[Federal Register: November 2, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 212)]
[Notices]
[Page 64553-64555]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02no06-61]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Final Environmental Impact Statement and Comprehensive
Conservation Plan for Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and
Fish Refuge in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of record of decision.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce our decision
and the availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Comprehensive Conservation
Plan (CCP) for Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act
requirements (NEPA).
ADDRESSES: The ROD and Final EIS/CCP may be viewed at Upper Mississippi
River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Headquarters or at Refuge
District Offices in Winona, Minnesota; La Crosse, Wisconsin; McGregor,
Iowa; and Savanna, Illinois. You may obtain a copy of the ROD on the
planning Web site at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/uppermiss or
by writing to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation
Planning, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal Drive, Fort
Snelling, Minnesota 55111.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Hultman, (507) 452-4232.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
announce our decision and the availability of the Record of Decision
(ROD) for the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and
Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Upper Mississippi River
National Wildlife and Fish Refuge in accordance with NEPA requirements
(40 CFR 1506.6(b)). We completed a thorough analysis of the
environmental, social, and economic considerations, which we included
in the Final EIS/CCP. We released the Final EIS/CCP to the public and a
published a notice of availability in the Federal Register (71 FR
39125, July 11, 2006). The ROD documents the selection of Alternative
E, the Preferred Alternative in the Final EIS/CCP, with one
modification. The ROD was signed by the Regional Director, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Midwest Region, on August 24, 2006.
The CCP for the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish
Refuge (Refuge) will guide the management and administration of the
Refuge for the next 15 years. Alternative E, as described in the Final
EIS, is the foundation for the CCP, with one modification. The
modification designates 215 acres west of the Rieck's Lake area of Pool
4, in the area between Highway 35 and the railroad tracks, as a No
Hunting Zone to avoid impacts to persons using the Buffalo River
Access, access to the main river, and anglers desiring to fish in the
area.
Four alternatives and their consequences were developed for the
Draft EIS and CCP. A fifth alternative, Alternative E, was developed
based on extensive public input and comment, and was released as a
Supplement to the Draft EIS (71 FR 2561, January 17, 2006).
Alternative A--No Action or Current Direction. Continue current
level of
[[Page 64554]]
effort on fish and wildlife and habitat management. Public use programs
would remain virtually unchanged.
Alternative B--Wildlife Focus. Increase level of effort on fish and
wildlife and habitat management. Some public use opportunities and
programs would remain the same, others reduced in favor of wildlife and
habitat protection.
Alternative C--Public Use Focus. Increase level of effort on public
use opportunities and programs. Continue current level of effort on
many fish and wildlife and habitat management activities, and decrease
effort on others in favor of public use.
Alternative D--Wildlife and Integrated Public Use Focus. Increase
level of effort on fish and wildlife and habitat management. Take a
more proactive approach to public use management to ensure a diversity
of opportunities for a broad spectrum of users, both for wildlife-
dependent uses and traditional and appropriate non-wildlife-dependent
uses.
Alternative E--Modified Wildlife and Integrated Public Use Focus
(Preferred Alternative). Increase level of effort on fish and wildlife
and habitat management. Take a proactive but balanced approach to
public use management to ensure a diversity of opportunities for a
broad spectrum of users, both for wildlife-dependent uses and
traditional and appropriate non-wildlife-dependent uses.
Elements common to all alternatives included interagency
coordination, agency access to restricted areas, NEPA compliance for
projects (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq. and 40 CFR 1500-1508), protection of
threatened and endangered species and cultural resources, fire
management, a continuation of general water-based recreation, mosquito
management in the event of a health emergency, fish and wildlife
disease control, and the fostering of volunteers and friends groups.
The Service's Basis for Decision: Based on a review of the
environmental consequences of each alternative, we judged Alternative E
to be the environmentally preferable alternative. Although all
alternatives have positive physical and biological environmental
consequences, Alternatives D and E also address a variety of social,
economic, and cultural issues. Alternative E is the most positive in
terms of addressing human environmental issues, because it reflects
input received during scores of public meetings and workshops, and
through several thousand written comments. The Final EIS identified
three broad needs: (1) Contribute to the Refuge System mission; (2)
fulfill the purposes of the Refuge; and (3) achieve Refuge goals for
landscape conservation, environmental health, wildlife and habitat
health, and recreation. Alternative E meets these needs through the
most balanced and integrated approach. Alternative E reflects
substantive changes to earlier preferred alternatives. These changes
were in response to agency review and comment, 30 public meetings and
workshops on the draft documents, and more than 3,000 written comments.
Alternative E in the Final EIS is the alternative most responsive to
agency and public comment and suggestion. It identifies objectives and
strategies for completing land acquisition, habitat improvements, water
quality improvements, invasive species control, fish and wildlife
monitoring, and forest management, and providing targeted resting and
feeding areas for waterfowl and other wildlife. These measures will
help ensure the biological health of the Refuge beyond the 15-year
scope of the CCP. Alternative E also strikes a balance between the
needs of fish and wildlife and needs of people for recreation through
reasonable restrictions on a portion of the Refuge. This approach may
prove more sustainable, both in terms of resource values and economic
values, than the status quo, and help sustain the greatest diversity of
opportunity for the greatest number of people. Alternative E reflects a
large body of scientific and management knowledge and experience on the
river environment and the needs of the system to improve and thrive. It
reflects numerous studies and reports from the U.S. Geological Survey,
States, interagency teams, and Refuge-specific monitoring and studies.
Changes in public use programs reflect numerous studies on wildlife and
human interaction and disturbance, and the latest thinking in
recreation management. The Refuge Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-
57) requires that all uses on a national wildlife refuge must be
compatible with the purposes of the refuge and the mission of the
Refuge System. Alternative E, with its various stipulations for certain
uses, ensures that these uses remain compatible. All current
recreational uses (e.g., hunting, fishing, observation and photography,
and interpretation and environmental education) and wildlife-dependent
economic uses (e.g., commercial fishing, guiding, fishing tournaments,
and trapping) will continue, and opportunities will remain abundant in
terms of the amount of land and water available and seasons of use.
Adjustments in time, space, and period of use will help ensure the
highest quality experience for the greatest number of users, and ensure
each use remains compatible. Recreation is the main economic driver on
the Refuge, and Alternative E will continue to have a positive economic
impact since all current public use opportunities will continue, and
are expected to grow, even though means, timing, and location of
recreation will change in some areas to protect wildlife, habitat, and
the recreation experience. In the long -term, providing for a greater
diversity of recreational opportunities should strengthen local and
regional economies. Alternative E identifies staffing needs tied to
objectives and strategies to increase the capacity of the Refuge to
meet its purpose and the Refuge System mission. Alternative E also
addresses infrastructure needs for effective and efficient
administration and management of the Refuge while serving the needs of
the visiting public. Although differences of opinion will remain,
Alternative E is the strongest alternative in terms of fostering
cooperative conservation. Virtually every objective and associated
strategy in Alternative E stresses a cooperative approach with the
States, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the public.
Public Comments on Final EIS: During the 30-day waiting period, we
received 50 written comments. With one exception, the comments did not
raise any issues not addressed in the Final EIS, and the comments did
not result in changes to the analysis of environmental consequences or
affect our response to similar comments in the Final EIS. The exception
was a comment requesting retention of the Waterfowl Hunting Closed Area
near Rieck's Lake, Pool 4, due to its proximity to residences, school
bus stop locations, and a marina. This comment provided new information
and resulted in the modification to Alternative E, as noted above. All
written comments received during the waiting period are available for
review at the Refuge headquarters in Winona, Minnesota (see ADDRESSES
Section).
Measures to Minimize Environmental Harm: We addressed public
concerns, potential impacts, and measures and stipulations to mitigate
impacts in various sections of the Final EIS. We made 17 major changes
to Alternative E between the Draft and Final EIS to mitigate public and
agency concerns. Since the focus of the CCP is the improvement of the
Refuge environment, there is little mitigation for physical
environmental impacts. Also, many objectives in the CCP are
programmatic in nature and local
[[Page 64555]]
impacts unknown. Thus, we will identify mitigation for any project-
specific impacts during detailed project planning and design. We
prepared a biological assessment to address any impacts to federally-
listed threatened or endangered species. The biological assessment
concluded that implementation of Alternative E is not likely to
appreciably reduce the survival and recovery of listed species. We also
prepared compatibility determinations for all uses identified in
Alternative E, and these determinations contain stipulations to avoid,
minimize, or mitigate any environmental impacts from these uses and
associated facilities. The Refuge Manager and District Managers will be
responsible for ensuring that monitoring and stipulations identified in
the CCP are completed or followed.
Dated: September 13, 2006.
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling,
Minnesota.
[FR Doc. E6-18470 Filed 11-1-06; 8:45 am]
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