[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 49 (Friday, March 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13420-13422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05721]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-R-2014-N152; FXRS12650400000S3-123-FF04R02000]


Theodore Roosevelt and Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuges, 
Mississippi; Draft 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 Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of a Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 
Environmental Assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Theodore Roosevelt and Holt 
Collier National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) in Sharkey and Washington 
Counties, Mississippi, for public review and comment. In this Draft 
CCP/EA, we describe the alternative proposed to manage these refuges 
for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments 
by April 13, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the Draft CCP/EA by contacting 
Justin Sexton, Refuge Manager, by mail at Yazoo National Wildlife 
Refuge, 595 Yazoo Refuge Rd., Hollandale, MS 38748, or by phone at 
(662) 839-2638. Alternatively, you may download the document from our 
Internet Site at http://southeast.fws.gov/planning under ``Draft 
Documents.'' Comments on the Draft CCP/EA may be submitted to the above 
postal address or by email to Justin Sexton at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Justin Sexton, (662) 839-2638 (phone) 
or [email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    With this notice, we continue the CCP process, which started 
through a notice in the Federal Register on July 30, 2013 (78 FR 
18231). For more about the refuges and our CCP process, please see that 
notice.
    The refuges are located in Central Mississippi. They are two of 
seven refuges in the Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex. The two refuges 
were established for conservation purposes. The enacting legislation 
for both refuges is section 145 of Public Law 108-199, the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act of 2004. This Act renamed The Bogue Phalia Unit of 
Yazoo NWR as Holt Collier NWR. This is the first NWR to be named in 
honor of an African American historical legend and famed hunting guide 
to President Roosevelt. Legislative authority for Holt Collier NWR 
therefore also comes from the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, which 
established Yazoo NWR.
    Holt Collier NWR consists of approximately 2,233 acres of Farm 
Service Agency lands in Washington County, and it is located 5 miles 
east of Hollandale in the Darlove area. Its approved acquisition 
boundary is 18,000 acres. The refuge is open year-round for wildlife-
related activities such as hunting, wildlife observation, and nature 
photography. The refuge habitat is former agricultural lands, most of 
which, in the past 15 years, have been reforested to bottomland 
hardwood.
    Theodore Roosevelt NWR is located in Sharkey County south of Cary, 
Mississippi. Congress authorized 6,600 acres to be acquired through 
donation and land exchange. To date 1,674 acres have been established 
in fee title. The habitat consists mainly of converted, agricultural 
lands now reforested to trees more indicative of the native bottomland 
hardwood forest. Farmlands and open water also occur. The refuge is not 
open to the public. There are no public facilities located on either 
refuge.

Background

The CCP Process

    The National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System Improvement Act of 1997 
(Improvement Act) requires us to develop a CCP for each national 
wildlife refuge. CCPs are developed to provide refuge managers with a 
15-year plan for achieving refuges' purposes and contributing toward 
the mission of the NWR System, consistent with sound principles of fish 
and wildlife management, conservation, legal mandates, and our 
policies. CCPs describe a broad management direction for conserving 
wildlife and their habitats. They propose wildlife-dependent 
recreational opportunities to be made available to the public. These 
include opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, 
wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation. 
We will review the CCP annually and revise it as needed in accordance 
with the Improvement Act.
    Priority resource issues addressed in the Draft CCP/EA include: 
Fish and Wildlife Populations, Habitat Management, Resource Protection, 
Visitor Services, and Refuge Administration. See Chapter III in the 
Draft CCP for a full description.

CCP Alternatives, Including Our Proposed Alternative (B)

    We developed three alternatives for managing the refuge 
(Alternatives A, B, and C), with Alternative B as our proposed 
alternative. A full description of each alternative is in the CCP 
(Chapter IV) and Chapters III and IV of the EA. We summarize each 
alternative below.

Alternative A: Current Management (No Action)

    Alternative A continues the refuges' limited management activities 
and programs at levels similar to the current and past few years of 
management. Theodore Roosevelt NWR would remain

[[Page 13421]]

closed until a sufficient land area is accumulated to accommodate 
public use.
    We would continue to approve and support Special Use Permits to 
outside agencies to conduct research on the refuges. While there is no 
active research or management for listed species that may occur on the 
refuges, the Service supports State research efforts for the Louisiana 
black bear. Waterfowl are the priority species for management on the 
Complex. Both refuges have a passive role in providing sanctuary for 
waterfowl. Native wildlife species benefit from waterfowl and timber 
management on the Complex. At Holt Collier NWR, hunting programs aim to 
manage white-tailed deer and there are partnerships for healthy herd 
efforts and studies.
    The refuges' primary mission is to provide sanctuary for wildlife, 
particularly migratory birds (waterfowl). Major reforestation efforts 
in recent decades returned converted agricultural lands to bottomland 
hardwood forest. The Service would continue to acquire lands to grow 
the refuges. There is no active management of forest or water 
resources. Invasive species such as feral swine would be controlled, 
and grant opportunities and partnerships would be pursued to fund and/
or conduct trapping.
    Efforts to promote visitor safety, protect resources, and ensure 
public compliance with refuge regulations would continue as a 
collateral duty of one law enforcement officer for three refuges. 
Complex personnel also provide safety and refuge regulation 
information. A law enforcement step-down plan is under development for 
the Complex. In keeping with the Service's responsibilities under 
cultural and historic preservation laws, cultural resource protection 
is addressed in refuge operations.
    The Delta area is known for its cultural history, and these refuges 
were created to honor and promote it. The Consolidated Appropriations 
Act of 2004 established the refuges and appropriated funds for an 
environmental education and interpretive center. The Congressional 
sponsors of the Act intended for it to be named for Holt Collier, a 
historic figure of the area. The Service would incorporate the 
environmental education and interpretive facilities within a Visitor 
Center for the Complex located at Theodore Roosevelt NWR. Efforts would 
continue to identify a site for the Visitor Center to showcase the 
Delta's rich cultural heritage. At present the Complex provides 
information and interpretation via its and each refuge's Web sites and 
by staffing events or public talks. There are no volunteer or Friends 
programs to provide a base of support for staff assistance.
    Access to both refuges is via State roads and highways that pass 
through the refuges. Wildlife viewing opportunities for both refuges 
are limited. Theodore Roosevelt NWR is closed to public use, and Holt 
Collier NWR has limited public use, mainly hunting. The only facility 
on either refuge is the hunter information station at Holt Collier NWR. 
When Theodore Roosevelt NWR has acquired enough land to support public 
use, it would be opened to wildlife-dependent public uses including 
hunting and fishing. No funding would be sought for positions to 
further manage the refuges.

Alternative B: Minimally Developed Refuges

    As these are newer refuges authorized by Congress in 2004, the 
focus of this plan is to develop them. Congress established the refuges 
with a mandate to expand them to their designated land acreages. 
Therefore, our efforts over the next 15 years will be focused on land 
acquisition to build-out the refuges to their approved acquisition 
boundaries. Passive habitat protection and the addition of new resource 
lands beneficial to wildlife will help preserve habitat in perpetuity 
and to lessen fragmentation. This plan has the objective of providing 
sanctuary to migratory species as a group, not just priority waterfowl 
species. White-tailed deer management would continue through the Holt 
Collier NWR hunt program and eventually at Theodore Roosevelt NWR. 
Integrated damage control of invasive and nuisance species would lessen 
the negative effects on the refuges' habitats.
    Another primary focus of the plan is to create a visitor services 
program to enhance environmental education and outreach efforts 
substantially and to reach larger numbers of residents, students, 
educators, and visitors. It places priority on wildlife-dependent uses, 
such as hunting, fishing and wildlife observation. The details of these 
allowable uses are specified in appropriate use and compatibility 
determinations (Appendices E and F).
    Priority public uses, such as hunting, are allowed at Holt Collier 
NWR. At a time when sufficient land is amassed to allow for ample 
public use opportunities, Theodore Roosevelt NWR would be opened to 
hunting. Public use would be phased into both refuges. Compatibility 
determinations are updated and proposed for the priority public uses 
and for research and monitoring. For both refuges, some commercial uses 
would be allowed under a Commercial Special Use Permit, including 
commercial photography, firewood gathering, timber harvest for forest 
management, and trapping.
    The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 appropriated funds for 
a Visitor Center to provide visitor services and to promote the Delta 
area's natural resources and cultural heritage. A major focus of this 
plan and Service efforts will be to site, build, and staff the Visitor 
Center. Key interpretive messages would focus on natural resources 
(e.g., Louisiana black bear) and cultural heritage and would reach a 
broader audience and geographic area. Currently the Service is working 
on accepting a 5-acre land donation and purchasing the adjacent 20 
acres to serve as the site for the Visitor Center. All preliminary, 
site-suitability work has been completed. Once a location is secured 
for the Visitor Center, regular Service procedures would be followed 
for site and building design and construction. Staffing is proposed to 
run the Visitor Center, to provide environmental and interpretive 
programs, and to coordinate volunteers.
    This CCP assumes a modest growth of refuge resources over its 15-
year implementation period. This plan proposes to staff the refuges 
with three new positions as new funding is available. Current 
partnerships would be maintained and new ones would be sought. Daily 
operation of the refuges will be guided by this CCP and through the 
implementation of nine projects and six step-down management plans as 
detailed in Chapter V, Plan Implementation.
    The goals, objectives, and strategies presented are the Service's 
responses to the issues, concerns, and needs expressed by the planning 
team, refuge partners, and the public. They reflect the Service's 
commitment to achieve the mandates of the Improvement Act, the mission 
of the Refuge System, and the purposes and vision of the refuges. 
Assuming adequate resources are provided through Congressional budget 
and grant funding, the Service aims to accomplish these goals, 
objectives, and strategies within the next 15 years.

Alternative C: Optional Alternative

    Like Alternative B, Alternative C presents a management scenario in 
which the newer refuges are minimally developed to allow for basic 
natural resource management, for the promotion of cultural heritage, 
and for wildlife-dependent public use. It also provides for modest 
staffing and management capability, adding three positions to the

[[Page 13422]]

three identified in Alternative B. Whereas the facilities for public 
use will mainly be off site and associated with the administrative 
Visitors Center site for both Alternatives A and B, Alternative C adds 
facilities to the refuges proper to provide for basic visitor use and 
to promote wildlife-dependent recreation, mainly fishing and wildlife 
observation and photography. The refuges would add a maintenance 
compound on each refuge and visitor services facilities to promote 
access and use. These include adding a system of trails for each refuge 
and providing fishing access via a primitive boat launch at Coon Bayou. 
To enhance wildlife viewing, a photography observation platform and/or 
photo blinds would be constructed at each refuge.
    The Service would expand its survey and monitoring of priority 
species as proposed in Alternative B to obtain baseline data for native 
species, none of which have been inventoried or their presence 
documented (e.g., selected mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians and 
invertebrates). Also, active habitat management (e.g., cooperative 
farming, moist soil management) could occur. Nuisance animal control 
and invasive plant species management would continue as described in 
Alternative B and conducted opportunistically.
    Alternative C includes adding the positions proposed in Alternative 
B plus three others: A Federal Wildlife Officer position, a Visitor 
Services Specialist, and an office/administrative assistant or clerk 
position, which, among administrative duties, would serve as a 
receptionist at the Visitor Center. With additional staffing, the 
Visitor Center could be open more hours.

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, 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.

Authority

    This notice is published under the authority of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et 
seq.).

    Dated: January 5, 2015.
Mike Oetker,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-05721 Filed 3-12-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P