[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 62 (Thursday, March 31, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18637-18639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07158]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R5-R-2015-N228; BAC-4333-99]


Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge; Barnstable County, MA; Record 
of Decision for Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; record of decision and comprehensive 
conservation plan.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of the record of decision (ROD) and final comprehensive 
conservation plan (CCP) for Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). We 
prepared the ROD pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA) and its implementing regulations. The Service is furnishing 
this notice to advise the public and other agencies of our decision and 
of the availability of the ROD and CCP.

DATES: The ROD was signed on March 18, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the final CCP and ROD by 
any of the following methods.
    Agency Web site: Download a copy of the document at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Monomoy/what_we_do/conservation.html.
    Email: Send requests to [email protected]; include ``Monomoy 
NWR CCP'' in the subject line of your email.
    U.S. Mail: Elizabeth A. Herland, Project Leader, Eastern 
Massachusetts NWR Complex, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.
    In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Visit during regular business hours at 
Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex (see address above), or at Monomoy 
NWR, 30 Wikis Way, Chatham, MA 02633.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth A. Herland, Project Leader, 
Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 
01776; 978-443-4661 ext. 11 (phone); [email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Monomoy NWR. We 
officially began this process through a notice of intent in the Federal 
Register (64 FR 9166) on February 24, 1999. That notice announced our 
intent to prepare one CCP for all eight refuges in the Eastern 
Massachusetts NWR Complex, including Monomoy NWR. In two subsequent 
notices in the Federal Register, published on February 15, 2001 (66 FR 
10506), and December 13, 2004 (69 FR 72210), we explained our intent to 
reorganize our CCP planning effort for the eight refuges, including 
Monomoy NWR. For more information on the early planning process 
history, see the December 13, 2004, notice. On April 10, 2014, we 
announced the release of the draft CCP/Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) to the public and requested comments in a notice of availability 
(NOA) in the Federal Register (79 FR 19920). We subsequently extended 
the public comment period on the draft document in another notice in 
the Federal Register (79 FR 36553) on June 27, 2014. We released the 
final CCP/EIS for public review on October 30, 2015 (80 FR 66928). In 
addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published Federal 
Register notices announcing the availability of our draft and final 
CCP/EIS coincident with our notices as

[[Page 18638]]

required under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 
seq.). EPA's notice of availability of the draft CCP/EIS was published 
on April 18, 2014, and EPA's notice of the final document was published 
on November 6, 2015.
    In the draft and final CCP/EIS, we evaluated three alternatives for 
managing the refuge and completed a thorough analysis of the 
environmental, social, and economic considerations of each alternative. 
Alternative B was identified as the Service-preferred alternative in 
both draft and final documents. Based on comments we received during 
the public review period for the draft CCP/EIS, we made several 
modifications to alternative B in the final CCP/EIS. All substantive 
issues were addressed through revisions made to text in the final CCP/
EIS, or in our responses to comments contained in appendix K of final 
CCP/EIS. None of the comments received on the final CCP/EIS raised 
significant new issues, nor require significant changes to either 
alternative B or our analysis of impacts. All substantive comments were 
previously addressed in appendix K. However, in response to some of the 
final CCP/EIS comments, we felt we should clarify our intent for 
certain management strategies in the CCP. Those clarifications are 
detailed in the ROD.
    In accordance with NEPA (40 CFR 1506.6(b)) requirements, this 
notice announces the availability of the ROD and final CCP for Monomoy 
NWR, which further detail our decision to select alternative B for 
implementation. The final CCP will guide our management and 
administration of the refuges over the next 15 years.

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 NWR. The purpose for developing a CCP is to 
provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving refuge 
purposes and goals and contributing to the mission of the National 
Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System). CCPs should be consistent with 
sound principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal 
mandates, and our policies, as well as respond to key issues and public 
concerns. 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.

CCP Alternatives

    During the scoping phase of the planning process, we identified a 
variety of issues and concerns based on input from the public; town of 
Chatham, Massachusetts, officials; State or Federal agencies; other 
Service programs; and our planning team. We developed refuge management 
alternatives to address these issues and local community concerns; help 
achieve refuge goals, objectives, and purposes; and support the Refuge 
System mission. Our draft CCP/EIS (79 FR 19920) and final CCP/EIS (80 
FR 66928) fully analyze three alternatives for the future management of 
the refuge: (1) Alternative A, Current Management; (2) Alternative B, 
Enhanced Management of Habitat and Public Uses; and (3) Alternative C, 
Natural Processes. Alternative A satisfies the NEPA requirement of a 
``No Action'' alternative. Both the draft and final plans identify 
alternative B as the Service-preferred alternative. Please refer to the 
final CCP/EIS for more details on each of the alternatives.

Basis for Selected Alternative

    Our decision is to adopt alternative B, as described in the final 
CCP/EIS. We provide a brief summary of our decision below. For the full 
basis of our decision, please see the ROD (see ADDRESSES).
    This decision to adopt alternative B for implementation was made 
after considering the follow factors: (1) How well the alternative 
achieves the stated purpose and need for a CCP and the six goals 
presented in chapter 1 of the final CCP/EIS; (2) How well the 
alternative addresses the relevant issues, concerns, and opportunities 
identified in the planning process and summarized in chapter 1 of final 
CCP/EIS; (3) The results of public, partner, town of Chatham, Federal 
and State agency, and other stakeholder comments on the draft and final 
CCP/EISs; (4) The projected impacts identified in chapter 4 of the 
final CCP/EIS; and, (5) Other relevant factors, including fulfilling 
the purposes for which the refuge was established, contributing to the 
mission and goals of the Refuge System and National Wilderness 
Preservation System, and statutory and regulatory guidance.
    Compared to the other two alternatives, alternative B includes the 
suite of actions that best meet the factors above, using the most 
balanced, reasonable, practicable, and integrated approach, and with 
due consideration for impacts on both the biological and human 
environment. The refuge's establishment purposes emphasize the 
conservation of migratory birds and the protection of wilderness 
character and values; thus, protecting those resources on Monomoy NWR 
is paramount. Alternative B will best fulfill the refuge's biological 
goal by managing for migratory birds and other Federal trust species 
and habitats that are of national and regional conservation concern. 
Under alternative B, there is clear direction under goal 1, 
establishing which Federal trust species will be a management priority 
in each of the habitat types. The objectives and strategies under goal 
1 further establish the priority actions we will pursue to achieve this 
goal.
    Under alternative B, the objectives and strategies under goal 4 
best ensure wilderness resource protection and management will be 
achieved over the long term. Alternative B also increases inventory and 
monitoring efforts to help evaluate the effectiveness of our actions 
and to ensure our management into the future is adaptive and strategic, 
including considerations of the impacts of climate change. Alternative 
B, under goal 2, is best at promoting wildlife-dependent recreation on 
the refuge, with additional opportunities for our six priority public 
uses: Hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, 
environmental education, and interpretation. These programs will 
provide high-quality experiences for our visitors while providing 
sufficient protection for wildlife and wilderness resources. However, 
we have also determined that there are some activities of interest to 
the public that are inappropriate and not compatible with resource 
protection and will not be allowed. Our rationale for allowing certain 
activities, and not allowing others, is detailed in appendix D.
    Alternative B best recognizes how important Monomoy NWR is to the 
local community and the larger social and economic region of the Outer 
Cape. It includes strategies for improving communications and 
coordination with the town of Chatham; State fish, wildlife, and marine 
agency officials; and the National Park Service; these entities 
collectively represent the other entities with management authority in 
the area surrounding the refuge. Goal 3 and its objectives and 
strategies also specifically identify actions to improve outreach and 
engagement within the local community, and to increase appreciation and 
enjoyment of the refuge.

[[Page 18639]]

    Alternative B complies with all major Federal laws that apply to 
this type of Federal action. The final CCP/EIS was developed to comply 
with NEPA. The CCP/EIS was developed with sufficient detail to account 
for the greatest potential impacts that could result from proposed 
actions identified under all alternatives. However, additional NEPA 
analysis will be necessary for certain types of actions, even once we 
adopt a final CCP. We identified some of the actions we anticipate will 
require further NEPA analysis and public involvement in chapter 3 of 
the final CCP/EIS. Appendix M in the CCP includes documentation of 
compliance with the Coastal Zone Management Act (Public Law 92-583, as 
amended); Endangered Species Act (Public Law 93-205, as amended); and 
National Historic Preservation Act (Public Law 89-665).
    In summary, we selected alternative B for implementation because it 
best meets the factors identified above when compared to alternatives A 
and C. Alternative B provides the greatest number of opportunities for 
Monomoy NWR to contribute to the conservation of fish, wildlife, 
habitat, and wilderness resources at local, regional, and national 
levels. It will also increase our capacity to meet refuge purposes, 
contribute to the Refuge System mission, and enhance visitor use and 
enjoyment, and it will provide the means to better respond to changing 
ecological conditions within the surrounding environment.

Public Availability of Documents

    You can view or obtain the final CCP and ROD as indicated under 
ADDRESSES.

    Dated: March 23, 2016.
Kenneth Elowe,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-07158 Filed 3-30-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P