[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4855-4856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1441]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment and 
Land Protection Plan for the Proposed Establishment of Green River 
National Wildlife Refuge, Henderson County, KY

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment 
and Land Protection Plan for the proposed establishment of Green River 
National Wildlife Refuge.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Southeast Region, proposes to establish a new national 
wildlife refuge in the Scuffletown Bottoms area in Henderson County, 
Kentucky. The purpose of the proposed refuge is to protect, restore and 
manage a valuable complex of wetland habitats for the benefit of 
migrating and wintering waterfowl, non-game land birds, and other 
native fish and wildlife. A Draft Environmental Assessment and Land 
Protection Plan for the establishment of the proposed refuge has been 
prepared by Service biologists in coordination with the Kentucky 
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The assessment considers the 
biological, environmental, and socioeconomic effects of establishing 
the refute and evaluates three alternative actions and their potential 
impacts on the environment. Written comments or recommendations 
concerning the proposal are welcomed and should be sent to the address 
given below.

DATES: Land acquisition planning for the project is currently underway. 
The draft environmental assessment and land protection plan will be 
available to the public for review and comment on January 22, 2001. 
Written comments must be received no later than March 9, 2001, in order 
to be considered for the preparation of the final environmental 
assessment.

[[Page 4856]]


ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any 
of several methods. You may mail your comments to Mr. Charles R. 
Danner, Team Leader, Planning and Support Team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia 30345. You may hand-
deliver your comments to Mr. Danner at the same address. Or you may 
submit your comments by telephone at 1-800-419-9582. 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 
record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There also 
may be circumstances in which we would withhold from the 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 and businesses, available 
for public inspection in their entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposal would establish a national 
wildlife refuge on up to 23,000 acres of wetlands and bottomland 
hardwoods along the confluence of the Green and Ohio Rivers in 
Henderson County, Kentucky. The Service is proposing to establish the 
refuge through a combination of fee title purchases from willing 
sellers and leases, conservation easements, or cooperative agreements 
from willing landowners.
    The goals of the proposed refuge would be to provide (1) Habitat 
for migrating and wintering waterfowl, (2) habitat for non-game land 
birds, (3) habitats for a natural diversity of fish and wildlife, (4) 
nesting habitat for wood ducks and other locally nesting migratory 
waterfowl, (5) quality hunting and sportfishing opportunities, and (6) 
opportunities for environmental education, interpretation, and 
wildlife-oriented recreation.

    Dated: January 5, 2001.
Sam D. Hamilton,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 01-1441 Filed 1-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M