Establishment of Bear River Watershed Conservation Area, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah, 93951 [2016-30826]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 246 (Thursday, December 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 93951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-30826]



[[Page 93951]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-R-2016-N139; FF06R06000-FXRS12610600000-178]


Establishment of Bear River Watershed Conservation Area, Idaho, 
Wyoming, and Utah

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (Service) has established the Bear River Watershed Conservation 
Area, the 565th unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The 
Service established the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area on June 
28, 2016, with the donation of approximately 30 acres in Box Elder 
County, Utah.

ADDRESSES: A map depicting the approved Refuge boundary and other 
information regarding the Refuge is available on the Internet at 
https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/refuges/lpp_brr.php.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toni Griffin, Planning Team Leader, 
Refuge Planning Branch, USFWS, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225; 
303-236-4378.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service established the Bear River 
Watershed Conservation Area, which encompasses more than 4.5 million 
acres in the States of Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah, in 2013. The 
establishment of the conservation area authorizes the Service to work 
in partnership with private landowners to conserve wildlife habitat 
through perpetual easements. Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Bear 
River Migratory Bird Refuge, Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife 
Refuge, and Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area are previously 
established National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System) units 
within the watershed that are largely owned in fee-title. Along with 
the existing refuge units in the watershed, the conservation area 
supports more than 200 species of birds, particularly migratory birds 
within the Central and Pacific Flyways. The conservation area also 
provides habitat and important migratory linkages for many mammals, 
such as elk and pronghorn; and its rivers and lakes support a number of 
native fish species, such as Bonneville cutthroat trout. The Bear River 
is the largest surface water source for the Great Salt Lake ecosystem 
and is the meeting point of the Great Basin and Southern Rockies in the 
region. The Service will work with conservation partners and landowners 
to protect priority habitat for priority native species such as the 
American avocet, Bonneville cutthroat trout, greater sage-grouse, and 
sage thrasher on up to 920,000 acres in the 4.5-million-acre watershed. 
This goal will be accomplished primarily through the purchase of 
perpetual conservation easements from willing sellers in Idaho, 
Wyoming, and Utah.
    The Service recognizes the importance of working with private 
landowners and other partners for mutual conservation interests. 
Farming and ranching have played an essential role in conserving 
valuable fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Bear River watershed.
    The establishment of the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area 
allows the Service to purchase conservation easements using the 
acquisition authority of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 
742a-j). The federal money used to acquire conservation easements is 
primarily from the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 460l-4 through 11) (derived primarily from oil and 
gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, motorboat fuel taxes, and 
the sale of surplus Federal property). Additional funding to acquire 
lands, water, or interests for fish and wildlife conservation purposes 
could be identified by Congress or donated by nonprofit organizations.
    The Service has involved the public, agencies, partners, and 
legislators throughout the planning process for the easement program. 
At the beginning of the planning process, the Service initiated public 
involvement for the proposal to protect habitats primarily through 
acquisition of conservation easements for management as part of the 
Refuge System. The Service spent time discussing the proposed project 
with landowners; conservation organizations; Federal, State and County 
government agencies; Tribes; and other interested groups and 
individuals in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah. These open houses were 
announced in local media.
    In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Service prepared an environmental 
assessment (EA) that evaluated two alternatives and their potential 
impacts on the project area. The Service released the draft EA and land 
protection plan (LPP), on November 28, 2012, for a 32-day public review 
period. The draft documents were made available to federal elected 
officials and agencies, state elected officials and agencies, Native 
American Tribes with aboriginal or tribal interests, and other members 
of the public that were identified during the scoping process that 
included six public meetings. The Service held six additional open-
house public meetings to discuss the draft EA and LPP on December 4, 
2012 in Logan, Utah; December 5, 2012 in Randolph, Utah; December 6, 
2012 in Montpelier, Idaho; December 7, 2012 in Preston, Idaho; December 
10, 2012 in Cokeville, Wyoming; and December 11, 2012 in Evanston, 
Wyoming. These meetings were announced in advance in local media. 
Approximately 213 landowners, citizens, and elected representatives 
attended the meetings. The Service received 19 letters from agencies, 
organizations, and other entities, and 260 general public comments. 
After all comments were received, they were reviewed and incorporated 
into the EA and administrative record.
    Based on the documentation contained in the EA, a Finding of No 
Significant Impact was signed on February 27, 2013, and approval from 
Director Dan Ashe was received on May 1, 2013, for the establishment of 
the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area.

    Dated: August 15, 2016.
Matt Hogan,
Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-30826 Filed 12-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P