Comprehensive conservation plans; availability, etc.: Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex, MT,

[Federal Register: August 6, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 151)]

[Notices]

[Page 42055-42057]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr06au98-70]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent to Prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans.

SUMMARY: This notice advises that the Fish and Wildlife Service intends to gather information necessary to prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans and associated environmental documents for Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex in northeastern Montana, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana, and Crescent Lake and North Platte National Wildlife Refuges in western Nebraska. The Medicine Lake NWR Complex includes the Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Lamesteer National Wildlife Refuge, and the Northeast Montana Wetland Management District. The Service is furnishing this Notice in compliance with Service CCP policy to advise other agencies and the public of its intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.

DATES: Written comments should be received by September 8, 1998.

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ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for more information regarding Medicine Lake NWR should be sent to Allison Banks. Planning Team Leader, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225. Comments and requests for more information regarding Red Rock Lakes, Crescent Lake, and North Platte NWRs should be sent to Carol Taylor, Chief, Land Acquisition and Refuge Planning Branch, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Banks, Planning Team Leader, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 (Medicine Lake NWR). Carol Taylor, Chief, Land Acquisition and Refuge Planning Branch, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 (Red Rock Lakes, Crescent Lake, and North Platte NWRs).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service has initiated Comprehensive Conservation Planning for the Medicine Lake NWR Complex. Red Rock Lakes NWR, Crescent Lake NWR, and North Platte NWR.

Each National Wildlife Refuge has specific purposes for which it was established and for which legislation was enacted. Those purposes are used to develop and prioritize management goals and objectives within the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to guide which public uses will occur on the Refuge. The planning process is a way for the Service and the public to evaluate management goals and objectives for the best possible conservation efforts of this important, wildlife habitat, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities that are compatible with each National Wildlife Refuge's establishing purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The Medicine Lake NWR Complex consists of Medicine Lake NWR, Lamesteer NWR, and the Northeast Montana WMD. The Complex lies within the mixed grass glaciated prairie pothole ecosystem in Sheridan, Roosevelt, Daniels, Richland, Dawson, and Wilbaux Counties of northeast Montana. Medicine Lake NWR (approximately 31,660 acres) was established to protect breeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in 1935. The 11,360 acre Medicine Lake Wilderness Area was designated by Congress in 1976. Lamesteer NWR, near Wilbaux, Montana, is an 800-acre easement refuge. The Northeast Montana WMD consists of fee Waterfowl Production Areas (11,772 acres), wetland easements (7,967 acres), and grassland easements (8,366 acres). Public use opportunities include wildlife observation, photography, hunting, and fishing.

Cresent Lake NWR (45,985 acres) was established to protect breeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in 1931. The Refuge is located in Garden County, 28 miles north of Oshkosh, Nebraska within the western portion of the Nebraska Sandhills. The Refuge provides breeding and migration habitat for Central Flyway waterfowl, other migratory birds, and supports significant populations of the endangered blowout penstemon. Public use opportunities include wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, hunting, and fishing on the Refuge.

North Platte NWR (2,909 acres) was established to provide breeding and migratory habitat for native birds and for use by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1916. The Refuge provides significant migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl in the Chain of Lakes area in western Nebraska (Lake Minatare, Winters Creek Lake, and Lake Alice). The Refuge also provides year-round resident wildlife habitat on Stateline Island in the North Platte River. Public use opportunities include wildlife observation, photography, fishing, and environmental education.

Red Rock Lakes NWR (44,483 acres) was established in 1935 to protect habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife with emphasis on the trumpeter swan. Located in Beaverhead County, Montana, the Refuge is primitive and highly diverse, and includes meadows, sagebrush grasslands, coniferous forests, and two large lake and marsh complexes. In 1976, a 32,350 acre portion of the Refuge was designated as Wilderness. The Refuge is also designated as a National Natural Landmark. Wildlife observation, photography, hunting, fishing, and camping are available on the Refuge.

The Service will conduct a comprehensive conservation planning process that will provide opportunity for Tribal, Federal, State and local governments, agencies, organizations, and the public to participate in issue scoping and public comment. The Service is requesting input on issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the future management of the National Wildlife Refuges included in this notice. Anyone interested in providing input is invited to respond to the following three questions:

(1) What makes the Refuge (Medicine Lake, Crescent Lake, North Platte, Red Rock Lakes, or any specific unit) special or unique for you?

(2) What concerns or issues do you want to see addressed in the Comprehensive Conservation Plans?

(3) What improvements would you recommend for the Refuge (Medicine Lake, Crescent Lake, North Platte, Red Rock Lakes, or any specific unit)?

The Service has provided the above questions for your optional use; no requirement to provide information to the Service exists. The Planning Team developed these questions to facilitate gathering more information about individual issues and ideas concerning these Refuges. An opportunity will be given to the public to provide input at open houses to scope issues and concerns (schedules can be obtained from the Planning Team Leaders at the above addresses). Comments may also be submitted anytime during the planning process by writing to the above addresses. Comments received by the Planning Team will be used as part of the planning process; individual comments will not be referenced in our reports or directly responded to.

The environmental review of these projects will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, and Service policies and procedures for compliance with those regulations.

All comments received from individuals on FWS NEPA documents become part of the official public record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, the Council on Environmental Quality's NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)], and other FWS and Departmental policy and procedures. When requested, FWS generally will provide comment letters with the names and addresses of the individuals who wrote the comments. However, the telephone number of the commenting individual will not be provided in response to such requests to the extent permissible by law. Additionally, public comment letters are not required to contain the commentator's name, address, or other identifying information. Such comments may be submitted anonymously to the FWS.

We estimate that the draft CCP's and environmental documents for each Refuge will be available for review in September 1999.

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Dated: July 30, 1998. Terry T. Terrell, Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 98-21014Filed8-5-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-M