[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27468-27469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10717]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-NWRS-2016-0063: FXRS12610800000-167-FF08R00000]


Lower Klamath, Clear Lake, Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, and Bear 
Valley National Wildlife Refuges, Klamath County, OR; Siskiyou and 
Modoc Counties, CA: Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental 
Impact Statement

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 (CCP) and 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Lower Klamath, Clear Lake, 
Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, and Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuges 
(Refuges) for review and comment. The Refuges are part of the Klamath 
Basin Complex. The draft CCP/EIS, prepared under the National Wildlife 
Refuge Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service proposes to 
manage the refuges for the next 15 years. Draft compatibility 
determinations for uses proposed under one or more of the alternatives 
are also available for review and public comment.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments 
by June 20, 2016. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 p.m. 
Eastern Time on the closing date.

ADDRESSES: Document Availability: You may obtain copies of the 
documents in the following places:
     Internet: http://www.regulations.gov (Docket Number FWS-
R8-R-2016-0063).
     In Person:
    [cir] Klamath Refuge Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex 
Headquarters, 4009 Hill Road, Tulelake, CA 96134.
    [cir] The following libraries: For the location of libraries with a 
copy of this document, see Public Availability of Documents under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: 
http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R8-NWRS-2016-
0063, which is the docket number for this notice. Then, on the left 
side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, click on the 
Notices link to locate this document and submit a comment.
     By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: 
Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-NWRS-2016-0063; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls 
Church, VA 22041-3803
    We request that you send comments by only the methods described 
above. We will post all information received on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more information).
    For how to view comments on the draft CCP/EIS from the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or for information on EPA's role 
in the EIS process, see EPA's Role in the EIS Process under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Additional information about the CCP planning process is available 
on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Tule_Lake/what_we_do/conservation.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Klamath Refuge Planner, (916) 414-6464 
(phone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We publish this notice to announce the 
availability of a draft CCP/EIS for the Klamath Basin Refuges. The 
draft CCP/EIS, which we prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), describes and analyzes a range 
of management alternatives for the Klamath Basin Refuges. In addition 
to our publication of this notice, EPA is publishing a notice 
announcing the draft CCP/EIS, as required under section 309 of the 
Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.). The publication date of EPA's 
notice of availability is the start of the public comment period for 
the draft CCP/EIS. Under the CAA, EPA must also subsequently announce 
the final EIS via the Federal Register.

EPA's Role in the EIS Process

    The EPA is charged under section 309 of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 
seq.) to review all Federal agencies' environmental impact statement 
(EISs) and to comment on the adequacy and acceptability of the 
environmental impacts of proposed actions in the EISs.
    EPA also serves as the repository (EIS database) for EISs prepared 
by Federal agencies and provides notice of their availability in the 
Federal Register. The EIS Database provides information about EISs 
prepared by Federal agencies, as well as EPA's comments concerning the 
EISs. All EISs are filed with EPA, which publishes a notice of 
availability on Fridays in the Federal Register.
    The notice of availability is the start of the public comment 
period for draft EISs, and the start of the 30-day ``wait period'' for 
final EISs, during which agencies are generally required to wait 30 
days before making a decision on a proposed action. For more 
information, see http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/eisdata.html. You 
may search for EPA comments on EISs, along with the EISs themselves, at 
https://cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cds-enepa-public/action/eis/search.

[[Page 27469]]

Background

The CCP Process

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), which amended the National Wildlife Refuge System 
Administration Act of 1966, requires the Service to develop a CCP for 
each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in 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 also evaluate the potential for providing 
wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities 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.
    With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Lower Klamath, 
Clear Lake, Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, and Bear Valley National Wildlife 
Refuges (Refuges). We started this process through a notice in the 
Federal Register on April 29, 2010 (75 FR 22621).
    The Klamath Basin Refuges consist of a variety of habitats, 
including freshwater marshes, open water, grassy meadows, coniferous 
forests, sagebrush and juniper grasslands, agricultural lands, and 
rocky cliffs and slopes. These habitats support diverse and abundant 
populations of resident and migratory wildlife, with 433 species having 
been observed on or near the Refuges. In addition, each year the 
Refuges serve as a migratory stopover for about three-quarters of the 
Pacific Flyway waterfowl, with peak fall concentrations of over 1 
million birds.

Public Availability of Documents

    In addition to any methods in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain 
documents at the following locations:
     Public Libraries: the table below lists the libraries 
where the document can be found during regular library hours.

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             Library                     Address            Phone No.
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Klamath County Main..............  126 South Third        (541) 882-8894
                                    Street, Klamath
                                    Falls, OR 97601.
Keno Branch......................  15555 Hwy 66, #1,      (541) 273-0750
                                    Keno, OR 97627.
Malin Branch.....................  2307 Front Street,     (541) 723-5210
                                    Malin, OR 97632.
Merrill Branch...................  365 Front Street,      (541) 798-5393
                                    Merrill, OR 97633.
S. Suburban Branch...............  3625 Summers Lane,     (541) 273-3679
                                    Klamath Falls, OR
                                    97603.
Tulelake Branch..................  451 Main Street,       (530) 667-2291
                                    Tulelake, CA 96134.
Butte Valley Branch..............  800 West Third         (530) 397-4932
                                    Street, Dorris, CA
                                    96023.
Redding..........................  1100 Parkview Ave.,    (530) 245-7250
                                    Redding, CA 96001.
Multnomah Co. Central............  801 SW 10th Ave.,      (530) 988-5123
                                    Portland, OR 97205.
Sacramento Public Central Branch.  828 I St.,             (916) 264-2700
                                    Sacramento, CA
                                    95814.
Medford..........................  205 S. Central         (541) 774-8689
                                    Ave., Medford, OR
                                    95701.
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NEPA Compliance

    We are conducting environmental review in accordance with the 
requirements of NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its 
implementing regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), other applicable 
regulations, and our procedures for compliance with those regulations. 
The draft EIS discusses the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of 
the alternatives on biological resources, cultural resources, water 
quality, and other environmental resources. Measures to minimize 
adverse environmental effects are identified and discussed in the draft 
CCP/EIS.

Public Comments

    We request that you send comments only by one of the methods 
described in ADDRESSES. If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--will be posted on the Web site. We will post 
all hardcopy comments on http://www.regulations.gov as well. If you 
submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying 
information, you may request at the top of your document that we 
withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments and materials we 
receive, as well as documents associated with the notice, will be 
available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at Docket 
No. FWS-R8-NWRS-2016-0063.
    The locations, dates, and times of public meetings will be listed 
in a planning update distributed to the project mailing list and posted 
on the refuge planning Web site at http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Tule_Lake/what_we_do/conservation.html.

J. Eric Davis Jr.,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2016-10717 Filed 5-5-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P