[Federal Register: September 24, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 184)]
[Notices]
[Page 54281-54283]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24se07-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Record of Decision for the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan,
Wilderness Stewardship Plan for Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
in Pima and Yuma Counties, AZ
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 availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), Wilderness Stewardship Plan
(WSP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Cabeza Prieta
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.
ADDRESSES: The ROD and Final CCP/WSP/EIS may be viewed at Cabeza Prieta
National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters at 1611 North Second Street, Ajo,
Arizona 85321. You may obtain a copy of the ROD at the Planning
Division Web site at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/Plan/completeplans.html
or by writing to the following address: U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, Southwest
Region, Planning Division, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, New Mexico
87103.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Slown at (505) 248-7458 or e-
mail: john_slown@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
announce our decision and availability of the Record of Decision (ROD)
for the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), Wilderness
Stewardship Plan (WSP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in accordance with 40 CFR
1506.6(b). We completed a thorough analysis of the environmental,
social, and economic considerations, which we included in the Final
CCP/WSP/EIS. We released the Final CCP/WSP/EIS to the public and
published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register (72 FR,
20132-20133, April 23, 2007). The ROD documents the selection of
Alternative D, the Preferred Alternative in the Final CCP/WSP/EIS. The
ROD was signed by the Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Southwest Region, on July 19, 2007. The CCP/WSP/EIS for the
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge will provide management guidance
for conservation of Refuge resources and public use activities during
the next 15 years. Five alternatives and their consequences were
described in detail in the Draft and Final Environmental Impact
Statements. Under all alternatives the recovery plan for the Sonoran
pronghorn would be implemented, wilderness resources would be protected
and the Refuge would work cooperatively with the Department of Homeland
Security, Customs and Border Patrol, to protect Sonoran Desert
resources while securing the Nation's border.
Alternative 1--No Action. No change from present management
practices. The No Action alternative is a status quo scenario in which
current conditions and trends would continue. This
[[Page 54282]]
alternative served as the baseline to compare and contrast with the
other alternatives. Under existing conditions the Refuge would continue
to offer a limited desert bighorn sheep hunt each year in cooperation
with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Refuge staff would continue
to maintain and supply supplemental water to existing developed waters
in desert bighorn sheep habitat.
Alternative 2--Minimum Intervention. Under this alternative the
primary focus of Refuge management is avoidance or limitation of
management interventions within Refuge wilderness. Under this
alternative, developed wildlife waters in sheep habitat within the
Refuge wilderness would not be maintained or supplied with supplemental
water. Sonoran pronghorn recovery activities would continue to be
implemented, but any new developed waters, forage enhancements or radio
collaring capture operations would be restricted to the refuge non-
wilderness.
The desert bighorn sheep hunt would also be discontinued. The use
of horses by Refuge visitors would be prohibited, visitor party size
would be limited to eight individuals and the maximum length of stay
would be limited to seven (7) consecutive days. Collecting firewood on
the Refuge would be prohibited. Only one vehicle-accessible developed
campsite would be retained.
Alternative 3--Restrained Intervention. The theme of this
alternative is increased levels of active habitat and wildlife
management above that of Alternative 2, with management activities
focused on the non-wilderness portion of the Refuge. Under this
alternative, the Refuge would supply supplemental water to developed
waters in sheep habitat within Refuge wilderness only during periods of
severe drought. Sonoran pronghorn recovery activities would continue to
be implemented, but any new developed waters, forage enhancements or
radio collaring capture operations would be restricted to the Refuge
non-wilderness.
The desert bighorn sheep hunt would be continued, but no hunting
would be allowed during years of severe drought. The use of horses by
Refuge visitors would be allowed subject to special use permit. Visitor
party size would be limited to eight individuals and the maximum length
of stay would be seven (7) consecutive days. Collecting firewood on the
Refuge would be prohibited. Only one vehicle-accesible developed
campsite would be retained.
Alternative 4--Active Management (the Service's Preferred
Alternative). The theme of this alternative is active intervention, as
justifiable, throughout the Refuge to recover the Sonoran pronghorn and
maintain a target population level for the Refuge's desert bighorn
sheep.
Under this alternative, maintenance and water supply to existing
developed waters in sheep habitat within Refuge wilderness would
continue and projects to increase the water collection efficiency of
such waters would be implemented. Sonoran pronghorn recovery activities
and developments would occur wherever determined best suited for
species recovery, subject to minimum requirements analysis in
wilderness.
The Refuge desert bighorn sheep hunt program would continue
unchanged under this alternative. The use of horses by Refuge visitors
would be allowed subject to special use permit. Visitor party size
would be limited to eight individuals or four vehicles and the maximum
length of stay would be fourteen (14) consecutive days. Collecting dead
and down firewood would be allowed for visitors traveling in the Refuge
backcountry (hiking away from the access roads). Three existing
vehicle-accessible developed campsites would be retained.
Alternative 5--Maximum Effort. This alternative focuses on
maximizing both the provision of visitor services and Refuge population
levels of desert bighorn sheep. Under this alternative all existing
developed waters in Refuge wilderness would be maintained and supplied
with water, and new developed waters would be created. In addition to
developed waters, the Refuge would develop forage enhancements in
suitable areas of desert bighorn sheep habitat to provide forage for a
larger desert bighorn sheep population.
The desert bighorn sheep hunt program would continue unchanged
under this alternative. Horses would be allowed on the Refuge for
visitors, restrictions of collection of firewood would be eliminated
and two additional developed campsites would be developed along the
non-wilderness access roads. No visitor party size limitations would be
imposed, and the maximum length of stay would be fourteen (14)
consecutive days.
We have selected Alternative 4, the Preferred Alternative, for
implementation at the Refuge. Alternative 4 addresses the key issues
identified during the planning process and will best achieve the
purposes and goals of the Refuge as well as the mission of the National
Wildlife Refuge System. This decision includes adoption of
Comprehensive Conservation Plan Chapters (Appendix M of the Final CCP/
WSP/EIS). Implementation of the CCP will occur over the next 15 years
and will depend on future staffing levels and funding.
The Service's Basis for the Decision: Based on a review of the
environmental consequences of each alternative, we judged Alternative 4
to be the environmentally preferable alternative. Alternative 4 is also
expected to lead to more overall public support and a more appropriate
level of public use opportunities than the other alternatives.
Alternative 1 was not considered for selection as it describes current
management and was presented primarily as a baseline against which to
compare the proposed alternatives. Alternatives 2 and 3 were not
selected primarily because their spatial restrictions of management
activity would likely lead to inefficient and sub-optimal sampling and
recovery implementation for the Sonoran pronghorn. Alternative 5 was
not selected because its level of management intervention within
wilderness to manage a larger population of desert bighorn sheep on the
Refuge would create excessive impacts to wilderness character. The
increased levels of public use anticipated under Alternative 5 and the
absence of any restrictions on firewood collection, visitor horse use
and visitor party size would likely create localized adverse impacts to
habitat and wildlife populations.
The rationale for choosing the selected alternative as the best
alternative for the CCP/WSP/EIS is based on the impact of this
alternative on the issues and concerns that surfaced during the
planning process. Because all practicable means to avoid or minimize
environmental harm have been incorporated into the preferred
alternative, no mitigation measures have been identified.
Public Comments on Final CCP/WSP/EIS: During the 30-day waiting
period, we received three written comments. The comments did not raise
any issues not addressed in the Final CCP/WSP/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. All written
comments received during the 30-day waiting period are available for
review at the Refuge headquarters in Ajo, Arizona (see ADDRESSES).
[[Page 54283]]
Dated: July 19, 2007.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
[FR Doc. 07-4715 Filed 9-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M