[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 6, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-16247]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: July 6, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Record of Decision for Walnut Creek National Wildlife
Refuge Master Plan, Jasper County, IA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Services, U.S. Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice makes available to the public a summary of the
Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Master Plan for the Walnut
Creek National Wildlife Refuge, located in Jasper County, Iowa.
Establishment of the 8,654-acre Refuge was approved on September 5,
1990. Federal funding for design, construction, and operation of the
Refuge is provided through appropriations by the U.S. Congress.
Pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1505.2), the
Service issues this ROD upon consideration of the Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) prepared for the Proposed Action. The U.S.
Department of Army, Corps of Engineers (USCOE), acting as a cooperating
agency in the preparation of the FEIS also adopts the FEIS and ROD as
its NEPA documentation.
A Notice of Availability of the FEIS was published by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register on July 23,
1993.
The FEIS evaluated alternatives for four elements of the Master
Plan: habitat/wildlife emphasis, management, programs, and facilities
siting. Based upon an evaluation of the impacts of the various
alternatives on the physical, biological, social, and economic
environments, the Preferred Alternative was identified. The Preferred
Alternative is a balance of several options and is comprised of the
following elements:
Alternative I.D: Restoration and reconstruction of over 7000
acres of tallgrass prairie/savanna habitat with reintroduction of
bison and elk.
Alternative II.E: Active habitat reconstruction and management
to maximize environmental education.
Alternative III.C: Intermediate refuge program including indoor
and outdoor environmental education programs and facilities, a
visitor center with a tour route and trail system, small laboratory
facilities and overnight accommodations for researchers; and other
opportunities for interpretation and recreational public use.
Alternative IV.B: Consolidated facilities siting the visitor
center, research facilities and maintenance facility in a central
campus.
Other alternatives considered included: the no build alternative,
creation of extensive wetland habitat for waterfowl and fisheries,
limited public use programs and facilities and active prairie
reconstruction to maximize research.
Comments Received
Prior to preparation of the FEIS, the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) on the Proposed Master Plan for the Walnut Creek
National Wildlife Refuge was circulated for public review and comment.
Comments were received from agencies and individuals expressing
concerns about the findings of the DEIS. Issues raised in these
comments included but were not limited to the habitat reconstruction
process including seed sources, the potential for habitat
fragmentation, and the reintroduction of bison and elk; the potential
environmental effects of recreational facilities; the siting of Refuge
facilities to minimize environmental impacts; Section 404 permit
requirements; Refuge access; and historic resource issues. All
substantive issues raised in the comments have been addressed to the
satisfaction of the Service and the USCOE either through revisions
incorporated into the FEIS text or responses contained in Section 6.5
of the FEIS. These responses are incorporated by reference into the
ROD. No comments were received on the FEIS.
Findings and Decision
Based upon a careful review and consideration of the impacts
identified in the FEIS, results of the various studies and surveys
conducted in conjunction with the DEIS and FEIS, public comments
received on the DEIS, and other relevant factors, including the
purposes for which the Refuge was established by Congress and statutory
and regulatory guidance for funding such projects, the Service, with
concurrence by the USCOE, finds as follows:
(1) The Preferred Alternative consists of the programs and
facilities mentioned above.
(2) The Preferred Alternative represents the best balance between
provision of environmental education, interpretive, recreational, and
research facilities and programs, minimization of environmental
impacts, and public and agency concerns identified during the public
participation process.
(3) Consistent with economic, social, and other essential
considerations, to the maximum extent practicable, potential adverse
environmental effects identified in the FEIS will be minimized or
avoided by incorporating mitigative measures as conditions of Federal
funding approval and permit issuance. These measures are described in
Section 4.0 of the FEIS.
(4) A wetland mitigation plan providing in-kind and on-site
replacement for unavoidable adverse impacts to existing wetlands has
been developed and will be implemented, resulting in no net loss of
wetland habitat values over time. Specific details regarding the
mitigation plan have been developed through the Section 404 permit
process.
(5) No state or federally listed endangered or threatened species
or their critical habitats are known to be adversely affected by the
project.
(6) No historic properties listed in or eligible for listing in the
National Register of Historic Places are known to be adversely affected
by the project.
(7) Statutory authority for the Service to fund and implement, and
for the USCOE to permit, the project exists.
(8) The requirements of NEPA and the implementing regulations (40
CFR Parts 1500-1508) have been satisfied.
The ROD serves as the written facts and conclusions relied upon in
reaching this decision. A complete copy of the ROD is filed at the
Refuge together with the other NEPA documents. For further information
contact: Mr. Richard M. Birger, Refuge Manager, Walnut Creek National
Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 399, Prairie City, Iowa 50228. Telephone:
(515) 994-2415.
Dated: June 22, 1994.
Thomas J. Kerze,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 94-16247 Filed 6-5-94; 8:45 am]
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