[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 204 (Monday, October 22, 2012)] [Notices] [Pages 64541-64543] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2012-25942] [[Page 64541]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R2-R-2012-N142; FXRS12610200000S3-123-FF02R06000] Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, Liberty County, TX; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 (EA) for the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). In this final CCP, we describe how we will manage this Refuge for the next 15 years. ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the final CCP and FONSI/EA by any of the following methods. You may request a hard copy or CD-ROM. Agency Web Site: Download a copy of the documents at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/Plan/planindex.html. Email: Joseph_Lujan@fws.gov. Include ``Trinity River NWR final CCP'' in the subject line of the message. Mail: Joseph R. Lujan, Natural Resource Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Planning, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103-1306. In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Call 505-248-7458 to make an appointment during regular business hours at 500 Gold Avenue SW., Albuquerque, NM 87102 or the Trinity River NWR Headquarters, 601 FM 1011, Liberty, TX 77575; phone: 936-336-9786. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stuart Marcus, Refuge Manager, Trinity River NWR, CCP Project, P.O. Box 10015, Liberty, TX 77575; 936- 336- 9786 phone; or 936-336-9847 fax. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Introduction With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Trinity River NWR. We started this process through a notice in the Federal Register (72 FR 45059; August 10, 2007). We released the draft CCP and the EA to the public, announcing and requesting comments in a notice of availability in the Federal Register (77 FR 18853-18856; March 28, 2012). The Trinity River NWR, which consists of over 25,000 acres, is located approximately 50 miles northeast of Houston, and 40 miles west of Beaumont Texas. The primary purpose of the Refuge is to protect a remnant of the bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem along the Trinity River. The Refuge was officially established on January 4, 1994, and continues to acquire, restore, and preserve bottomland hardwood forests. We announce our decision and the availability of the FONSI for the final CCP for Trinity River NWR in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR 1506.6(b)) requirements. We completed a thorough analysis of impacts on the human environment, which we included in the EA that accompanied the draft CCP. The CCP will guide us in managing and administering Trinity River NWR for the next 15 years. Alternative C, as we described in the final CCP, is the foundation for the CCP. Background The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge 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 and photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Refuge Administration Act. CCP Alternatives, Including Selected Alternative Our draft CCP/EA (77 FR 18853; March 28, 2012) addressed several issues. To address these, we developed and evaluated the following alternatives. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C--Optimal habitat A--No-Action B--Improved habitat management and public Alternatives alternative (Current management and public use (Proposed action) practices) use alternative alternative ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issues ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Habitat and Wildlife Management Issues ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Native Flora/Fauna Conservation... Conserve/restore Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B bottomland hardwood plus use prescribed forests. Restore fire for resource native flora; management and reintroduce native initiate baseline fauna; manage native monitoring for flora nuisance flora/fauna. and fauna. 2. Invasive Flora/Fauna Management... Remove exotic and Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B. invasive flora/fauna plus develop invasive as resources permit; species strike team prevent reintroduction and map ``hotspots'' of exotic and invasive to prioritize flora/fauna as management efforts. resources permit. 3. Wetland Management................ Maintain the integrity Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B. of water control plus conduct small- structures/levees; scale restoration of conduct water-quality hydrological flow at sampling and fish Champion Lake South surveys. unit. [[Page 64542]] 4. Land Acquisition.................. Acquire lands from Update Trinity River Same as Alternative B. willing sellers within Floodplain Habitat the approved Stewardship Program acquisition boundary and Land Protection on a case-by-case Plan to update the basis. acquisition boundary; assign refuge realty specialist to Refuge office. 5. Climate Change.................... Plant trees to Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B. sequester carbon; use plus gather baseline ``green'' technologies inventory and wherever possible, and monitoring data. recycle. 6. Resource Protection............... Assign refuge law Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B, enforcement officer to plus add patrols using plus add an additional patrol 25,000 acres, other refuges' law officer to patrol up backed up by enforcement officers. to 80,000 acres. opportunistic observations by other refuge staff. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visitor Services Issues ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Hunting........................... Designate units open to Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B, hunting by permit plus open one plus open one only, for big game, additional unit for additional unit for upland game, and big game hunting at big game and upland waterfowl, as is Champion Lake South game hunting at currently the case in unit. Palmetto unit. eight units. 2. Fishing........................... Direct visitors to Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B, Champion Lake and plus direct visitors plus direct visitors Pickett's Bayou. to McGuire and Silver to Brierwood unit once Lake units when piers pier is developed. are developed. 3. Wildlife Observation.............. Open refuge to wildlife Same as Alternative A Same as Alternative B, observation; direct plus open 1 additional plus open one visitors to eight area at Champion Lake additional area at public use areas. South unit. Palmetto unit. 4. Wildlife Photography.............. Open refuge to Same as Alternative A Same as Alternative B, photography; direct plus construct photo plus construct photo visitors to eight blind at Brierwood blind at McGuire unit. public use areas. unit. 5. Environmental Education........... Do not develop Develop off-refuge Same as Alternative B, environmental environmental plus develop on-refuge education programs on education curricula, program, upon the the refuge. working with local completion of the schools to meet State educational facility requirements. at Champion Lake Public Use Area. 6. Interpretation.................... Host two on-refuge Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B, annual festivals, on plus host plus develop Earth Day and on Free approximately 10 interpretive programs Family Fishing Day; additional off- refuge at visitor center; host approximately six events, as requested; develop and provide off-refuge annual develop and provide kiosks in all areas events, such as county self-guided with public use jubilee and various interpretative facilities. public speaking events. materials at Champion Lake and Brierwood units. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Facilities Issues ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Public Use Access................. Allow vehicular on Same as Alternative A, Same as Alternative B, designated unpaved plus improve road to plus open trail at roads; allow walk-in- McGuire Pond; Champion Lake South only access on eight establish canoe/kayak unit. designated units; launch site at allow boating access Brierwood unit. on Pickett's Bayou and Champion Lake. 2. Public Use Facilities............. Maintain current Rehabilitate the Lodge Construct visitor limited facilities at at Champion Lake center adjacent to Champion Lake Public Public Use Area, pave headquarters; Use Area, including the road at Champion construct fishing fishing pier, Lake Public Use Area, piers at Brierwood butterfly garden, and construct fishing unit; construct full- parking, and portable pier at McGuire unit. service bathroom at toilet. Seven other Champion Lake Public public use areas have Use Area. only one parking lot each and one photo blind each. 3. Administrative Facilities......... Maintain refuge-owned Construct a maintenance Rehabilitate the two- headquarters and shop at Champion Lake room log cabin at storage facility along equipment storage area. Champion Lake for use FM 1011. for staff and volunteer offices. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments We solicited comments on the draft CCP and the EA for the Trinity River NWR from March 28, 2012, to May 4, 2012 (77 FR 718853; March 28, 2012). The public was notified of the release of the draft CCP and the EA through the NOA, through local media outlets, and public notices were posted on various community bulletin boards and postcards were mailed to over 700 individuals identified on the refuge mailing list. The draft CCP and EA were made available, online, at the Regional Office in Albuquerque, at the Refuge, [[Page 64543]] and at four public libraries in surrounding communities. A public open house meeting was held on April 10, 2012. The Service received two comment letters. The comments were thoroughly reviewed and the CCP did not change substantially based on public comment. Selected Alternative After considering the comments we received, we have selected Alternative C for implementation. Alternative C was selected over the other alternatives because it best meets the Refuge's vision for the future, the purposes for which the Refuge was established, and the habitat, wildlife and visitor services goals identified in the CCP. This alternative is the basis for the CCP and describes how habitat objectives will be accomplished through a combination of management activities to encourage ecological integrity, promote restoration of bottomland hardwood forest habitat along the Trinity River, control invasive species. This alternative will not adversely impact trust resources, including threatened and endangered species, or their habitat. Opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation activities, such as hunting, fishing, observation, photography, environmental education, and interpretation will be enhanced. Future management actions will have a neutral or positive impact on the local economy and the recommendations in the CCP will ensure that refuge management is consistent with the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Public Availability of Documents In addition to the methods in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain documents at the following locations:At the following libraries: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Library Address Phone No. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Liberty Municipal Library......... 1710 Sam Houston Ave 936-336-8901 Liberty, TX 77575. Dayton Library.................... 307 W. Houston 936-258-7060 Dayton, TX 77535. Austin Memorial Library........... 220 S. Bonham 281-592-3920 Cleveland, TX 77327. Tarkington Community Library...... 3032 FM 163 Rd 281-592-5136 Cleveland, TX 77327. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Benjamin N. Tuggle, Regional Director, Southwest Region. [FR Doc. 2012-25942 Filed 10-19-12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P