[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 93 (Friday, May 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 30603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11940]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


Fish and Wildlife Service

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, DOI.

ACTION: Notice of intent to Prepare comprehensive conservation plans, 
conduct Wilderness/Wild and Scenic River Reviews, and develop 
compatibility determinations for Cedar Island and Pea Island National 
Wildlife Refuges in North Carolina.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Southeast Region, intends to gather information necessary to 
prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans for the management of the 
above stated refuges, while at the same time conduct Wilderness/Wild 
and Scenic river Reviews, and develop Compatibility Determinations for 
each refuge. The notice is being furnished in compliance with the 
Service's Comprehensive Conservation Planning Policy and the National 
Environmental Policy Act and implementing regulations.
    Public Scoping meetings will be held for these refuges as the 
planning processes are initiated. An announcement of the meeting dates 
will appear in the Federal Register.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before July 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for information concerning these 
refuges may be addressed to: D.A. Brown, M.S., P.W.S., 1106 West Queen 
Street, P.O. Box 329, Edenton, North Carolina 27932, (252) 482-2364.
    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 D.A. Brown directly at the 
above address. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to Mr. Brown at 
1106 West Queen Street, Edenton, North Carolina. 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 respondents 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: It is the policy of the Fish and Wildlife 
Service to have all lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System 
managed in accordance with an approved Comprehensive Conservation Plan. 
The plan guides management decisions and identifies the goals, 
objectives, and strategies for achieving refuge purposes. Public input 
into this planning process is encouraged. The plan will provide other 
agencies and the public with a clear understanding of the desired 
conditions of the refuge and how the Service will implement the 
management strategies. Some of the issues to be addressed in these 
plans include the following:
    (a) Public use management;
    (b) Habitat management;
    (c) Wildlife population management; and
    (d) Cultural resource identification and protection.
    Alternatives that address the issues and management strategies 
associated with these topics will be included in the environmental 
documents.
    Pre-planning for both Cedar Island and Pea Island National Wildlife 
Refuges began in January 2000. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge was 
established by Presidential Executive Order 7864 in April 1938, as a 
refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife; and 
Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge was authorized by the Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act in August 1964, for use as an inviolate 
sanctuary, or for other management purposes, for migratory birds.

    Dated: May 5, 2000.
Judy L. Jones,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-11940 Filed 5-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M