[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30687-30688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4913]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation 
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Alligator River National Wildlife 
Refuge in Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft 
CCP/EA) for the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge are available 
for review and comment. This Draft CCP/EA was prepared pursuant to the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended, and the 
National Environmental Policy Act. The Draft CCP/EA describes the 
Service's proposal for management of the refuge for 15 years.

DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal or electronic 
addresses listed below no later than June 29, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Draft CCP/EA should be addressed 
to: Bonnie Strawser, CCP, Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, 
P.O. Box 1969, Manteo, North Carolina 27954; Telephone 252/473-1131, 
extension 230. Comments on the draft plan may be submitted to the above 
address or via electronic mail to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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-668ee), requires the 
Service to develop a plan for each refuge. The purpose in developing a 
comprehensive conservation plan is to provide refuge managers with a 
15-year strategy for

[[Page 30688]]

achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with sound principles of 
fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and Service 
policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on 
conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including 
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife 
photography, environmental education and interpretation.
    The staffing and funding for Alligator River National Wildlife 
Refuge support both Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife 
Refuges as a complex.

Alternatives

    The Service developed and analyzed three alternatives for managing 
the refuge and chose Alternative 2 as the proposed alternative.The 
proposed action is to adopt and implement a comprehensive conservation 
plan for the refuge that best achieves the refuge's purpose, vision, 
and goals; contributes to the National Wildlife Refuge System mission; 
addresses the significant issues and relevant mandates; and is 
consistent with principles of sound fish and wildlife management.
    Alternative 1 is a proposal to maintain the current management. The 
refuge currently manages its impoundments intensively by managing water 
levels and vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating 
waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and aquatic organisms. It also 
manages marshes and pine forests with prescribed fire. The staff 
surveys waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds on a routine basis. The 
refuge allows the six priority public use activities: Hunting, fishing, 
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education 
and interpretation. The staff conducts extensive environmental 
education and interpretation programs with the assistance of 10,000 
hours of volunteer service every year.Tthe total complex staff consists 
of 26 positions, with 19.7 of these assigned to manage Alligator River 
Refuge. The staff manages the refuge from a rented building in Manteo, 
10 miles east of the refuge.
    Alternative 2, the proposed alternative, proposes moderate program 
increases. The refuge would continue to manage its impoundments 
intensively by managing water levels and vegetation to create optimum 
habitat for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and aquatic 
organisms. The marshes and pine forests would be managed with 
prescribed fire. The staff would inventory and monitor fire-dependent 
habitats to document their conditions and assess the effectiveness of 
management. Waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds would be surveyed 
on a routine basis. The staff would also document the presence of 
wildlife species as they are found and document the density of 
invertebrates in moist-soil units. The refuge would allow the six 
priority public use activities: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, 
wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation. 
The staff would conduct extensive environmental education and 
interpretation programs with the assistance of 12,000 hours of 
volunteer service every year. Programs would be conducted on the refuge 
and in the newly constructed visitor center. Under this alternative, 
the refuge staff would be increased by 7.05 positions, for a total of 
26.75 positions to manage Alligator River Refuge. The staff would 
manage the refuge from a Service-owned building in Manteo, 10 miles 
east of the refuge.
    Alternative 3 proposes substantial program increases. The refuge 
would continue to manage its impoundments intensively by managing water 
levels and vegetation to create optimum habitat for migrating 
waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and aquatic organisms. It also 
would manage marshes and pine forests with prescribed fire and 
deciduous forests with thinning. The staff would inventory and monitor 
all habits to document their conditions and assess the effectiveness of 
management. All wildlife species would be surveyed on a routine basis. 
The staff would also document the presence of wildlife species as they 
are found and document the density of invertebrates in moist-soil 
units. The refuge would allow the six priority public use activities: 
hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and 
environmental education and interpretation. The staff would conduct 
extensive environmental education and interpretation programs with the 
assistance of 15,000 hours of volunteer service every year. The staff 
would conduct programs on the refuge and in the newly constructed 
visitor center. Under the alternative, the refuge staff would be 
increased by 17.75 positions, for a total of 37.45 positions to manage 
Alligator River Refuge. The staff would manage the refuge from a 
Service-owned building in Manteo, 10 miles east of the refuge.
     Meetings will be held in Manns Harbor, North Carolina, to present 
the Draft CCP/EA to the public. Mailings, newspaper articles, and 
postings on the refuge website will be the avenues to inform the public 
of the dates and times of the meetings. After the review and comment 
period for the Draft CCP/EA, all comments will be analyzed and 
considered by the Service. All comments received from individuals on 
the Draft CCP/EA become part of the official public record. Requests 
for such comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of 
Information Act and Service and Departmental policies and procedures.
    Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, in northeast North 
Carolina, consists of 152,260 acres in fee simple ownership. On the 
refuge, 38,533 acres are pond pine shrub pocosin, 30,400 acres are pond 
pine cane pocosin, 25,204 acres are brackish marsh, 12,236 acres are 
non-alluvial hardwood forest, 11,380 acres are mixed pine hardwood 
forest, and 8,468 acres are Atlantic white cedar swamp. These habitats 
support a variety of wildlife species, including red wolves, red-
cockaded woodpeckers, waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, marsh birds, 
and neotropical migratory songbirds.
    The refuge hosts more than 100,000 visitors annually who 
participate in hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife 
photography, and environmental education and interpretation.

    Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 
105-57.

    Dated: April 10, 2006.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 06-4913 Filed 5-26-06; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M