[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 27, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35254-35255]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-12451]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan 
and environmental assessment for J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National 
Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service intends to gather information 
necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and 
environmental assessment for J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife 
Refuge. This notice is furnished in compliance with the Service's 
comprehensive conservation planning policy to advise other agencies and 
the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information 
on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments must be received by August 13, 
2007.

ADDRESSES: Comments, questions, and requests for more information 
regarding the J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife Refuge planning 
process should be sent to: Rob Jess, Refuge Manager, J.N. ``Ding'' 
Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel, FL 33957; 
Telephone: 239/472-1100; Fax: 239/472-4061; Electronic mail: 
[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 comprehensive conservation plan for each national 
wildlife refuge. The purpose in developing a comprehensive conservation 
plan 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 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, and environmental education and interpretation. Public 
input in this planning process is essential.
    Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established 
with specific purposes. These purposes are used to develop and 
prioritize management goals and objectives with the National Wildlife 
Refuge System mission, and to guide which public uses will occur on the 
refuge. The planning process is a means for the Service and the public 
to evaluate management goals and objectives for the best possible 
conservation efforts of this important wildlife habitat, while 
providing for wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities that are 
compatible with the refuge's establishing purposes and the mission of 
the National Wildlife Refuge System.
    A comprehensive conservation planning process will be conducted 
that will provide opportunities for Tribal, State, and local 
governments; agencies; organizations; and the public to participate in 
issue scoping and public comment. The Service invites anyone interested 
to respond to the following questions:
    1. What problems or issues do you want to see addressed in the 
comprehensive conservation plan?
    2. What improvements would you recommend for J.N. ``Ding'' Darling 
National Wildlife Refuge?
    The above questions have been provided for your optional use. You 
are not required to provide any information. The Planning Team 
developed these questions to gather information about individual issues 
and ideas concerning the refuge. The Planning Team will use comments it 
receives as part of the planning process; however, it will not 
reference individual comments or directly respond to them.
    Special mailings, newspaper articles, and other media announcements 
will be used to inform State and local government agencies and the 
public of the opportunities for input throughout the planning process. 
Open house style meeting(s) will be scheduled and held throughout the 
scoping phase of the comprehensive conservation plan development 
process.
    The environmental review of this project will be conducted in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA regulations (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508); and other appropriate Federal laws and 
regulations. All comments received become part of the official public 
record. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.
    J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife Refuge was originally 
established as the Sanibel National Wildlife Refuge in 1945. The refuge 
was originally established ``for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for 
any other management purposes, for migratory birds, and suitable for 
incidental fish and wildlife-oriented recreational development, the 
protection of natural resources, and the conservation of threatened and 
endangered species.'' In 1967, the refuge was renamed in honor of Jay 
Norwood ``Ding'' Darling and now consists of 6,300 acres of mangrove 
estuary, freshwater spartina wetlands, and tropical hardwood hammocks. 
In 1976,

[[Page 35255]]

Public Law 94-557 approved 2,825 acres of the refuge as a Wilderness 
Area.

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

    Dated: May 25, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E7-12451 Filed 6-26-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P