[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 7, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39038-39039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16425]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-R-2010-N118; 30136-1265-0000-S3]
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and Wetland Management District,
Minnesota
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability: draft comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and draft
environmental assessment (EA) for Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
(NWR) and Tamarac Wetland Management District (WMD) for public review
and comment. In this draft CCP/EA we describe how we propose to manage
the refuge and district for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments
by August 6, 2010. An open house style meeting will be held during the
comment period to receive comments and provide information on the draft
plan. Special mailings, newspaper articles, internet postings, and
other media announcements will inform people of the meetings and
opportunities for written comments.
ADDRESSES: Comments or requests for more information can be sent by any
of the following methods. You may also drop off comments in person at
Tamarac NWR.
1. Agency Web site: View or download a copy of the document and
comment at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/Tamarac/index.html.
2. E-mail: [email protected]. Include ``Tamarac Draft CCP/EA'' in
the subject line of the message.
3. Fax: 218-847-2641.
4. Mail: Attention: Refuge Manager, Tamarac National Wildlife
Refuge, 35704 County Road 26, Rochert, Minnesota 56578.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Boyle, 218-847-2641.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Tamarac NWR and
WMD, which we began by publishing a notice of intent on (72 FR 27587-
27588, May 16, 2007). For more about the initial process and the
history of this refuge and district, see that notice.
The 42,738-acre Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge was established in
1938. The Refuge includes 2,180 Federally-designated wilderness acres.
The Tamarac Wetland Management District consists of 8,577 acres of
wetland easements distributed throughout five counties.
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as
amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997
(16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), requires us to develop a comprehensive
conservation plan for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy
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
Service policies. In addition to outlining broad management direction
on conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans identify wildlife-
dependent recreational opportunities available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental education and interpretation.
CCP Alternatives and Our Preferred Alternative
Priority Issues
During the public scoping process, we, other stakeholders and
partners, and the public identified several priority issues, which
include habitat management, invasive species, and demand for additional
recreation opportunities and visitor services. To address these issues,
we developed and evaluated the following alternatives during the
planning process.
Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge
Alternative 1: Management of Habitat in Context of Providing Migratory
Bird Benefits and Complemented with Priority Public Use (Preferred
Alternative)
The preferred alternative for Tamarac NWR over the next 15 years
directs management of habitats to focus on maintaining and using
ecological processes that shaped these communities prior to European
settlement and will allow for some emphasis of priority bird habitat.
Wildlife-dependant recreation opportunities, biological surveys and
monitoring activities, and native
[[Page 39039]]
habitats would all increase under the preferred alternative.
Alternative 2: Pre-Settlement Ecological Processes
Refuge management actions will approximate ecological processes
that promoted the native communities present prior to European
settlement, emphasizing the use of natural hydrological and fire
regimes. Environmental interpretation and education programs will
emphasize the role of ecological processes in creating natural pre-
European settlement habitats and cultural history.
Alternative 3: Focused Management for Priority Migratory Birds
The focus of this alternative will be management for U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Region 3) priority wetland and grassland birds.
Environmental interpretation and education programs on and off the
Refuge will focus on the importance of managing for Service priority
wetland and forest birds and their habitats.
Alternative 4: Current Management Direction of Conservation,
Restoration, and Preservation (No Action)
Current management is focused on providing a variety of upland and
wetland habitats to benefit an array of migratory and resident species.
Forest lands are harvested to maintain early and mid-successional
stages. Wetlands are actively managed to benefit migratory birds,
especially waterfowl. Visitor services include a variety of
environmental education programs, an auto-tour route, annual open
houses, foot trails, a visitor contact station, and observation
platforms.
Tamarac Wetland Management District
Alternative 1: Restoration and Management of Habitat by Facilitating
Natural Ecological Processes but Also Providing for Migratory Bird
Benefits (Preferred Alternative)
This alternative will result in a more active and growing WMD.
Wildlife resources of concern will be identified and targeted for
protection and enhancement. Management of upland habitats will focus on
maintaining and using ecological processes that shaped these
communities prior to European settlement including fire and grazing.
Growth of the WMD will include fee and easement acquisitions as funding
is available. Priority will be given to core areas, corridors and
critical sites.
Alternative 2: Pre-Settlement Ecological Processes
Under Alternative 2, WMD actions will approximate ecological
processes that promoted the native communities present prior to
European settlement, emphasizing the use of natural hydrological and
fire regimes. Vegetative communities and wildlife diversity will then
be expected to resemble pre-settlement conditions. Actions on private
lands, such as the use of prescribed fire and grazing, will be used if
possible. The WMD will not grow as much as under Alternative 1 but
landowner interaction will be similar.
Alternative 3: Current Management Direction (No Action)
Current management is focused on providing habitats to benefit
migratory birds, especially nesting waterfowl. Landowners are primarily
responsible for maintaining habitat and controlling invasive plant
species. No growth in easement land holdings has occurred since the
mid-1990s. Emphasis will be on maintaining relationships with existing
landowners and enforcement issues. New acquisitions and partnerships
will continue on an opportunistic basis.
Public Meeting
We will give the public an opportunity to provide input at a public
meeting. You can obtain the schedule from the address or web site
listed in this notice (see addresses). You may also submit comments
anytime during the comment period.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Dated: June 18, 2010.
Lynn M. Lewis,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort
Snelling, Minnesota.
[FR Doc. 2010-16425 Filed 7-6-10; 8:45 am]
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