Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Ouachita Parish, LA, 26139-26140 [E8-10344]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 90 / Thursday, May 8, 2008 / Notices survival. This permit currently covers capture and banding of the Hawaiian coot (Fulica alai) and Hawaiian stilt (Himantopus mexicanus knudseni), for which a notice was originally published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2007 (72 FR 28709). Public Review of Comments Please refer to the permit number for the application when submitting comments. We solicit public review and comment on this recovery permit application. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above address. Dated: April 10, 2008. David J. Wesley, Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. E8–10233 Filed 5–7–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R4–R–2008–N0049; 40136–1265– 0000–S3] Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Ouachita Parish, LA Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment; request for comments. mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the planning process. VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:22 May 07, 2008 Jkt 214001 To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments by June 23, 2008. An open house meeting will be held during the scoping phase of the Draft CCP development process. The date, time, and place for the meeting will be announced in the local media. ADDRESSES: Comments, questions, and requests for information should be sent to: Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner, Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, 6772 Highway 76 South, Stanton, TN 38069. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner; Telephone: 318/305–0643; Fax: 771/ 772–7839; E-mail: tina_chouinard@fws.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Introduction With this notice, we initiate our process for developing a CCP for Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Ouachita Parish, LA. This notice complies with our CCP policy to (1) advise other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intention to conduct detailed planning on this refuge; and (2) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the environmental document and during development of the CCP. Background The CCP Process The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd–668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, requires us to develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing to the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and our policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Improvement Act. Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established for specific purposes. We use these purposes as the foundation for developing and PO 00000 Frm 00066 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 26139 prioritizing the management goals and objectives for each refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to determine how the public can use each refuge. The planning process is a way for us and the public to evaluate management goals and objectives for the best possible conservation approach to this important wildlife habitat, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities that are compatible with the refuge’s establishing purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Our CCP process provides participation opportunities for Tribal, State, and local governments; agencies; organizations; and the public. At this time we encourage input in the form of issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the future management of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Special mailings, newspaper articles, and other media outlets will be used to announce opportunities for input throughout the planning process. We will conduct the environmental assessment in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508); other appropriate Federal laws and regulations; and our policies and procedures for compliance with those laws and regulations. The Black Bayou Lake Refuge is a unit of the North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Other refuges in the Complex include D’Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, Handy Brake, and Red River, and the Louisiana Wetlands Management District. The refuge, established in 1997, is three miles north of Monroe, Louisiana, just east of Highway 165 in Ouachita Parish. The refuge contains 4,522 acres of lacustrine, bottomland hardwood, and upland mixed pine/hardwood habitats. Although the suburban sprawl of Monroe surrounds much of its boundary, the refuge, itself, is home to a diversity of plants and animals. The refuge is situated in the Mississippi Flyway, the West Gulf Coastal Plain Bird Conservation Region, and the Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem. Black Bayou Lake Refuge was established for ‘‘. . .the conservation of the wetlands of the Nation in order to maintain the public benefits they provide and to help fulfill international obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties and conventions. . .’’ (16 U.S.C. 3901(b)) (Wetlands Resources Act). The central physical feature of the refuge is the lake itself. Black Bayou E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM 08MYN1 26140 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 90 / Thursday, May 8, 2008 / Notices Lake, approximately 1,500 acres in size, is studded with baldcypress and water tupelo trees. The western half of the lake is open and deeper, unlike the eastern side, which is thick with trees and emergent vegetation. The lake is owned by the city of Monroe, which manages the water level as a secondary source of municipal water. The Service has a 99-year free lease on the lake and some of its surrounding land, constituting a total of 1,620 acres. The refuge owns the remaining 2,902 acres. Three species of special concern that utilize the refuge include the alligator snapping turtle, the Rafinesque’s bigeared bat, and the southeastern Myotis bat. The refuge offers the six priority wildlife-dependent recreational activities as identified in the Improvement Act. Resident game and migratory game bird hunting occurs on the refuge. Black Bayou Lake is popular with the public, especially nearby residents. The lake attracts many fishermen during spring and summer, most fishing for bream, crappie, and bass. Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 105–57. Dated: March 17, 2008. Cynthia K. Dohner, Acting Regional Director. [FR Doc. E8–10344 Filed 5–7–08; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES [FWS–R7–R–2008–N0070; 70133–1265– 0000–S3] Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Soldotna, AK U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental AGENCY: VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:22 May 07, 2008 Jkt 214001 Impact Statement for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge; request for comments. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we), announce that the Draft Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Draft Plan) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is available for public comment. The Draft Plan/EIS was prepared pursuant to the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (Refuge Administration Act) as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Refuge Improvement Act), and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). It describes five alternatives for managing the Kenai Refuge for the next 15 years, including continuing current management. We will use special mailings to inform the public of opportunities to provide input on the Draft Plan/EIS and will hold public meetings in Anchorage and various communities on the Kenai Peninsula to obtain public comments. DATES: Comments on the Draft Plan/EIS must be received on or before September 1, 2008. ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to request a paper copy or a compact disk of the Draft Plan/EIS, contact Rob Campellone, Planning Team Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Rd., MS–231, Anchorage, Alaska 99503; telephone: (907) 786–3982; fax: (907) 786–3965; email: fw7_kenai_planning@fws.gov. You may also view or download a copy of the Draft Plan/EIS at the following Web site: https://alaska.fws.gov/nwr/ planning/kenpol.htm. Copies of the Draft Plan/EIS may be viewed at the Kenai Refuge Office in Soldotna, Alaska, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Anchorage, Alaska. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Campellone at the address or phone number provided above. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ANILCA (16 U.S.C. 410hh et seq., 43 U.S.C. 1602 et seq.) requires development of a Comprehensive Conservation Plan for all national wildlife refuges in Alaska. The Draft Plan/EIS for the Kenai Refuge was developed consistent with Section 304(g) of ANILCA and the Refuge Administration Act as amended by the Refuge Improvement Act (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.). The purpose of developing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan is to provide refuge PO 00000 Frm 00067 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 managers with a 15-year management strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of fish, wildlife, and habitat management and conservation; legal mandates; and Service policies. Comprehensive Conservation Plans define long-term goals and objectives toward which refuge management activities are directed, and identify which uses may be compatible with the purposes of a refuge. Comprehensive Conservation Plans are reviewed and updated every 15 years in accordance with direction in Section 304(g) of ANILCA, the Refuge Improvement Act, and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Background: In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 8979 creating the 1,730,000-acre Kenai National Moose Range. In 1980, ANILCA changed the name of the Range to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and substantially increased the size of the Refuge. As of 2007, the Kenai Refuge encompasses approximately 1,988,000 acres. Section 303(4)(B) of ANILCA states that the purposes for which Kenai Refuge was established include: (i) To conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity; (ii) to fulfill international treaty obligations of the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats; (iii) to ensure water quality and necessary water quantity within the refuge; (iv) to provide opportunities for scientific research, interpretation, environmental education, and land management training; and (v) to provide opportunities for fish and wildlifeoriented recreation. A Comprehensive Conservation Plan and EIS were completed for the Kenai Refuge in 1985 following direction in Section 304(g) of ANILCA. The ANILCA requires the Service to designate areas according to their respective resources and values and to specify programs and uses within the areas designated. To meet these requirements, the Alaska Region established management categories. A management category is a set of refuge management directions applied to an area to accomplish refuge purposes and goals. Appropriate public uses, commercial uses, facilities, and human activities are identified for each management category. Five management categories currently apply to the Kenai Refuge including (1) Intensive, (2) Moderate, (3) Traditional, (4) Minimal, and (5) Wilderness. The 1997 Refuge Improvement Act includes additional direction for conservation planning throughout the E:\FR\FM\08MYN1.SGM 08MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 90 (Thursday, May 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26139-26140]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10344]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0049; 40136-1265-0000-S3]


Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Ouachita Parish, LA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan 
and environmental assessment; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to 
prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for Black Bayou Lake National 
Wildlife Refuge. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP 
policy to advise other agencies, Tribes, and the public of our 
intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of 
issues to consider in the planning process.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments 
by June 23, 2008. An open house meeting will be held during the scoping 
phase of the Draft CCP development process. The date, time, and place 
for the meeting will be announced in the local media.

ADDRESSES: Comments, questions, and requests for information should be 
sent to: Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner, Hatchie National 
Wildlife Refuge, 6772 Highway 76 South, Stanton, TN 38069.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource 
Planner; Telephone: 318/305-0643; Fax: 771/772-7839; E-mail: 
tina_chouinard@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    With this notice, we initiate our process for developing a CCP for 
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Ouachita Parish, LA.
    This notice complies with our CCP policy to (1) advise other 
Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intention to 
conduct detailed planning on this refuge; and (2) obtain suggestions 
and information on the scope of issues to consider in the environmental 
document and during development of the CCP.

Background

The CCP Process

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, requires us to 
develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in 
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy 
for achieving refuge purposes and contributing to the mission of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of 
fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and our 
policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on 
conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including 
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife 
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will 
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with 
the Improvement Act.
    Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established for 
specific purposes. We use these purposes as the foundation for 
developing and prioritizing the management goals and objectives for 
each refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to 
determine how the public can use each refuge. The planning process is a 
way for us and the public to evaluate management goals and objectives 
for the best possible conservation approach to this important wildlife 
habitat, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation 
opportunities that are compatible with the refuge's establishing 
purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
    Our CCP process provides participation opportunities for Tribal, 
State, and local governments; agencies; organizations; and the public. 
At this time we encourage input in the form of issues, concerns, ideas, 
and suggestions for the future management of Black Bayou Lake National 
Wildlife Refuge. Special mailings, newspaper articles, and other media 
outlets will be used to announce opportunities for input throughout the 
planning process.
    We will conduct the environmental assessment in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508); other appropriate Federal laws and regulations; and our 
policies and procedures for compliance with those laws and regulations.
    The Black Bayou Lake Refuge is a unit of the North Louisiana 
National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Other refuges in the Complex include 
D'Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, Handy Brake, and Red River, and the 
Louisiana Wetlands Management District. The refuge, established in 
1997, is three miles north of Monroe, Louisiana, just east of Highway 
165 in Ouachita Parish. The refuge contains 4,522 acres of lacustrine, 
bottomland hardwood, and upland mixed pine/hardwood habitats. Although 
the suburban sprawl of Monroe surrounds much of its boundary, the 
refuge, itself, is home to a diversity of plants and animals. The 
refuge is situated in the Mississippi Flyway, the West Gulf Coastal 
Plain Bird Conservation Region, and the Lower Mississippi River 
Ecosystem.
    Black Bayou Lake Refuge was established for ``. . .the conservation 
of the wetlands of the Nation in order to maintain the public benefits 
they provide and to help fulfill international obligations contained in 
various migratory bird treaties and conventions. . .'' (16 U.S.C. 
3901(b)) (Wetlands Resources Act).
    The central physical feature of the refuge is the lake itself. 
Black Bayou

[[Page 26140]]

Lake, approximately 1,500 acres in size, is studded with baldcypress 
and water tupelo trees. The western half of the lake is open and 
deeper, unlike the eastern side, which is thick with trees and emergent 
vegetation. The lake is owned by the city of Monroe, which manages the 
water level as a secondary source of municipal water. The Service has a 
99-year free lease on the lake and some of its surrounding land, 
constituting a total of 1,620 acres. The refuge owns the remaining 
2,902 acres.
    Three species of special concern that utilize the refuge include 
the alligator snapping turtle, the Rafinesque's big-eared bat, and the 
southeastern Myotis bat.
    The refuge offers the six priority wildlife-dependent recreational 
activities as identified in the Improvement Act. Resident game and 
migratory game bird hunting occurs on the refuge. Black Bayou Lake is 
popular with the public, especially nearby residents. The lake attracts 
many fishermen during spring and summer, most fishing for bream, 
crappie, and bass.

Public Availability of Comments

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

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

    Dated: March 17, 2008.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E8-10344 Filed 5-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

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