[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 203 (Monday, October 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 62305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24885]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2008-N0218; 40136-1265-0000-S3]


Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, Lake and Volusia 
Counties, FL

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

ACTION: Notice of availability: Final comprehensive conservation plan 
and finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and 
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Lake Woodruff National 
Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In the CCP, we describe how we will manage Lake 
Woodruff NWR for the next 15 years.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the final CCP may be obtained by visiting the 
refuge at 2045 Mud Lake Road, DeLeon Springs, FL 32130; by e-mailing 
[email protected]; by calling the Refuge Complex at 321/861-0667; 
or by writing the Refuge Complex at Lake Woodruff NWR (CCP), P.O. Box 
2683, Titusville, FL 32781-2683. The CCP may also be accessed and 
downloaded from the Service's Internet Site: http://southeast.fws.gov/planning.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cheri Ehrhardt; Telephone: 321/861-
2368.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Lake Woodruff 
NWR. We started this process through a notice of intent in the Federal 
Register on July 26, 2006 (71 FR 42412). For more about the process, 
see that notice.
    Established in 1964, Lake Woodruff NWR is located approximately 28 
miles west of Daytona Beach, Florida, in Lake and Volusia counties. The 
21,574-acre refuge includes a diversity of habitats consisting of open 
water, freshwater marshes, impounded wetlands, and uplands. These areas 
support a variety of wildlife and plant species, including waterfowl 
and other migratory birds, as well as federal- and state-listed 
species. In addition, the refuge protects historical and archaeological 
sites and provides a range of visitor services.
    We announce our decision and the availability of the final CCP and 
FONSI for Lake Woodruff NWR in accordance with National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) [40 CFR 1506.6(b)] requirements. We completed a 
thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment, which we 
included in the Draft CCP and Environmental Assessment (Draft CCP/EA).

Background

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, requires us to 
develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose for 
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan 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 our 
policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction on 
conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including 
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife 
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will 
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with 
the Improvement Act.

Comments

    We solicited comments on the Draft CCP/EA for a 30-day period as 
announced in the Federal Register on April 23, 2008 (73 FR 21978). All 
comments were thoroughly evaluated, and changes were incorporated into 
the final CCP, where warranted.

Selected Alternative

    After considering the comments we received, we have selected 
Alternative D for implementation. Under this alternative, refuge 
management will focus on maintaining native wildlife and habitat 
diversity, restoring habitats, improving conditions for threatened and 
endangered species and migratory birds, and increasing public use 
opportunities.

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

    Dated: August 27, 2008.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
 [FR Doc. E8-24885 Filed 10-17-08; 8:45 am]
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