[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 187 (Friday, September 26, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55650-55651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-24344]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental 
Assessment for Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island National 
Wildlife Refuges

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that 
the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental 
Assessment (EA) is available for Eastern Shore of Virginia and 
Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). This Draft CCP/EA is 
prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 
Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), and the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and describes how the Service intends 
to manage the refuges over the next 15 years.

DATES: You must submit comments on the Draft CCP/EA by November 10, 
2003. Dates and locations of the public meetings are as follows: 
Wednesday, October 8, 6:30-9 p.m. at The Lake Wright Quality Inn and 
Sleep Inn on 6280 Northampton Blvd., Norfolk, Virginia; and Thursday, 
October 9, 2-4 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m. in the Northampton High School 
auditorium, 16041 Courthouse Road, Eastville, Virginia.

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: Beth Goldstein, Team Leader, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 
01035, or e-mail comments to [email protected] with the subject 
line stating ``Eastern Shore of Virginia and Fisherman Island NWRs.''

ADDRESSES: Copies of this Draft CCP/EA are available on compact 
diskette or hard copy, and may be obtained by writing: Beth Goldstein, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, 
Massachusetts 01035, or e-mail requests to [email protected]. 
Copies of this document may also be accessed at the website address 
http://northeast.fws.gov/planning.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Beth Goldstein, Team Leader/Regional 
Planner; (413) 253-8564, e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Draft CCP/EA evaluates four alternative 
ways of meeting refuge purposes and goals and of addressing key 
management issues. In addition to outlining broad management direction 
on conserving wildlife and their habitats, each alternative identifies 
wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, 
including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and 
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. 
Alternative A describes current management on the refuges and serves as 
a baseline against which the other three alternatives are compared. 
Alternative B is the Service's Proposed Action, and Alternatives C and 
D are additional alternatives considered in the planning process. 
Public comment is being solicited on all alternatives. Based on the 
analysis documented in this Draft CCP/EA, the Region 5 Regional 
Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will select a 
preferred alternative to be fully developed into a CCP for the refuges. 
A CCP is required by the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 
Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq). The purpose of 
developing CCPs is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy 
for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of 
the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles 
of fish and wildlife science, conservation, legal mandates, and Service 
policies. The CCP will be reviewed and updated at least every 15 years 
in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 
Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), and the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
    The Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR consists of 1,120 acres. The 
refuge was created in 1984, when 180 acres were transferred to the 
Service from the U.S. Air Force through the General Services 
Administration. The refuge contains a variety of habitats, such as 
maritime forest, myrtle and bayberry thickets, grassland, fresh and 
brackish ponds, tidal salt marsh and beach. The refuge and its 
adjoining woodlands are regarded as one of the most important migratory 
bird corridors along the East Coast, comparable to the better known 
Cape May, New Jersey. This importance stems from the fact that the 
Delmarva Peninsula acts as a geographic funnel for migratory birds in 
the fall. It is on the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR where millions of 
migratory birds rest and feed until favorable winds blow to assist them 
in crossing the Chesapeake Bay. The refuge was established 
administratively through the following general legislative authorities:
    Transfer of Certain Real Property for Wildlife Conservation 
Purposes Act (16 U.S.C. 667b-667d): ``authorizing land to be 
transferred without reimbursement to the Secretary of the Department of 
the interior (DOI) if the land had particular value for migratory 
birds.''
    Refuge Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 460k-460k-4): ``authorizing 
acquisition of lands and interests suitable for: (1) Fish and wildlife-
oriented recreation, (2) protection of natural resources, and (3) 
conservation of endangered or threatened species.* * *''
    Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715-715d, 715e, 715f-
715r): ``Authorizing the acquisition of land ``* * * for use as an 
inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory 
birds.''
    Fisherman Island NWR is the southernmost barrier island in 
Virginia. It is separated from the Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR by 
approximately a half-mile of sea called Fisherman's Inlet. Accretion 
continues to expand the island's size, currently estimated at 1,850 
acres. The refuge was established in 1969 and transferred to DOI by 
1973. Habitat succession has formed a mosaic of vegetative communities. 
The variety of habitats combined with the geographic location of the 
island, the accessibility of food, protective shrub and thicket cover, 
and minimal human disturbance make this island an important stopover 
location for migratory birds. Fisherman Island, however, is not 
undisturbed. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (Bridge-Tunnel), which 
links mainland Virginia to the eastern shore, cuts through the western 
part of the island. Fisherman Island Refuge was established 
administratively through the following legislation:
    Transfer of Certain Real Property for Wildlife Conservation 
Purposes Act (16 U.S.C. 667b-667d): ``authorizing land to be 
transferred without reimbursement to the Secretary of DOI if the land 
has particular value for migratory birds.''
    Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715-715d, 715e, 715f-
715r): authorizing the acquisition of land ``* * * for use as an 
inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory 
birds.''
    The following is a list of key issues and a description of how each 
issue was addressed across alternatives.
    Wise Point boat ramp: When the United States acquired the former 
Wise Point property in December 2001, it inherited a private boat ramp 
which

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provides the only access to deep water on the southern tip of the 
Delmarva Peninsula. The boat ramp is unsafe in its current condition 
and therefore was closed in June 2002 to everyone except 21 commercial 
watermen who were paying a commercial rate to the Wise Point 
Corporation, the former owners. Recreational anglers who have used the 
boat ramp in the past are anxious for the boat ramp to reopen. In all 
alternatives, the Service proposes to open the boat ramp to 
recreational and commercial users. In Alternative A, the Service would 
manage the boat ramp much as it was managed by the Wise Point 
Corporation. The Service would not make improvements to the boat ramp 
area and would allow 24-hour access for commercial watermen who apply 
for a special use permit. In all other alternatives, the Service would 
improve the parking lot and boat ramp and reserve parking spaces for 
commercial watermen. Over time, the Service would phase out docking, 
24-hour access and reserved parking privileges for commercial watermen. 
Alternatives C and D propose scaling down the size of the parking lot 
from 75 spaces (Alternative B, the Preferred Alternative) to 35 and 25 
spaces, respectively.
    Firearms range: An inholding adjacent to the refuge and owned by 
Northampton County is home to a firearms range used for law enforcement 
personnel from Federal, State and County agencies. There are elevated 
levels of contaminants in the range area. Noise generated from firearms 
has the potential to conflict with the visitor experience. In all 
Alternatives, the Service would continue to work with partners to find 
an alternate, off-refuge site for the firearms range. Refuge staff 
would also continue to maintain the firearms range and schedule use so 
as not to conflict with environmental education programs. In 
alternatives B, C and D, the Service would also work with Northampton 
County to implement modern practices for firearms range management such 
as controlling surface runoff and leachate from the berm and 
periodically removing contaminated soils.
    Communications tower: Verizon Virginia, Inc., owns a 299-foot 
communications tower on the refuge. The tower supports in-house radio 
communications for Verizon and refuge staff. The communications tower 
could cause bird strikes and the tower does not conform to current 
Service guidance on communications tower siting. Adjacent to the tower 
is a switching station that houses underground communications lines 
which cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and head north to Cape 
Charles. The lease on both the tower and the switching station expires 
in 2007. In all alternatives, the Service proposes not to renew the 
lease for the tower. Verizon would be responsible for removing the 
tower once the lease expires. In Alternative B, the Service would work 
with Verizon to assess the need for continued use of the switching 
station.
    Land acquisition: In alternative A, the Service would continue to 
acquire from willing sellers the remaining 310 acres of land within 
Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR's current approved acquisition boundary. 
In Alternatives B, C, and D the Service proposes to expand the 
acquisition boundary to include 6,030 acres.

    Dated: March 20, 2003.
Richard O. Bennett,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, 
Massachusetts.
[FR Doc. 03-24344 Filed 9-25-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M