Huron Wetland Management District, Madison Wetland Management District, and Sand Lake Wetland Management District, SD; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment, 63326-63327 [2012-25337]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2012 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
Wildland Fire Executive Council
Meeting Schedule
Office of the Secretary, Interior.
Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
requirements of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App., 2, the
U.S. Department of the Interior, Office
of the Secretary, Wildland Fire
Executive Council (WFEC) will meet as
indicated below.
DATES: The next meeting will be held on
November 2, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern Time in
the McArdle Room (First Floor
Conference Room) in the Yates Federal
Building, USDA Forest Service
Headquarters, 1400 Independence Ave.
SW., Washington, DC 20250.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Shari Eckhoff, Designated Federal
Officer, 300 E. Mallard Drive, Suite 170,
Boise, Idaho 83706; telephone (208)
334–1552; fax (208) 334–1549; or email
Shari_Eckhoff@ios.doi.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The WFEC
is established as a discretionary
advisory committee under the
authorities of the Secretary of the
Interior and Secretary of Agriculture, in
furtherance of 43 U.S.C. 1457 and
provisions of the Fish and Wildlife Act
of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a–742j), the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the
National Wildlife Refuge System
improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C.
668dd–668ee), and the National Forest
Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C.
1600 et seq.) and in accordance with the
provisions of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C.
App. 2. The Secretary of the Interior and
Secretary of Agriculture certify that the
formation of the WFEC is necessary and
is in the public interest.
The purpose of the WFEC is to
provide advice on coordinated nationallevel wildland fire policy and to provide
leadership, direction, and program
oversight in support of the Wildland
Fire Leadership Council. Questions
related to the WFEC should be directed
to Shari Eckhoff (Designated Federal
Officer) at Shari_Eckhoff@ios.doi.gov or
(208) 334–1552 or 300 E. Mallard Drive,
Suite 170, Boise Idaho, 83706–6648.
Meeting Agenda: The meeting agenda
will include: (1) Welcome and
introduction of Council members; (2)
Overview of prior meeting and action
tracking; (3) Members’ round robin to
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SUMMARY:
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share information and identify key
issues to be addressed; (4) Wildland Fire
Management Cohesive Strategy; (5)
Wildland Fire Issues; (6) Council
Members’ review and discussion of subcommittee activities; (7) Future Council
activities; (8) Public comments which
will be scheduled for 11:30 on each
agenda; (9) and closing remarks.
Participation is open to the public.
Public Input: All WFEC meetings are
open to the public. Members of the
public who wish to participate must
notify Shari Eckhoff at
Shari_Eckhoff@ios.doi.gov no later than
the Friday preceding the meeting. Those
who are not committee members and
wish to present oral statements or obtain
information should contact Shari
Eckhoff via email no later than the
Friday preceding the meeting.
Depending on the number of persons
wishing to comment and time available,
the time for individual oral comments
may be limited.
Questions about the agenda or written
comments may be emailed or submitted
by U.S. Mail to: Department of the
Interior, Office of the Secretary, Office
of Wildland Fire, Attention: Shari
Eckhoff, 300 E. Mallard Drive, Suite
170, Boise, Idaho 83706–6648. WFEC
requests that written comments be
received by the Friday preceding the
scheduled meeting. Attendance is open
to the public, but limited space is
available. Persons with a disability
requiring special services, such as an
interpreter for the hearing impaired,
should contact Ms. Eckhoff at (202)
527–0133 at least seven calendar days
prior to the meeting.
Dated: October 5, 2012.
Shari Eckhoff,
Designated Federal Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012–25402 Filed 10–15–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–J4–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R6–R–2008–N0186; FF06R06000 134
FXRS1265066CCP0]
Huron Wetland Management District,
Madison Wetland Management District,
and Sand Lake Wetland Management
District, SD; Final Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and Finding of No
Significant Impact for Environmental
Assessment
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
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availability of our final comprehensive
conservation plan (CCP) and finding of
no significant impact (FONSI) for the
environmental assessment (EA)
involving Huron, Madison, and Sand
Lake Wetland Management Districts
(Districts). In this final CCP, we describe
how we will manage these three
Districts for the next 15 years.
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 at https://mountainprairie.fws.gov/planning.
Email: bernardo_garza@fws.gov.
Include ‘‘Huron Wetland Management
District, Madison Wetland Management
District, Sand Lake Wetland
Management District final CCP’’ in the
subject line of the message.
Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Division of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box
25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver,
Colorado 80225.
In person Viewing or Pickup: call
303–236–4377 to make an appointment
during regular business hours at 134
Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood,
Colorado 80228.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bernardo Garza, 303–236–4377,
(phone); bernardo_garza@fws.gov
(email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP
process for Huron Wetland Management
District, Madison Wetland Management
District, Sand Lake Wetland
Management District. We started this
process through a notice in the Federal
Register (73 FR 53439, September 16,
2008). We released the draft CCP and
the EA to the public, announcing and
requesting comments in a notice of
availability in the Federal Register (76
FR 65525, October 21, 2011).
Huron Wetland Management District
was established in 1992 encompassing
lands that were previously under the
management of both the Lake Andes
and Sand Lake Wetland Management
Districts. Madison Wetland
Management District was established in
1969. Sand Lake Wetland Management
District was established in 1961. These
Districts lie in eastern South Dakota,
within the highly productive Prairie
Pothole region. These Districts are three
of six existing Districts in South Dakota,
and together manage more than 1.5
million acres of land within the 27county planning area. A mosaic of
primarily tallgrass and mixed-grass
prairies dotted with many small lakes
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 200 / Tuesday, October 16, 2012 / Notices
and semipermanent or permanent
wetlands, interspersed among
agricultural lands, comprise most of the
Districts.
These diverse prairie habitats provide
for a myriad of waterfowl, waterbird,
and neotropical migratory bird species,
resident white-tailed deer, as well as
federally listed species such as
whooping and sandhill cranes, least
terns, and piping plovers in the eastern
portion of the districts to pronghorn,
mule deer, and prairie chicken, among
others, in the westernmost portion of
the planning area. Native fish such as
walleye and lake trout, as well as a large
variety of other smaller native fish
species, share this environment with
sport fishes such as smallmouth and
largemouth bass, bluegill and northern
pike.
Wetland drainage and tiling, as well
as prairie conversion to crop
production, pose some of the greatest
challenges to the wildlife and native
plant species of this region of the
Central Flyway.
The Districts were created to
administer the Small Wetlands
Acquisition Program to protect wetlands
from various threats—particularly
drainage. Grassland easements were
included in this program in 1991. The
purpose of the Districts is ‘‘to assure the
long-term viability of the breeding
waterfowl population and production
through the acquisition and
management of waterfowl production
areas, while considering the needs of
other migratory birds, threatened and
endangered species, and other wildlife.’’
This purpose statement was developed
for all Region 6 wetland management
districts.
Despite the decentralized nature of
the lands managed by the three districts,
it is estimated that annual visitation to
all three districts’ lands totaled more
than 240,000 visitor-days, with nearly
75 percent of this visitation involving
local residents and the remaining 25
percent from visitors from outside of the
planning area. Hunting accounted for
nearly 80 percent of the total visitation,
followed by fishing with nearly 12
percent, and non-consumptive uses,
such as bird watching and wildlife
photography, accounting for less than
eight percent. Trapping is also a popular
activity among visitors to the Districts.
The Districts have been historically
managed for migratory birds, with an
emphasis on waterfowl species.
Management techniques include
prescribed burning, cattle grazing,
invasive species control, and water level
management in wetlands with water
control structures. Past management has
included installing some water control
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:06 Oct 15, 2012
Jkt 229001
structures and constructing channels
used to divert water. The planning area
is a popular area for research by the
Service and local universities, as well as
state and other partners, given its
diversity of wildlife and plants.
We announce our decision and the
availability of the FONSI for the final
CCP for the Huron Wetland
Management District, Madison Wetland
Management District, and Sand Lake
Wetland Management District 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 EA that
accompanied the draft CCP.
The CCP will guide us in managing
and administering Huron Wetland
Management District, Madison Wetland
Management District, and Sand Lake
Wetland Management District 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, requires us to develop a
CCP for each unit of the National
Wildlife Refuge System (System). The
purpose for developing a CCP is to
provide refuge managers with a 15-year
plan for achieving their unit’s purposes
and contributing toward the mission of
the 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 and photography,
and environmental education and
interpretation. We will review and
update the CCP at least every 15 years
in accordance with the Refuge
Administration Act.
CCP Alternatives, Including Selected
Alternative
Our draft CCP and our EA addressed
and evaluated three management
alternatives. Alternative A, Current
Management, would have maintained
the current management activities of
each of the three Districts. Alternative B,
Increased Efficiency, would seek the
development and implementation of an
improved, science-based priority system
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
63327
to restore native prairie habitats.
Alternative C, Increased Efficiency with
Expanded Resources, would follow the
same prioritization system for
restoration and management as under
Alternative B, but it would be based on
projected staffing and funding increases.
Comments
We solicited comments on the draft
CCP and the EA for Huron, Madison,
and Sand Lake Wetland Management
Districts from October 21, 2011 to
November 21, 2011 (76 FR 65525,
October 21, 2011). The Service received
9 comments during the public review
period. All of those comments were
thoroughly evaluated by the planning
team. However none of the comments
caused substantial changes to the CCP.
Selected Alternative
After considering the comments we
received, we have selected Alternative B
for implementation. This alternative,
also known as Increased Efficiency,
would emphasize developing and
implementing an improved, sciencebased priority system to restore native
prairie habitats for the benefit of
waterfowl and other migratory birds.
Districts staffs will focus on high
priority tracts and, when possible, on
medium-priority tracts. The focus of this
will be to restore ecological processes
and native grassland species to the
greatest extent possible within the
parameters of available resources and
existing budgetary and staffing
constraints. The Districts’ staffs will
seek to maintain the existing levels and
types of public use programs, ensuring
that programs offered to the public are
of consistently high quality.
Dated: September 12, 2012.
Steve Guertin,
Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region,
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012–25337 Filed 10–15–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLAZ956000.L14200000.BJ0000.241A]
Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey;
Arizona
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Filing of Plats of
Survey; Arizona.
AGENCY:
The plats of survey of the
described lands were officially filed in
the Arizona State Office, Bureau of Land
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\16OCN1.SGM
16OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 200 (Tuesday, October 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63326-63327]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25337]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-R-2008-N0186; FF06R06000 134 FXRS1265066CCP0]
Huron Wetland Management District, Madison Wetland Management
District, and Sand Lake Wetland Management District, SD; Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact
for Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental
assessment (EA) involving Huron, Madison, and Sand Lake Wetland
Management Districts (Districts). In this final CCP, we describe how we
will manage these three Districts for the next 15 years.
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 at https://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/planning.
Email: bernardo_garza@fws.gov. Include ``Huron Wetland Management
District, Madison Wetland Management District, Sand Lake Wetland
Management District final CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge Planning,
P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225.
In person Viewing or Pickup: call 303-236-4377 to make an
appointment during regular business hours at 134 Union Boulevard, Suite
300, Lakewood, Colorado 80228.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernardo Garza, 303-236-4377, (phone);
bernardo_garza@fws.gov (email).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Huron Wetland
Management District, Madison Wetland Management District, Sand Lake
Wetland Management District. We started this process through a notice
in the Federal Register (73 FR 53439, September 16, 2008). We released
the draft CCP and the EA to the public, announcing and requesting
comments in a notice of availability in the Federal Register (76 FR
65525, October 21, 2011).
Huron Wetland Management District was established in 1992
encompassing lands that were previously under the management of both
the Lake Andes and Sand Lake Wetland Management Districts. Madison
Wetland Management District was established in 1969. Sand Lake Wetland
Management District was established in 1961. These Districts lie in
eastern South Dakota, within the highly productive Prairie Pothole
region. These Districts are three of six existing Districts in South
Dakota, and together manage more than 1.5 million acres of land within
the 27-county planning area. A mosaic of primarily tallgrass and mixed-
grass prairies dotted with many small lakes
[[Page 63327]]
and semipermanent or permanent wetlands, interspersed among
agricultural lands, comprise most of the Districts.
These diverse prairie habitats provide for a myriad of waterfowl,
waterbird, and neotropical migratory bird species, resident white-
tailed deer, as well as federally listed species such as whooping and
sandhill cranes, least terns, and piping plovers in the eastern portion
of the districts to pronghorn, mule deer, and prairie chicken, among
others, in the westernmost portion of the planning area. Native fish
such as walleye and lake trout, as well as a large variety of other
smaller native fish species, share this environment with sport fishes
such as smallmouth and largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike.
Wetland drainage and tiling, as well as prairie conversion to crop
production, pose some of the greatest challenges to the wildlife and
native plant species of this region of the Central Flyway.
The Districts were created to administer the Small Wetlands
Acquisition Program to protect wetlands from various threats--
particularly drainage. Grassland easements were included in this
program in 1991. The purpose of the Districts is ``to assure the long-
term viability of the breeding waterfowl population and production
through the acquisition and management of waterfowl production areas,
while considering the needs of other migratory birds, threatened and
endangered species, and other wildlife.'' This purpose statement was
developed for all Region 6 wetland management districts.
Despite the decentralized nature of the lands managed by the three
districts, it is estimated that annual visitation to all three
districts' lands totaled more than 240,000 visitor-days, with nearly 75
percent of this visitation involving local residents and the remaining
25 percent from visitors from outside of the planning area. Hunting
accounted for nearly 80 percent of the total visitation, followed by
fishing with nearly 12 percent, and non-consumptive uses, such as bird
watching and wildlife photography, accounting for less than eight
percent. Trapping is also a popular activity among visitors to the
Districts.
The Districts have been historically managed for migratory birds,
with an emphasis on waterfowl species. Management techniques include
prescribed burning, cattle grazing, invasive species control, and water
level management in wetlands with water control structures. Past
management has included installing some water control structures and
constructing channels used to divert water. The planning area is a
popular area for research by the Service and local universities, as
well as state and other partners, given its diversity of wildlife and
plants.
We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the
final CCP for the Huron Wetland Management District, Madison Wetland
Management District, and Sand Lake Wetland Management District 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 EA that accompanied the
draft CCP.
The CCP will guide us in managing and administering Huron Wetland
Management District, Madison Wetland Management District, and Sand Lake
Wetland Management District 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, requires us to
develop a CCP for each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System
(System). The purpose for developing a CCP is to provide refuge
managers with a 15-year plan for achieving their unit's purposes and
contributing toward the mission of the 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 and
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Refuge Administration Act.
CCP Alternatives, Including Selected Alternative
Our draft CCP and our EA addressed and evaluated three management
alternatives. Alternative A, Current Management, would have maintained
the current management activities of each of the three Districts.
Alternative B, Increased Efficiency, would seek the development and
implementation of an improved, science-based priority system to restore
native prairie habitats. Alternative C, Increased Efficiency with
Expanded Resources, would follow the same prioritization system for
restoration and management as under Alternative B, but it would be
based on projected staffing and funding increases.
Comments
We solicited comments on the draft CCP and the EA for Huron,
Madison, and Sand Lake Wetland Management Districts from October 21,
2011 to November 21, 2011 (76 FR 65525, October 21, 2011). The Service
received 9 comments during the public review period. All of those
comments were thoroughly evaluated by the planning team. However none
of the comments caused substantial changes to the CCP.
Selected Alternative
After considering the comments we received, we have selected
Alternative B for implementation. This alternative, also known as
Increased Efficiency, would emphasize developing and implementing an
improved, science-based priority system to restore native prairie
habitats for the benefit of waterfowl and other migratory birds.
Districts staffs will focus on high priority tracts and, when possible,
on medium-priority tracts. The focus of this will be to restore
ecological processes and native grassland species to the greatest
extent possible within the parameters of available resources and
existing budgetary and staffing constraints. The Districts' staffs will
seek to maintain the existing levels and types of public use programs,
ensuring that programs offered to the public are of consistently high
quality.
Dated: September 12, 2012.
Steve Guertin,
Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region, U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-25337 Filed 10-15-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
