[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 77 (Tuesday, April 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22173-22174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-08407]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-NWRS-2020-N067]; [FXRS12610800000-190-FF08R00000]


Butte Sink, Willow Creek--Lurline, and North Central Valley 
Wildlife Management Areas, CA; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan/
Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

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 final comprehensive conservation Plan (CCP), 
environmental assessment (EA), and finding of no significant impact 
(FONSI) for the Butte Sink, Willow Creek-Lurline, and North Central 
Valley Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) in California. The CCP/EA/
FONSI, prepared under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 
Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act, describes how the Service will manage the three WMAs for the next 
15 years. Compatibility determinations for six public uses are also 
included in the final CCP.

ADDRESSES: You will find the final CCP and the EA/FONSI on the WMAs 
website at https://go.usa.gov/xPm3r.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Planning Team Leader, by email at 
[email protected]. Include ``WMAs Final CCP/EA'' in the subject 
line of the message.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We announce the availability of a final 
comprehensive conservation plan/environmental assessment and finding of 
no significant impact (CCP/EA/FONSI) for Butte Sink, Willow Creek-
Lurline, and North Central Valley Wildlife Management Areas, which are 
located in Tehama, Butte, Glenn, Colusa, Yuba, Sacramento, Sutter, 
Placer, Yolo, Solano, Contra Costa, and San Joaquin Counties, 
California. The CCP/EA/FONSI, prepared under the National Wildlife 
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service 
will manage the three WMAs for the next 15 years. Compatibility 
determinations for public uses are also included in the final CCP.

Introduction

    With this notice, we complete the CCP process for Butte Sink, 
Willow Creek--Lurline, and North Central Valley Wildlife Management 
Areas, which we began by publishing a notice of intent in the Federal 
Register on November 30, 2009 (74 FR 62584). For more about the initial 
process and the history of the Wildlife Management Area, see that 
notice. We released the draft CCP and EA to the public, announcing and 
requesting comments in a notice of availability on June 15, 2015 (80 FR 
34166). The 85-day comment period ended on September 9, 2015. A summary 
of public comments and our responses are included in the final CCP.

Background

    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

[[Page 22174]]

Service to develop a CCP for each National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose 
of 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 (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 
wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, 
including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, and 
photography, environmental education, and interpretation. We will 
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with 
the Improvement Act.
    Each unit of the NWRS was established for specific purposes. We use 
these purposes as the foundation for developing and prioritizing the 
management goals and objectives for each refuge within the NWRS, and to 
determine how the public can use each refuge. The planning process is a 
way for us to evaluate management goals and objectives that will ensure 
the best possible approach to wildlife, plant, and habitat 
conservation, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation 
opportunities that are compatible with each refuge's establishing 
purposes and the mission of the NWRS.

Additional Information

    The final CCP may be found at https://go.usa.gov/xPm3r. The final 
CCP includes detailed information about the planning process, WMAs, 
issues, and management alternative selected. The website also includes 
an EA, prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) (43 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The EA includes discussion of 
three alternative management options. The Service's selected 
alternative is reflected in the final CCP, and also in the FONSI.
    The selected alternative focuses on reducing the existing North 
Central Valley wetland easement acquisition objective by 19,000 acres, 
and adding an agricultural easement objective by the same amount. The 
CCP also describes limiting wetland easement acquisition to Butte, 
Colusa, Glenn, Placer, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. All three 
alternatives included the acquisition of up to 3,321 additional acres 
of Service-owned lands from willing landowners in the North Central 
Valley WMA.

National Environmental Policy Act Compliance

    We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the 
Final CCP/EA for the Butte Sink, Willow Creek--Lurline, and North 
Central Valley Wildlife Management Areas, in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act requirements (40 CFR 1506.6(b)). We 
completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment, 
which we included in the draft EA that accompanied the Draft CCP. This 
notice is in addition to our announcement of the completion of the CCP 
process on the Refuge Complex website.
    The final EA 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 final 
CCP/EA.

Priscilla Wheeler,
Acting Regional Director, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2020-08407 Filed 4-20-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P