[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 17 (Friday, January 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4615-4616]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1279]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0019; 40136-1265-0000-S3]


Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation 
Plan and Environmental Assessment.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that the Draft 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft 
CCP/EA) for Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge in Benton County, 
Arkansas, is available for review and comment. This document was 
prepared pursuant to 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. The Draft CCP/EA describes the Service's proposal for management 
of the refuge for 15 years.

[[Page 4616]]


DATES: Written comments must be received at the address in the 
ADDRESSES section no later than February 25, 2008.

ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft 
CCP/EA, please write to: Ms. Tina Chouinard, Refuge Planner, Hatchie 
National Wildlife Refuge, 6772 Highway 76 South, Stanton, TN 38069. The 
Draft CCP/EA is available on compact diskette or hard copy. It also may 
be accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet site: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina Chouinard; Telephone: 318/305-
0643.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Availability of Comments: 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.
    Background: Logan Cave National Wildlife Refuge was established in 
1989 under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. This 123-acre Ozark 
Mountain refuge, which includes a limestone-solution cave, is located 
20 miles west of Fayetteville, Arkansas, and approximately 2 miles 
north of U.S. Highway 412. The ecology of Logan Cave has been described 
as the highest quality cave habitat in the entire Ozark region. A 
spring-fed stream, with an average water flow of 5 million gallons/day, 
extends the entire length of the cave. The primary objectives of the 
refuge are to properly administer, conserve, and develop the tract for 
protection of a unique cave ecosystem that provides essential habitat 
for the endangered gray bat, the endangered Ozark cave crayfish, the 
threatened Ozark cavefish, and other significant cave-dwelling wildlife 
species.
    The Service developed three alternatives for managing the refuge 
and chose Alternative 3 as the proposed alternative.
    Under Alternative 1, no refuge management or resource protection 
would occur. Fish and wildlife populations would not be monitored, 
habitats would not be managed or monitored, no land protection would 
occur, and no law enforcement activities would be performed. The 
Service would probably enter into management agreements with the 
Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission and/or The Nature Conservancy.
    Under Alternative 2, there would be no change from current 
management of this un-staffed refuge. Under this alternative, 123 acres 
of refuge lands would be protected and maintained for resident 
wildlife, migratory non-game birds, and threatened and endangered 
species. Refuge management programs would continue to be developed and 
implemented with little baseline biological information. All refuge 
management activities would be directed toward achieving the refuge's 
primary purposes, which are to properly administer, conserve, and 
develop the 123-acre-area for protection of a unique cave ecosystem 
that provides essential habitat for the endangered gray bat, endangered 
cave crayfish, the threatened Ozark cavefish, as well as other 
significant cave-dwelling wildlife species. Active habitat and wildlife 
management would continue to be limited to protection of the cave 
entrances and limited access to surface and subsurface habitats. Little 
to no environmental education and wildlife interpretation would occur. 
No improvements would be made to the exterior for wildlife observation 
or wildlife photography. Under this alternative, the refuge would not 
seek out partnerships with adjacent landowners or with other Federal 
and State agencies to contribute to the overall natural resource 
conservation effort in the area.
    Under Alternative 3, the proposed alternative, all refuge 
management actions would be directed toward achieving the refuge's 
primary purposes, which are to properly administer, conserve, and 
develop the 123-acre-area for protection of a unique cave ecosystem 
that provides essential habitat for the endangered gray bat, the 
endangered cave crayfish, the threatened Ozark cavefish, and other 
significant cave-dwelling wildlife species, while contributing to other 
national, regional and State goals to protect and restore karst 
habitats and species. Wildlife and plant censuses and inventory 
activities would be initiated and maintained to obtain the biological 
information needed to continue current refuge management programs and 
implement crucial management programs on and off the refuge. Active 
habitat management would be implemented to maintain and enhance water 
quality and quantity within the cave system, the recharge zone 
(groundwater recharge areas), and waterways within the bat foraging 
areas through best management practices, easements, and partnerships 
with private landowners and other Federal and State agencies. 
Continuous groundwater quality monitoring is crucial to the existence 
of the aquatic species utilizing the cave stream and groundwater 
corridors.
    Wildlife-dependent recreation activities, such as wildlife 
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation, would be provided. Utilizing various partners, the 
refuge would develop a small environmental education program, focusing 
on karst environments. The refuge would develop a community-based 
volunteer program by establishing a Cave Steward program. Volunteers 
would be educated on management issues and utilized to help complete 
wildlife and plant surveys, maintenance projects, and public recreation 
and education programs.

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

    Dated: August 16, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-1279 Filed 1-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P