Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu County, HI; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment, 71598-71600 [2011-29795]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 223 (Friday, November 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71598-71600]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29795]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R1-R-2010-N248; 1265-0000-10137-S3]


Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Honolulu County, HI; Final 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact 
for Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of the final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and a 
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the CCP for Pearl Harbor 
National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). The CCP describes how we will manage 
the Refuge for the next 15 years.

DATES: The FONSI was signed on September 30, 2010. The CCP and FONSI 
are available now. Implementation of the CCP can begin immediately.

ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the Final CCP and FONSI/EA 
by any of the following methods. You may request a hard copy or CD-ROM.
    Agency Web site: Download a copy of the document(s) at https://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning/main/docs/HI-PI/docsjcpearl.htm.
    Email: Laura_Beauregard@fws.gov. Include ``Pearl Harbor final 
CCP'' in the subject.
    Mail: O`ahu National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 66-590 Kamehameha 
Highway, Room 2C, Hale`iwa, HI 96712.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Ellis, Project Leader, (808) 
637-6330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for the Refuge. We 
started this process through a notice in the Federal Register (73 FR 
72826; December 1, 2008). We released the Draft CCP/EA to the public, 
announcing and requesting comments in a notice of availability in the 
Federal Register (75 FR 56130; September 15, 2010).
    Pearl Harbor Refuge is located on the southern coast of the island 
of O`ahu and is comprised of three units, the Honouliuli Unit, Waiawa 
Unit, and Kalaeloa Unit. The Honouliuli and Waiawa units are wetland 
units located on the shores of Pearl Harbor. The 37-acre Honouliuli 
Unit and 25-acre Waiawa Unit were established in 1972 to protect and 
enhance habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds. Habitats found on 
these units include open water, freshwater marsh, mudflat, grassland, 
and shrubland. The units provide important breeding, feeding, and 
resting areas for endangered waterbirds, a variety of migratory 
waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wetland birds. Neither unit is open to 
the general public; however, a grade school wetland education program 
is administered under a special use permit at the Honouliuli Unit.

[[Page 71599]]

    The 38-acre Kalaeloa Unit is a coastal unit on O`ahu's southwestern 
point, and was once part of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station (NAS) 
within the arid `Ewa Plains. When the NAS closed in 2001, the unit was 
established to protect and enhance habitat for the endangered `Ewa 
hinahina plant. The unit contains the largest remnant stand of `Ewa 
hinahina and a repatriated population of `akoko, another endangered 
plant. We manage the unit's plant populations by planting native plant 
species and controlling invasive plants. The unit also contains exposed 
ancient coral shelf, rocky shoreline, and unique anchialine pool 
microhabitats. These small brackish/saltwater pools are found in the 
raised limestone coral reef, and are connected to the ocean via tiny 
subterranean cracks and crevices within the coralline substrate. 
Anchialine pools support unique insects, plants, and animals, including 
two imperiled species of native shrimp. The Refuge's volunteer program 
includes college-level education programs and habitat restoration 
activities on the unit. The Kalaeloa Unit is closed to the general 
public.
    We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the 
final CCP for the Refuge in accordance with National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6(b)) requirements. We completed a 
thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment, which we 
included in the Draft CCP/EA.
    The CCP will guide us in managing and administering the Refuge for 
the next 15 years. Alternative B, as we described in the final CCP, is 
the foundation for the CCP.

Background

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge Administration Act), as amended by the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the Alaska 
National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 (94 Stat. 2371; 
ANILCA) require us to develop a CCP for every 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. We will review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in 
accordance with the Administration Act and ANILCA.

CCP Alternatives, Including Selected Alternative

    We identified several issues in our Draft CCP/EA. To address the 
issues, we developed and evaluated two alternatives, a brief summary of 
each one follows.
    Alternative A is the no-action alternative. Under Alternative A, we 
would continue current management activities. On the wetlands of the 
Honouliuli and Waiawa units, we would continue to control predators and 
manage and protect habitat for endangered Hawaiian waterbirds, as part 
of the Statewide effort to implement the Hawaiian Waterbird Recovery 
Plan. Control of invasive plant species would be modest, and intensive 
predator control would continue. On the Kalaeloa Unit, we would 
continue to restore and manage endangered plants and control invasive 
plants at the current level. Protection would continue for 14 existing 
anchialine pools on the Kalaeloa Unit, but no additional pools would be 
protected. We would continue to cooperate with the Bishop Museum to 
catalog avian and other fossil remains from the pools.
    Under both alternatives entry into the fenced portions of the 
Refuge units would continue by special use permit. The Betty Bliss 
Memorial Overlook would be constructed outside of the Honouliuli Unit's 
fence, to provide new year-round interpretation, wildlife viewing, and 
photography opportunities. The coastal foot trail outside of the 
Kalaeloa Unit's fence would remain open to the public for shoreline 
fishing. Both alternatives would protect threatened and endangered 
species and cultural resources.
    Under Alternative B, the selected alternative, we would focus 
management efforts at the Kalaeloa Unit on increasing the restoration 
of native and rare coralline plain habitat. We would increase the 
existing 25-acre restoration area to 37 acres. Controlling and reducing 
invasive plants, and establishing native plants would be emphasized. We 
would protect 14 existing anchialine pools, identify additional pool 
sites for potential restoration, and continue with translocation of 
endangered Hawaiian damselflies (pinapinao) to suitable habitat in the 
anchialine pools. We would develop a foot trail system for guided 
tours. We would expand volunteer, research, and environmental education 
opportunities, including working with partners such as the Bishop 
Museum and the Smithsonian Institution to pursue an in-depth 
paleontological study of the entire unit.
    On the Honouliuli and Waiawa units, under Alternative B, we would 
increase wetland management to improve the units' overall capacity to 
support endangered waterbirds. Water level and vegetation management 
and invasive species control, including predator control, would be 
improved as part of the Statewide effort to implement the Hawaiian 
Waterbird Recovery Plan. On the Honouliuli Unit we would remove exotic 
mangrove on 5 acres to improve and maintain intertidal mudflat habitat. 
We would also determine the feasibility of installing a predator-proof 
fence. At the Waiawa Unit we would work with partners and neighbors to 
determine the feasibility of developing an additional overlook.

Comments

    We solicited comments on the Draft CCP/EA from August 16, 2010, to 
September 15, 2010. We received 2 comment letters on the Draft CCP/EA 
during the review period. We incorporated these comments into the CCP 
when possible, and we responded to the comments in an appendix to the 
CCP.

Selected Alternative

    After considering the comments we received, we selected Alternative 
B for implementation. Under the selected alternative we will:
     Increase rare coralline plain habitat restoration at the 
Kalaeloa Unit.
     Control and reduce invasive plants and establish native 
plants.
     Develop a foot trail system for guided tours.
     Protect 14 existing anchialine pools, identify additional 
pool sites for potential restoration, and continue translocating 
endangered Hawaiian damselflies (pinapinao) to suitable habitat in the 
anchialine pools.
     Expand volunteer, research, and environmental education 
opportunities, including working with partners.
     Increase our level of wetland management on the Honouliuli 
and Waiawa units to improve the units' overall capacity to support 
endangered waterbirds.
     Improve water level and vegetation management, and 
invasive species control, including predator control, as part of the 
Statewide effort to implement the Hawaiian Waterbird Recovery Plan.
     Remove exotic mangrove on 5 acres of the Honouliuli Unit 
to improve and maintain intertidal mudflat habitat.
     Determine the feasibility of installing a predator-proof 
fence.

[[Page 71600]]

     Work with partners and neighbors on the Waiawa Unit to 
determine the feasibility of developing an additional overlook.

Public Availability of Documents

    In addition to the methods in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain 
documents on our Web site at https://www.fws.gov/pearlharbor/planning.html, and at the following libraries during regular library 
hours: Hawai`i State Library, 478 S. King St., Honolulu, HI 96813, 
telephone number (808) 586-3500; and Pearl City Public Library, 1138 
Waimano Home Road, Pearl City, HI 96782, telephone number (808) 453-
6566.

    Dated: November 4, 2011.
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 2011-29795 Filed 11-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P