Savannah Coastal Refuges' Complex, GA and SC, 56133-56135 [2010-22965]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56133-56135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22965]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2010-N035; 40136-1265-0000-S3]


Savannah Coastal Refuges' Complex, GA and SC

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability: Draft comprehensive conservation plan 
and environmental assessment; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and 
environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for the Savannah Coastal 
Refuges' Complex (Complex) for public review and comment. In this Draft 
CCP/EA, we describe the alternative we propose to use to manage this 
Complex for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP. The 
Complex consists of the following refuges: Pinckney Island; Savannah; 
Tybee; Wassaw; Harris Neck; Blackbeard Island; and Wolf Island. A 
separate CCP was prepared for the Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments 
by October 15, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the Draft CCP/EA by contacting Ms. 
Laura Housh, via U.S. mail at Okefenokee NWR, 2700 Suwannee Canal Road, 
Folkston, GA 31537, or via e-mail at laura_housh@fws.gov. 
Alternatively, you may download the document from our Internet site at 
https://southeast.fws.gov/planning under ``Draft Documents.'' Submit 
comments on the Draft CCP/EA to the above postal address or e-mail 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Laura Housh, Refuge Planner, 
telephone: 912/496-7366, ext. 244; fax: 912/496-3322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    With this notice, we continue the CCP process for the Savannah 
Coastal Refuges' Complex. We started the process through a notice in 
the Federal Register on May 19, 2008 (73 FR 28838). For more about the 
Complex and this process, please see that notice.

Background

The CCP Process

    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 1997, requires us to develop a CCP for each national 
wildlife refuge. The purpose for developing a CCP is to provide refuge 
managers with a 15-year plan 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 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 Administration Act.

CCP Alternatives, Including our Proposed Alternative

    We developed three alternatives for managing the Complex and chose 
Alternative B as the proposed alternative. A full description of each 
alternative is in the Draft CCP/EA. We summarize each alternative 
below.

Alternative A--No Action Alternative

    This alternative is the ``no-action'' or ``status quo'' alternative 
in which no major management changes would be initiated by the Service. 
Management emphasis would continue to focus on maintaining biological 
integrity of habitats found on each refuge. Under this alternative, we 
would protect and maintain all refuge lands, primarily focusing on the 
needs of threatened and endangered species, with additional emphasis on 
the needs of migratory birds and resident wildlife.
    We would continue mandated activities for protection of federally

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listed species through current habitat management and monitoring 
programs accomplished primarily through established partnership and 
research projects.
    Current management of migratory birds would continue to provide 
suitable habitat for waterfowl, contributing to the objective of the 
North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Surveying, monitoring, and 
managing colonial waterbirds, shorebirds, neotropical migratory birds, 
wading birds, marsh birds, and other resident birds would continue. The 
management of the Complex that would provide for the basic needs of 
these species varies. Management measures at some refuges include 
planting vegetation used for food, nest, and cover, including moist-
soil management.
    Mostly opportunistic monitoring and managing of resident wildlife 
would occur under this alternative. The main objective for game species 
management would be to sustain healthy populations through hunting 
programs and current habitat management. Only current wildlife 
management programs would continue to be maintained.
    We would continue habitat management of existing beaches, wetlands, 
open waters, forested habitats, scrub/shrub habitats, grasslands, and 
open lands. All ponds, levees, moist-soil water management units, and 
water control structures and pumps would continue to be maintained to 
provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, 
waterfowl, and wetland-dependent birds. Current water quality 
information would be addressed on an as-needed basis and would continue 
to be limited. All other habitat management programs would remain 
unchanged.
    We would continue to control invasive and exotic plant species on 
an opportunistic basis as resources allow. This limited control would 
be performed by chemical and/or mechanical means, but would remain 
intermittent. Control would continue to be implemented by the take of 
exotic or invasive animals as part of hunting programs offered on some 
of the refuges, and opportunistically by Complex staff.
    We would maintain the current levels of wildlife-dependent 
recreation activities. An extensive network of public use facilities 
would continue to be maintained.
    Land would be acquired from willing sellers within each refuge's 
current acquisition boundary and in accordance with current Service 
policy. Law enforcement on each refuge would continue at the current 
level, with emphasis on resource protection and public safety. We would 
maintain the Complex as resources allow. The Complex would continue to 
include a combined staff of 30 full-time employees.

Alternative B--Increased Management (Proposed Alternative)

    The proposed action (Alternative B) was selected by the Service as 
the alternative that best signifies the vision, goals, and purposes of 
the Complex. Additionally, this alternative was developed based on 
public input and the best professional judgment of the planning team. 
Under Alternative B, the emphasis would be on restoring and improving 
Complex resources needed for wildlife and habitat management and 
providing enhanced appropriate and compatible wildlife-dependent public 
use opportunities, while addressing key issues and individual refuge 
mandates.
    This alternative would focus on augmenting wildlife and habitat 
management to identify, conserve, and restore populations of native 
fish and wildlife species, with an emphasis on migratory birds and 
threatened and endangered species. This would partially be accomplished 
by increased monitoring of waterfowl, other migratory and resident 
birds, and endemic species in order to assess and adapt management 
strategies and actions. Additionally, information gaps would be 
addressed by the initiation of baseline surveying, periodic monitoring, 
and ultimately the addition of adaptive habitat management.
    Habitat management programs for impoundments, beaches, wetlands, 
open waters, forested habitats, scrub/shrub habitats, grasslands, and 
open lands would be re-evaluated and we would develop step-down 
management plans to meet the foraging, resting, and breeding 
requirements of priority species. Additionally, monitoring and adaptive 
habitat management would be implemented to potentially counteract the 
impacts associated with long-term climate change and sea level rise.
    The control of invasive and exotic plant species would be more 
aggressively managed by implementing a management plan, completing a 
baseline inventory, supporting research, and through strategic 
mechanical and chemical means. Additionally, we would utilize this 
management plan and monitoring to enhance efforts to control/remove 
invasive, exotic, and nuisance animals on the refuges.
    Alternative B enhances each refuges' visitor services opportunities 
(except for Tybee NWR, which would remain closed to the public) by: (1) 
Improving the quality of fishing opportunities; (2) streamlining quota 
hunt process and where possible evaluating the options of allowing the 
use of crossbows and creating additional hunting opportunities; and (3) 
maintaining and where possible expanding environmental education 
opportunities. Volunteer programs and friends groups would be expanded 
to enhance all aspects of refuge management and to increase resource 
availability. We would evaluate the possibility of utilizing a 
concessionaire at Pinckney NWR to implement a tram tour that would 
provide a means for access and participation by patrons with mobility 
issues.
    Under this alternative, the priority of land acquisition at Harris 
Neck NWR would be to acquire lands from willing sellers that could 
provide resource and public use values. These lands could be acquired 
by fee title purchase, donation, mitigation purchase and transfer, or 
other viable means. This would include an investigation into expanding 
the current acquisition boundary. At Savannah NWR, the focus would 
increase on acquiring lands from willing sellers by any viable means 
that could provide resource and public use values.
    Law enforcement activities to protect archaeological and historical 
sites and provide visitor safety would be intensified. The allocation 
of an additional law enforcement officer for the Complex would provide 
security for cultural resources, but would also ensure visitor safety 
and public compliance with refuge regulations.
    Administration plans would stress the need for increased 
maintenance of existing infrastructure and construction of new 
facilities. Funding for new construction projects would be balanced 
between habitat management and public use needs. An additional staff 
position would be required to accomplish the goals of this alternative. 
Personnel priorities would include employing an environmental education 
coordinator, law enforcement officers/park rangers, a volunteer 
coordinator, biological technicians, maintenance workers, refuge 
managers, refuge assistant managers, and a geographic information 
systems specialist. The increased budget and staffing levels would 
better enable the Complex to meet the obligations of wildlife 
stewardship, habitat management, and public use.

Alternative C--Minimal Intervention

    Under Alternative C, the management of Complex resources would be 
employed to allow natural succession to take place, while maintaining 
the

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current slate of public use opportunities. All purposes of the refuges 
and mandated monitoring of Federal trust species and archaeological 
resources would be continued, but other wildlife management would be 
mostly performed on an incidental basis.
    This alternative would utilize a custodial habitat management 
strategy. Impoundments, beaches, wetlands, open waters, forested 
habitats, scrub/shrub habitats, grasslands, and open lands would not be 
actively managed and would allow natural disturbance to maintain 
succession, unless the habitat primarily focuses on the needs of 
threatened and endangered species or the needs of priority species, 
such as migratory birds. Fire management would be reduced to include 
wildfire response only.
    We would continue mandated activities for protection of federally 
listed species. Conservation of federally listed threatened and 
endangered species would be continued primarily through established 
partnership and research projects.
    Current management of migratory birds would continue to provide 
suitable habitat for waterfowl. Climate control changes and sea level 
rise would continue to be monitored on an opportunistic basis, with 
very little or no adaptive habitat management. We would control 
invasive and exotic plant and animal species on an opportunistic basis 
as resources allow. This limited control would be performed by chemical 
and/or mechanical means, but would remain intermittent. We would 
maintain the current levels of wildlife-dependent recreation 
activities. Public use facilities would continue to be maintained, as 
would the current visitor services program.
    Law enforcement officers would be added to the staff to increase 
emphasis on resource protection and public safety. This includes being 
designated to uphold current regulations and for protection of 
wildlife, visitors, and cultural and historical resources. We would 
maintain the Complex as resources allow. No additional land acquisition 
would be pursued under this alternative.

Next Step

    After the comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and 
address them.

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 19, 2010.
Mark J. Musaus,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-22965 Filed 9-14-10; 8:45 am]
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