Public Access, Use, and Recreation Regulations for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, 22254-22262 [E8-8972]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 26
RIN 1018–AV43
Public Access, Use, and Recreation
Regulations for the Upper Mississippi
River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), are adopting
new regulations for the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and
Fish Refuge (refuge) to govern existing
general public use and recreation. These
changes will take effect in spring 2008
and will implement the recently
completed comprehensive conservation
plan (CCP) for the refuge. This
regulation codifies many existing refuge
regulations currently published in and
by brochures, signs, maps, and other
forms of public notice.
DATES: This rule is effective May 27,
2008.
Don
Hultman, (507) 452–4232; Fax (507)
452–0851.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and
Fish Refuge (refuge) encompasses
240,000 acres in a more-or-less
continuous stretch of 261 miles of
Mississippi River floodplain in
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and
Illinois. Congress established the refuge
in 1924 to provide a ‘‘refuge and
breeding place’’ for migratory birds,
fish, other wildlife, and plants. The
refuge is perhaps the most important
corridor of habitat in the central United
States, due to its species diversity and
abundance, and it is the most visited
refuge in the United States, with 3.7
million annual visitors.
The development of an environmental
impact statement (EIS) and CCP for the
refuge began with a notice of intent to
prepare the EIS, which we published in
the Federal Register on May 30, 2002
(67 FR 37852). We followed with a
notice of availability of our Draft EIS
(April 28, 2005; 70 FR 22085), and we
accepted public comments on the Draft
EIS for 120 days. On October 7, 2005,
we published a notice of intent to
prepare a Supplement to the Draft EIS
(70 FR 58738). We made the
Supplement to the Draft EIS available
on December 5, 2005 (70 FR 72462), and
accepted public comments on that
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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document for 60 days, extended to 90
days (January 17, 2006, 71 FR 2561).
We offered public involvement
through 46 public meetings and
workshops attended by 4,500 persons in
14 different communities in 4 States
during the 4-year planning process. In
addition, we held or attended 80 other
meetings with the States, other agencies,
interest groups, and elected officials to
discuss the Draft EIS, and mailed three
different planning update newsletters to
up to 4,900 persons or organizations on
our planning mailing list. We also
issued numerous news releases at
various planning milestones, and held
two press conferences.
On July 11, 2006, we published a
notice of availability of our Final EIS (71
FR 39125), and we accepted public
comments on the Final EIS for 30 days.
On August 24, 2006, the Regional
Director of the Midwest Region of the
Fish and Wildlife Service signed the
Record of Decision that documented the
selection of Alternative E, the Preferred
Alternative presented in the Final EIS.
We published a notice of availability of
that Record of Decision on November 2,
2006 (71 FR 64553).
In accordance with the Record of
Decision, we prepared a CCP based on
Alternative E. The CCP was approved
on October 24, 2006. The National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration
Act of 1966 [16 U.S.C. 668dd–668ee
(Administration Act), as amended by
the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997 (Improvement
Act)] requires the Secretary of the
Interior (Secretary) to manage each
refuge in a manner consistent with a
completed CCP. The Final EIS and CCP
are available at https://www.fws.gov/
midwest/planning/uppermiss.
In accordance with the recently
completed CCP, on June 28, 2007, we
published a proposed rule in the
Federal Register (72 FR 35380)
identifying amendments to the refugespecific regulations for hunting and
sport fishing on the refuge and invited
30 days of public comment. We
published the final rule on September 7,
2007 (72 FR 51534).
On October 17, 2007, we published a
proposed rule (72 FR 58982) to amend
the refuge-specific regulations governing
existing general public use and
recreation. We accepted public
comments on the proposal for 60 days,
ending December 17, 2007. This final
rule adopts, with certain changes
described below, the amendments we
proposed on October 17, 2007.
This final rule implements the goals,
objectives, and strategies spelled out in
the CCP pertaining to wildlife
observation, photography,
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interpretation, environmental
recreation, and other forms of
recreation, access, and use such as
boating and camping.
This rule also codifies current refugespecific regulations contained in
brochures and signs and on maps, finetunes the language of same for clarity
and ease of enforcement, and generally
modernizes the regulations for
consistency with the principles of
sound fish, wildlife, and recreation
management.
Regulations stemming from the CCP
include the establishment of 4 new
electric motor-only areas totaling 1,630
acres (1 such area of 222 acres already
exists) and 8 new seasonal slow, nowake areas totaling 9,370 acres. In
electric motor-only areas, watercraft
may only be powered by electric motors
or nonmotorized means. In slow, nowake areas from March 16 through
October 31, watercraft must travel at
slow, no-wake speed, and we prohibit
airboats and hovercraft. These areas
remain open to all forms of recreation,
including hunting and fishing, and only
the means of access changes to lessen
wildlife and habitat disturbance and
balance the needs of the estimated 3.7
million annual visitors to the refuge.
Collectively, these areas account for 8
percent of the water area of the refuge,
leaving 92 percent of the water area of
the refuge open to watercraft without
restriction.
Other regulations stemming from the
CCP include a ban of glass food and
beverage containers on beach areas and
other lands of the refuge; clarifying the
definition and requirements for camping
and campsite sanitation; clarifying rules
for fire and firewood use; and clarifying
rules for vehicles, firearms, and
domestic animals on the refuge.
The Administration Act authorizes
the Secretary to allow uses of refuge
areas, including wildlife-dependent and
other recreation, upon a determination
that such uses are compatible with the
purposes of the refuge and National
Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System)
mission. The action also must be in
accordance with provisions of all laws
applicable to the areas, developed in
coordination with the appropriate State
fish and wildlife agency(ies), and
consistent with the principles of sound
fish and wildlife management and
administration. These requirements
ensure that we maintain the biological
integrity, diversity, and environmental
health of the Refuge System for the
benefit of present and future generations
of Americans.
The Secretary is required to prepare a
CCP for each refuge and shall manage
each refuge consistent with the CCP.
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Each CCP must identify and describe
the refuge purposes; fish, wildlife, and
plant populations; cultural resources;
areas for administrative or visitor
facilities; significant problems affecting
resources and actions necessary; and
opportunities for compatible wildlifedependent recreation. We must also
develop each CCP through consultation
with the other States, agencies, and the
public, and coordinate with applicable
State conservation plans.
Each CCP is guided by the
overarching requirement that we
manage refuges to fulfill the purposes
for which they were established and to
carry out the mission of the Refuge
System. In addition, the Improvement
Act requires that we administer the
Refuge System to provide for the
conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants
and their habitats, and to ensure their
biological integrity, diversity, and
environmental health.
We developed the CCP for the refuge
in accordance with all requirements and
in accordance with the consultation and
public involvement provisions of the
Improvement Act. This includes new
compatibility determinations for
interpretation, wildlife observation and
photography, environmental education,
beach-related uses, boating, camping,
and other allowed recreation. We
reference and list these compatibility
determinations in Appendix E of the
Final EIS. We then developed this rule
to implement portions of the CCP.
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Plain Language Mandate
In this rule, we comply with a
Presidential mandate to use plain
language in regulations. As examples,
we use ‘‘you’’ to refer to the reader and
‘‘we’’ to refer to the Service, the word
‘‘allow’’ instead of ‘‘permit’’ when we
do not require the use of a permit for an
activity, and we use active voice
whenever possible (e.g., ‘‘We allow
camping on all lands and waters of the
refuge’’ rather than ‘‘Camping is allowed
on all lands and waters of the refuge’’).
Statutory Authority
The National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C.
668dd–668ee), as amended by the
National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1977, and the
Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 (16
U.S.C. 460k–460k–4) (Recreation Act)
govern the administration and public
use of refuges.
This document codifies in the Code of
Federal Regulations public use and
recreation regulations that are
applicable to the Upper Mississippi
River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
We are doing this to implement the
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refuge CCP, better inform the general
public of the regulations at the refuge,
increase understanding and compliance
with these regulations, and make
enforcement of these regulations more
efficient. In addition to finding these
regulations in 50 CFR part 26, visitors
will find them reiterated in literature
distributed by the refuge and posted on
signs at major access points. Visitors
will also find the boundaries of closed
areas or other restricted-use areas
referenced in these regulations marked
by specific signs.
This rule includes cross-references to
a number of existing regulations in 50
CFR parts 26, 27, and 32 to assist
visitors with understanding safety and
other legal requirements on refuges.
This redundancy is deliberate, with the
intention of improving safety and
compliance in our general public use
and recreation programs.
Response to Public Comment
In the October 17, 2007, Federal
Register (72 FR 58982), we published a
proposed rule for new regulations for
the refuge and invited public comments.
We reviewed and considered all
comments received by December 17,
2007, the end of the 60-day comment
period. We received 22 comments on
the proposed rule. Since comments
were often similar or commenters
covered multiple topics, we have
grouped many of the comments/
responses by major issue area.
Comment 1: A commenter was
opposed to prohibiting the collection of
shed deer antlers, saying that it was a
wholesome outdoor pastime that posed
no harm since most of the refuge was
already open to walking.
Response 1: We have changed the
final rule to allow the collection of shed
deer antlers based on this comment and
internal discussions weighing the
positives and negatives of this activity.
Comment 2: A commenter wanted to
clarify that it is not practical for a
hovercraft to pass through a slow, nowake zone at reduced speed since a
wake is created with hovercraft at
slower speeds.
Response 2: We have noted this
comment but did not change the rule as
a result. Since hovercraft are prohibited
from electric motor areas year-round
and in slow, no-wake areas from March
16 through October 31, it is a moot point
whether hovercraft do or do not create
a wake at slow speed since their use is
prohibited. In the linear, slow, no-wake
zones, we apply the respective State
definition for slow, no-wake operation,
which in many States like Wisconsin,
allows the speed necessary to maintain
proper control and steerage. These
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definitions would also apply to
hovercraft in these zones. Due to the
small number of these zones and
multiple river access points, we do not
believe the zones will cause much
inconvenience to hovercraft access and
use.
Comment 3: Several commenters
expressed general opposition to the CCP
for the refuge and thus opposition to the
proposed rule.
Response 3: We understand that many
citizens remain opposed to changes
reflected in the CCP. We made a
concerted effort to keep citizens
informed and to consider their
comments and suggestions in crafting
the CCP. We developed the CCP through
extensive public involvement including
46 public meetings or workshops
attended by 4,500 citizens, and offered
longer than normal comment periods on
the Draft EIS and subsequent
Supplement. However, we have an
obligation to manage the refuge in
accordance with the Refuge
Administration Act and policies and
regulations governing the Refuge
System. These mandates require that we
manage refuges to accomplish their
established purposes and that recreation
and use opportunities afforded the
public are compatible with those
purposes. The CCP was approved
October 24, 2006, and we are now
obligated to implement the plan in
accordance with the Refuge
Administration Act. The new rules
implement portions of the CCP dealing
with public access, use, and recreation,
and ensure that these activities remain
a safe and compatible use on the refuge.
We made no change to the rule as a
result of these comments.
Comment 4: A commenter expressed
support for the proposed rule and a
commenter expressed support for the
refined definitions regarding dogs,
camping, beaching, boat mooring,
campfires, and litter.
Response 4: We have noted these
comments but did not change the rule
as a result.
Comment 5: Several commenters were
against restrictions to airboat or
hovercraft use through the designation
of slow, no-wake areas and electric
motor areas. These commenters noted
that the restriction was discriminatory
toward certain watercraft users, most
airboaters operated below 86 decibel
noise level, airboats do little
environmental damage, and the
restriction would limit volunteer search
and rescue efforts.
Response 5: We thoroughly analyzed
the effects of airboats and hovercraft and
the establishment of electric motor areas
and slow, no-wake areas in this rule
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against physical, biological, and socioeconomic parameters in the EIS
prepared as part of the CCP process.
Watercraft speed and noise, even below
86 decibels, have been shown to be
major wildlife disturbance factors in
both off-refuge and on-refuge studies.
We are establishing the electric motor
areas and slow, no-wake areas to reduce
disturbance in the backwater areas of
the refuge which provide important
nurseries for many fish, amphibian, and
bird species. These area-specific
regulations will also limit disturbance to
persons who desire a slower and quieter
hunting, fishing, and wildlife
observation experience. As noted in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this rule, there will remain ample area
and opportunity for unrestricted airboat
use. Collectively, these restricted areas
account for 8 percent of the water area
of the refuge, leaving 92 percent of the
water area open to all watercraft without
restriction. The electric motor areas and
slow, no-wake areas also remain open to
all forms of recreation, including
hunting and fishing. During bona fide
emergency situations like search and
rescue, common sense dictates that we
would temporarily suspend restrictions
for emergency workers and volunteers.
We made no change to the rule as a
result of these comments.
Comment 6: A commenter reminded
us that the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources does not have the
authority to enact or enforce rules on
the Mississippi River that regulate the
means of navigation and this authority
rests with local municipalities. We were
encouraged to work with local
municipalities and the public in
pursuing designation of the slow, nowake areas and electric motor areas.
Response 6: As noted in our response
to Comment 5, we are establishing
electric motor and slow, no-wake areas
to protect sensitive backwater areas of
the refuge and provide an alternative
recreation experience. Throughout the
EIS and CCP preparation process, we
received comments and input from the
public and local governments and
responded with many changes to the
electric motor and slow, no-wake area
designations in the CCP. Although we
continue to value input, we believe we
would be abdicating our responsibility
to manage the refuge in accordance with
its establishing legislation, the Refuge
Administration Act, and Refuge System
policies and regulations if we did not
carry out the actions approved in the
CCP.
We are, however, with respect to
slow, no-wake zones (which are linear
or corridor designations), coordinating
with local units of government and
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seeking their concurrence before
establishing them. These zones are
designed to improve boating safety due
to narrow channels or blind spots, or to
reduce bank erosion. Our coordination
with the local units of government on
these zones is in keeping with the
language in the CCP. We made no
change to the rule based on this
comment.
Comment 7: A commenter suggested
that the proposed rule be modified to
include an exemption for State and
federal agencies entering restricted areas
for bona fide fish and wildlife
management, monitoring, and
enforcement activities.
Response 7: These rules govern public
access, use, and recreation and are not
intended to apply to States or other
agencies continuing to carry out their
responsibilities for fish and wildlife
management and enforcement. We do
not believe that exemptions for States or
other agencies are necessary or
practicable from a rulemaking
standpoint. However, the exemption is
clearly articulated in the CCP on page
107, and says ‘‘special designation
regulations are general public use
regulations and not intended to apply to
state, federal, and local agencies
engaged in bona fide fish and wildlife
management, monitoring, and
enforcement.’’ We are obligated to
manage the refuge consistent with
language in the CCP. We made no
change to the rule based on this
comment.
Comment 8: A commenter suggested
that the prohibition of chainsaws on the
refuge without a permit be clarified so
it does not affect through-the-ice
commercial fishing operations. It was
suggested that the language be modified
to prohibit chainsaws on any refuge
‘‘lands.’’
Response 8: We have changed the
final rule by removing the wording
prohibiting the possession of chainsaws
without a permit. We believe
regulations dealing with the protection
of plants and the cutting of campfire
wood are adequate to protect refuge
habitat.
Comment 9: Several commenters
contend that the refuge does not have
the authority to restrict uses on
navigable waters within the refuge.
They contend the CCP and these
proposed rules usurp Wisconsin
authority on sovereign waters, violate
Wisconsin’s Public Trust Doctrine, and
are a breach of Wisconsin’s original
conditioned consent to establishment of
the refuge.
Response 9: We received similar
comments during preparation of the
CCP. Neither the Wisconsin Department
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of Natural Resources’ nor the Wisconsin
Attorney General’s comments included
in the EIS said the Service has intruded
or impinged on State authority. In
particular, the Attorney General’s
comments on this issue did not say that
the Service crossed a line that would
constitute intrusion into State authority.
As the Attorney General
acknowledged in citing Wisconsin
Supreme Court rulings, public rights on
navigable waters are to be protected, but
no public right is absolute and must be
balanced with other public rights:
‘‘* * * the court stated the kinds of
factors that must be considered to
determine whether the balance of public
rights and interests has been sufficiently
struck. They include whether public
bodies will control the use of the area;
whether the area will be devoted to
public purposes and open to the public;
whether the diminution of water area
available to the public will be small
when compared with the whole of the
water body; whether no one of the
public uses of the waterway will be
destroyed or greatly impaired; and
whether the disappointment of those
members of the public who may desire
to exercise particular public rights in
the area is negligible when compared
with the greater convenience to be
afforded those members of the public
who use the area.’’
The Attorney General’s comments
indicate that Wisconsin’s Public Trust
Doctrine embodies exactly the type of
program we have been trying to
develop, namely, balancing competing
uses, acknowledging that no one public
right is absolute. We also believe our
proposal is in keeping with the Attorney
General’s urging that ‘‘any such
restrictions are reasonable and are not
imposed to the exclusion of other key
factors that affect the conservation of
resources in the Refuge.’’ We addressed
the State’s 1925 consent language in the
EIS and CCP and developed our plan
and regulations to meet those
conditions. We continue to recognize
and respect the various State and U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers authorities
while carrying out our responsibilities
to manage a national wildlife refuge in
accordance with the Refuge
Administration Act. We made no
change to the rule based on these
comments.
Comment 10: A commenter was
concerned that the proposed rule
violates the sovereignty of the State of
Minnesota in regard to jurisdiction of
State waters and the limits placed on
navigation.
Response 10: We do not claim
authority to control general navigation
on the Upper Mississippi River as this
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is under the purview of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard,
and various State agencies, and we
continue to respect State authorities and
sovereignty (see related Comment 9 and
our response). We believe we do have
the authority to control public entry and
use on the refuge under the authorities
cited in the Statutory Authority section
of this rule. In summary, the United
States owns the bed of the inundated
areas of the refuge where we proposed
restrictions and thus the Property
Clause of the Constitution and laws that
established the refuge and govern the
administration of the Refuge System
apply. These laws grant authority to
control all entry and public use.
However, we believe we have been
diligent in balancing the public need to
enjoy the refuge while safeguarding fish
and wildlife resources and habitat. The
CCP and this rule continue to ensure
relatively free and open access. We
believe this has been accomplished
through controlling the means of
navigation within the refuge on specific
areas when necessary rather than
controlling navigation itself. We made
no change to the rule based on this
comment.
Comment 11: A commenter stated that
the Service cannot lawfully establish
regulations limiting navigation in the
refuge without formal State of
Wisconsin concurrence, and such
concurrence has not been given.
Response 11: We view the provisions
of Wisconsin’s original law granting
consent for the establishment of the
refuge seriously and have worked
diligently to meet its conditions (see
Comment 9 and response). Although
there is no requirement of formal State
consent for refuge management actions,
such as this rule, we have approached
these issues in an open manner and
included the State at every stage of
development of the CCP and subsequent
rules. The State has had every
opportunity to raise its own issues—
which it did—and we responded by
modifying the CCP in a number of ways
including changes to waterfowl hunting
closed areas, adding voluntary
compliance provisions, changes to
delineation of electric motor and slow,
no-wake areas, safeguarding State access
in restricted areas, and modifications to
the number and scope of step-down
management plans. We understand that
all States work with different
constituent groups, legislative oversight,
and rulemaking processes when
compared to the refuge. Although we
respect these differences, as well as the
State’s authority to adopt or not adopt
similar State regulations, we cannot
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abdicate our responsibilities to manage
the refuge in accordance with federal
laws and Refuge System policies and
regulations. We made no change to the
rule based on this comment.
Comment 12: Two commenters cited
the 1928 court case U.S. v. 2,271.29
Acres in regard to State and Federal
authorities concerning navigation and
these regulations.
Response 12: We have reviewed this
case and believe that these regulations
do not conflict with any of the case’s
holdings. We believe our responses to
Comments 9, 10, and 11 cover questions
concerning jurisdiction and authority
for these regulations.
Modifications From the Proposed Rule
We are making three changes in this
final rule as a result of public comment
or further internal discussion. These
changes are as follows:
(1) In section (a)(5), we deleted the
reference to shed deer antlers and
changed the wording in section (a)(4) so
that the collection of shed deer antlers
for personal use is allowed;
(2) In section (a)(6), we deleted the
prohibition of chainsaws on the refuge;
and
(3) In section (c)(3), we changed the
minimum camping distance from
various recreation facilities from 100
feet (30 meters) to 200 feet (60 meters).
Regulatory Planning and Review
In accordance with the criteria in E.O.
12866, we assert that this rule is not a
significant regulatory action. The Office
of Management and Budget (OMB)
makes the final determination under
E.O. 12866.
a. This rule will not have an annual
economic effect of $100 million or
adversely affect an economic sector,
productivity, jobs, the environment, or
other units of the government. A costbenefit and full economic analysis is not
required. However, a brief assessment
follows to clarify the costs and benefits
associated with this rule.
The purpose of this rule is to
implement public use and recreation
regulations on the Upper Mississippi
River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
beginning with the spring 2008
recreation season. These regulations are
derived from and are consistent with the
CCP approved October 24, 2006. We
documented the environmental and
socioeconomic impacts of the CCP in
the Final EIS (available at https://
www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/
uppermiss).
Costs Incurred
Costs incurred by this regulation
include sign-posting, leaflet preparation
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and printing to provide information to
the public, law enforcement, and
monitoring. However, these are regular
and recurring functions on the refuge
with or without these regulations, and
we can handle these functions within
normal budget and staffing levels.
Therefore, we expect any costs to be
minor in the short term and negligible
in the long term.
Benefits Accrued
These regulations will have several
effects on wildlife observation,
recreational boating, camping, and other
beach-related uses such as swimming,
picnicking, and sunbathing. These
public uses account for the most annual
refuge visits (1.67 million) outside of
hunting and fishing. All of these uses
will continue, although in some areas
the means of use will change to balance
the needs of a diverse public who enjoys
the refuge in various ways, to safeguard
visitors, and to safeguard sensitive fish
and wildlife habitat.
The following projections and
estimations of use levels and economic
benefit for wildlife observation, boating,
camping, and beach-related uses are
based on projected trends over the 15year span of the CCP. While it is not
possible to quantify increases in these
activities that result from this rule per
se, we expect the rule to contribute to
these trends by improving conditions
for these activities in certain areas.
We estimate that wildlife observation
visits will increase 20 percent over the
15-year life of the CCP due to overall
long-term trends in wildlife observation
visits, habitat improvements, access
improvements, and a marked increase in
wildlife observation-related facilities
outlined in the CCP. We predict these
regulations will have no effect on the
positive economic impact as reflected in
Table 1 below.
Table 1 shows the expected annual
change by the end of the 15-year life of
the CCP compared with FY 2003 for the
19-county area on and adjacent to the
refuge. We expect annual wildlife
observation visitation to increase by 20
percent, resulting in 61,403 more
wildlife observation visits. Retail
expenditures associated with this
increased visitation total $812,658, with
total economic output (based on an
output multiplier of 1.23 for the 19county region impacted by the refuge) of
$993,723. An additional 14 jobs with
associated income of $214,297 would
occur, along with an additional
$104,531 in Federal and State tax
revenue.
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TABLE 1.—ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CCP IMPLEMENTATION COMPARED WITH FY 2003 IMPACTS: WILDLIFE
OBSERVATION VISITORS
[2003 dollars]
Impacts
FY 2003
Wildlife Observation Visitors ................................................................................................................................
Expenditures ........................................................................................................................................................
Economic Output .................................................................................................................................................
Jobs .....................................................................................................................................................................
Job Income ..........................................................................................................................................................
Federal and State Taxes .....................................................................................................................................
These regulations will have several
effects on current boating opportunities
on the refuge. Approximately 140,000
acres of water will remain open to
boating, but 1,852 acres of backwater
areas will be designated electric motor
only and another 9,370 acres will be
designated seasonal (March 16 through
October 31) slow, no-wake areas where
boaters must travel at slow, no-wake
speed, and we will prohibit airboats and
hovercraft. Collectively, these areas
account for 8 percent of the water area
of the refuge. These areas remain open
to all allowed uses.
These regulations will have little
effect on camping and other beachrelated use levels, since the areas open
will remain virtually unchanged. These
regulations could, however, improve the
quality of the experience by clarifying
and fine-tuning existing regulations on
camping, boat mooring, reserving sites,
length of stay, campfires, sanitation, and
other aspects of the use which can cause
conflicts among visitors. Also, a
regulation banning the possession of
glass food and beverage containers on
beaches and other lands will improve
visitor safety.
We expect annual visits for boating,
camping, and beach-related activities to
remain about the same, although we
expect visits for silent watercraft
recreation (canoes and kayaks) to
increase an estimated 15 percent due to
307,013
$4,063,292
$4,968,614
68
$1,071,484
$522,657
Annual change
(from FY 2003
for 15-year span
of CCP)
+61,403
+$812,658
+$993,723
+14
+$214,297
+$104,531
the electric motor areas and slow, nowake areas. We predict a corresponding
modest positive change in economic
impact as reflected in Table 2.
Table 2 shows the expected annual
change by the end of the 15-year CCP
lifespan compared with FY 2003 in the
19-county area. We expect the annual
number of boating, camping, and beachrelated use visitors to increase by 2,044,
with associated retail expenditures of
$52,010 and total economic output of
$63,400. We associate these
expenditures and output with 1 job and
$213,567 in job-related income. Federal
and State tax revenue would increase by
$6,838.
TABLE 2.—ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CCP IMPLEMENTATION COMPARED WITH FY 2003 IMPACTS: RECREATIONAL
BOATING, CAMPING, AND OTHER BEACH-RELATED USE VISITORS
[2003 dollars]
Impacts
FY 2003
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES3
Boating, Camping, and Other Beach Use Visitors ..............................................................................................
Expenditures ........................................................................................................................................................
Economic Output .................................................................................................................................................
Jobs .....................................................................................................................................................................
Job Income ..........................................................................................................................................................
Federal and State Taxes .....................................................................................................................................
b. This rule will not create
inconsistencies with other agencies’
actions. This action pertains solely to
the management of the Refuge System.
The wildlife observation, boating,
camping, and other general recreation
activities located on the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and
Fish Refuge account for less than 1
percent of the available supply in the
United States. Any small, incremental
change in the supply of recreational
opportunities will not measurably
impact any other agencies’ existing
programs.
c. This rule will not materially affect
entitlements, grants, user fees, loan
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programs, or the rights and obligations
of their recipients. This rule does not
affect entitlement programs. There are
no grants or other Federal assistance
programs associated with public use on
national wildlife refuges.
d. This rule will not raise novel legal
or policy issues that were not addressed
in the Final EIS. This rule continues the
practice of allowing recreational public
use of the refuge. Many refuges in the
Refuge System currently have
opportunities for the public to engage in
interpretation, wildlife observation, and
other wildlife-dependent uses, and also
allow regulated boating, camping, and
other general recreation.
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1,362,851
$34,673,216
$42,266,199
535
$9,044,582
$4,558,847
Annual change
(from FY 2003
for 15-year span
of CCP)
+2,044
+$52,010
+$63,400
+1
+$213,567
+$6,838
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act
(as amended by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
[SBREFA] of 1996) (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.),
whenever a Federal agency is required
to publish a notice of rulemaking for
any proposed or final rule, it must
prepare and make available for public
comment a regulatory flexibility
analysis that describes the effect of the
rule on small entities (i.e., small
businesses, small organizations, and
small government jurisdictions).
However, no regulatory flexibility
analysis is required if the head of an
agency certifies that the rule would not
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have a significant economic impact on
a substantial number of small entities.
Thus, for a regulatory flexibility analysis
to be required, impacts must exceed a
threshold for ‘‘significant impact’’ and a
threshold for a ‘‘substantial number of
small entities.’’ See 5 U.S.C. 605(b).
SBREFA amended the Regulatory
Flexibility Act to require Federal
agencies to provide a statement of the
factual basis for certifying that a rule
would not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities.
This rule does not decrease the
number of recreation types allowed on
the refuge but amends current
noncodified regulations on the refuge.
As a result, opportunities for wildlife
observation, boating, camping, and
other general recreation on the refuge
will remain abundant and increase over
time.
Many small businesses within the
retail trade industry (such as hotels, gas
stations, outdoor sports shops, etc.) may
benefit from some increased refuge
visitation. A large percentage of these
retail trade establishments in the
majority of affected counties qualify as
small businesses (Table 3).
We expect that the incremental
recreational opportunities will be
scattered, and so we do not expect that
the rule will have a significant
economic effect (benefit) on a
substantial number of small entities in
any given community or county. Using
the estimate derived in the Regulatory
Planning and Review section, we expect
recreationists to spend an additional
$865,000 annually in total in the
refuges’ local economies. As shown in
Table 3, this represents less than 0.001
percent of the total amount of retail
expenditures in the 19-county area. For
comparison purposes, we show the
county with the smallest retail
expenditure total, Buffalo County in
Wisconsin. If the entire retail trade
expenditures associated with the 2008
public use and recreation regulations
occurred in Buffalo County, this would
amount to a 1.48 percent increase in
annual retail expenditures.
TABLE 3.—COMPARATIVE EXPENDITURES FOR RETAIL TRADE ASSOCIATED WITH ADDITIONAL REFUGE VISITATION FROM
CCP IMPLEMENTATION
Retail trade
in 2002
19 County Area ......................................................................
Buffalo County, WI .................................................................
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Therefore, we certify that this rule
will not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities.
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act
This rule is not a major rule under 5
U.S.C. 804(2), the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act.
We anticipate no significant
employment or small business effects.
This rule:
a. Will not have an annual effect on
the economy of $100 million or more.
By the end of the 15-year CCP lifespan,
the additional recreational opportunities
on the refuge are expected to generate
an additional $865,000 in visitor
expenditures with an economic impact
estimated at $1.06 million per year
(2003 dollars). Consequently, the
maximum benefit of this rule for
businesses both small and large will not
be sufficient to make this a major rule.
The impact will be scattered across 19
counties and will most likely not be
significant in any local area.
b. Will not cause a major increase in
costs or prices for consumers;
individual industries; Federal, State, or
local government agencies; or
geographic regions. We do not expect
this rule to affect the supply or demand
for wildlife observation, boating,
camping, and other general recreation
opportunities in the United States and,
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19:34 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 214001
Change during
CCP implementation
(15-year span
of CCP)
Change as
percent of total
retail trade
Total number
of retail establishments
Establishments with
fewer than 10
employees
$864,668
864,668
0.0097
1.48
24,878
350
17,957
290
$9.8 billion ...
58.3 million ..
therefore, it should not affect prices for
related recreation equipment and
supplies, or the retailers that sell
equipment. Additional refuge recreation
opportunities could account for a
virtually undetectable percent of the
available opportunities in the United
States.
c. Will not have significant adverse
effects on competition, employment,
investment, productivity, innovation, or
the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to
compete with foreign-based enterprises.
This rule represents only a small
proportion of recreational spending of a
small number of affected wildlife
observers, boaters, campers, and other
recreationists, approximately a
maximum of $1.06 million annually in
impact (economic output). Therefore,
this rule will have no measurable
economic effect on the wildlifedependent boating and camping
industries, which have annual sales of
equipment and travel expenditures of
over $120 billion nationwide in 2006.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Since this rule applies to public use
of a federally owned and managed
refuge, it will not impose an unfunded
mandate on State, local, or Tribal
governments or the private sector of
more than $100 million per year. The
rule will not have a significant or
unique effect on State, local, or Tribal
governments or the private sector. A
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statement containing the information
required by the Unfunded Mandates
Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not
required.
Takings (E.O. 12630)
In accordance with E.O. 12630, this
rule will not have significant takings
implications. This regulation affects
only visitors to the refuge and describes
what they can do while they are on the
refuge.
Federalism (E.O. 13132)
As discussed in the Regulatory
Planning and Review and Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act sections above,
this rule will not have sufficient
Federalism implications to warrant the
preparation of a Federalism Assessment
under E.O. 13132. In preparing the CCP
for the refuge, we worked closely with
the four States bordering the refuge, and
this rule reflects the CCP.
Civil Justice Reform (E.O. 12988)
In accordance with E.O. 12988, the
Office of the Solicitor has determined
that this rule does not unduly burden
the judicial system and that it meets the
requirements of sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2)
of the Order. This rule clarifies and
codifies established regulations and
results in better understanding of the
regulations by refuge visitors.
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Energy Supply, Distribution or Use
(E.O. 13211)
On May 18, 2001, the President issued
E.O. 13211 on regulations that
significantly affect energy supply,
distribution, and use. E.O. 13211
requires agencies to prepare Statements
of Energy Effects when undertaking
certain actions. Because this rule is a
modification of existing public use and
recreation programs on the refuge, it is
not a significant regulatory action under
E.O. 12866, and we do not expect it to
significantly affect energy supplies,
distribution, and use. Therefore, this
action is a not a significant energy
action and no Statement of Energy
Effects is required.
Consultation and Coordination With
Indian Tribal Governments (E.O.
13175)
In accordance with E.O. 13175, we
have evaluated possible effects on
federally recognized Indian tribes and
have determined that there are no
effects. We coordinate recreational use
on national wildlife refuges with Tribal
governments having adjoining or
overlapping jurisdiction before we
propose changes to the regulations.
During scoping and preparation of the
Final EIS, we contacted 35 Indian tribes
to inform them of the process and seek
their comments.
hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES3
Paperwork Reduction Act
This regulation does not contain any
information collection requirements
other than those already approved by
the Office of Management and Budget
under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (OMB Control
Number is 1018–0102). See 50 CFR
25.23 for information concerning that
approval. An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and a person is not required to
respond to a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
Endangered Species Act Section 7
Consultation
During preparation of the Final EIS,
we completed a section 7 consultation
and determined that the preferred
alternative, which included public use
and recreation changes reflected in this
rule, is not likely to adversely affect
individuals of listed or candidate
species or designated critical habitat of
such species. The Service’s Ecological
Services Office concurred with this
determination. Listed species on the
refuge are the Higgins eye pearly mussel
and candidate species are the Eastern
massasauga and spectaclecase and
sheepnose mussels. You may obtain a
copy of the section 7 evaluation and
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accompanying biological assessment by
writing: Refuge Manager, Upper
Mississippi River National Fish and
Wildlife Refuge, 51 East Fourth Street,
Room 101, Winona, MN 55987.
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA)
Concerning the actions that are the
subject of this rulemaking, we have
complied with NEPA through the
preparation of a Final EIS and Record of
Decision which include the major
public use and recreation changes
reflected in this rule. The NEPA
documents are available on our Web site
at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/
planning/uppermiss.
Available Information for Specific
Districts of the Refuge
The refuge is divided into four
districts for management,
administrative, and public service
effectiveness and efficiency. These
districts correspond to two or more
Mississippi River navigation pools
created by the series of locks and dams
on the river. District offices are located
in Winona, Minnesota (Pools 4–6); La
Crosse, Wisconsin (Pools 7–8);
McGregor, Iowa (Pools 9–11); and
Savanna, Illinois (Pools 12–14). If you
are interested in specific information
pertaining to a particular electric motor
area; slow, no-wake area; or other
feature discussed in this rule, you may
contact the appropriate district office
listed below:
Winona District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 51 East Fourth Street, Room
203, Winona, MN 55987; Telephone
(507) 454–7351.
La Crosse District, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 555 Lester Avenue,
Onalaska, WI 54650; Telephone (608)
783–8405.
McGregor District, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 460,
McGregor, IA 52157; Telephone (563)
873–3423.
Savanna District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 7071 Riverview Road,
Thomson, IL 61285; Telephone (815)
273–2732.
Primary Author
Don Hultman, Refuge Manager, Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and
Fish Refuge, is the primary author of
this rulemaking document.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 26
Recreation and recreation areas,
Wildlife refuges.
I For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, we amend title 50, Chapter I,
subchapter C of the Code of Federal
Regulations as follows:
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PART 26—[AMENDED]
1. Revise the authority citation for part
26 to read as follows:
I
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 16 U.S.C. 460k,
664, 668dd–668ee, and 715i; Pub. L. 96–315
(94 Stat. 958) and Pub. L. 98–146 (97 Stat.
955).
2. Revise the heading, add
introductory text, and alphabetically
add lists for the States of Illinois, Iowa,
Minnesota, and Wisconsin to § 26.34 to
read as follows:
I
§ 26.34 What are the special regulations
concerning public access, use, and
recreation for individual national wildlife
refuges?
The following refuge units, listed in
alphabetical order by State and unit
name, have refuge-specific regulations
for public access, use, and recreation.
Illinois
Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Refer to § 26.34 Minnesota for
regulations.
Iowa
Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Refer to § 26.34 Minnesota for
regulations.
Minnesota
Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge
(a) Wildlife Observation, Photography,
Interpretation, Environmental
Education, and other General
Recreational Uses. We allow wildlifedependent uses and other recreational
uses such as, but not limited to,
sightseeing, hiking, bicycling on roads
or trails, picnicking, and swimming, on
areas designated by the refuge manager
and shown on maps available at refuge
offices, subject to the following
conditions:
(1) In areas posted and shown on
maps as ‘‘No Entry—Sanctuary,’’ we
prohibit entry as specified on signs or
maps (see § 32.42 of this chapter for list
of areas and locations).
(2) In areas posted and shown on
maps as ‘‘Area Closed,’’ ‘‘Area Closed—
No Motors,’’ and ‘‘No Hunting Zone’’
(Goose Island), we ask that you practice
voluntary avoidance of these areas by
any means or for any purpose from
October 15 to the end of the respective
State duck hunting season. In areas
marked ‘‘no motors,’’ we prohibit the
use of motors on watercraft from
October 15 to the end of the respective
State duck hunting season (see § 32.42
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of this chapter for list of areas and
locations).
(3) Commercial tours and filming
require a permit issued by the refuge or
district manager (see § 27.51 of this
chapter).
(4) We allow the collecting of edible
fruits, nuts, mushrooms, or other plant
parts for personal use (no sale or barter
allowed). We limit the amount you may
collect to 2 gallons by volume per
person, per day (see § 27.51 of this
chapter). We also allow the collecting of
shed deer antlers for personal use.
(5) We prohibit the harvest of wild
rice; plant and animal specimens; and
other natural objects, such as rocks,
stones, or minerals. We only allow the
collection of plants or their parts for
ornamental use by permit issued by the
refuge or district manager (see § 27.51 of
this chapter).
(6) We prohibit the cutting, removal,
or damage of any tree or vegetation on
the refuge without a permit from the
refuge or district manager. We prohibit
attaching nails, screws, or other
hardware to any tree (see § 27.51 and
§ 32.42 of this chapter).
(7) We prohibit all vehicle use on or
across refuge lands at any time except
on designated routes of travel or on the
ice over navigable waters accessed from
boat landings. We prohibit parking
beyond vehicle control barriers or on
grass or other vegetation. We prohibit
parking or operating vehicles in a
manner that obstructs or impedes any
road, trail, fire lane, boat ramp, access
gate, or other facility, or in a manner
that creates a safety hazard or endangers
any person, property, or environmental
feature. We may impound any vehicle
left parked in violation at the owner’s
expense (see § 27.31(h) of this chapter).
(8) We allow dogs and other domestic
animals on the refuge subject to the
following conditions:
(i) We prohibit dogs disturbing or
endangering wildlife or people while on
the refuge.
(ii) While on the refuge, all dogs must
be under the control of their owners/
handlers at all times or on a leash.
(iii) We prohibit allowing dogs to
roam.
(iv) All dogs must be on a leash when
on hiking trails, or other areas so posted.
(v) We allow working a dog in refuge
waters by tossing a retrieval dummy or
other object for out-and-back exercise.
(vi) We encourage the use of dogs for
hunting (see § 32.42 of this chapter), but
we prohibit field trials and commercial/
professional dog training.
(vii) Owners/handlers of dogs are
responsible for disposal of dog
droppings in refuge public use
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Jkt 214001
concentration areas such as trails,
sandbars, and boat landings.
(viii) We prohibit horses and all other
domestic animals on the refuge unless
confined in a vehicle, boat, trailer,
kennel or other container (see § 26.21 of
this chapter).
(9) We prohibit the carrying,
possessing, or discharging of firearms
(including dog training pistols and
dummy launchers), air guns, or any
other weapons on the refuge, unless you
are a licensed hunter or trapper engaged
in authorized activities during
established seasons, in accordance with
Federal, State, and local regulations. We
prohibit target practice on the refuge
(see §§ 27.42 and 27.43 of this chapter).
(10) We prohibit the use or possession
of glass food and beverage containers on
lands within the refuge.
(11) We require that you keep all
refuge lands clean during your period of
use or occupancy. At all times you must
keep all refuse, trash, and litter
contained in bags or other suitable
containers and not left scattered on the
ground or in the water. You must
remove all personal property, refuse,
trash, and litter immediately upon
vacating a site. We require that human
solid waste and associated material be
either removed and properly disposed
of off-refuge or be buried on site to a
depth of 6–8 inches (15–20 cm) and at
least 50 feet (15 m) from water’s edge
(see § 27.94 of this chapter).
(b) Watercraft Use. We allow the use
of watercraft of all types and means of
propulsion on all navigable waters of
the refuge in accordance with State
regulations subject to the following
conditions:
(1) In areas posted and shown on
maps as ‘‘Electric Motor Area,’’ we
prohibit motorized vehicles and
watercraft year-round except watercraft
powered by electric motors or
nonmotorized means. We do not
prohibit the possession of other
watercraft motors in these areas, only
their use. These areas are named and
located as follows:
(i) Island 42, Pool 5, Minnesota, 459
acres.
(ii) Snyder Lake, Pool 5A, Minnesota,
182 acres.
(iii) Mertes Slough, Pool 6, Wisconsin,
222 acres.
(iv) Browns Marsh, Pool 7, Wisconsin,
827 acres.
(v) Hoosier Lake, Pool 10, Wisconsin,
162 acres.
(2) In areas posted and shown on
maps as ‘‘Slow No Wake Area,’’ we
require watercraft to travel at slow, nowake speed from March 16 through
October 31. We apply the applicable
State definition of slow, no-wake
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22261
operation in these areas. We also
prohibit the operation of airboats or
hovercraft in these areas from March 16
through October 31. These areas are
named and located as follows:
(i) Nelson-Trevino, Pool 4, Wisconsin,
2,626 acres (takes effect March 16,
2009).
(ii) Denzers Slough, Pool 5A,
Minnesota, 83 acres.
(iii) Black River Bottoms, Pool 7,
Wisconsin, 815 acres.
(iv) Blue/Target Lake, Pool 8,
Minnesota, 1,834 acres.
(v) Root River, Pool 8, Minnesota, 695
acres.
(vi) Reno Bottoms, Pool 9, Minnesota,
2,536 acres.
(vii) Nine Mile Island, Pool 12, Iowa,
454 acres.
(viii) Princeton, Pool 14, Iowa, 327
acres.
(3) In water access and travel routes
posted and shown on maps as ‘‘Slow No
Wake Zone,’’ we require watercraft to
travel at slow, no-wake speed at all
times unless otherwise posted. We
apply the respective State definition of
slow, no-wake operation in these areas.
(4) In portions of Spring Lake and
Crooked Slough—Lost Mound, Pool 13,
Illinois, posted as ‘‘Slow, 5 mph When
Boats Present’’ and marked on maps as
‘‘Speed/Distance Regulation,’’ we
require watercraft operators to reduce
the speed of their watercraft to less than
5 mph (8 kph) when within 100 feet (30
m) of another watercraft that is
anchored or underway at 5 mph (8 kph)
or less.
(5) We prohibit the mooring,
beaching, or storing of watercraft on the
refuge without being used at least once
every 24 hours. We define ‘‘being used’’
as a watercraft moved at least 100 feet
(30 m) on the water with operator on
board. We prohibit the mooring of
watercraft within 200 feet (60 m) of
refuge boat landings or ramps. We may
impound any watercraft moored in
violation at the owner’s expense (see
§ 27.32 of this chapter).
(6) Conditions A1, A2, and A11 apply.
(c) Camping. We allow camping on all
lands and waters of the refuge as
designated by the refuge manager and
shown on maps available at refuge
offices subject to the following
conditions:
(1) We define camping as erecting a
tent or shelter of natural or synthetic
material, preparing a sleeping bag or
other bedding material for use, parking
of a motor vehicle or mooring or
anchoring of a vessel, for the apparent
purpose of overnight occupancy, or,
occupying or leaving personal property,
including boats or other craft, at a site
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hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES3
anytime between the hours of 11 p.m.
and 3 a.m.
(2) We prohibit camping at any one
site for a period longer than 14 days
during any 30-consecutive-day period.
After 14 days, you must move all
persons, property, equipment, and boats
to a new site located at least 0.5 mile
(0.8 km) from the previous site.
(3) We prohibit camping within 200
feet (60 meters) of any refuge boat
landing, access area, parking lot,
structure, road, trail, or other recreation
or management facility.
(4) We prohibit camping during
waterfowl hunting seasons within areas
posted ‘‘No Entry—Sanctuary,’’ ‘‘Area
Closed,’’ ‘‘Area Closed—No Motors,’’
and ‘‘No Hunting Zone’’ or on any sites
not clearly visible from the main
commercial navigation channel of the
Mississippi River (see § 32.42 of this
chapter).
(5) You must occupy campsites daily.
We prohibit the leaving of tents,
camping equipment, or other property
unattended at any site for over 24 hours,
and we may impound any equipment
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18:51 Apr 23, 2008
Jkt 214001
left in violation at the owner’s expense.
We define occupy and attended as being
present at a site for a minimum of 2
hours daily.
(6) You must remove any tables,
fireplaces, or other facilities erected
upon vacating a camping or day-use
site.
(7) We allow campfires in conjunction
with camping and day-use activities
subject to the following conditions (see
§ 27.95 and § 32.42 of this chapter):
(i) You may only use dead wood on
the ground, or materials brought into the
refuge such as charcoal or firewood.
You must remove any unused firewood
brought into the refuge upon departure
due to the threat of invasive insects.
(ii) We prohibit building, attending,
and maintaining a campfire without
sufficient clearance from flammable
materials so as to prevent its escape.
(iii) We prohibit building a fire at any
developed facility including, but not
limited to, boat landings, access areas,
parking lots, roads, trails, or any other
recreation or management facility or
structure.
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(iv) We prohibit burying live fires or
hot coals when vacating a campfire site.
(v) We prohibit burning or attempting
to burn any nonflammable materials or
any materials that may produce toxic
fumes or leave hazardous waste. These
materials include, but are not limited to,
metal cans, plastic containers, glass,
fiberglass, treated wood products, wood
containing nails or staples, wire,
flotation materials, or other refuse.
(8) Conditions A4 through A11 apply.
*
*
*
*
*
Wisconsin
Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Refer to § 26.34 Minnesota for
regulations.
Dated: March 25, 2008.
Lyle Laverty,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and
Parks.
[FR Doc. E8–8972 Filed 4–23–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
E:\FR\FM\24APR3.SGM
24APR3
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 80 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 22254-22262]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8]
[[Page 22253]]
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Part III
Department of the Interior
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Fish and Wildlife Service
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50 CFR Part 26
Public Access, Use, and Recreation Regulations for the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge; Final Rule
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 80 / Thursday, April 24, 2008 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 22254]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 26
RIN 1018-AV43
Public Access, Use, and Recreation Regulations for the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are adopting
new regulations for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and
Fish Refuge (refuge) to govern existing general public use and
recreation. These changes will take effect in spring 2008 and will
implement the recently completed comprehensive conservation plan (CCP)
for the refuge. This regulation codifies many existing refuge
regulations currently published in and by brochures, signs, maps, and
other forms of public notice.
DATES: This rule is effective May 27, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Hultman, (507) 452-4232; Fax (507)
452-0851.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge (refuge) encompasses 240,000 acres in a more-
or-less continuous stretch of 261 miles of Mississippi River floodplain
in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Congress established the
refuge in 1924 to provide a ``refuge and breeding place'' for migratory
birds, fish, other wildlife, and plants. The refuge is perhaps the most
important corridor of habitat in the central United States, due to its
species diversity and abundance, and it is the most visited refuge in
the United States, with 3.7 million annual visitors.
The development of an environmental impact statement (EIS) and CCP
for the refuge began with a notice of intent to prepare the EIS, which
we published in the Federal Register on May 30, 2002 (67 FR 37852). We
followed with a notice of availability of our Draft EIS (April 28,
2005; 70 FR 22085), and we accepted public comments on the Draft EIS
for 120 days. On October 7, 2005, we published a notice of intent to
prepare a Supplement to the Draft EIS (70 FR 58738). We made the
Supplement to the Draft EIS available on December 5, 2005 (70 FR
72462), and accepted public comments on that document for 60 days,
extended to 90 days (January 17, 2006, 71 FR 2561).
We offered public involvement through 46 public meetings and
workshops attended by 4,500 persons in 14 different communities in 4
States during the 4-year planning process. In addition, we held or
attended 80 other meetings with the States, other agencies, interest
groups, and elected officials to discuss the Draft EIS, and mailed
three different planning update newsletters to up to 4,900 persons or
organizations on our planning mailing list. We also issued numerous
news releases at various planning milestones, and held two press
conferences.
On July 11, 2006, we published a notice of availability of our
Final EIS (71 FR 39125), and we accepted public comments on the Final
EIS for 30 days. On August 24, 2006, the Regional Director of the
Midwest Region of the Fish and Wildlife Service signed the Record of
Decision that documented the selection of Alternative E, the Preferred
Alternative presented in the Final EIS. We published a notice of
availability of that Record of Decision on November 2, 2006 (71 FR
64553).
In accordance with the Record of Decision, we prepared a CCP based
on Alternative E. The CCP was approved on October 24, 2006. The
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 [16 U.S.C.
668dd-668ee (Administration Act), as amended by the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Improvement Act)] requires the
Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to manage each refuge in a manner
consistent with a completed CCP. The Final EIS and CCP are available at
https://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/uppermiss.
In accordance with the recently completed CCP, on June 28, 2007, we
published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 35380)
identifying amendments to the refuge-specific regulations for hunting
and sport fishing on the refuge and invited 30 days of public comment.
We published the final rule on September 7, 2007 (72 FR 51534).
On October 17, 2007, we published a proposed rule (72 FR 58982) to
amend the refuge-specific regulations governing existing general public
use and recreation. We accepted public comments on the proposal for 60
days, ending December 17, 2007. This final rule adopts, with certain
changes described below, the amendments we proposed on October 17,
2007.
This final rule implements the goals, objectives, and strategies
spelled out in the CCP pertaining to wildlife observation, photography,
interpretation, environmental recreation, and other forms of
recreation, access, and use such as boating and camping.
This rule also codifies current refuge-specific regulations
contained in brochures and signs and on maps, fine-tunes the language
of same for clarity and ease of enforcement, and generally modernizes
the regulations for consistency with the principles of sound fish,
wildlife, and recreation management.
Regulations stemming from the CCP include the establishment of 4
new electric motor-only areas totaling 1,630 acres (1 such area of 222
acres already exists) and 8 new seasonal slow, no-wake areas totaling
9,370 acres. In electric motor-only areas, watercraft may only be
powered by electric motors or nonmotorized means. In slow, no-wake
areas from March 16 through October 31, watercraft must travel at slow,
no-wake speed, and we prohibit airboats and hovercraft. These areas
remain open to all forms of recreation, including hunting and fishing,
and only the means of access changes to lessen wildlife and habitat
disturbance and balance the needs of the estimated 3.7 million annual
visitors to the refuge. Collectively, these areas account for 8 percent
of the water area of the refuge, leaving 92 percent of the water area
of the refuge open to watercraft without restriction.
Other regulations stemming from the CCP include a ban of glass food
and beverage containers on beach areas and other lands of the refuge;
clarifying the definition and requirements for camping and campsite
sanitation; clarifying rules for fire and firewood use; and clarifying
rules for vehicles, firearms, and domestic animals on the refuge.
The Administration Act authorizes the Secretary to allow uses of
refuge areas, including wildlife-dependent and other recreation, upon a
determination that such uses are compatible with the purposes of the
refuge and National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System) mission. The
action also must be in accordance with provisions of all laws
applicable to the areas, developed in coordination with the appropriate
State fish and wildlife agency(ies), and consistent with the principles
of sound fish and wildlife management and administration. These
requirements ensure that we maintain the biological integrity,
diversity, and environmental health of the Refuge System for the
benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
The Secretary is required to prepare a CCP for each refuge and
shall manage each refuge consistent with the CCP.
[[Page 22255]]
Each CCP must identify and describe the refuge purposes; fish,
wildlife, and plant populations; cultural resources; areas for
administrative or visitor facilities; significant problems affecting
resources and actions necessary; and opportunities for compatible
wildlife-dependent recreation. We must also develop each CCP through
consultation with the other States, agencies, and the public, and
coordinate with applicable State conservation plans.
Each CCP is guided by the overarching requirement that we manage
refuges to fulfill the purposes for which they were established and to
carry out the mission of the Refuge System. In addition, the
Improvement Act requires that we administer the Refuge System to
provide for the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plants and their
habitats, and to ensure their biological integrity, diversity, and
environmental health.
We developed the CCP for the refuge in accordance with all
requirements and in accordance with the consultation and public
involvement provisions of the Improvement Act. This includes new
compatibility determinations for interpretation, wildlife observation
and photography, environmental education, beach-related uses, boating,
camping, and other allowed recreation. We reference and list these
compatibility determinations in Appendix E of the Final EIS. We then
developed this rule to implement portions of the CCP.
Plain Language Mandate
In this rule, we comply with a Presidential mandate to use plain
language in regulations. As examples, we use ``you'' to refer to the
reader and ``we'' to refer to the Service, the word ``allow'' instead
of ``permit'' when we do not require the use of a permit for an
activity, and we use active voice whenever possible (e.g., ``We allow
camping on all lands and waters of the refuge'' rather than ``Camping
is allowed on all lands and waters of the refuge'').
Statutory Authority
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1977, and the Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 (16
U.S.C. 460k-460k-4) (Recreation Act) govern the administration and
public use of refuges.
This document codifies in the Code of Federal Regulations public
use and recreation regulations that are applicable to the Upper
Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. We are doing this
to implement the refuge CCP, better inform the general public of the
regulations at the refuge, increase understanding and compliance with
these regulations, and make enforcement of these regulations more
efficient. In addition to finding these regulations in 50 CFR part 26,
visitors will find them reiterated in literature distributed by the
refuge and posted on signs at major access points. Visitors will also
find the boundaries of closed areas or other restricted-use areas
referenced in these regulations marked by specific signs.
This rule includes cross-references to a number of existing
regulations in 50 CFR parts 26, 27, and 32 to assist visitors with
understanding safety and other legal requirements on refuges. This
redundancy is deliberate, with the intention of improving safety and
compliance in our general public use and recreation programs.
Response to Public Comment
In the October 17, 2007, Federal Register (72 FR 58982), we
published a proposed rule for new regulations for the refuge and
invited public comments. We reviewed and considered all comments
received by December 17, 2007, the end of the 60-day comment period. We
received 22 comments on the proposed rule. Since comments were often
similar or commenters covered multiple topics, we have grouped many of
the comments/responses by major issue area.
Comment 1: A commenter was opposed to prohibiting the collection of
shed deer antlers, saying that it was a wholesome outdoor pastime that
posed no harm since most of the refuge was already open to walking.
Response 1: We have changed the final rule to allow the collection
of shed deer antlers based on this comment and internal discussions
weighing the positives and negatives of this activity.
Comment 2: A commenter wanted to clarify that it is not practical
for a hovercraft to pass through a slow, no-wake zone at reduced speed
since a wake is created with hovercraft at slower speeds.
Response 2: We have noted this comment but did not change the rule
as a result. Since hovercraft are prohibited from electric motor areas
year-round and in slow, no-wake areas from March 16 through October 31,
it is a moot point whether hovercraft do or do not create a wake at
slow speed since their use is prohibited. In the linear, slow, no-wake
zones, we apply the respective State definition for slow, no-wake
operation, which in many States like Wisconsin, allows the speed
necessary to maintain proper control and steerage. These definitions
would also apply to hovercraft in these zones. Due to the small number
of these zones and multiple river access points, we do not believe the
zones will cause much inconvenience to hovercraft access and use.
Comment 3: Several commenters expressed general opposition to the
CCP for the refuge and thus opposition to the proposed rule.
Response 3: We understand that many citizens remain opposed to
changes reflected in the CCP. We made a concerted effort to keep
citizens informed and to consider their comments and suggestions in
crafting the CCP. We developed the CCP through extensive public
involvement including 46 public meetings or workshops attended by 4,500
citizens, and offered longer than normal comment periods on the Draft
EIS and subsequent Supplement. However, we have an obligation to manage
the refuge in accordance with the Refuge Administration Act and
policies and regulations governing the Refuge System. These mandates
require that we manage refuges to accomplish their established purposes
and that recreation and use opportunities afforded the public are
compatible with those purposes. The CCP was approved October 24, 2006,
and we are now obligated to implement the plan in accordance with the
Refuge Administration Act. The new rules implement portions of the CCP
dealing with public access, use, and recreation, and ensure that these
activities remain a safe and compatible use on the refuge. We made no
change to the rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 4: A commenter expressed support for the proposed rule and
a commenter expressed support for the refined definitions regarding
dogs, camping, beaching, boat mooring, campfires, and litter.
Response 4: We have noted these comments but did not change the
rule as a result.
Comment 5: Several commenters were against restrictions to airboat
or hovercraft use through the designation of slow, no-wake areas and
electric motor areas. These commenters noted that the restriction was
discriminatory toward certain watercraft users, most airboaters
operated below 86 decibel noise level, airboats do little environmental
damage, and the restriction would limit volunteer search and rescue
efforts.
Response 5: We thoroughly analyzed the effects of airboats and
hovercraft and the establishment of electric motor areas and slow, no-
wake areas in this rule
[[Page 22256]]
against physical, biological, and socio-economic parameters in the EIS
prepared as part of the CCP process. Watercraft speed and noise, even
below 86 decibels, have been shown to be major wildlife disturbance
factors in both off-refuge and on-refuge studies. We are establishing
the electric motor areas and slow, no-wake areas to reduce disturbance
in the backwater areas of the refuge which provide important nurseries
for many fish, amphibian, and bird species. These area-specific
regulations will also limit disturbance to persons who desire a slower
and quieter hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation experience. As
noted in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this rule, there will
remain ample area and opportunity for unrestricted airboat use.
Collectively, these restricted areas account for 8 percent of the water
area of the refuge, leaving 92 percent of the water area open to all
watercraft without restriction. The electric motor areas and slow, no-
wake areas also remain open to all forms of recreation, including
hunting and fishing. During bona fide emergency situations like search
and rescue, common sense dictates that we would temporarily suspend
restrictions for emergency workers and volunteers. We made no change to
the rule as a result of these comments.
Comment 6: A commenter reminded us that the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources does not have the authority to enact or enforce rules
on the Mississippi River that regulate the means of navigation and this
authority rests with local municipalities. We were encouraged to work
with local municipalities and the public in pursuing designation of the
slow, no-wake areas and electric motor areas.
Response 6: As noted in our response to Comment 5, we are
establishing electric motor and slow, no-wake areas to protect
sensitive backwater areas of the refuge and provide an alternative
recreation experience. Throughout the EIS and CCP preparation process,
we received comments and input from the public and local governments
and responded with many changes to the electric motor and slow, no-wake
area designations in the CCP. Although we continue to value input, we
believe we would be abdicating our responsibility to manage the refuge
in accordance with its establishing legislation, the Refuge
Administration Act, and Refuge System policies and regulations if we
did not carry out the actions approved in the CCP.
We are, however, with respect to slow, no-wake zones (which are
linear or corridor designations), coordinating with local units of
government and seeking their concurrence before establishing them.
These zones are designed to improve boating safety due to narrow
channels or blind spots, or to reduce bank erosion. Our coordination
with the local units of government on these zones is in keeping with
the language in the CCP. We made no change to the rule based on this
comment.
Comment 7: A commenter suggested that the proposed rule be modified
to include an exemption for State and federal agencies entering
restricted areas for bona fide fish and wildlife management,
monitoring, and enforcement activities.
Response 7: These rules govern public access, use, and recreation
and are not intended to apply to States or other agencies continuing to
carry out their responsibilities for fish and wildlife management and
enforcement. We do not believe that exemptions for States or other
agencies are necessary or practicable from a rulemaking standpoint.
However, the exemption is clearly articulated in the CCP on page 107,
and says ``special designation regulations are general public use
regulations and not intended to apply to state, federal, and local
agencies engaged in bona fide fish and wildlife management, monitoring,
and enforcement.'' We are obligated to manage the refuge consistent
with language in the CCP. We made no change to the rule based on this
comment.
Comment 8: A commenter suggested that the prohibition of chainsaws
on the refuge without a permit be clarified so it does not affect
through-the-ice commercial fishing operations. It was suggested that
the language be modified to prohibit chainsaws on any refuge ``lands.''
Response 8: We have changed the final rule by removing the wording
prohibiting the possession of chainsaws without a permit. We believe
regulations dealing with the protection of plants and the cutting of
campfire wood are adequate to protect refuge habitat.
Comment 9: Several commenters contend that the refuge does not have
the authority to restrict uses on navigable waters within the refuge.
They contend the CCP and these proposed rules usurp Wisconsin authority
on sovereign waters, violate Wisconsin's Public Trust Doctrine, and are
a breach of Wisconsin's original conditioned consent to establishment
of the refuge.
Response 9: We received similar comments during preparation of the
CCP. Neither the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' nor the
Wisconsin Attorney General's comments included in the EIS said the
Service has intruded or impinged on State authority. In particular, the
Attorney General's comments on this issue did not say that the Service
crossed a line that would constitute intrusion into State authority.
As the Attorney General acknowledged in citing Wisconsin Supreme
Court rulings, public rights on navigable waters are to be protected,
but no public right is absolute and must be balanced with other public
rights: ``* * * the court stated the kinds of factors that must be
considered to determine whether the balance of public rights and
interests has been sufficiently struck. They include whether public
bodies will control the use of the area; whether the area will be
devoted to public purposes and open to the public; whether the
diminution of water area available to the public will be small when
compared with the whole of the water body; whether no one of the public
uses of the waterway will be destroyed or greatly impaired; and whether
the disappointment of those members of the public who may desire to
exercise particular public rights in the area is negligible when
compared with the greater convenience to be afforded those members of
the public who use the area.''
The Attorney General's comments indicate that Wisconsin's Public
Trust Doctrine embodies exactly the type of program we have been trying
to develop, namely, balancing competing uses, acknowledging that no one
public right is absolute. We also believe our proposal is in keeping
with the Attorney General's urging that ``any such restrictions are
reasonable and are not imposed to the exclusion of other key factors
that affect the conservation of resources in the Refuge.'' We addressed
the State's 1925 consent language in the EIS and CCP and developed our
plan and regulations to meet those conditions. We continue to recognize
and respect the various State and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
authorities while carrying out our responsibilities to manage a
national wildlife refuge in accordance with the Refuge Administration
Act. We made no change to the rule based on these comments.
Comment 10: A commenter was concerned that the proposed rule
violates the sovereignty of the State of Minnesota in regard to
jurisdiction of State waters and the limits placed on navigation.
Response 10: We do not claim authority to control general
navigation on the Upper Mississippi River as this
[[Page 22257]]
is under the purview of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast
Guard, and various State agencies, and we continue to respect State
authorities and sovereignty (see related Comment 9 and our response).
We believe we do have the authority to control public entry and use on
the refuge under the authorities cited in the Statutory Authority
section of this rule. In summary, the United States owns the bed of the
inundated areas of the refuge where we proposed restrictions and thus
the Property Clause of the Constitution and laws that established the
refuge and govern the administration of the Refuge System apply. These
laws grant authority to control all entry and public use. However, we
believe we have been diligent in balancing the public need to enjoy the
refuge while safeguarding fish and wildlife resources and habitat. The
CCP and this rule continue to ensure relatively free and open access.
We believe this has been accomplished through controlling the means of
navigation within the refuge on specific areas when necessary rather
than controlling navigation itself. We made no change to the rule based
on this comment.
Comment 11: A commenter stated that the Service cannot lawfully
establish regulations limiting navigation in the refuge without formal
State of Wisconsin concurrence, and such concurrence has not been
given.
Response 11: We view the provisions of Wisconsin's original law
granting consent for the establishment of the refuge seriously and have
worked diligently to meet its conditions (see Comment 9 and response).
Although there is no requirement of formal State consent for refuge
management actions, such as this rule, we have approached these issues
in an open manner and included the State at every stage of development
of the CCP and subsequent rules. The State has had every opportunity to
raise its own issues--which it did--and we responded by modifying the
CCP in a number of ways including changes to waterfowl hunting closed
areas, adding voluntary compliance provisions, changes to delineation
of electric motor and slow, no-wake areas, safeguarding State access in
restricted areas, and modifications to the number and scope of step-
down management plans. We understand that all States work with
different constituent groups, legislative oversight, and rulemaking
processes when compared to the refuge. Although we respect these
differences, as well as the State's authority to adopt or not adopt
similar State regulations, we cannot abdicate our responsibilities to
manage the refuge in accordance with federal laws and Refuge System
policies and regulations. We made no change to the rule based on this
comment.
Comment 12: Two commenters cited the 1928 court case U.S. v.
2,271.29 Acres in regard to State and Federal authorities concerning
navigation and these regulations.
Response 12: We have reviewed this case and believe that these
regulations do not conflict with any of the case's holdings. We believe
our responses to Comments 9, 10, and 11 cover questions concerning
jurisdiction and authority for these regulations.
Modifications From the Proposed Rule
We are making three changes in this final rule as a result of
public comment or further internal discussion. These changes are as
follows:
(1) In section (a)(5), we deleted the reference to shed deer
antlers and changed the wording in section (a)(4) so that the
collection of shed deer antlers for personal use is allowed;
(2) In section (a)(6), we deleted the prohibition of chainsaws on
the refuge; and
(3) In section (c)(3), we changed the minimum camping distance from
various recreation facilities from 100 feet (30 meters) to 200 feet (60
meters).
Regulatory Planning and Review
In accordance with the criteria in E.O. 12866, we assert that this
rule is not a significant regulatory action. The Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) makes the final determination under E.O. 12866.
a. This rule will not have an annual economic effect of $100
million or adversely affect an economic sector, productivity, jobs, the
environment, or other units of the government. A cost-benefit and full
economic analysis is not required. However, a brief assessment follows
to clarify the costs and benefits associated with this rule.
The purpose of this rule is to implement public use and recreation
regulations on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge beginning with the spring 2008 recreation season. These
regulations are derived from and are consistent with the CCP approved
October 24, 2006. We documented the environmental and socioeconomic
impacts of the CCP in the Final EIS (available at https://www.fws.gov/
midwest/planning/uppermiss).
Costs Incurred
Costs incurred by this regulation include sign-posting, leaflet
preparation and printing to provide information to the public, law
enforcement, and monitoring. However, these are regular and recurring
functions on the refuge with or without these regulations, and we can
handle these functions within normal budget and staffing levels.
Therefore, we expect any costs to be minor in the short term and
negligible in the long term.
Benefits Accrued
These regulations will have several effects on wildlife
observation, recreational boating, camping, and other beach-related
uses such as swimming, picnicking, and sunbathing. These public uses
account for the most annual refuge visits (1.67 million) outside of
hunting and fishing. All of these uses will continue, although in some
areas the means of use will change to balance the needs of a diverse
public who enjoys the refuge in various ways, to safeguard visitors,
and to safeguard sensitive fish and wildlife habitat.
The following projections and estimations of use levels and
economic benefit for wildlife observation, boating, camping, and beach-
related uses are based on projected trends over the 15-year span of the
CCP. While it is not possible to quantify increases in these activities
that result from this rule per se, we expect the rule to contribute to
these trends by improving conditions for these activities in certain
areas.
We estimate that wildlife observation visits will increase 20
percent over the 15-year life of the CCP due to overall long-term
trends in wildlife observation visits, habitat improvements, access
improvements, and a marked increase in wildlife observation-related
facilities outlined in the CCP. We predict these regulations will have
no effect on the positive economic impact as reflected in Table 1
below.
Table 1 shows the expected annual change by the end of the 15-year
life of the CCP compared with FY 2003 for the 19-county area on and
adjacent to the refuge. We expect annual wildlife observation
visitation to increase by 20 percent, resulting in 61,403 more wildlife
observation visits. Retail expenditures associated with this increased
visitation total $812,658, with total economic output (based on an
output multiplier of 1.23 for the 19-county region impacted by the
refuge) of $993,723. An additional 14 jobs with associated income of
$214,297 would occur, along with an additional $104,531 in Federal and
State tax revenue.
[[Page 22258]]
Table 1.--Annual Economic Impacts of CCP Implementation Compared With FY
2003 Impacts: Wildlife Observation Visitors
[2003 dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual change
(from FY 2003
Impacts FY 2003 for 15-year span
of CCP)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wildlife Observation Visitors........ 307,013 +61,403
Expenditures......................... $4,063,292 +$812,658
Economic Output...................... $4,968,614 +$993,723
Jobs................................. 68 +14
Job Income........................... $1,071,484 +$214,297
Federal and State Taxes.............. $522,657 +$104,531
------------------------------------------------------------------------
These regulations will have several effects on current boating
opportunities on the refuge. Approximately 140,000 acres of water will
remain open to boating, but 1,852 acres of backwater areas will be
designated electric motor only and another 9,370 acres will be
designated seasonal (March 16 through October 31) slow, no-wake areas
where boaters must travel at slow, no-wake speed, and we will prohibit
airboats and hovercraft. Collectively, these areas account for 8
percent of the water area of the refuge. These areas remain open to all
allowed uses.
These regulations will have little effect on camping and other
beach-related use levels, since the areas open will remain virtually
unchanged. These regulations could, however, improve the quality of the
experience by clarifying and fine-tuning existing regulations on
camping, boat mooring, reserving sites, length of stay, campfires,
sanitation, and other aspects of the use which can cause conflicts
among visitors. Also, a regulation banning the possession of glass food
and beverage containers on beaches and other lands will improve visitor
safety.
We expect annual visits for boating, camping, and beach-related
activities to remain about the same, although we expect visits for
silent watercraft recreation (canoes and kayaks) to increase an
estimated 15 percent due to the electric motor areas and slow, no-wake
areas. We predict a corresponding modest positive change in economic
impact as reflected in Table 2.
Table 2 shows the expected annual change by the end of the 15-year
CCP lifespan compared with FY 2003 in the 19-county area. We expect the
annual number of boating, camping, and beach-related use visitors to
increase by 2,044, with associated retail expenditures of $52,010 and
total economic output of $63,400. We associate these expenditures and
output with 1 job and $213,567 in job-related income. Federal and State
tax revenue would increase by $6,838.
Table 2.--Annual Economic Impacts of CCP Implementation Compared With FY
2003 Impacts: Recreational Boating, Camping, and Other Beach-Related Use
Visitors
[2003 dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual change
(from FY 2003
Impacts FY 2003 for 15-year span
of CCP)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boating, Camping, and Other Beach Use 1,362,851 +2,044
Visitors.............................
Expenditures.......................... $34,673,216 +$52,010
Economic Output....................... $42,266,199 +$63,400
Jobs.................................. 535 +1
Job Income............................ $9,044,582 +$213,567
Federal and State Taxes............... $4,558,847 +$6,838
------------------------------------------------------------------------
b. This rule will not create inconsistencies with other agencies'
actions. This action pertains solely to the management of the Refuge
System. The wildlife observation, boating, camping, and other general
recreation activities located on the Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge account for less than 1 percent of the
available supply in the United States. Any small, incremental change in
the supply of recreational opportunities will not measurably impact any
other agencies' existing programs.
c. This rule will not materially affect entitlements, grants, user
fees, loan programs, or the rights and obligations of their recipients.
This rule does not affect entitlement programs. There are no grants or
other Federal assistance programs associated with public use on
national wildlife refuges.
d. This rule will not raise novel legal or policy issues that were
not addressed in the Final EIS. This rule continues the practice of
allowing recreational public use of the refuge. Many refuges in the
Refuge System currently have opportunities for the public to engage in
interpretation, wildlife observation, and other wildlife-dependent
uses, and also allow regulated boating, camping, and other general
recreation.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (as amended by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act [SBREFA] of 1996) (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.), whenever a Federal agency is required to publish a
notice of rulemaking for any proposed or final rule, it must prepare
and make available for public comment a regulatory flexibility analysis
that describes the effect of the rule on small entities (i.e., small
businesses, small organizations, and small government jurisdictions).
However, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required if the head of
an agency certifies that the rule would not
[[Page 22259]]
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Thus, for a regulatory flexibility analysis to be required,
impacts must exceed a threshold for ``significant impact'' and a
threshold for a ``substantial number of small entities.'' See 5 U.S.C.
605(b). SBREFA amended the Regulatory Flexibility Act to require
Federal agencies to provide a statement of the factual basis for
certifying that a rule would not have a significant economic impact on
a substantial number of small entities.
This rule does not decrease the number of recreation types allowed
on the refuge but amends current noncodified regulations on the refuge.
As a result, opportunities for wildlife observation, boating, camping,
and other general recreation on the refuge will remain abundant and
increase over time.
Many small businesses within the retail trade industry (such as
hotels, gas stations, outdoor sports shops, etc.) may benefit from some
increased refuge visitation. A large percentage of these retail trade
establishments in the majority of affected counties qualify as small
businesses (Table 3).
We expect that the incremental recreational opportunities will be
scattered, and so we do not expect that the rule will have a
significant economic effect (benefit) on a substantial number of small
entities in any given community or county. Using the estimate derived
in the Regulatory Planning and Review section, we expect recreationists
to spend an additional $865,000 annually in total in the refuges' local
economies. As shown in Table 3, this represents less than 0.001 percent
of the total amount of retail expenditures in the 19-county area. For
comparison purposes, we show the county with the smallest retail
expenditure total, Buffalo County in Wisconsin. If the entire retail
trade expenditures associated with the 2008 public use and recreation
regulations occurred in Buffalo County, this would amount to a 1.48
percent increase in annual retail expenditures.
Table 3.--Comparative Expenditures for Retail Trade Associated With Additional Refuge Visitation From CCP
Implementation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change during
CCP Change as Total number Establishments
Retail trade in implementation percent of of retail with fewer
2002 (15-year span total retail establishments than 10
of CCP) trade employees
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 County Area............... $9.8 billion..... $864,668 0.0097 24,878 17,957
Buffalo County, WI........... 58.3 million..... 864,668 1.48 350 290
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Therefore, we certify that this rule will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act
This rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804(2), the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. We anticipate no
significant employment or small business effects. This rule:
a. Will not have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or
more. By the end of the 15-year CCP lifespan, the additional
recreational opportunities on the refuge are expected to generate an
additional $865,000 in visitor expenditures with an economic impact
estimated at $1.06 million per year (2003 dollars). Consequently, the
maximum benefit of this rule for businesses both small and large will
not be sufficient to make this a major rule. The impact will be
scattered across 19 counties and will most likely not be significant in
any local area.
b. Will not cause a major increase in costs or prices for
consumers; individual industries; Federal, State, or local government
agencies; or geographic regions. We do not expect this rule to affect
the supply or demand for wildlife observation, boating, camping, and
other general recreation opportunities in the United States and,
therefore, it should not affect prices for related recreation equipment
and supplies, or the retailers that sell equipment. Additional refuge
recreation opportunities could account for a virtually undetectable
percent of the available opportunities in the United States.
c. Will not have significant adverse effects on competition,
employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of
U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. This
rule represents only a small proportion of recreational spending of a
small number of affected wildlife observers, boaters, campers, and
other recreationists, approximately a maximum of $1.06 million annually
in impact (economic output). Therefore, this rule will have no
measurable economic effect on the wildlife-dependent boating and
camping industries, which have annual sales of equipment and travel
expenditures of over $120 billion nationwide in 2006.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Since this rule applies to public use of a federally owned and
managed refuge, it will not impose an unfunded mandate on State, local,
or Tribal governments or the private sector of more than $100 million
per year. The rule will not have a significant or unique effect on
State, local, or Tribal governments or the private sector. A statement
containing the information required by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
(2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is not required.
Takings (E.O. 12630)
In accordance with E.O. 12630, this rule will not have significant
takings implications. This regulation affects only visitors to the
refuge and describes what they can do while they are on the refuge.
Federalism (E.O. 13132)
As discussed in the Regulatory Planning and Review and Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act sections above, this rule will not have sufficient
Federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a Federalism
Assessment under E.O. 13132. In preparing the CCP for the refuge, we
worked closely with the four States bordering the refuge, and this rule
reflects the CCP.
Civil Justice Reform (E.O. 12988)
In accordance with E.O. 12988, the Office of the Solicitor has
determined that this rule does not unduly burden the judicial system
and that it meets the requirements of sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of the
Order. This rule clarifies and codifies established regulations and
results in better understanding of the regulations by refuge visitors.
[[Page 22260]]
Energy Supply, Distribution or Use (E.O. 13211)
On May 18, 2001, the President issued E.O. 13211 on regulations
that significantly affect energy supply, distribution, and use. E.O.
13211 requires agencies to prepare Statements of Energy Effects when
undertaking certain actions. Because this rule is a modification of
existing public use and recreation programs on the refuge, it is not a
significant regulatory action under E.O. 12866, and we do not expect it
to significantly affect energy supplies, distribution, and use.
Therefore, this action is a not a significant energy action and no
Statement of Energy Effects is required.
Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments (E.O.
13175)
In accordance with E.O. 13175, we have evaluated possible effects
on federally recognized Indian tribes and have determined that there
are no effects. We coordinate recreational use on national wildlife
refuges with Tribal governments having adjoining or overlapping
jurisdiction before we propose changes to the regulations. During
scoping and preparation of the Final EIS, we contacted 35 Indian tribes
to inform them of the process and seek their comments.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This regulation does not contain any information collection
requirements other than those already approved by the Office of
Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.) (OMB Control Number is 1018-0102). See 50 CFR 25.23 for
information concerning that approval. An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Endangered Species Act Section 7 Consultation
During preparation of the Final EIS, we completed a section 7
consultation and determined that the preferred alternative, which
included public use and recreation changes reflected in this rule, is
not likely to adversely affect individuals of listed or candidate
species or designated critical habitat of such species. The Service's
Ecological Services Office concurred with this determination. Listed
species on the refuge are the Higgins eye pearly mussel and candidate
species are the Eastern massasauga and spectaclecase and sheepnose
mussels. You may obtain a copy of the section 7 evaluation and
accompanying biological assessment by writing: Refuge Manager, Upper
Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, 51 East Fourth
Street, Room 101, Winona, MN 55987.
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Concerning the actions that are the subject of this rulemaking, we
have complied with NEPA through the preparation of a Final EIS and
Record of Decision which include the major public use and recreation
changes reflected in this rule. The NEPA documents are available on our
Web site at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/uppermiss.
Available Information for Specific Districts of the Refuge
The refuge is divided into four districts for management,
administrative, and public service effectiveness and efficiency. These
districts correspond to two or more Mississippi River navigation pools
created by the series of locks and dams on the river. District offices
are located in Winona, Minnesota (Pools 4-6); La Crosse, Wisconsin
(Pools 7-8); McGregor, Iowa (Pools 9-11); and Savanna, Illinois (Pools
12-14). If you are interested in specific information pertaining to a
particular electric motor area; slow, no-wake area; or other feature
discussed in this rule, you may contact the appropriate district office
listed below:
Winona District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 51 East Fourth Street,
Room 203, Winona, MN 55987; Telephone (507) 454-7351.
La Crosse District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 555 Lester Avenue,
Onalaska, WI 54650; Telephone (608) 783-8405.
McGregor District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 460,
McGregor, IA 52157; Telephone (563) 873-3423.
Savanna District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 7071 Riverview Road,
Thomson, IL 61285; Telephone (815) 273-2732.
Primary Author
Don Hultman, Refuge Manager, Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge, is the primary author of this rulemaking
document.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 26
Recreation and recreation areas, Wildlife refuges.
0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, we amend title 50, Chapter
I, subchapter C of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:
PART 26--[AMENDED]
0
1. Revise the authority citation for part 26 to read as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 16 U.S.C. 460k, 664, 668dd-668ee, and
715i; Pub. L. 96-315 (94 Stat. 958) and Pub. L. 98-146 (97 Stat.
955).
0
2. Revise the heading, add introductory text, and alphabetically add
lists for the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to
Sec. 26.34 to read as follows:
Sec. 26.34 What are the special regulations concerning public access,
use, and recreation for individual national wildlife refuges?
The following refuge units, listed in alphabetical order by State
and unit name, have refuge-specific regulations for public access, use,
and recreation.
Illinois
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Refer to Sec. 26.34 Minnesota for regulations.
Iowa
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Refer to Sec. 26.34 Minnesota for regulations.
Minnesota
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
(a) Wildlife Observation, Photography, Interpretation,
Environmental Education, and other General Recreational Uses. We allow
wildlife-dependent uses and other recreational uses such as, but not
limited to, sightseeing, hiking, bicycling on roads or trails,
picnicking, and swimming, on areas designated by the refuge manager and
shown on maps available at refuge offices, subject to the following
conditions:
(1) In areas posted and shown on maps as ``No Entry--Sanctuary,''
we prohibit entry as specified on signs or maps (see Sec. 32.42 of
this chapter for list of areas and locations).
(2) In areas posted and shown on maps as ``Area Closed,'' ``Area
Closed--No Motors,'' and ``No Hunting Zone'' (Goose Island), we ask
that you practice voluntary avoidance of these areas by any means or
for any purpose from October 15 to the end of the respective State duck
hunting season. In areas marked ``no motors,'' we prohibit the use of
motors on watercraft from October 15 to the end of the respective State
duck hunting season (see Sec. 32.42
[[Page 22261]]
of this chapter for list of areas and locations).
(3) Commercial tours and filming require a permit issued by the
refuge or district manager (see Sec. 27.51 of this chapter).
(4) We allow the collecting of edible fruits, nuts, mushrooms, or
other plant parts for personal use (no sale or barter allowed). We
limit the amount you may collect to 2 gallons by volume per person, per
day (see Sec. 27.51 of this chapter). We also allow the collecting of
shed deer antlers for personal use.
(5) We prohibit the harvest of wild rice; plant and animal
specimens; and other natural objects, such as rocks, stones, or
minerals. We only allow the collection of plants or their parts for
ornamental use by permit issued by the refuge or district manager (see
Sec. 27.51 of this chapter).
(6) We prohibit the cutting, removal, or damage of any tree or
vegetation on the refuge without a permit from the refuge or district
manager. We prohibit attaching nails, screws, or other hardware to any
tree (see Sec. 27.51 and Sec. 32.42 of this chapter).
(7) We prohibit all vehicle use on or across refuge lands at any
time except on designated routes of travel or on the ice over navigable
waters accessed from boat landings. We prohibit parking beyond vehicle
control barriers or on grass or other vegetation. We prohibit parking
or operating vehicles in a manner that obstructs or impedes any road,
trail, fire lane, boat ramp, access gate, or other facility, or in a
manner that creates a safety hazard or endangers any person, property,
or environmental feature. We may impound any vehicle left parked in
violation at the owner's expense (see Sec. 27.31(h) of this chapter).
(8) We allow dogs and other domestic animals on the refuge subject
to the following conditions:
(i) We prohibit dogs disturbing or endangering wildlife or people
while on the refuge.
(ii) While on the refuge, all dogs must be under the control of
their owners/handlers at all times or on a leash.
(iii) We prohibit allowing dogs to roam.
(iv) All dogs must be on a leash when on hiking trails, or other
areas so posted.
(v) We allow working a dog in refuge waters by tossing a retrieval
dummy or other object for out-and-back exercise.
(vi) We encourage the use of dogs for hunting (see Sec. 32.42 of
this chapter), but we prohibit field trials and commercial/professional
dog training.
(vii) Owners/handlers of dogs are responsible for disposal of dog
droppings in refuge public use concentration areas such as trails,
sandbars, and boat landings.
(viii) We prohibit horses and all other domestic animals on the
refuge unless confined in a vehicle, boat, trailer, kennel or other
container (see Sec. 26.21 of this chapter).
(9) We prohibit the carrying, possessing, or discharging of
firearms (including dog training pistols and dummy launchers), air
guns, or any other weapons on the refuge, unless you are a licensed
hunter or trapper engaged in authorized activities during established
seasons, in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations. We
prohibit target practice on the refuge (see Sec. Sec. 27.42 and 27.43
of this chapter).
(10) We prohibit the use or possession of glass food and beverage
containers on lands within the refuge.
(11) We require that you keep all refuge lands clean during your
period of use or occupancy. At all times you must keep all refuse,
trash, and litter contained in bags or other suitable containers and
not left scattered on the ground or in the water. You must remove all
personal property, refuse, trash, and litter immediately upon vacating
a site. We require that human solid waste and associated material be
either removed and properly disposed of off-refuge or be buried on site
to a depth of 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) and at least 50 feet (15 m) from
water's edge (see Sec. 27.94 of this chapter).
(b) Watercraft Use. We allow the use of watercraft of all types and
means of propulsion on all navigable waters of the refuge in accordance
with State regulations subject to the following conditions:
(1) In areas posted and shown on maps as ``Electric Motor Area,''
we prohibit motorized vehicles and watercraft year-round except
watercraft powered by electric motors or nonmotorized means. We do not
prohibit the possession of other watercraft motors in these areas, only
their use. These areas are named and located as follows:
(i) Island 42, Pool 5, Minnesota, 459 acres.
(ii) Snyder Lake, Pool 5A, Minnesota, 182 acres.
(iii) Mertes Slough, Pool 6, Wisconsin, 222 acres.
(iv) Browns Marsh, Pool 7, Wisconsin, 827 acres.
(v) Hoosier Lake, Pool 10, Wisconsin, 162 acres.
(2) In areas posted and shown on maps as ``Slow No Wake Area,'' we
require watercraft to travel at slow, no-wake speed from March 16
through October 31. We apply the applicable State definition of slow,
no-wake operation in these areas. We also prohibit the operation of
airboats or hovercraft in these areas from March 16 through October 31.
These areas are named and located as follows:
(i) Nelson-Trevino, Pool 4, Wisconsin, 2,626 acres (takes effect
March 16, 2009).
(ii) Denzers Slough, Pool 5A, Minnesota, 83 acres.
(iii) Black River Bottoms, Pool 7, Wisconsin, 815 acres.
(iv) Blue/Target Lake, Pool 8, Minnesota, 1,834 acres.
(v) Root River, Pool 8, Minnesota, 695 acres.
(vi) Reno Bottoms, Pool 9, Minnesota, 2,536 acres.
(vii) Nine Mile Island, Pool 12, Iowa, 454 acres.
(viii) Princeton, Pool 14, Iowa, 327 acres.
(3) In water access and travel routes posted and shown on maps as
``Slow No Wake Zone,'' we require watercraft to travel at slow, no-wake
speed at all times unless otherwise posted. We apply the respective
State definition of slow, no-wake operation in these areas.
(4) In portions of Spring Lake and Crooked Slough--Lost Mound, Pool
13, Illinois, posted as ``Slow, 5 mph When Boats Present'' and marked
on maps as ``Speed/Distance Regulation,'' we require watercraft
operators to reduce the speed of their watercraft to less than 5 mph (8
kph) when within 100 feet (30 m) of another watercraft that is anchored
or underway at 5 mph (8 kph) or less.
(5) We prohibit the mooring, beaching, or storing of watercraft on
the refuge without being used at least once every 24 hours. We define
``being used'' as a watercraft moved at least 100 feet (30 m) on the
water with operator on board. We prohibit the mooring of watercraft
within 200 feet (60 m) of refuge boat landings or ramps. We may impound
any watercraft moored in violation at the owner's expense (see Sec.
27.32 of this chapter).
(6) Conditions A1, A2, and A11 apply.
(c) Camping. We allow camping on all lands and waters of the refuge
as designated by the refuge manager and shown on maps available at
refuge offices subject to the following conditions:
(1) We define camping as erecting a tent or shelter of natural or
synthetic material, preparing a sleeping bag or other bedding material
for use, parking of a motor vehicle or mooring or anchoring of a
vessel, for the apparent purpose of overnight occupancy, or, occupying
or leaving personal property, including boats or other craft, at a site
[[Page 22262]]
anytime between the hours of 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
(2) We prohibit camping at any one site for a period longer than 14
days during any 30-consecutive-day period. After 14 days, you must move
all persons, property, equipment, and boats to a new site located at
least 0.5 mile (0.8 km) from the previous site.
(3) We prohibit camping within 200 feet (60 meters) of any refuge
boat landing, access area, parking lot, structure, road, trail, or
other recreation or management facility.
(4) We prohibit camping during waterfowl hunting seasons within
areas posted ``No Entry--Sanctuary,'' ``Area Closed,'' ``Area Closed--
No Motors,'' and ``No Hunting Zone'' or on any sites not clearly
visible from the main commercial navigation channel of the Mississippi
River (see Sec. 32.42 of this chapter).
(5) You must occupy campsites daily. We prohibit the leaving of
tents, camping equipment, or other property unattended at any site for
over 24 hours, and we may impound any equipment left in violation at
the owner's expense. We define occupy and attended as being present at
a site for a minimum of 2 hours daily.
(6) You must remove any tables, fireplaces, or other facilities
erected upon vacating a camping or day-use site.
(7) We allow campfires in conjunction with camping and day-use
activities subject to the following conditions (see Sec. 27.95 and
Sec. 32.42 of this chapter):
(i) You may only use dead wood on the ground, or materials brought
into the refuge such as charcoal or firewood. You must remove any
unused firewood brought into the refuge upon departure due to the
threat of invasive insects.
(ii) We prohibit building, attending, and maintaining a campfire
without sufficient clearance from flammable materials so as to prevent
its escape.
(iii) We prohibit building a fire at any developed facility
including, but not limited to, boat landings, access areas, parking
lots, roads, trails, or any other recreation or management facility or
structure.
(iv) We prohibit burying live fires or hot coals when vacating a
campfire site.
(v) We prohibit burning or attempting to burn any nonflammable
materials or any materials that may produce toxic fumes or leave
hazardous waste. These materials include, but are not limited to, metal
cans, plastic containers, glass, fiberglass, treated wood products,
wood containing nails or staples, wire, flotation materials, or other
refuse.
(8) Conditions A4 through A11 apply.
* * * * *
Wisconsin
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Refer to Sec. 26.34 Minnesota for regulations.
Dated: March 25, 2008.
Lyle Laverty,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. E8-8972 Filed 4-23-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P