[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26084-26086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-10326]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-R-2015-N023; FXRS12610600000-156-FF06R06000]


Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Commerce City, 
CO; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact 
Statement

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 (CCP) and 
environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal 
National Wildlife Refuge (refuge). In these documents, we describe 
alternatives, including our proposed action alternative, to manage the 
refuge for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please send written comments by July 6, 
2015. We will hold public meetings; for information on the public 
meetings or to request reasonable accommodations, please see Public 
Meetings in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments or requests for copies or more 
information by one of the following methods. You may request hard 
copies or a CD-ROM of the documents.
    Email: [email protected]. Include ``Rocky Mountain 
Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge draft CCP and EIS'' in the subject 
line of the message.

[[Page 26085]]

    U.S. Mail: Bernardo Garza, Planning Team Leader, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Branch of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box 25486, Denver 
Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0486.
    In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off comments during regular 
business hours at the above address, or at the refuge administrative 
office located at 6550 Gateway Road, Building 121, Commerce City, CO 
80022.
    Document Request: A copy of the draft CCP and EIS may be obtained 
by writing to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Refuge 
Planning, 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80228; or by 
download from http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/planning/ccp/co/rkm/rkm.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernardo Garza, 303-236-4377, (phone) 
or [email protected] (email); or Toni Griffin, 303-236-4378 
(phone), P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0486.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    With this notice we continue the CCP process for the refuge, which 
we started through a notice in the Federal Register (78 FR 48183; 
August 7, 2013). This notice complies with our CCP policy to (1) advise 
other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of the 
availability of the draft CCP and EIS for this refuge and (2) to obtain 
comments on the information provided in the draft CCP and EIS.

Background

The CCP Process

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Administration Act), as amended by the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to develop 
a CCP for each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). The 
purpose for developing a CCP is to provide the managers of the units of 
the NWRS with a 15-year plan for achieving the units' purposes and 
contributing toward the mission of the 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 
compatible wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to 
the public, including, where appropriate, opportunities for hunting, 
fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and environmental 
education and interpretation.

The Refuge

    In 1992 Congress passed the act that established the refuge to (1) 
conserve and enhance populations of fish, wildlife, and plants within 
the refuge, including populations of waterfowl, raptors, passerines, 
and marsh and water birds; (2) conserve species listed as threatened or 
endangered under the Endangered Species Act and species that are 
candidates for such listing; (3) provide maximum fish and wildlife 
oriented public uses at levels compatible with the conservation and 
enhancement of wildlife and wildlife habitat; (4) provide opportunities 
for compatible scientific research; (5) provide opportunities for 
compatible environmental and land use education; (6) conserve and 
enhance the land and water of the refuge in a manner that will conserve 
and enhance the natural diversity of fish, wildlife, plants, and their 
habitats; (7) protect and enhance the quality of aquatic habitat within 
the refuge; and, (8) fulfill international treaty obligations of the 
United States with respect to fish and wildlife and their habitats. The 
first 4,930 acres of the refuge were transferred by the U.S. Army to 
the Service on April 21, 2004. Today the refuge encompasses nearly 
16,000 acres and is home to more than 468 plant species and 350 
wildlife species, including bison, deer, a wide variety of resident and 
migratory birds and raptors, amphibians, reptiles, fishes and insects. 
The refuge's habitats include short and mixed grass prairie 
interspersed with native shrubs, riparian corridors, lacustrine 
habitats on the refuge reservoirs, and woodlands planted by settlers 
around historic homesteads.

Public Outreach

    We started the public outreach process in June 2013, including four 
public meetings, mailing planning updates, maintaining a project Web 
site, and publishing press releases. The comments we received cover 
topics such as connecting people to nature; improving promotions and 
outreach; setting clear expectations about the refuge, its programs and 
resources; maintaining the sense of retreat from the surrounding urban 
setting; collaborating with partners to improve environmental education 
opportunities on and off the refuge; interpreting the site's history; 
building new facilities and expanding refuge programs; and improving 
access and transportation. We have considered, evaluated, and 
incorporated all the comments we have received throughout the process.

CCP Alternatives We Are Considering

    Our draft CCP and EIS addresses all the issues identified by our 
agency, our partners, and the public. We developed and evaluated four 
alternatives to manage the refuge and address the issues. The draft CCP 
and EIS has a full description of each alternative and the following is 
a summary of each of them.

Alternative A: No Action

    Alternative A is the no-action alternative, which represents the 
current management of the refuge. This alternative provides the 
baseline against which to compare the other alternatives. Under this 
alternative, management activity conducted by the Service would remain 
the same. The Service would not develop any new management, 
restoration, or education programs at the refuge. Current habitat and 
wildlife practices would not be expanded or changed. Funding and staff 
levels would remain the same with little change in overall trends. 
Programs would follow the same direction, emphasis, and intensity as 
they do now. We would continue implementing the habitat restoration and 
management objectives set in the refuge's Habitat Management Plan and 
other approved plans to provide for a wide variety of resident and 
migratory species.

Alternative B: Traditional Refuge

    This alternative focuses on providing traditional refuge visitor 
uses and conveying the importance of conservation, wildlife protection, 
and the purposes of the Refuge System. Access to the refuge would 
remain more limited than in alternatives C and D. Wildlife-dependent 
recreation and community outreach would be minimally expanded. We would 
continue to manage the refuge's habitat and wildlife as in Alternative 
A, and would reintroduce to the refuge black-footed ferrets, and self-
sustaining populations of greater prairie-chicken and sharp-tailed 
grouse. We would maintain the same levels of access and transportation 
as under Alternative A, but would enhance the main refuge entrance, 
improve visitor services facilities, and seek to improve trail 
accessibility.

Alternative C: Urban Refuge

    The emphasis of this alternative is to increase the visibility of 
the refuge within the Denver metropolitan area and to welcome many more 
nontraditional visitors to the refuge. Through an expanded visitor 
services program, an abundance of instructional programming, and 
widespread outreach, we would endeavor to connect more

[[Page 26086]]

people with nature and wildlife. In this alternative, the refuge would 
be made more accessible to outlying communities with the opening of 
additional access points and the development of enhanced transportation 
system. We would work with nontraditional users' trusted avenues of 
communication to increase outreach success. We would expand our 
conservation education in surrounding communities and schools, develop 
youth-specific outreach, and employ social marketing to broaden our 
agency's reach. We would manage the refuge's habitat and wildlife as in 
Alternative B, but the reintroduction of greater prairie-chicken and 
sharp-tailed grouse would be attempted regardless of whether these 
species' populations are likely to become self-sustaining.

Alternative D: Gateway Refuge

    The emphasis of this alternative is to work with partners to 
increase the visibility of the refuge, the Refuge System, and other 
public lands in the area. There will be less visitor services 
programming at the refuge and efforts to engage with the public will be 
extended to off-site locations. We would work with Denver International 
Airport to improve physical connections between the refuge and the 
airport. The trail system within the refuge would be more extensive 
than under Alternative C. Working with our partners, we would manage 
access to the perimeter trail and promote trail linkages to the Rocky 
Mountain Greenway Trail and other regional trails. We would manage the 
refuge's habitat and wildlife as in Alternative B and we would work 
with neighboring landowners and state agencies to extend the range of 
native species.

Public Meetings

    Opportunity for public input will be provided at public meetings. 
The specific dates and times for the public meetings are yet to be 
determined, but will be announced via local media and a planning 
update.

Reasonable Accommodations

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access 
for all participants to our public meetings. Please direct all requests 
for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, 
simultaneous translations, or other accommodation needs to Bernardo 
Garza, (303) 236-4377, [email protected], or 800-877-8339 (TTY).

Submitting Comments and Issues for Comment

    We welcome all comments on the draft CCP and EIS, particularly on 
how we have addressed those issues identified during the scoping 
process, such as (1) habitat and wildlife management, (2) 
reintroduction of the black-footed ferret and other native species, (3) 
public uses and access, (4) water resources and management, (5) 
partnerships, outreach and collaboration, and (6) cultural and historic 
resources. We consider comments substantive if they question, with 
reasonable basis, the accuracy of the information in the document or 
the adequacy of the EIS; if they present reasonable alternatives other 
than those presented in the draft CCP and EIS; or if they provide new 
or additional information relevant to the EIS.

Next Steps

    After this comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and 
address them in the form of a final CCP and a final EIS.

Public 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

    The environmental review of this project will be conducted in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508, 43 CFR part 46); other appropriate 
Federal laws and regulations; Executive Order 12996; the National 
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-
668ee) (Administration Act), as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge 
System Improvement Act of 1997; and Service policies and procedures for 
compliance with those laws and regulations.

    Dated: March 16, 2015.
Matt Hogan,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-
Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-10326 Filed 5-5-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P