Fish and Wildlife Service February 3, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) are soliciting project proposals for Federal assistance under the Tribal Landowner Incentive Program (TLIP). The Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 allocated $ 21,694,365 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for conservation grants to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and Tribes under a Landowner Incentive Program. The Service has targeted $2,126,048 for TLIP.

This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to gather information necessary to prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP) and Environmental Assessments (EA) for the following National Wildlife Refuges: Rice Lake NWR in Aitkin and Pine Counties, Minnesota and Mille Lacs NWR in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, which are managed by Rice Lake NWR staff, and Horicon NWR in Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties, Wisconsin and Fox River NWR in Marquette County, Wisconsin, which are managed by Horicon NWR staff. The CCPs will describe how we intend to manage the refuges for the next 15 years. The Service is furnishing this notice in compliance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Open house style meetings and possibly focus group meetings and workshops will be held during the scoping phase of the CCP development process to obtain additional suggestions and information on the scope of alternatives and impacts to be considered. In addition, the Service is inviting comments on archeological, historic, and traditional cultural sites in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act. Cultural resource overview studies will be conducted to identify known historic and cultural sites on the refuges. Special mailings, newspaper articles, Internet postings, and other media announcements will inform people of the opportunities for written comments.