FONSI AND DECISION TO ADOPT THE HFNWR 2021 STATION MASTER PLAN

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces its environmental findings on the 2021 Station Master Plan (SMP). The Service’s Proposed Action is to adopt and implement the 2021 Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) SMP in accordance with the Refuge’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), adopted in 2010 (76 FR 29782). The suite of individual projects described therein would be implemented in phases, as budget allows. Both the SMP and the CCP (USFWS 2010) are incorporated here by reference to provide additional detail regarding the Proposed Action Alternative.
The Service has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) evaluating the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. Based on the analysis in the EA, the Service has determined that the Proposed Action is not a major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 United States Code [USC] 4321 et seq.). The Proposed Action is not the type of action that normally requires preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) and is not without precedent. Therefore, the preparation of an EIS is not required and the Service is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Proposed Action.
The comments received on the Draft EA and the Service’s responses to the comments are included in the Final EA.