[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 79 (Monday, April 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21784-21785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10085]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans for 
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, Indian River County, Florida, 
and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Brevard and Indian River 
Counties, Florida, and Notice of Meeting To Seek Public Participation

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service intends to gather information necessary to prepare 
comprehensive conservation plans and associated environmental documents 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and implementing 
regulations to achieve the following:
    (1) Advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and
    (2) Obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to 
include in the environmental documents.

DATES: The Service will hold its first public scoping meeting on 
Wednesday, May 3, 2000, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Parrish Center, 
3780 Highway AIA, Melbourne, Florida. Special mailings, newspaper 
articles and announcements will inform people in the general refuge 
areas of the times and places of other meetings planned to seek public 
involvement. The Service plans to hold at least five public meetings 
during May and June 2000.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for more information to: 
Natural Resource Planner, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 
Complex, P.O. Box 6504, Titusville, Florida 32782-6504, (321) 861-0667.
    If you wish to comment, you may submit Your comments by any one of 
several methods. You may mail comments to the above address. You may 
also comment via the Internet to the following address: 
[email protected]. Please submit Internet comments as an ASCII 
file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. 
Please also include your name and return address in your Internet 
message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system that we 
have received your Internet message, contact us directly at Merritt 
Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex at the above address. Finally, 
you may hand-deliver comments to the Refuge Complex at the above 
address. Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours.
    Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home 
address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to the extent 
allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would 
withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity, as 
allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, 
you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. 
However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We

[[Page 21785]]

will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: It is the policy of the Fish and Wildlife 
Service to manage all lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System 
in accordance with an approved comprehensive conservation plan. These 
plans outline a vision for each refuge; guide management decisions; and 
outline goals, objectives and strategies to achieve the visions and 
purposes of each refuge unit. The plans will provide other agencies and 
the public with an understanding of the management strategies to be 
implemented.
    The Service has initiated planning for Pelican Island National 
Wildlife Refuge for the conservation and enhancement of its natural 
resources. Encompassing approximately 5,000 acres and including 
designations as a National Historic Landmark, a National Wilderness 
Area, and a Wetland of International Importance, this refuge is located 
between the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean in southeastern 
Florida, near the city of Sebastian.
    Planning for Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge has been 
initiated for the conservation and enhancement of its natural resources 
as well. This refuge is located along the Atlantic Ocean in 
southeastern Florida, between the cities of Melbourne Beach and Vero 
Beach. While the Service owns or leases approximately 165 acres, the 
State of Florida, Brevard County, and Indian River County account for 
the remainder of the publicly owned lands within the refuge. The refuge 
beaches support loggerhead and green turtle nesting. The Florida scrub 
jay, eastern indigo snake, southeastern beach mouse, and other 
threatened and endangered species also occur within the refuge.
    The Service is especially interested in receiving public input 
during this planning process. Examples of questions to be answered are 
as follows:
    What do you value most about these refuges?
    What problems or issues do you see affecting management or public 
use of these refuges?
    What improvements do you recommend for these refuges?
    What changes, if any, would you like to see in the management of 
these refuges?
    The Service has provided these questions for optional use and has 
no requirement that information be provided.
    Review of these projects will be conducted in accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), National Environmental Policy Act 
Regulations (40 C.F.R. 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal laws and 
regulations, including the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 
Act of 1997, Executive Order 12996, and Service policies and procedures 
for compliance with those regulations.

    Dated: April 18, 2000.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-10085 Filed 4-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M