[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7172-7174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3107]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-R-2011-N179; XRS12610200000S3-123-FFO2R06000]
Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Sequoyah, Muskogee, and
Haskell Counties, OK; Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to
prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Sequoyah National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR; Refuge) in Sequoyah, Muskogee, and Haskell
Counties, Oklahoma. An environmental
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impact statement (EIS) evaluating effects of various CCP alternatives
will also be prepared. We provide this notice in compliance with our
CCP policy to advise other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the
public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on
the scope of issues to consider in the planning process. We are also
requesting public comments. This notice also advises the public that we
have reconsidered a 1998 notice, in which we announced our intention to
develop a CCP and environmental assessment for the Refuge. Comments
already received in response to the previous notice will be considered
during preparation of the subject CCP/EIS. You do not need to resend
those comments.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by
April 10, 2012. We will announce additional opportunities for public
input in local news media throughout the CCP process.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments or requests for more information by any
of the following methods.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: Attention: Carol Torrez, NEPA Coordinator, at 505-248-6803.
U.S. Mail: Carol Torrez, NEPA Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Southwest Regional Office, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM
87103.
In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off comments Monday through
Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Sequoyah NWR office headquarters,
Route 1, Vian, OK.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Haas, Refuge Manager, Sequoyah
NWR, Route 1, Box 18-A, Vian, OK 74962; phone: 918-773-5251 x 29; fax:
918-773-5598; or Carol Torrez, NEPA Coordinator, Southwest Regional
Office, by phone at 505-248-6821, or at the address or fax above. If
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue our process for developing a CCP for
Sequoyah NWR in Sequoyah, Muskogee, and Haskell Counties, OK. This
notice complies with our CCP policy, and the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), to (1)
Advise other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of our
intention to conduct detailed planning on this Refuge, and (2) obtain
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the
environmental document and during development of the CCP.
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 (Improvement Act), requires the Service 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 (NWRS), 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 and
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Improvement Act.
Each unit of the NWRS was established for specific purposes. We use
these purposes as the foundation for developing and prioritizing the
management goals and objectives for each refuge within the NWRS
mission, and to determine how the public can use each refuge. The
planning process is a way for the Service and the public to evaluate
management goals and objectives that will ensure the best possible
approach to wildlife, plant, and habitat conservation, while providing
for wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities that are compatible
with each refuge's establishing purposes and the mission of the NWRS.
Our CCP process provides participation opportunities for Tribal,
State, and local governments; agencies; organizations; and the public.
At this time, we encourage input in the form of issues, concerns,
ideas, and suggestions for the future management of Sequoyah NWR.
Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge
In 1970, Sequoyah NWR was established on the Robert S. Kerr
Reservoir as an overlay of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' project
under the authority of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16
U.S.C. 664), expressly for migratory waterfowl.
The Refuge manages 20,800 acres of habitat for wildlife and allows
for a variety of public use opportunities and experiences. The majority
of the Refuge is comprised of large interior floodplain and riparian
forests. Current habitat management includes the maintenance of
wetlands and moist-soil units, farming of 2,754 acres by cooperative
farmers, occasional prescribed burning, and invasive species control.
The Refuge provides for more than 470 native wildlife species,
including but not limited to: Wild turkeys, bald eagles, prothonotary
warblers, wood ducks, mallards, teal, common snipe, alligator snapping
turtles, white-tailed deer, map turtles, snow geese, and green tree
frogs. Public use activities include all six wildlife-dependent uses:
Hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, interpretation,
and environmental education. The Refuge allows some use supportive of
these six so long as they are compatible with the Refuge's purpose and
goals.
Previous Actions
We previously published a notice of intent on June 19, 1998 (63 FR
33693), stating that we intended to prepare a CCP and EA for Sequoyah
NWR. We held a public meeting in March 1999, in Vian, OK. Progress
continued, albeit slowed due to staff and priority changes, through
fall 2009. Another scoping meeting, announced in local newspapers, was
held at the Refuge Headquarters on February 23, 2010; seventeen members
of the public attended this meeting and provided comments.
During the summer of 2010, the Southwest Region of the Service
initiated a review of all farming programs on national wildlife refuges
in the region to ensure that the programs were consistent with current
laws and policies such as the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997, and that they met the purposes for which the
refuges were established. At that time, this effort was separate from
the CCP planning process. Scoping for the environmental assessment (EA)
on use of specified genetically modified crops in association with the
cooperative farming program at Sequoyah NWR began on July 1, 2010. A
draft EA on the use of genetically modified crops in association with
the cooperative farming program was released on April 1, 2011. The
comment period was open through May 16, 2011.
Based on the public comments already received, and subsequent
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developments since scoping, we have decided to combine the assessment
of using specified genetically modified crops into the CCP and
determined that an environmental impact statement (EIS) would be more
appropriate than an EA to ensure that a full and fair discussion of all
significant environmental impacts occurs, and to inform decision-makers
and the public of the reasonable alternatives that would avoid or
minimize adverse impacts and enhance the quality of the human
environment. All comments we received since 1998 from scoping and
meetings held on the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and the 2010 scoping effort on the Draft EA for Use
of Specified Genetically Modified Crops and Chemical Herbicides in
Conjunction with the Cooperative Farming Program on the Sequoyah
National Wildlife Refuge, will still be considered during the EIS
planning process, so you do not need to resubmit them. We will conduct
the environmental review of this project and develop an EIS in
accordance with the requirements of NEPA, NEPA regulations (40 CFR
parts 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, and
our policies and procedures for compliance with those laws and
regulations.
Scoping: Preliminary Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities
We have identified preliminary issues, concerns, and opportunities
that we will address in the CCP. We have briefly summarized some of
these issues below. During public scoping, we may identify additional
issues.
Habitat
Concerns related to the restoration of floodplain forests and
cooperative farming exist both among the public and the Refuge staff.
Past tree plantings were aimed at habitat improvement and carbon
sequestration; they also resulted in the closure of open areas that
facilitate public opportunities for hunting and farming.
Sequoyah NWR has an on-Refuge cooperative farming program, which
has a long history. This farmed acreage has been reduced over the
years. Topics of concern regarding the Refuge's farming program
include: (1) The number of acres farmed; (2) the methods and crops
used; (3) the use of genetically modified crops (the most significant
issue identified); and (4) the use of pesticides.
The issue of invasive species also exists on the Refuge, including
the expansion of current colonies, the introduction of new species, and
the new locations of colonies. The potential effect of climate change
on Refuge habitat and associated wildlife populations was another
concern expressed. Other scoping issues included wetland and riparian
habitat restoration, land acquisition and easement efforts, and water
quality.
Wildlife
Endangered species and other species of concern are a management
focus of the Refuge. The Interior least tern was listed as endangered
in 1985, and the American burying beetle was listed in 1989; both of
these endangered species reside at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge
and are managed under their respective recovery plans. The alligator
snapping turtle is another species of concern on the Refuge, as the
creeks, lakes, wetlands, and riparian areas at Sequoyah contain the
unique habitat requirements that this species needs. Although the
population of the alligator snapping turtle has been declining, the
Refuge retains one of the largest populations of the turtle in the
area. The planning team is concerned with ensuring that viable
populations of these species are maintained.
Public Use
The appropriate balance of wildlife-dependent recreation
opportunities with fish and wildlife conservation is very important to
the Refuge. The interpretative and educational opportunities,
materials, and facilities at Sequoyah are outdated or in need of
improvements. Some members of the public are concerned about their
access to and opportunities for hunting and fishing, which are the
largest public uses on the Refuge. Other members of the public prefer
minimizing these programs or eradicating them altogether. Increase of
and improvements to the Refuge's wildlife observation and photography
opportunities may also be warranted.
Facilities
Concern exists over access to the Refuge, the quality and abundance
of public use facilities, and the development and maintenance of
administrative facilities. Refuge access issues center on the
improvement, maintenance, and accessibility of roads, boat ramps,
entrance points, and nature trails. The administration of areas closed
to public use during certain times of the year, increased parking,
improved bathroom facilities, enhanced visitor displays, and additional
boat ramps are also concerns.
Public Involvement
You may send comments anytime during the planning process by mail,
email, or fax (see ADDRESSES). There will be additional opportunities
to provide public input once we have prepared a draft CCP. Comments
already received under the previous notice will be considered during
preparation of the CCP/EIS. You do not need to resend these comments.
The public's ideas and comments are an important part of the meaningful
comments that will help determine the desired future conditions of the
Refuge and address the full range of Refuge issues and opportunities.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email 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.
Dated: January 23, 2012.
Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2012-3107 Filed 2-9-12; 8:45 am]
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