[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 106 (Friday, June 3, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-13529]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 3, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment and 
Land Protection Plan Proposed Establishment of Key Cave National 
Wildlife Refuge Lauderdale County, Alabama

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment 
and Land Protection Plan for the Proposed Establishment of Key Cave 
National Wildlife Refuge.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Southeast Region, proposes to establish a national wildlife 
refuge in the vicinity of Lauderdale County, Alabama. The purpose of 
the proposed refuge is to protect and manage up to 2,300 acres of land 
to ensure the biological integrity of Key Cave, which has been 
designated by the Service as critical habitat for the endangered 
Alabama cavefish and as a priority one maternity cave for the 
endangered gray bat. A Draft Environmental Assessment and Land 
Protection Plan for the proposed refuge has been developed by Service 
biologists in coordination with the Tennessee Valley authority, the 
State of Alabama, the Soil Conservation Service, The Conservation Fund, 
the Wildlife Enhancement Council, and Monsanto, Inc. The assessment 
considers the biological, environmental, and socioeconomic effects of 
establishing the refuge. The assessment also evaluates three 
alternative actions and their potential impacts on the environment. 
Written comments or recommendations concerning the proposal are 
welcomed and should be sent to the address below.

DATES: Land acquisition planning for the project is currently underway. 
The draft assessment and land protection plan will be available to the 
public for review and comment on June 13, 1994. Written comments must 
be received no later than July 29, 1994, to be considered.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for copies of the assessment and 
further information should be addressed to Mr. Charles R. Danner, 
Chief, Branch of Project Development, Office of Refuges and Wildlife, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, 
Georgia 30345.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The primary objective of the proposed Key 
Cave National Wildlife Refuge are to (1) protect habitat for threatened 
and endangered species, (2) promote habitat for threatened and 
endangered species, (2) promote habitat for a natural diversity of 
wildlife, (3) enhance habitat for nongame migratory birds, and (4) 
provide opportunities for compatible outdoor recreation and 
environmental education and interpretation.

    The proposed refuge area is located in northwest Alabama, about 5 
miles southwest of Florence, the county seat and largest city in 
Lauderdale County. The cave lies on the northern shore of Pickwick Lake 
in a limestone karst area that contains numerous sinkholes and several 
underground cave systems. The area's sinkholes form an integral part of 
the groundwater recharge to the caves.
    The proposed refuge would consist of about 1,500 acres of land 
acquired in fee title, with an additional 800 acres of sinkholes in the 
cave's recharge area protected through conservation easements with 
willing landowners.
    The major wildlife values are the two endangered species which 
inhabit Key Cave: the Alabama cavefish (Speoplatyrhinus poulsom) and 
the gray bat (Myotis grisescens). Key Cave is used as a summer 
maternity cave by the gray bat. Because of its highly specific habitat 
and roost requirements, fewer than 5 percent of the available caves in 
the animal's range are suitable for gray bat occupation. The flightless 
young bats roost in Key Cave from late May to mid-July, and thousands 
could die from a single human disturbance or act of vandalism.
    The Alabama cavefish has been found to exist only in Key Cave. Just 
nine specimens are known to exist in scientific collections. No other 
populations of this species are known. Based on its apparent 
distribution, the number of specimens collected, and the number of 
individuals observed, this small fish appears to be the rarest of 
American cavefish and one of the rarest of all freshwater fish. Its 
habitat in Key Cave is threatened by human disturbance, groundwater 
degradation, alternations in the area's drainage and hydrologic 
patterns, lowered groundwater levels, and diminished organic matter 
inputs.
    Both the Gray Bat Recovery Plan and the Alabama Cavefish Recovery 
Plan identify land acquisition as the primary means for protecting Key 
Cave, and both list that protection as a priority one task. Because the 
proposed Key Cave refuge is identified as critical habitat for the 
Alabama cavefish and as a priority one maternity cave for the gray bat, 
land acquisition would be sought under the authority of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543).

    Dated: May 19, 1994.
John R. Eadie,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 94-13529 Filed 6-2-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M