[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11195-11196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-5071]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2009-N251; 40136-1265-0000-S3]
Central Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Arkansas
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: final comprehensive conservation plan
and finding of no significant impact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental
assessment for the Central Arkansas National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
Complex, consisting of Bald Knob, Big Lake, Cache River, and Wapanocca
National Wildlife Refuges. In the final CCP, we describe how we will
manage the Central Arkansas NWR Complex over the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the CCP by writing to: Mr. William
R. Smith, Planning Team Leader, Central Arkansas National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, 26320 Highway 33 South, Augusta, AR 72006. You may also
access and download the document from the Service's Internet Web site:
http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/ under ``Final Documents.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. William R. Smith; telephone: 870/
347-2074; fax: 870/347-2908; e-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for the Central
Arkansas NWR Complex. We started this process through a notice in the
Federal Register on January 3, 2007 (72 FR 142). For more about the
process, please see that notice.
The Central Arkansas NWR Complex is comprised of Bald Knob, Big
Lake, Cache River, and Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuges. These four
refuges are in eastern and central Arkansas and together encompass
approximately 99,100 acres.
Significant issues identified in the CCP include management of the
following: (1) Waterfowl, other migratory birds, and other native
wildlife species; (2) bottomland hardwood reforestation; (3) moist-soil
impoundments and croplands; (4) water quality; (5) invasive species;
(6) land acquisition; and (7) visitor services (e.g., hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, environmental education and
interpretation, access, and facilities).
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), near the town of Bald
Knob in White County, Arkansas, was established in 1993 to protect and
provide feeding and resting areas for migrating waterfowl, and now
totals 16,100 acres of forested wetlands, moist-soil impoundments, and
croplands. The refuge hosts one of the largest populations of wintering
pintails in the State and is a crucial staging area for pintails
migrating to the coastal areas of Louisiana and eastern Texas. The
refuge has been named as an ``Important Birding Area'' by the Audubon
Arkansas Board of Directors.
Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), near the town of Manila in
Mississippi County, Arkansas, was established in 1915 by executive
order of President Woodrow Wilson, to serve as a reserve and breeding
ground for native birds. The refuge encompasses 11,038 acres of lake
and swamp habitats, including the 2,144-acre Big Lake Wilderness. Big
Lake NWR provides important migratory bird habitat and is designated as
a ``National Natural Landmark Area.'' The American Bird Conservancy
also has listed the refuge as a ``Globally Important Bird Area.''
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge
Cache River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), near the towns of
Augusta and Brinkley, Arkansas, was established in 1986 to provide
critical wintering habitat for waterfowl and other migratory and
resident wildlife species. Cache River NWR presently encompasses 66,350
acres of an approved land acquisition boundary of 185,574 acres within
Jackson, Monroe, Prairie, and Woodruff Counties. Cache River NWR
features some of the largest remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood
forests within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and is designated as a
``Wetland of International Importance.'' Cache River NWR is noted as
part of the most important wintering habitats for mallards in North
America.
Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge
Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is 20 miles northwest of
Memphis, Tennessee, and near the town of Turrell, in Crittenden County,
Arkansas. It was established in 1961 to provide a wintering area for
migratory waterfowl, and presently encompasses 5,620 acres of
agricultural land, grassland, bottomland hardwood forest, and flooded
cypress/willow swamp. The refuge is important as a nesting area for
resident wood ducks and provides significant habitat along the
Mississippi River that is heavily used by migrating and wintering
waterfowl. The American Bird Conservancy has listed the refuge as a
``Continentally Important Bird Area.''
Alternatives, Including the Preferred Alternative
A planning team comprised of Service personnel, State agency
representatives, non-governmental organizations, and others developed
three alternatives for managing the refuges over the next 15 years and
chose Alternative C as the preferred alternative. A description of the
three alternatives follows.
Alternative A--Maintain Current Management (No Action Alternative)
Under Alternative A, the ``No Action'' alternative, management
would not
[[Page 11196]]
change from the current actions and direction. We would continue to
restore, protect, and manage bottomland hardwood forests, wetlands,
cropland units, moist-soil units, open water areas, grassland/scrub-
shrub areas, and the Big Lake Wilderness. We would continue to focus
management activities on afforestation and reforestation, restoration
of wetlands, invasive plants and nuisance animals, cooperative farming,
inventorying and monitoring, and priority public uses (e.g., hunting,
fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental
education and interpretation). We would acquire land from willing
sellers, but only within the approved acquisition boundaries.
Alternative B--Minimal Management Alternative
Under Alternative B, the ``Minimal Management'' alternative, we
would undertake minimal wildlife, habitat, and infrastructure
management. In this ``let nature take its course'' alternative, there
would be no more active reforestation efforts, no moist-soil
impoundments and croplands, and no more road, beaver dam, or invasive
species management and maintenance programs. Natural succession would
be allowed to proceed unchecked, providing for development of early
stage or successional forest habitat on abandoned lands, and no
silvicultural treatments in existing forest stands would be conducted.
All refuges would implement a custodial or passive stewardship approach
to management and would monitor natural succession and wildlife
populations over time. Quality and quantity of habitats for wildlife
would be expected to decline, along with wildlife use of these
habitats. There would likely be reduced associated public use, because
roadways and facilities would not be maintained and the quality of
visitor services would diminish. There would be no change in the
acreage or amount of waterfowl sanctuaries. We would acquire land from
willing sellers, but only within the approved acquisition boundaries.
Alternative C--Enhanced Habitat Management and Public Use Programs
(Preferred Alternative)
By implementing Alternative C, the ``Preferred'' alternative, we
will actively expand and improve habitat management and public use
programs. We will intensify and enhance forest, moist-soil, scrub-
shrub, grassland, and aquatic management programs in order to increase
benefits for waterfowl, shorebirds, water birds, other migratory birds,
and other species of native wildlife. Hydrologic, wetland, and forest
restoration projects will also be expanded. Invasive plant and animal
control projects will be increased. A full range of programs involving
inventorying, monitoring, and researching will be developed and
implemented to enable adaptive management. Habitat conservation and
restoration will continue and expand through land acquired from willing
sellers, but boundary expansions will also be pursued. Environmental
education and interpretive programs will be improved as part of a
comprehensive visitor services program. Opportunities for hunting,
fishing, and wildlife observation will be expanded, and law enforcement
coverage will be increased for more effective protection of resources
and visitors. Additional staff will be recruited, additional equipment
will be acquired, and improved facilities will be installed to enable
implementation of these projects and programs.
Background
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. 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, wildlife photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update
the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Administration
Act.
Comments
We solicited comments on the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan
and Environmental Assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for the Central Arkansas
NWR Complex for 30 days, as announced in the Federal Register on August
27, 2009 (74 FR 43716). A total of 24 individuals, representing
landowners, citizens, conservation organizations, and State and Federal
government agencies, attended 5 public meetings to discuss the Draft
CCP/EA and 14 respondents provided comments. We reviewed all comments
and have included them with our responses in the CCP.
Selected Alternative
We selected Alternative C, the planning team's preferred
alternative, as the most reasonable alternative to implement the CCP.
Under Alternative C, habitat and public use management will be enhanced
and expanded overall, providing additional or increased benefits to
refuge resources and visitor services and greater fulfillment of refuge
purposes. With the implementation of Alternative C, the capacity and
capability of the refuges to better manage the habitat and wildlife
resources and to provide visitor services will greatly increase
compared to Alternatives A or B. The additions to staffing and
improvements to facilities under Alternative C will enhance effective
refuge administration and visitor services.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: December 15, 2009.
Patrick Leonard,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-5071 Filed 3-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P