[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 183 (Wednesday, September 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56784-56785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-21268]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 
Environmental Assessment and Announcement of a Public Scoping Meeting 
for Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Marin County, CA

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

ACTION: Notice of intent and announcement of a public scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is preparing a 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) 
for Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). This notice 
advises the public that the Service intends to gather information 
necessary to prepare a CCP and EA pursuant to the National Wildlife 
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended, and the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The public and other agencies are 
encouraged to participate in the planning process by sending written 
comments on courses of action that the Service should consider and 
potential impacts that could result from CCP implementation on the 
Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, the public and 
other agencies are encouraged to attend the public scoping meeting. The 
Service is also furnishing this notice in compliance with the Service 
CCP policy to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues 
to include in the EA.

DATES: To ensure that the Service has adequate time to evaluate and 
incorporate suggestions and other input into the planning process, 
comments should be received on or before November 8, 2004. A public 
scoping meeting to solicit comments on the contents of the CCP and the 
vision of the Refuge for the next 15 years will be held on October 19, 
2004 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Marin Center in San Rafael, 
California (address follows).

ADDRESSES: Send written comments or requests to be added to the mailing 
list to the following address: Winnie Chan, Refuge Planner, Marin 
Islands NWR, San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, P.O. 
Box 524, Newark, California 94560. Written comments may also be faxed 
to (510) 792-5828.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christy Smith, Refuge Manager, (707) 
562-3000, or Winnie Chan, Refuge Planner, (510) 792-0222.

[[Page 56785]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Wildlife Refuge System 
Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge 
System Improvement Act of 1997, mandates that all lands within the 
National Wildlife Refuge System are to be managed in accordance with an 
approved CCP. The CCP will guide management decisions for the next 15 
years and identify refuge goals, long-range objectives, and management 
strategies for achieving these objectives. The planning process will 
consider many elements, including habitat and wildlife management, 
habitat protection, recreational use, and environmental effects. Public 
input into this planning process is very important. The CCP will 
provide other agencies and the public with a clear understanding of the 
desired conditions for the Refuge and how the Service will implement 
management strategies.
    Comments received will be used to develop goals, key issues 
evaluated in the NEPA document, and habitat management strategies. All 
comments received, including names and addresses will become part of 
the administrative record and may be made available to the public. 
Opportunities for public participation will occur throughout the 
process. The address for the scoping meeting is the Marin Center at 10 
Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, California, 94903. Persons needing 
reasonable accommodations in order to attend and participate in the 
public scoping meeting should contact the Refuge Planner at (510) 792-
0222 sufficiently in advance of the meeting to allow time to process 
the request.
    The Service will send Planning Updates to people who are interested 
in the CCP process. These mailings will provide information on how to 
participate in the CCP process. The CCP is expected to be completed in 
early 2006. Interested federal, state, and local agencies, Tribes, 
organizations, and individuals will be contacted for input.

Background

    The Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge is located off the 
shoreline of the City of San Rafael, Marin County, in San Pablo Bay. 
The 339-acre Refuge of tidelands and two islands was established in 
1992 ``* * * for the development, advancement, management, 
conservation, and protection of fish and wildlife resources * * *'' The 
Marin Islands are jointly owned by the California Department of Fish 
and Game, California State Lands Commission, and the Fish and Wildlife 
Service. The Fish-and-Game-owned lands are designated as a State 
Ecological Reserve and the Service-owned lands are designated as a 
National Wildlife Refuge. The Service provides day-to-day management of 
the entire Marin Islands NWR and State Ecological Reserve under the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended.
    The Refuge supports one of the largest heron and egret colonies in 
northern California. The primary purpose of the Refuge is ``to protect 
an important existing egret and heron rookery on West Marin Island and 
to increase colonial nesting bird use on East Marin Islands,'' as 
described in the 1992 Environmental Assessment.
    A draft CCP and NEPA document is expected to be available for 
public review and comment in mid-2005.

Ken McDermond,
Acting Manager, CA/NV Operations, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 04-21268 Filed 9-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P