[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42873-42874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20479]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Federal Grant Use by the Wisconsin Department of Natural 
Resources

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior, lead; Wisconsin Department 
of Natural Resources, cooperating.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service (Service) intends to conduct a 30-day scoping period to solicit 
public comments for a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decision 
on whether to continue awards for two Federal grants which are funded 
under the comprehensive management plan (CMP) grant option, as 
described in the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (WR) and 
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (SFR) (16 U.S.C. 669 et. seq. 
and 16 U.S.C. 777 et. seq.), and the cumulative effects of activities 
that are funded under the Federal grants.
    Comments are being sought in order to decide whether to prepare an 
Environmental Assessment or to utilize a categorical exclusion. The 
primary focus for this review is to address statewide cumulative and 
secondary effects of activities conducted by the WDNR that are funded 
under WR Grant Number W-160-P and SFR Grant Number F-95-P and 
administered by the Service's Region 3 Federal Aid Division. A 
secondary focus is to address the processes used by the WDNR to select 
and complete those activities. Each individual project, or group of 
projects, will continue to receive site specific NEPA review when it is 
submitted for funding. Therefore the scope of this review is broad and 
directed at impacts that may not be detected with individual projects 
along

[[Page 42874]]

with consideration of the overall planning system utilized by WDNR. 
Comments on site specific projects are not within the scope of this 
review, although comments regarding the effects of different types of 
projects would be appropriate. The Service may choose to analyze the 
impacts of the two Federal grants separately because their intended 
purposes are different. The Service is using this scoping notification 
as it considers approving continuation of the CMP option for the next 
five years.
    Administration of these grants uses management systems identified 
in the Grant Proposal consistent with a Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Plan 
that generally identifies fish and wildlife program direction in 
Wisconsin and types of activities that may constitute projects subject 
to an annual application for funds process. The comprehensive 
management system is described in the Grant Proposal which includes a 
description of the WDNR strategic planning process, operational 
planning process and their control/evaluation process. This notice is 
being furnished as provided for by the NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 
and 1508.22). The intent of this notice is to obtain suggestions and 
additional information from other agencies and the public on the scope 
of issues to be considered. Comments and participation in this scoping 
process are solicited.

DATES: Written comments should be received on or before September 14, 
2001.
    Public Involvement: The public is invited to participate in the 
scoping process. Written scoping comments should be received within 30 
days from the date of publication of this Notice of Intent. All 
comments received from individuals become part of the official public 
record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance with 
the Freedom of Information Act and the Council on Environmental 
Quality's NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)]. 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. If a respondent would 
like us to withhold his/her name and/or address, this must be stated 
prominently at the beginning of the comment.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to: Scoping Comments, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Division of Federal Aid, Bishop Henry Whipple 
Federal Building, 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, MN 55111; telephone: 
(612) 713-5130. Electronic mail comments may also be submitted within 
the comment period to: [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Sweet (Sport Fish Restoration) 
or Fabian Romero, (Wildlife Restoration, Wildlife Conservation and 
Restoration) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Aid Division, 1 
Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, MN 55111; telephone: (612) 713-5130.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The WDNR has utilized SFR and WR funds since 
Congress enacted the programs in 1956 and 1937, respectively. This will 
be the first year that WDNR will use Wildlife Conservation and 
Restoration (WCR) funds which Congress approved for a one-year period 
during the Federal fiscal year beginning October 1, 2000. The public is 
requested to inform the Service of concerns regarding the WDNR 
management systems, their administration of the comprehensive 
management system grants in Wisconsin, and the cumulative effects of 
activities funded under these Federal grants.
    The WDNR has administered its SFR grant program using the CMP 
option for the past 16 years and WR grant program using the CMP option 
for the past 11 years. WDNR began administering the WCR grant program 
using the CMP option July 1, 2001. During the past 16 years the WDNR 
conducted numerous public information and input processes, as well as 
Service review regarding its programs, including: the development and 
periodic revision of a Strategic Plan; development of a Fisheries, 
Wildlife and Habitat Management Plan for Wisconsin; numerous basin, 
area, waterbody, and property master plans; use of biennial work 
planning processes; program and management reviews; financial audits 
and periodic field reviews conducted jointly by WDNR and Service staff 
regarding implementation of the CMP.
    Some projects that will be subject to NEPA review as part of the 
annual grant process will be conducted on lands that might be eligible 
for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The National 
Historic Preservation Act and other laws require that these properties 
and resources be identified and considered in project planning. The 
public is requested to inform the Service of concerns about 
archeological sites, buildings and structures, historic events, sacred 
and traditional areas, and other historic preservation concerns.

    Dated: August 1, 2001.
Charlie M. Wooley,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Region 3, Fort 
Snelling, MN.
[FR Doc. 01-20479 Filed 8-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P