[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 83 (Friday, April 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22832-22835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-10117]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2009-N284; 40136-1265-0000-S3]


Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, Highlands and Polk 
Counties, FL

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability: Draft comprehensive conservation plan 
and environmental assessment; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and 
environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Lake Wales Ridge National 
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/
EA, we describe the alternative we propose to use to manage this refuge 
for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments 
by June 1, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the Draft CCP/EA by writing to: Mr. 
Bill Miller, Lake Wales Ridge NWR, Pelican Island National Wildlife 
Refuge Complex, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960; telephone: 561/
715-0023. You may also access and download the document from the 
Service's Web site at http://southeast.fws.gov/planning under ``Draft 
Documents.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bill Miller, Lake Wales Ridge NWR, 
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex; telephone: 561/715-
0023.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Lake Wales Ridge 
NWR. We started the process through a notice in the Federal Register on 
June 20, 2008 (73 FR 35149). For more about the refuge and our CCP 
process, please see that notice.
    Lake Wales Ridge NWR is a unit of the Merritt Island National 
Wildlife Refuge Complex (NWR Complex) and is administered by and co-
managed with Pelican Island and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuges, 
colloquially termed the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex 
(NWR Complex).

Background

The CCP Process

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Improvement Act of 1997, 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 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 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

[[Page 22833]]

every 15 years in accordance with the Administration Act.

CCP Alternatives, Including Our Proposed Alternative

    We developed three alternatives for managing the refuge and chose 
``Alternative B'' as the proposed alternative. A full description of 
each alternative is in the Draft CCP/EA. We summarize each alternative 
below.

Alternative A--Current Management (No Action)

    Alternative A would continue present management activities and 
programs. Management emphasis would continue to focus on maintaining 
existing habitats for rare, threatened, and endangered species through 
partnerships and management agreements. Primary management activities 
would continue to include providing infrequent and limited habitat 
management through: (1) Application of prescribed fire (Merritt Island 
NWR Complex provides fire program staff); (2) rare, threatened, and 
endangered species monitoring, utilizing partnerships; (3) litter and 
debris control; and (4) exotic, invasive, and nuisance species' 
control. Alternative A represents the anticipated conditions of the 
refuge for the next 15 years, assuming current funding, staffing, 
policies, programs, and activities continue.
    This alternative would reflect actions that include managing 
habitats for rare, threatened, and endangered species. Both Federal- 
and State-listed species are found on the refuge. Habitat management 
actions are intended to benefit rare, threatened, and endangered 
species, but there is limited active management of other species and 
habitats due to the current level of resources. As a result, the refuge 
would continue to rely almost entirely on the actions and assistance of 
partners and volunteers who conduct a wide array of resource management 
activities, including monitoring of key refuge resources.
    Management coordination would occur primarily between the refuge 
and the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Working Group (LWREWG)--a consortium 
of Federal, State, local, and non-governmental land management 
organizations. The LWREWG shares natural area management information in 
an effort to increase the understanding and awareness of the Lake Wales 
Ridge ecosystem.
    Land acquisition would continue based on the availability of 
willing sellers within the refuge's approved acquisition boundary, and 
where opportunities arise, through the LWREWG, or other initiatives on 
a case-by-case basis. Since the refuge is neither staffed nor funded, 
management agreements with partner agencies/organizations would be a 
primary focus.
    The refuge would remain closed, and access for management purposes 
would be conducted solely through the refuge's special use permit 
process. On a case-by-case basis, extremely limited access for 
environmental education and interpretation opportunities might occur. 
The refuge would actively support key Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem 
partner-managed lands that are open to public use by identifying and 
updating links to partner Web sites on the refuge's official Web site.
    The refuge would remain unstaffed and administered through the 
Pelican Island NWR Complex. Volunteer activities would continue to be 
supported through the Merritt Island Wildlife Association and the 
Pelican Island NWR Complex staff. Partnerships through the LWREWG and 
the Service's North and South Florida Ecological Services field offices 
would continue. The refuge would continue to opportunistically seek 
funding for habitat management, monitoring, and other program areas 
through alternative sources.

Alternative B--Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species (Proposed 
Action)

    This alternative expands the actions under Alternative A with a 
greater amount of habitat management focusing primarily on restoring 
and enhancing habitats to benefit the needs of rare, threatened, and 
endangered species. A total of 17 plants and 6 animals are federally 
listed species on the 1,842-acre refuge; 1 federal candidate species is 
known to occur on the refuge. Some of these species are protected 
nowhere else but on refuge lands. In addition, this endemic-rich refuge 
is home to at least 33 State-listed species, including 5 plant and 6 
animal species that are not listed federally.
    One key to this alternative is a focused effort to expand 
management activities through the implementation of a frequent, routine 
prescribed fire program to restore pyrogenic habitats to pre-fire 
exclusion conditions. This focused approach would provide for the 
restoration of a mosaic of suitable habitats, including xeric scrub 
lands, sandhills, open sand patches, and ephemeral wetlands necessary 
to maintain and expand populations of the refuge's rare, threatened, 
and endangered species. This restorative process may exceed the 15-year 
life of the CCP for some habitats. Once pre-fire exclusion conditions 
are attained, fire return intervals would be adapted based on rare, 
threatened, and endangered species and habitat responses provided 
through fire effects monitoring. As habitats are restored, the refuge 
would investigate potential expansion of rare, threatened, or 
endangered species introduction/reintroduction projects, coordinating 
and collaborating with partners through the LWREWG to identify best 
management opportunities.
    This alternative would expand the monitoring efforts under 
Alternative A to provide additional active efforts to monitor rare, 
threatened, and endangered species. Monitoring efforts would be 
increased by the assistance of additional staff and trained volunteers, 
and through academic research. Greater effort would be made to recruit 
academic researchers to study and monitor rare, threatened, and 
endangered species. Under this alternative, we would increase efforts 
to control invasive and nuisance species; increase coordination with 
researchers and partners to investigate rare, threatened, and 
endangered species' response to changing patterns of suitable habitats; 
and assume a leadership role in identifying the impacts of climate 
change on rare, threatened, and endangered species.
    This alternative would continue pursuing completion of the 
acquisition boundary, based on the availability of willing sellers, and 
prioritizing acquisition efforts on unprotected, undeveloped inholdings 
where threats of habitat loss and constraints to habitat management are 
greatest. We would evaluate a variety of land protection and 
conservation measures, including land swaps, to protect high-quality 
properties.
    Expanding public awareness and support for the refuge and partner-
managed lands of the Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem would be an important 
component of this alternative. Even though the refuge would remain 
closed to visitor use, we would implement a range of visitor service 
opportunities (e.g., environmental education and interpretation, and 
wildlife observation and photography), which would be controlled 
through an approval process. We would implement guided tours provided 
by Service staff or Service partners on a case-by-case basis and 
permitted through our special use permit process. In addition, we would 
develop and conduct an annual refuge day where guided tours, 
information, and refuge awareness through community outreach would be 
provided. Updated messages on both the refuge's Web site and brochure 
would be provided, focusing on the needs of

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rare, threatened, and endangered species. Further, we would work with 
partners to incorporate these messages in information distributed by 
them.
    We would increase involvement with governmental and non-
governmental partners through the LWREWG and would be positioned to 
increase Service presence with other partner organizations when 
opportunities arise. Coordination with both the North and South Florida 
Ecological Services field offices for funding and recovery direction 
would be expanded to optimize listed species management. Opportunities 
to build additional support through the Merritt Island Wildlife 
Association, Pelican Island Preservation Society, and Friends of the 
Carr Refuge would increase.
    The refuge would gain staff to fulfill the goals, objectives, and 
strategies identified in the CCP, and staff would be situated to manage 
all day-to-day operations. The Lake Wales Ridge NWR is presently 
administered remotely and has no dedicated staff or budget. The refuge 
is approximately 130 miles from fire management support (Merritt Island 
NWR Complex) and approximately 100 miles from its Pelican Island NWR 
Complex management team. This situation considerably challenges all 
day-to-day operations and management necessary to provide for the needs 
of rare, threatened, and endangered species and the habitats they 
occupy.
    This alternative would propose a 5-member staff, including a 
wildlife refuge specialist (assistant refuge manager), a private lands 
biologist, a botanist/biologist, a biological science technician, and a 
fire/forestry technician to manage refuge programs and provide a 
Service presence currently lacking in the Lake Wales Ridge system of 
naturally managed lands. The proposed staff would be in close proximity 
to refuge lands in order to manage day-to-day operations. To support 
operations and maintenance, we would enter into memoranda of 
understanding or other agreements with partners and/or secure 
independent spaces for equipment storage, operational functions, and 
administrative needs. This alternative would bolster management by 
investigating opportunities to enter into management agreements and 
other options with partner land management agencies and organizations, 
enabling partner management of Service properties in accordance with 
the CCP, subsequent step-down plans, and Service policies. We would 
continue to share facilities, equipment, utilities, and staff with 
Pelican Island and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuges. The Merritt 
Island NWR Complex would continue to provide fire program staff.

Alternative C--Wildlife and Habitat Diversity

    This alternative would serve the needs of key rare, threatened, and 
endangered species on the refuge, but within the larger context of 
wildlife and habitat diversity. Under this alternative, focused efforts 
utilizing prescribed fire to restore habitats to pre-fire exclusion 
conditions would be proposed, targeting the needs of a wide array of 
native wildlife and habitats to benefit the larger Lake Wales Ridge and 
central Florida landscape. We would continue to support recovery 
efforts of key listed species and expand efforts to provide 
opportunities targeting the needs of neotropical migratory birds, 
resident birds, wading and water birds, shorebirds, raptors, cavity-
dependent species, and other resident species. Habitats where pines 
dominate the overstory would be managed to provide more pine stems per 
acre to promote habitat for cavity-dependent birds. Understory, shrub, 
and canopy vegetation would be managed to provide for a diversity of 
wildlife, and snag development would be encouraged to provide cavities 
and perch sites and to promote insect development. Where appropriate, 
burn frequencies would be reduced to provide for the production of saw 
palmetto for use as forage by wildlife, including the Florida black 
bear. We would investigate management opportunities with the Atlantic 
Coast Joint Venture and would support management of migratory birds. 
Through partnerships, we would conduct wading and water bird surveys to 
better understand our management role at the landscape level. 
Management to protect important habitat and wildlife corridors would 
increase under this alternative and invasive and nuisance species 
control efforts would expand.
    This alternative would expand the monitoring efforts under 
Alternative A. Monitoring of neotropical migratory and resident birds 
in addition to other resident species would occur. Monitoring efforts 
would be increased by the assistance of additional staff and trained 
volunteers, and through academic research. We would take a leadership 
role in identifying the impacts of climate change on refuge resources, 
coordinating with researchers and partners to investigate species 
response to changing patterns of suitable habitats.
    Under this alternative, the refuge would remain closed to visitor 
use except for limited and guided environmental education and 
interpretation and wildlife observation and photography opportunities 
by Service staff or volunteers and partners. Education, interpretation, 
and outreach messages would focus on the importance of the refuge in 
the landscape, and would include listed species as key topics. Further, 
we would work with the partners to incorporate applicable messages into 
their visitor activities and signage. We would develop and conduct an 
annual refuge day to promote refuge awareness. This alternative would 
seek to expand partnerships and would work with the partners, including 
the LWREWG environmental education subcommittee, to expand 
environmental education and interpretation opportunities on refuge 
lands.
    As under Alternative B, we would gain staff to be located locally 
to manage all day-to-day operations of the refuge. This alternative 
would propose a 4-member staff, including a wildlife refuge specialist 
(assistant refuge manager), a private lands biologist, a botanist/
biologist, and a fire/forestry technician. To support operations and 
maintenance, we would enter into memoranda of understanding or other 
agreements with the partners and/or secure independent spaces for 
equipment storage, operational functions, and refuge administrative 
needs. This alternative also would bolster management by investigating 
opportunities to enter into management agreements and other options 
with partner land management agencies and organizations, enabling 
partner management of Service properties in accordance with the CCP, 
subsequent step-down plans, and Service policies. We would continue to 
share facilities, equipment, utilities, and staff with Pelican Island 
and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuges. The Merritt Island NWR 
Complex would continue to provide fire program staff.

Next Step

    After the comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and 
address them.

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.

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Authority

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

    Dated: February 18, 2010.
Jon Andrew,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-10117 Filed 4-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P