[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41987-41989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15292]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-R-2015-N206]; [FF06R06000-FXRS12610600000-167]


Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, CO; Availability 
of Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of a record of decision (ROD) for the final environmental 
impact statement (EIS) for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife 
Refuge (refuge, NWR) in Adams County, Colorado.

ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the ROD, the final EIS, or 
other project information by any of the following methods:
    Agency Web site: Download a copy of the documents at http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/refuges/co_rkm.php.
    Email: [email protected]. Include ``Request copy of the 
Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR ROD'' in the subject line of the message.
    U.S. Mail: Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR, 6550 Gateway Road, Commerce 
City, CO 80022.
    Local Libraries: The final documents are available for review at 
the libraries

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listed under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Lucas, Project Leader, at 303-
289-0350 (phone), or Bernardo Garza, Planning Team Leader, 303-236-4377 
(phone) or [email protected] (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    With this notice, we announce the availability of the ROD for the 
final EIS for the refuge. We started this process through a notice in 
the Federal Register (78 FR 48183; August 7, 2013). Following a lengthy 
scoping and alternatives development period, we published a second 
notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 26084; May 6, 2015), announcing 
the availability of the draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and 
draft EIS and our intention to hold public meetings, and requesting 
comments. We then published a third notice in the Federal Register (80 
FR 52056, August 27, 2015), announcing the publication of the final EIS 
for the refuge.
    The primary planning area for this decision includes the Rocky 
Mountain Arsenal NWR, which is located within the Denver Metropolitan 
Area, in Adams County, Colorado.
    The Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR encompasses nearly 16,000 acres and 
is home to more than 468 plant species and 350 wildlife species, 
including the endangered black-footed ferret, bald eagle, prairie dog, 
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. The refuge is surrounded by the cities of Commerce City and 
Denver, and the Denver International Airport, along the Colorado Front 
Range.
    Visitors take part in a variety of wildlife-dependent recreational 
activities on the refuge. The refuge is open for catch-and-release 
fishing, wildlife observation, photography, interpretation, and 
environmental education. As part of the CCP and EIS process, we have 
considered opening the refuge to limited special hunts.
    Over 12,000 years of prehistory and history have been recorded in 
the site of the refuge, and the refuge contains significant cultural 
resources.
    In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 
1506.6(b)) requirements, this notice announces the availability of the 
ROD for the final EIS for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal NWR. We completed 
a thorough analysis of the environmental, social, and economic 
considerations associated with our actions. The ROD documents our 
selection of alternative C, the preferred alternative.
    Alternative C--Urban Refuge, as we described in the final EIS and 
ROD, is the foundation for the CCP which we will finalize by winter 
2016.

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 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. We 
will finalize the CCP for the refuge by winter 2016 and will update it 
at least every 15 years in accordance with the Administration Act.

CCP Alternatives and Selected Alternative

    Our final EIS (80 FR 52056, August 27, 2015) addressed several 
issues. To address these, we developed and evaluated the following 
alternatives: Alternative A--No Action, Alternative B--Traditional 
Refuge, Alternative C--Urban Refuge, and Alternative D--Gateway Refuge.
    Based on our environmental consequences analysis, we concluded that 
alternative B constituted the environmentally preferable alternative as 
it would have caused the least damage to the biological and physical 
environment.
    However, after consideration of the 90 comments that we received on 
the draft CCP and draft EIS and a minor comment we received following 
the release of the final EIS, we selected alternative C--Urban Refuge 
as the preferred alternative. It is the alternative that best meets the 
purposes of the refuge; the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System; the vision and management goals set for the refuge; adheres to 
Service policies and guidelines, and seeks to implement the Service's 
Urban Wildlife Conservation Program. It considers the interests and 
perspectives of many agencies, organizations, municipalities, and the 
public.
    Under alternative C and in cooperation with our partners, we will 
continue to restore and maintain refuge habitats and manage wildlife 
populations in accordance with approved plans. We will increase the 
visibility of the refuge in the Denver Metropolitan Area and welcome 
many more nontraditional visitors to the refuge. Through an expanded 
visitor services program, an abundance of instructional programming, 
and widespread outreach, we will endeavor to connect more people with 
nature. We will work with nontraditional users' trusted avenues of 
communication to increase outreach success. We will expand our 
conservation education in surrounding communities and schools, develop 
youth-specific outreach, and employ social marketing to broaden our 
agency's reach. We will make the refuge more accessible to outlying 
communities by opening additional access points and enhancing the 
refuge transportation systems.

Public Availability of Documents

    In addition to any one method in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain 
documents at the following public libraries:

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            Library                    Address             Phone No.
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Aurora Central Public Library.  14949 E Alameda           (303) 739-6600
                                 Parkway, Aurora, CO
                                 80012.
Commerce City Public Library..  7185 Monaco Street,       (303) 287-0063
                                 Commerce City, CO
                                 80022.
Denver Central Library........  10 W Fourteenth           (720) 865-1111
                                 Avenue, Denver, CO
                                 80204.
Montbello Public Library......  12955 Albrook Drive,      (720) 865-0200
                                 Denver, CO 80239.
Rangeview Library District....  327 E Bridge Street,      (303) 405-3230
                                 Brighton, CO 80601.
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Next Steps

    We will work with our cooperating agencies to finalize the CCP by 
winter 2016 and will begin its implementation immediately thereafter.

    Dated: March 29, 2016.
Matt Hogan,
Deputy Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-15292 Filed 6-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P