[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 195 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 59862]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25681]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans for 
Reelfoot, Lake Isom, Chickasaw, Lower Hatchie, and Hatchie National 
Wildlife Refuges, and Sunk Lake Public Use Natural Area in Tennessee

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Southeast Region, intends to gather information necessary to 
prepare comprehensive conservation plans and associated environmental 
documents pursuant to the Service's Comprehensive Conservation Planning 
Policy and 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.
    Public scoping meetings will be held as follows:

Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, Sunk Lake Public Use Natural 
Area, Thursday, October 26, 2000, 7 P.M., Community Conference Room, 
Baptist Memorial Hospital, 1995 Highway 51 South, Covington, Tennessee 
38019.
Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge, Thursday, November 2, 2000, 7 P.M., 
Multi-Purpose Room, Tennessee Technology Center, 127 Industrial Drive, 
Ripley, Tennessee 38063.
Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, Monday, November 6, 2000, 7 P.M., 
Brownsville-Haywood County Chamber of Commerce, 121 West Main, 
Brownsville, Tennessee 38012.
Reelfoot and Lakes Isom National Wildlife Refugees, Tuesday, November 
14, 2000, 7 P.M., Ellington Center, Route 1, Box 2345, Tiptonville, 
Tennessee 38079, (Located on Highway 21-22, approximately 2 miles east 
of Tiptonville at the State Park Visitor Center.)

DATES: Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
publication.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for more information to the 
following: Rob Martin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 309 N. Church 
Street, Room 201, Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024, (901) 287-0650, (901) 
286-0468 (Fax).
    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 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 public use management, habitat 
management, wildlife population management, and 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 each of the above stated national wildlife 
refuges, as well as the public use natural area, began in January 2000. 
Reelfoot Refuge was established in 1941 under terms of a 75-year 
cooperative agreement with the State of Tennessee. Lake Isom Refuge was 
established by a Presidential Proclamation in 1938. Chickasaw Refuge 
was established August 5, 1985, by the Migratory Bird Conservation 
Commission, as was Lower Hatchie Refuge in 1980, and Hatchie Refuge in 
1964. Sunk Lake Public Use Natural Area was purchased in 1986 by the 
Natural and Cultural Areas Acquisition Fund. Reelfoot, Lake Isom, 
Chicasaw, and Lower Hatchie Refuges were established for use as 
inviolate sanctuaries, or for any other management purpose, for 
migratory birds. Hatchie Refuge was established to provide habitat for 
wintering and migrating waterfowl, particularly dabbling ducks. The 
Fish and Wildlife Service manages the Sunk Lake Public Use Natural Area 
in accordance with State Natural Area rules of the Tennessee Department 
of Conservation.

    Dated: September 28, 2000.
H. Dale Hall,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 00-25681 Filed 10-5-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M