[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 204 (Wednesday, October 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63161-63163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25098]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R5-R-2014-N172; BAC-4311-K9-S3]


James River National Wildlife Refuge, Prince George County, VA; 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; 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 (CCP and EA) for James River National Wildlife 
Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. James River NWR is located 
in Prince George County, Virginia, and is administered by staff at 
Eastern Virginia Rivers NWR Complex. The draft CCP and EA describe our 
proposal for managing James River NWR for the next 15 years. 
Alternative B is identified as the Service-preferred alternative. Also 
available for public review and comment are the draft compatibility 
determinations, which are included as appendix B in the draft CCP and 
EA.

DATES: To ensure consideration of your written comments, please send 
them by November 21, 2014. We will announce upcoming public meetings in 
local news media, via our project mailing list, and on the refuge 
planning Web site: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/James_River/what_we_do/conservation.html

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or requests for copies or more 
information by any of the following methods. You may request hard 
copies or a CD-ROM of the documents.
    Email: [email protected]. Please include ``James 
River CCP'' in the subject line of the message.
    Fax: Attention: Rebekah Martin, 804-333-3396.
    U.S. Mail: Rebekah Martin, Deputy Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1030, Warsaw, VA 22572.
    In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call Rebekah Martin at 804-
333-1470, extension 113, or Andy Hofmann, Refuge Manager, at 804-333-
1470, extension 112, during regular business hours to make an 
appointment to view the document. For more information on locations for 
viewing or obtaining documents, see ``Public Availability of 
Documents'' under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rebekah Martin, Deputy Refuge Manager, 
804-333-1470, extension 113 (phone) or 
[email protected] (email) (please put ``James River 
NWR'' in the subject line).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    With this notice, we continue the CCP process for James River NWR. 
We published our original notice of intent to prepare a CCP in the 
Federal Register on January 11, 2012 (77 FR 1716).
    The 4,324-acre James River NWR lies in the Chesapeake Bay watershed 
and is located along the James River in Prince George County, Virginia, 
approximately 8 miles southeast of the city of Hopewell, and 30 miles 
southeast of Richmond, the State capital. The refuge was established 
under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1534) in 1991, to protect nationally significant nesting and roosting 
habitat for the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The refuge 
encompasses 4,324 acres of pine-dominated hardwood and floodplain 
forests, freshwater marsh and shrub swamp, aquatic habitats, erosional 
bluffs, and non-forested upland. The refuge also has a rich cultural 
history, illuminated by numerous known archaeological and historical 
sites.
    Wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities at James River NWR 
include a 24-day deer hunt each fall, as well as wildlife observation, 
photography, and environmental education and interpretive program 
opportunities by reservation.

Background

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge Administration Act), 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 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 and 
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will 
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years, in accordance with 
the Refuge Administration Act.

Public Outreach

    In August 2012, we distributed a planning newsletter to over 550 
parties on our project mailing list. The newsletter informed people 
about the planning process and asked recipients to contact us about 
issues or concerns they would like us to address. We also posted the 
newsletter on our Web site for people to access electronically. In 
addition, we notified the general public of our planning project, and 
our interest in hearing about issues and concerns, by publishing news 
releases in local newspapers. We also held afternoon and evening public 
scoping meetings on September 12, 2012, in Prince George, Virginia. The 
purpose of the two meetings was to share information on the planning 
process and to solicit management issues and concerns. Throughout the 
process, refuge staff

[[Page 63162]]

have conducted additional outreach via participation in community 
meetings, events, and other public forums. We have considered and 
evaluated all of the comments we received and addressed them in various 
ways in the alternatives presented in the draft CCP and EA.

CCP Alternatives We Are Considering

    Several issues were raised by us, other governmental partners, and 
the public during the public scoping process. To address these issues, 
we developed and evaluated three alternatives in the draft CCP and EA. 
A full description of each alternative is in the draft CCP and EA. All 
alternatives include measures to control invasive species, protect 
cultural resources, improve inventory and monitoring programs, and 
maintain existing partnerships for habitat management and visitor 
services. All alternatives include measures to continue to share staff 
across the Eastern Virginia Rivers NWR Complex, require a permit for 
refuge access until adequate new infrastructure can support increased 
visitation, and maintain existing facilities.
    There are other actions that differ among the alternatives. The 
draft CCP and EA provide a full description of all alternatives and 
relate each to the issues and concerns that arose during the planning 
process. Below, we provide summaries for the three alternatives.

Alternative A (Current Management)

    This alternative is the ``no-action'' alternative required by the 
National Environmental Policy Act. Alternative A defines our current 
management activities, including those planned, funded, or under way, 
and serves as the baseline against which to compare alternatives B and 
C. Under alternative A, we would continue to maintain the 2,653 acres 
of pine-dominated forest on the refuge, with an emphasis on protecting 
this habitat for nesting and roosting bald eagles, as well as other 
native species that use this habitat. For other habitat types on the 
refuge, we would continue to maintain quality habitat for the benefit 
of native wildlife species by limiting disturbance, conducting wildlife 
surveys, monitoring invasive species presence, implementing best 
management practices, and collaborating with partners for wildlife 
habitat protection and population monitoring.
    Additionally, we would continue to accommodate public archery, 
muzzleloader, and shotgun deer hunting opportunities in the fall. We 
would continue to encourage visitors to participate in refuge- or 
partner-sponsored wildlife observation, photography, environmental 
education, and interpretation opportunities. Additional opportunities 
would be available to visitors on a by-request or case-by-case basis.

Alternative B (Manage Forest Health With Pine-Dominated Component; New, 
Enhanced, and Focused Public Use Opportunities [Service-Preferred 
Alternative])

    Alternative B is the Service-preferred alternative. It combines the 
actions we believe would best achieve the refuge's purposes, vision, 
and goals, and respond to public issues. Under alternative B, we would 
emphasize the management of specific refuge habitats to support 
priority species whose habitat needs would benefit other species of 
conservation concern that are found in the area. We would promote the 
transition of 2,651 acres of former pine plantation toward mature pine 
savanna with understory for resident and breeding cavity-dwelling and 
ground-nesting species, including the brown-headed nuthatch, Chuck-
will's-widow, red-headed woodpecker, and yellow-billed cuckoo. We would 
emphasize protecting and promoting bald eagle nesting habitat, as well 
as protecting the integrity of the refuge's other habitats for native 
species, including migrating waterfowl, waterbirds, the federally 
endangered Atlantic sturgeon, and habitat suitable for the federally 
threatened sensitive joint-vetch. We would also expand our 
conservation, research, monitoring, and management partnerships to help 
restore and conserve the refuge.
    We would enhance our cultural resource protection to increase 
knowledge and appreciation for the refuge's rich cultural history and 
heritage, as well as expand our visitor services programs to improve 
opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation. Visitor service 
improvements would include expanding the on-refuge opportunities for 
wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and 
interpretation of natural and cultural resources in partnership with 
others. We would pursue Service administrative requirements to expand 
public deer hunting, open the refuge to spring and fall turkey hunting, 
open the refuge to limited waterfowl hunting by youth, promote youth 
involvement in all hunting opportunities, and open the refuge to 
fishing at two designated locations.

Alternative C (Manage Forest Health With Hardwood Conversion Component; 
New and Expanded Public Use Opportunities)

    Under alternative C, we would emphasize the management of specific 
refuge habitats to support priority species whose habitat needs would 
benefit other species of conservation concern that are found in the 
area. We would promote the transition of 2,609 acres of former pine 
plantation toward an oak/hickory/pine forest using selective cut 
forestry and best management practices to facilitate this transition in 
a phased manner while still protecting select trees for bald eagle use. 
We would protect the integrity of the refuge's other habitats for 
native species, including maintenance of up to 57 acres of non-forested 
upland for wildlife habitat and administrative purposes.
    We would enhance our cultural resource protection similar to 
alternative B. Our visitor services programs and opportunities would 
expand on those identified under alternative B, with modest increases 
in our hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and interpretation 
programs associated with providing access and infrastructure to 
additional areas of the refuge.

Next Steps

    After this comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and 
address them in the form of a final CCP and finding of no significant 
impact.

Public Availability of Documents

    In addition to any methods in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain 
documents from the agency Web site at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/James_River/what_we_do/conservation.html.

Submitting Comments

    We consider comments substantive if they:
     Question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of the 
information in the document.
     Question, with reasonable basis, the adequacy of the EA.
     Present reasonable alternatives other than those presented 
in the EA.
     Provide new or additional information relevant to the EA.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time.

[[Page 63163]]

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: September 23, 2014.
Deborah Rocque,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-25098 Filed 10-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P