, including budget, workload, and
visitor experience.
Cooperation and Coordination--Cooperate and coordinate with the
District of Columbia, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other
governmental agencies as well as other stakeholders in implementing a
wetlands management plan and goose management strategy.
Preliminary scoping also identified several factors relevant to the
success of wetland restoration efforts in Anacostia Park, including:
resident Canada goose herbivory, erosion and sedimentation, hydrologic
regimes, wetland vegetation planting methods, urbanization effects and
invasive and exotic plant species.
Some preliminary solutions have been proposed that will be
evaluated as part of the planning process. To address resident Canada
goose management, the following suggestions have been proposed for
evaluation: Habitat alteration, visual deterrents or repellants, egg
addling to control reproduction, and lethal controls such as capture
and euthanasia or sharpshooting. To respond to erosion and
sedimentation, proposed actions include: the use of bio logs to
stabilize wetlands, vegetation evaluation, and soft and hard armoring.
Suggestions for tackling issues surrounding hydrologic regimes and
wetland vegetation are: Address surface elevation of wetland areas by
planting vegetation appropriate to elevation, and provide conditions
allowing wetlands to establish naturally without revegetation efforts.
To address the effects of urbanization on the wetlands, suggestions
include: Planting high uptake plants, using volunteers to remove trash,
and mitigating outfall impacts. Lastly, to address the impacts of
invasive and exotic plants potential actions include: Mapping and
surveying invasive and exotic plant species in wetland areas,
mechanical removal, chemical control (EPA approved herbicides), and
biocontrols such as insects. The scope of the EIS includes the restored
freshwater emergent tidal marshes in Anacostia Park. Potential areas
for future restoration efforts will be identified in the EIS, but not
analyzed in detail.
Dated: December 21, 2007.
Joseph M. Lawler,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. E8-245 Filed 1-8-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-JK-P
