[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20680-20681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10142]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Creating the Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge, 
Mississippi

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved 
creating the Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) from the 
existing Black Bayou Unit of the Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge 
in Grenada, Quitman, and Tallahatchie Counties, Mississippi, to 
eliminate public confusion and to assist in the Service's 
administration and management activities. No other changes are 
proposed.

DATES: This action was effective on January 30, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Thompson, Regional Chief, 
National Wildlife Refuge System, in Atlanta, Georgia, 404-679-7152.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 30, 2001, the Director of the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved creating the Coldwater River 
NWR from the existing Black Bayou Unit of the Tallahatchie National 
Wildlife Refuge in Grenada, Quitman and Tallahatchie Counties, 
Mississippi, to eliminate public confusion and to assist in the 
Service's administration and management activities.
    The Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1991 
with the acquisition of two separate units--the Bear Lake Unit and the 
Black Bayou Unit. The two units are located in a rural area about 30 
miles apart, with a total work area that spreads across approximately 
126 miles.
    Previously we jointly administered these units, even though they 
had different public use programs, geographic work areas, and habitat 
management needs that resulted in significantly different goals and 
objectives for each unit. Joint administration made our biological 
assessments, public use reviews and the comprehensive conservation 
planning process more difficult and complex.
    For example, because it is surrounded by lands owned or leased for 
waterfowl hunting, the Coldwater River NWR (formerly the Black Bayou 
Unit of the Tallahatchie NWR) is intensively managed and is closed to 
public access. The Bear Lake Unit is larger and is open for public 
hunting. However, the similarity of names and closeness in proximity of 
the two units often resulted in confusion to the public.
    Establishing the Coldwater River NWR from the existing Black Bayou 
Unit of the Tallahatchie NWR eliminates these problems. This action 
will allow the lands and programs of both the Tallahatchie NWR (Bear 
Lake Unit) and the Coldwater River NWR to be managed and administered 
more efficiently, will identify the two units by their major 
geographical features (the Tallahatchie River and the Coldwater River), 
and should eliminate confusion when we inform the public of our 
management activities on each refuge.


[[Page 20681]]


    Authority: National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act of 1966, 
as amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd-ee).

    Dated: January 30, 2001.
Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 01-10142 Filed 4-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P