Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management District, Minnesota, 39038-39039 [2010-16425]
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39038
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 129 / Wednesday, July 7, 2010 / Notices
locations, and new visitor uses
including hunting.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Alternative C: High Involvement in
Watershed Improvement
[FWS–R3–R–2010–N118; 30136–1265–0000–
S3]
The third alternative, Alternative C,
retains many of the concepts and
objectives from alternative B, but
increases the emphasis given to water
resources both on-Refuge and in the
watershed upstream of the wetland
complex. Alternative C restores
additional wetland and upland acres
up-watershed of the Refuge, expands
water resource monitoring and
improvement activities throughout the
east half of the Platte-Spunk watershed,
targets a limited quantity of additional
lands with critical water resource value
adjacent to the existing Refuge boundary
for acquisition, increases and directs
private lands work to priority aquatic
and riparian areas upstream of the
Refuge, emphasizes fishing as a primary
recreation opportunity, directs
additional education and interpretation
efforts to water resource topics, and
highlights partnerships, outreach
opportunities, and volunteerism that
occur within, or directly affect the
Refuge’s watershed.
Public Meeting
We will give the public an
opportunity to provide input at a public
meeting. You can obtain the schedule
from the address or Web site listed in
this notice (see ADDRESSES). You may
also submit comments anytime during
the comment period.
Public Availability of Comments
cprice-sewell on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
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 anytime.
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.
Dated: June 18, 2010.
Lynn M. Lewis,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 2010–16426 Filed 7–6–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
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Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and
Wetland Management District,
Minnesota
AGENCY:
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability: draft
comprehensive conservation plan and
environmental assessment; request for
comments.
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a draft comprehensive
conservation plan (CCP) and draft
environmental assessment (EA) for
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR) and Tamarac Wetland
Management District (WMD) for public
review and comment. In this draft CCP/
EA we describe how we propose to
manage the refuge and district for the
next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we
must receive your written comments by
August 6, 2010. An open house style
meeting will be held during the
comment period to receive comments
and provide information on the draft
plan. Special mailings, newspaper
articles, internet postings, and other
media announcements will inform
people of the meetings and
opportunities for written comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments or requests for
more information can be sent by any of
the following methods. You may also
drop off comments in person at Tamarac
NWR.
1. Agency Web site: View or
download a copy of the document and
comment at https://www.fws.gov/
midwest/planning/Tamarac/.
2. E-mail: r3planning@fws.gov.
Include ‘‘Tamarac Draft CCP/EA’’ in the
subject line of the message.
3. Fax: 218–847–2641.
4. Mail: Attention: Refuge Manager,
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge,
35704 County Road 26, Rochert,
Minnesota 56578.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barbara Boyle, 218–847–2641.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP
process for Tamarac NWR and WMD,
which we began by publishing a notice
of intent on (72 FR 27587–27588, May
16, 2007). For more about the initial
process and the history of this refuge
and district, see that notice.
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The 42,738-acre Tamarac National
Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938.
The Refuge includes 2,180 Federallydesignated wilderness acres. The
Tamarac Wetland Management District
consists of 8,577 acres of wetland
easements distributed throughout five
counties.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended
by the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C.
668dd–668ee), requires us to develop a
comprehensive conservation plan 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 toward the mission of
the National Wildlife Refuge System,
consistent with sound principles of fish
and wildlife management, conservation,
legal mandates, and Service policies. In
addition to outlining broad management
direction on conserving wildlife and
their habitats, plans identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities
available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental
education and interpretation.
CCP Alternatives and Our Preferred
Alternative
Priority Issues
During the public scoping process,
we, other stakeholders and partners, and
the public identified several priority
issues, which include habitat
management, invasive species, and
demand for additional recreation
opportunities and visitor services. To
address these issues, we developed and
evaluated the following alternatives
during the planning process.
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
Alternative 1: Management of Habitat in
Context of Providing Migratory Bird
Benefits and Complemented with
Priority Public Use (Preferred
Alternative)
The preferred alternative for Tamarac
NWR over the next 15 years directs
management of habitats to focus on
maintaining and using ecological
processes that shaped these
communities prior to European
settlement and will allow for some
emphasis of priority bird habitat.
Wildlife-dependant recreation
opportunities, biological surveys and
monitoring activities, and native
E:\FR\FM\07JYN1.SGM
07JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 129 / Wednesday, July 7, 2010 / Notices
habitats would all increase under the
preferred alternative.
Alternative 2: Pre-Settlement Ecological
Processes
Alternative 2: Pre-Settlement Ecological
Processes
Under Alternative 2, WMD actions
will approximate ecological processes
that promoted the native communities
present prior to European settlement,
emphasizing the use of natural
hydrological and fire regimes.
Vegetative communities and wildlife
diversity will then be expected to
resemble pre-settlement conditions.
Actions on private lands, such as the
use of prescribed fire and grazing, will
be used if possible. The WMD will not
grow as much as under Alternative 1 but
landowner interaction will be similar.
Refuge management actions will
approximate ecological processes that
promoted the native communities
present prior to European settlement,
emphasizing the use of natural
hydrological and fire regimes.
Environmental interpretation and
education programs will emphasize the
role of ecological processes in creating
natural pre-European settlement
habitats and cultural history.
Alternative 3: Focused Management for
Priority Migratory Birds
The focus of this alternative will be
management for U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Region 3) priority wetland and
grassland birds. Environmental
interpretation and education programs
on and off the Refuge will focus on the
importance of managing for Service
priority wetland and forest birds and
their habitats.
Alternative 4: Current Management
Direction of Conservation, Restoration,
and Preservation (No Action)
Current management is focused on
providing a variety of upland and
wetland habitats to benefit an array of
migratory and resident species. Forest
lands are harvested to maintain early
and mid-successional stages. Wetlands
are actively managed to benefit
migratory birds, especially waterfowl.
Visitor services include a variety of
environmental education programs, an
auto-tour route, annual open houses,
foot trails, a visitor contact station, and
observation platforms.
Tamarac Wetland Management District
cprice-sewell on DSK8KYBLC1PROD with NOTICES
Alternative 1: Restoration and
Management of Habitat by Facilitating
Natural Ecological Processes but Also
Providing for Migratory Bird Benefits
(Preferred Alternative)
This alternative will result in a more
active and growing WMD. Wildlife
resources of concern will be identified
and targeted for protection and
enhancement. Management of upland
habitats will focus on maintaining and
using ecological processes that shaped
these communities prior to European
settlement including fire and grazing.
Growth of the WMD will include fee
and easement acquisitions as funding is
available. Priority will be given to core
areas, corridors and critical sites.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
15:28 Jul 06, 2010
Jkt 220001
Alternative 3: Current Management
Direction (No Action)
Current management is focused on
providing habitats to benefit migratory
birds, especially nesting waterfowl.
Landowners are primarily responsible
for maintaining habitat and controlling
invasive plant species. No growth in
easement land holdings has occurred
since the mid-1990s. Emphasis will be
on maintaining relationships with
existing landowners and enforcement
issues. New acquisitions and
partnerships will continue on an
opportunistic basis.
Public Meeting
We will give the public an
opportunity to provide input at a public
meeting. You can obtain the schedule
from the address or web site listed in
this notice (see ADDRESSES). You may
also submit comments anytime during
the comment period.
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.
Dated: June 18, 2010.
Lynn M. Lewis,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 2010–16425 Filed 7–6–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
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39039
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
United States Geological Survey
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Assessment for the
Upper Midwest Environmental
Sciences Center ARRA Funded
Construction Projects
AGENCY: United States Geological
Survey, Interior.
ACTION:
Notice of Availability (NOA).
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), as amended, and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended, the United
States Geological Survey (USGS) has
prepared a Final Environmental
Assessment (EA) for the projects
described in this NOA. By this notice,
the USGS is announcing its availability.
In addition, a Draft Environmental
Assessment was published on December
23, 2009, for a 7-day public comment
period and no comments were received.
DATES: The USGS will not issue a final
decision on the proposed projects, until
after 30 days from the date this notice
is published in the Federal Register.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Bill Hayman, Facility Mechanical
Engineer at Upper Midwest
Environmental Sciences Center, 2630
Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI 54603;
(608) 781–6253 (telephone); (608) 783–
6066 (fax); or bhayman@usgs.gov
(e-mail). Copies of the Environmental
Assessment for the proposed projects
are available for public inspection
during regular business hours at the
USGS Upper Midwest Environmental
Sciences Center (see address above).
Before including your address and
any other personal identifying
information in your comment, please be
aware that your entire comment,
including your personal identifying
information, may be made publicly
available at any time. While you may
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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background Information
The objective of the Upper Midwest
Environmental Sciences Center is to
provide comprehensive research
facilities to study the acute and chronic
effects of chemicals on fish and nontarget life, physical, and biological
controls, specific diseases, predation,
and integrated controls.
E:\FR\FM\07JYN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39038-39039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16425]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-R-2010-N118; 30136-1265-0000-S3]
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management District,
Minnesota
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability: draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and draft
environmental assessment (EA) for Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR) and Tamarac Wetland Management District (WMD) for public review
and comment. In this draft CCP/EA we describe how we propose to manage
the refuge and district for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by August 6, 2010. An open house style meeting will be held during the
comment period to receive comments and provide information on the draft
plan. Special mailings, newspaper articles, internet postings, and
other media announcements will inform people of the meetings and
opportunities for written comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments or requests for more information can be sent by any
of the following methods. You may also drop off comments in person at
Tamarac NWR.
1. Agency Web site: View or download a copy of the document and
comment at https://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/Tamarac/.
2. E-mail: r3planning@fws.gov. Include ``Tamarac Draft CCP/EA'' in
the subject line of the message.
3. Fax: 218-847-2641.
4. Mail: Attention: Refuge Manager, Tamarac National Wildlife
Refuge, 35704 County Road 26, Rochert, Minnesota 56578.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Boyle, 218-847-2641.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Tamarac NWR and
WMD, which we began by publishing a notice of intent on (72 FR 27587-
27588, May 16, 2007). For more about the initial process and the
history of this refuge and district, see that notice.
The 42,738-acre Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge was established in
1938. The Refuge includes 2,180 Federally-designated wilderness acres.
The Tamarac Wetland Management District consists of 8,577 acres of
wetland easements distributed throughout five counties.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as
amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997
(16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), requires us to develop a comprehensive
conservation plan 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 toward the mission of
the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles
of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and
Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction
on conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental education and interpretation.
CCP Alternatives and Our Preferred Alternative
Priority Issues
During the public scoping process, we, other stakeholders and
partners, and the public identified several priority issues, which
include habitat management, invasive species, and demand for additional
recreation opportunities and visitor services. To address these issues,
we developed and evaluated the following alternatives during the
planning process.
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
Alternative 1: Management of Habitat in Context of Providing Migratory
Bird Benefits and Complemented with Priority Public Use (Preferred
Alternative)
The preferred alternative for Tamarac NWR over the next 15 years
directs management of habitats to focus on maintaining and using
ecological processes that shaped these communities prior to European
settlement and will allow for some emphasis of priority bird habitat.
Wildlife-dependant recreation opportunities, biological surveys and
monitoring activities, and native
[[Page 39039]]
habitats would all increase under the preferred alternative.
Alternative 2: Pre-Settlement Ecological Processes
Refuge management actions will approximate ecological processes
that promoted the native communities present prior to European
settlement, emphasizing the use of natural hydrological and fire
regimes. Environmental interpretation and education programs will
emphasize the role of ecological processes in creating natural pre-
European settlement habitats and cultural history.
Alternative 3: Focused Management for Priority Migratory Birds
The focus of this alternative will be management for U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Region 3) priority wetland and grassland birds.
Environmental interpretation and education programs on and off the
Refuge will focus on the importance of managing for Service priority
wetland and forest birds and their habitats.
Alternative 4: Current Management Direction of Conservation,
Restoration, and Preservation (No Action)
Current management is focused on providing a variety of upland and
wetland habitats to benefit an array of migratory and resident species.
Forest lands are harvested to maintain early and mid-successional
stages. Wetlands are actively managed to benefit migratory birds,
especially waterfowl. Visitor services include a variety of
environmental education programs, an auto-tour route, annual open
houses, foot trails, a visitor contact station, and observation
platforms.
Tamarac Wetland Management District
Alternative 1: Restoration and Management of Habitat by Facilitating
Natural Ecological Processes but Also Providing for Migratory Bird
Benefits (Preferred Alternative)
This alternative will result in a more active and growing WMD.
Wildlife resources of concern will be identified and targeted for
protection and enhancement. Management of upland habitats will focus on
maintaining and using ecological processes that shaped these
communities prior to European settlement including fire and grazing.
Growth of the WMD will include fee and easement acquisitions as funding
is available. Priority will be given to core areas, corridors and
critical sites.
Alternative 2: Pre-Settlement Ecological Processes
Under Alternative 2, WMD actions will approximate ecological
processes that promoted the native communities present prior to
European settlement, emphasizing the use of natural hydrological and
fire regimes. Vegetative communities and wildlife diversity will then
be expected to resemble pre-settlement conditions. Actions on private
lands, such as the use of prescribed fire and grazing, will be used if
possible. The WMD will not grow as much as under Alternative 1 but
landowner interaction will be similar.
Alternative 3: Current Management Direction (No Action)
Current management is focused on providing habitats to benefit
migratory birds, especially nesting waterfowl. Landowners are primarily
responsible for maintaining habitat and controlling invasive plant
species. No growth in easement land holdings has occurred since the
mid-1990s. Emphasis will be on maintaining relationships with existing
landowners and enforcement issues. New acquisitions and partnerships
will continue on an opportunistic basis.
Public Meeting
We will give the public an opportunity to provide input at a public
meeting. You can obtain the schedule from the address or web site
listed in this notice (see addresses). You may also submit comments
anytime during the comment period.
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.
Dated: June 18, 2010.
Lynn M. Lewis,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort
Snelling, Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 2010-16425 Filed 7-6-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P