[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 83 (Friday, April 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 24976]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-10682]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan for 
Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge in Concordia Parish, Louisiana

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service intends to gather information necessary to prepare a 
comprehensive conservation plan 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) To obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to 
include in the environmental documents.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before June 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for more information to the 
following: Refuge Manager, Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge, 
P.O. Box 1772, Ferriday, Louisiana 71334, (318) 336-7119.
    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: Jerome 
[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 Bayou 
Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge 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 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: By Federal law, all lands within the 
National Wildlife Refuge System are to be managed in accordance with an 
approved comprehensive conservation plan. These plans will guide 
management decisions and identify refuge goals, long-range objectives, 
and strategies for achieving refuge purposes. The planning process will 
consider many elements, including habitat and wildlife management, 
habitat protection and acquisition, public use, and cultural resources. 
Public input into this planning process is essential. Plans will 
provide other agencies and the public with a clear understanding of the 
desired conditions for the refuge and how the Service will implement 
management strategies.
    Review of this project 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 CFR parts 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.
    We estimate that the draft environmental documents will be 
available for public review by August 2000.

    Dated: April 20, 2000.
H. Dale Hall,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-10682 Filed 4-27-00; 8:45 am]
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