[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 56 (Friday, March 21, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15186-15188]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5717]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0065; 40136-1265-0000-S3]


Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuges and the 
Louisiana Wetlands Management District

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

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation 
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake 
National Wildlife Refuges and the Louisiana Wetlands Management 
District.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft 
CCP/EA) for Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuges 
and the Louisiana Wetlands Management District in Morehouse, Union, 
Richland, East Carroll, West Carroll, Natchitoches, and Grant Parishes, 
Louisiana, is available for distribution. This Draft CCP/EA was 
prepared pursuant to 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 these 
refuges and the wetlands management district over the next 15 years.

DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal address listed 
below no later than April 21, 2008.

ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft 
CCP/EA please write to: Ms. Tina Chouinard, Refuge Planner, North 
Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 11372 Highway 143, 
Farmerville, Louisiana 71241; Telephone: 318/305-0643. The Draft CCP/EA 
may also be accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet Web 
Site: http://southeast.fws.gov.planning.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Tina Chouinard, Refuge Planner, at 
Telephone: 318/305-0643; E-mail: [email protected].

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 comments to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Background: The Upper Ouachita and Handy Brake National Wildlife 
Refuges and the Louisiana Wetlands Management District are units of the 
North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Upper Ouachita Refuge 
is in northeastern Louisiana. The northern boundary lies on the 
Louisiana-Arkansas State line. The refuge borders both sides of the 
Ouachita River, running north-south for 13.7 miles and extending 3.3 
miles to the east and 16 miles to the west. The southernmost point on 
the refuge is approximately 20 miles north of Monroe, Louisiana. The 
current acquisition area encompasses 61,633 acres of which 42,594 acres 
have been purchased, with 26,304 acres in Union Parish and 16,290 acres 
in Morehouse Parish.
    Upper Ouachita Refuge was established in November 1978. The 
federally legislated purposes are ``for use as an inviolate sanctuary, 
or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds'' (Migratory 
Bird Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 715d); and for ``* * * the 
conservation of the wetlands of the nation in order to maintain the 
public benefits they provide and to help fulfill international 
obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties and 
conventions * * *'' (16 U.S.C. 3901 (b)). The refuge consists of 4,540 
acres of pine and pine/hardwood mix, 19,767 acres of bottomland 
hardwood forests, 9,236 acres of reforested bottomlands, 2,000 acres of 
scrub/shrub, 1,182 acres of moist-soil plantings, 2,541 acres of 
agricultural fields, 682 acres of fallow agricultural fields, and 2,910 
acres of open water.
    The Louisiana Wetlands Management District was established in 1990, 
in response to growing Fish and Wildlife Service land-based 
responsibilities off of traditional refuges. The Wetlands Office is 
responsible for the administration of wetland easements and fee title 
land transfers from the USDA Farm Service Agency ``* * * for 
conservation purposes * * *.'' (Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act, 7 U.S.C. 2002). The wetlands management district includes the 
first fee title tract transfer from the USDA Farm Service Agency to the 
Fish and Wildlife Service with the establishment of Handy Brake 
National Wildlife Refuge in 1988. The wetlands management district 
includes 36 USDA Farm Service Agency easements, 7 fee title tracts, and 
1 lease that are concentrated in northeastern Louisiana and encompass 6 
parishes. The wetlands management district is spread across north 
Louisiana in 44 units, ranging in size from 3 acres to 1,000 acres.
    Handy Brake Refuge is primarily a permanent wetland of excellent 
habitat for wintering waterfowl, wading birds, and many other wetland-
dependent species. A free lease of 35 acres of International Paper 
Company land provides an upland area overlooking the wetland. An 
observation deck in the upland area provides wildlife viewing 
opportunities into the wetlands. Habitat management within the wetlands 
management district focuses primarily on reforestation of marginal 
agricultural areas and development and maintenance of moist-soil units. 
These varied habitats provide for a diverse array of wildlife. There is 
no hunting or fishing permitted throughout the wetlands management 
district.
    Significant issues addressed in this Draft CCP/EA include: 
management of white-tailed deer, invasive species, waterfowl, 
bottomland hardwood forest, and red-cockaded woodpecker, refuge access, 
land acquisition, visitor services (e.g., hunting, fishing, wildlife 
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and 
interpretation), watershed protection, and cultural resource 
protection. The Service developed three alternatives for management of 
the refuge (Alternatives A, B, and C), with Alternative B as the 
Service's proposed alternative.

Alternative A (Current Management)

    Current management and public use would continue under this 
alternative. Refuge management programs would continue to be developed 
and implemented with limited baseline biological information and 
limited monitoring, for mainly migratory waterfowl. Wildlife surveys 
would still be completed for presence and absence of species and to 
alert refuge staff to large-scale changes in population trends. 
Cooperation with partners for monitoring waterfowl, eagle, fish, and 
deer herd health surveys would continue. Upland forest management would 
continue focusing on red-cockaded woodpecker guidelines for minimizing 
hardwoods and maintaining a grassy understory in a portion of the mixed 
pine and upland forests. Bottomland hardwood forest management would 
continue at current rate of thinning to maintain a closed canopy forest 
and retain as much water tupelo and bald cypress as possible. The open 
fields would continue with manipulating water levels for moist-soil and 
cooperative cropland management. Management of invasive species would 
continue with opportunistic treatment and mapping. Partnerships would 
continue with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 
several biological programs, hunting regulations, and law enforcement 
issues. A Partners program would still work with interested parties to 
develop projects for carbon sequestration and invasive species.
    Hunting and fishing would continue to be the priority focus of 
public use on Upper Ouachita Refuge, with no expansion of current 
opportunities. Current restrictions or prohibitions would remain. 
Environmental education, wildlife observation, and wildlife photography 
would be accommodated at present levels, with a few interpretive sites 
added. Staffing would remain at current level with no new positions 
added, but current vacancies would be advertised and filled.

Alternative B (Proposed Action)

    The biological potential of historical habitats would be restored 
and enhanced. Most management actions would emphasize natural 
ecological processes to foster habitat functions and wildlife 
populations. The biological program would be enhanced with inventories 
and monitoring so that adaptive management could be implemented 
primarily for migratory birds, but for other species of wildlife as 
well. A close evaluation of migratory bird use and nesting success on 
the refuge would be evaluated with granting opportunities and 
partnerships. Partnerships would be developed to establish 
scientifically, valid protocols and collaboratively work on research 
projects associated with information needed to manage the habitats and 
wildlife, or in other words how forest management is affecting 
wildlife. Upland forest management would focus on restoring the 
biological integrity of a mixed hardwood/pine forest by promoting 
upland hardwood species and reducing pine basal area. The red-

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cockaded woodpecker habitat unit would be managed using a more historic 
fire regime while providing red-cockaded woodpecker habitat as required 
in the recovery guidelines. An historic fire regime would ultimately 
benefit red-cockaded woodpeckers by creating a more herbaceous 
understory. A forest inventory defining current conditions would be 
conducted to implement bottomland hardwood forest management. 
Bottomlands would have management increased to open the canopy cover 
and increase understory vegetation. Water control structures and 
pumping capability would be improved to enhance moist-soil and cropland 
management for the benefit of wintering waterfowl. Invasive species 
would be mapped and protocols for control established with the addition 
of a forester. Partnerships would continue to be fostered for several 
biological programs, hunting regulations, law enforcement issues, and 
research projects.
    Public use would be similar to current management with a few 
improvements. Deer harvests would rely on monitoring results of the 
availability, diversity, and deer use of understory woody and 
herbaceous plants and deer herd health checks. This would allow the 
refuge to better understand the pressure being exerted on the habitat, 
and therefore make better habitat and harvest recommendations. On Upper 
Ouachita Refuge, youth turkey hunting would be allowed, and fishing 
events and boat launch facilities would be improved. Environmental 
education, wildlife observation, and wildlife photography would be 
accommodated at present levels with minimal disturbance to wildlife and 
habitat with an enhanced interpretive nature trail, interpretive 
panels, and ``check-out kits'' for teachers developed. Law enforcement 
would be increased to gain better compliance with refuge regulations. 
Staffing would increase with four positions (e.g., biological 
technician, forestry technician, one maintenance worker, and one law 
enforcement) to increase biological inventory and monitoring, enhance 
forest management, increase control of invasive species, enhance public 
use program, and provide safe and compatible wildlife-dependent 
recreation.

Alternative C (Minimize Management and Public Use)

    This alternative would reduce the habitat and wildlife management 
and public use programs. Biological information would continue to be 
enhanced but management programs would be implemented less frequently, 
yet the refuge would still strive to accomplish the objectives. 
Extensive baseline inventory and monitoring programs would be conducted 
with several partners to provide a solid foundation of current 
conditions of refuge habitat and wildlife, while monitoring for changes 
in trends. Additional research projects would be implemented in the 
alternative by gaining granting opportunities and partnerships with 
other agencies and universities. Upland forest management would focus 
on red-cockaded woodpecker guidelines for minimizing hardwoods and 
maintaining a grassy understory in the entire mixed pine and upland 
forests, resulting in an intensive prescribed burning program which 
would include monitoring forest conditions. Bottomland hardwood forest 
management would be developed, using an intensive inventory to define 
current conditions and to monitor natural successional changes. 
Management in the bottoms would be limited to promote natural 
succession, as defined in a revised habitat management plan. The open 
field would be allowed to go through natural succession to a bottomland 
hardwood forest and the moist-soil units would not be maintained. 
Management of invasive species would become a priority to establish 
baseline information on location, density, and protocols for control. 
Partnerships would continue to be fostered for several biological 
programs, hunting regulations, law enforcement issues, and research 
projects.
    Public use would be limited, with custodial-level maintenance. 
Public use would be monitored more closely for impacts to wildlife, and 
with negative impacts, new restrictions or closures would result. Deer 
hunting would be allowed when data demonstrated the population was 
exceeding the habitat carrying capacity, indicating that a reduction 
was necessary. Monitoring of the deer population and associated habitat 
conditions would be implemented. Several species, such as quail, 
woodcock, feral hog, and coyote, would no longer be hunted. Fishing 
would continue as under the current management alternative, but the 
open field would be closed to fishing during the wintering period and 
would be monitored for future impacts. Environmental education, 
wildlife observation, and wildlife photography would be accommodated at 
present levels but access limited to July-October and February-April to 
minimize disturbance to migratory birds. Staffing would increase with 
four positions (e.g., biologist, forestry technician, and two 
maintenance workers) to handle the increase in biological inventory and 
monitoring, invasive species control, and a fire program associated 
with implementing the red-cockaded woodpecker guidelines.

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

    Dated: October 29, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the 
Federal Register on March 18, 2008.
[FR Doc. E8-5717 Filed 3-20-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P