[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 189 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57560-57561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16044]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental 
Impact Statement for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that a 
Final Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (Conservation Plan) and 
Environmental Impact Statement for Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is 
available for final review and comment before a Record of Decision 
(ROD) is signed. This Conservation Plan was prepared pursuant to the 
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980, the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the 
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as amended. It describes how 
the Service intends to manage Kodiak NWR over the next 15 years.

DATES: Please submit comments on the Final Conservation Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement on or before 30 days from the date of 
publication of this Notice. A ROD will then be signed, and a stand-
alone Conservation Plan will be published.

ADDRESSES: The Conservation Plan is available on compact diskette or 
over the Internet. You may obtain a copy of the CD by writing: Mikel 
Haase, Planning Team Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East 
Tudor Road, MS 231, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503-6199. You may access or 
download the Conservation Plan at: www.r7.fws.gov/nwr/planning/plans.htm. Comments may be sent to the above address or e-mailed to 
[email protected].
    Copies of the Conservation Plan may be viewed at the Kodiak NWR 
office, 1390 Buskin River Road, Kodiak, Alaska; local libraries, and 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Anchorage, 
Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mikel Haase, (907) 786-3402.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Alaska National Interest Lands 
Conservation Act as amended (ANILCA; 16 U.S.C. 140hh-3233, 434 U.S.C. 
1602-1784) requires a conservation plan for all national wildlife 
refuges in Alaska. The Conservation Plan for Kodiak NWR was developed 
consistent with Sec.  304(g) of ANILCA and 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). 
Conservation plans provide refuge managers with a 15-year management 
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. In addition to outlining broad management 
direction on conserving fish and wildlife and their habitats, 
conservation plans identify fish and wildlife-dependent recreational 
opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for 
hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and 
environmental education and interpretation. Conservation plans are 
updated in accordance with planning direction in Sec.  304(g) of 
ANILCA, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-
4370), and Service planning policy.
    Background: On August 19, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt 
established Kodiak NWR by Executive Order 8857 ``* * * for the purpose 
of protecting the natural feeding and breeding ranges of the brown 
bears and other wildlife on Uganik and Kodiak Islands.'' The Alaska 
Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 allowed the conveyance of about 
310,000 acres of Refuge land to Native village corporations.
    On December 2, 1980, ANILCA added about 50,000 acres on Afognak and 
Ban Islands to Kodiak NWR and stated that the Kodiak NWR purposes 
include: to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in 
their natural diversity; to fulfill international treaty obligations of 
the United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats; 
to provide the opportunity for continued subsistence use by local 
residents; and to ensure water quality and necessary water quantity 
within the Refuge.
    Since 1994, the Service has purchased fee title to nearly 174,000 
acres, and conservation or nondevelopment easements have been acquired 
on more than 100,000 acres within the Refuge boundaries. Today, Refuge 
boundaries encompass nearly 1.8 million acres, of which nearly 1.64 
million acres (92 percent) are under Service jurisdiction.
    The original Kodiak Conservation Plan was completed in 1987 
following direction in Section 304(g) of ANILCA. The 1997 Refuge 
Improvement Act includes additional direction for conservation planning 
throughout the Refuge System. This direction has been incorporated into 
national planning policy for the Refuge System, including refuges in 
Alaska. The Revised Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) meets the requirements of both ANILCA and the Refuge 
Improvement Act. It provides broad general direction for managing 
Kodiak NWR for the next 15 years and contains the vision, goals, and 
objectives of the Refuge. Except for alternative ways of addressing the 
issues, this plan substantially follows the direction of the original 
plan. Traditional means of access and uses of the Refuge would be 
maintained under all alternatives.
    Issues raised during scoping and addressed in the Conservation Plan 
are

[[Page 57561]]

(1) how to manage public use, given limited access and projected growth 
in demand, to continue providing opportunities for appropriate and 
quality use while preventing significant impacts to Refuge resources; 
and (2) what types of bear viewing opportunities should be available on 
the Refuge and how should these opportunities be managed while 
protecting bears and their habitats.
    The EIS evaluates four alternatives for management of Kodiak NWR, 
primarily focusing on four areas: (1) Protection of bear concentration 
areas; (2) management of public use cabins; (3) management of camping 
areas; and (4) management of O'Malley River. These alternatives follow 
the same general management direction but provide different ways of 
addressing the issues.
    Alternative A (Current Management): Management of the Refuge would 
continue to follow the 1987 conservation plan and record of decision as 
modified by subsequent step-down plans, including fisheries and public 
use management plans. Private and commercial uses of the Refuge would 
continue at current levels. Refuge management would continue to reflect 
existing laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies governing 
Service administration and operation of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System. Regulations would be adopted to seasonally limit public use 
(only commercial users are currently restricted) of nine bear 
concentration areas; to close two bear denning areas to snowmachine 
use; and to restrict camping near public use cabins and administrative 
facilities. Seven existing public use cabins would be maintained, two 
additional cabins could be constructed, and cabins on newly acquired 
lands could be managed for public use if located on appropriate sites. 
Impacts at heavily used camping areas would be managed by restricting 
use through regulations. The seasonal closure to all users at O'Malley 
River would continue; the site would not be open to bear viewing. 
Refuge lands would continue to be managed under Moderate (44,627 acres) 
and Minimal (1,578,700 acres) management categories, with Special River 
Management as an option for rivers receiving higher levels of public 
use.
    Alternative B: Much of the general management direction in 
Alternative A would continue. Goals and objectives for increasing our 
knowledge of wildlife and habitat needs and relationships would be 
established. Public use monitoring would facilitate wildlife-dependent 
recreation, subsistence, and other traditional uses. Regulations 
proposed in Alternative A would not be promulgated; voluntary 
guidelines for public use of bear concentration areas would be 
developed. These guidelines would replace current use restrictions on 
commercial users. The number of public use cabins would be allowed to 
expand as demand increases, either by constructing new cabins or by 
managing cabins on newly acquired lands for public use. Food storage 
containers, latrines, temporary electric fences, and other minor 
improvements could be provided if needed at popular camping areas to 
reduce impacts. The O'Malley River closure would be modified to allow a 
guide to operate a formal bear viewing program under a refuge special 
use permit. The permit would be awarded competitively. Refuge lands 
would continue to be managed in Moderate and Minimal management 
categories as in Alternative A. The Special River Management category 
would be eliminated.
    Alternative C: Much of the general management direction in 
Alternative A would continue, although some specific directions and 
actions occurring under current management would be altered or not 
pursued in this alternative. As with Alternative B, goals and 
objectives for increasing our knowledge of wildlife and habitat needs 
and relationships would be established. Public use monitoring would 
facilitate wildlife-dependent recreation, subsistence, and other 
traditional uses. Voluntary guidelines for public use of bear 
concentration areas would be developed. These guidelines would replace 
use restrictions on commercial users. Seasonal closure or day-use-only 
restrictions could be proposed for some bear concentration areas, based 
on on-going evaluation of the effectiveness of voluntary use guidelines 
in these areas. Two bear denning areas would be closed to snowmachine 
use by regulation. The public use cabin program would be phased out 
over time. Impacts at heavily used camping areas would be managed by 
restricting use through regulations. Regulations would be adopted to 
restrict camping near public use cabins and administrative facilities. 
The O'Malley River closure would be modified to allow the Service, in 
cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, to operate a 
formal bear viewing program. Bear viewing permits would be awarded to 
individuals by lottery. The Moderate Management category would be 
reduced by 11,192 acres; the acreage in Minimal Management would 
increase by an equivalent amount. The Special River Management category 
would be eliminated.
    Alternative D (Preferred Alternative): Much of the general 
management direction in Alternative A would continue, although some 
specific directions and actions occurring under current management 
would be altered or not pursued in this alternative. As in Alternatives 
B and C, goals and objectives for increasing our knowledge of wildlife 
and habitat needs and relationships would be established. Public use 
monitoring would facilitate wildlife-dependent recreation, subsistence, 
and other traditional uses. Voluntary guidelines for public use of bear 
concentration areas would be developed. These guidelines would replace 
use restrictions on commercial users. Day-use-only restrictions could 
be proposed for some bear-concentration areas based on on-going 
evaluation of the effectiveness of voluntary use guidelines in these 
areas. One bear denning area would be closed to snowmachine use by 
regulation. Seven public use cabins would be maintained, two additional 
cabins could be constructed, and cabins on newly acquired land could be 
managed for public use if located on appropriate sites. Regulations 
would be adopted to restrict camping near public use cabins and 
administrative facilities. Food-storage containers, latrines, temporary 
electric fences, and other minor improvements could be provided if 
needed at popular camping areas to reduce impacts. The O'Malley River 
closure would be modified to allow a formal bear viewing program 
combining agency-supervised use (allocated to the public by lottery) 
with guided use (offered to the public by qualified guides selected 
through a competitive process and operating under a refuge special use 
permit). The Moderate Management category would be reduced by 12,579 
acres; the acreage in Minimal Management would increase by an 
equivalent amount. The Special River Management category would be 
eliminated.

    Dated: September 8, 2006.
Thomas O. Melius,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska.
[FR Doc. E6-16044 Filed 9-28-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P