[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 28, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18852-18853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7398]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-R-2012-N058; FF06R06000-FXRS1265066CCP0S2-123]
Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, Stevensville, MT; Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments; announcement of
public meeting
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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
Environmental Assessment (EA) for Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge,
Stevensville, MT, for public review and comment. This Draft CCP/EA
describes our proposal for managing the refuge for the next 15 years.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please submit your written comments by
April 30, 2012 in person or send them to one of the addresses,
including email and fax, listed below. We will also be holding a public
meeting, which will be announced in the statewide news media and on the
refuge Web site.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments or requests for copies or more
information by any of the following methods. You may request a hard
copy of the document or view it on the Service's planning Web site,
http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/planning/ccp/mt/lmc/lmc.html.
Email: leemetcalf@fws.gov. Include ``Lee Metcalf Draft CCP and EA''
in the subject line of the message.
Fax: Attn: Laura King, 406-644-2661.
U.S. Mail: Laura King, National Bison Range, 58355 Bison Range
Road, Moiese, MT 59824.
In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call (406-777-5552) to make
an appointment (necessary for view/pickup only) during regular business
hours at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge headquarters located
at 4567 Wildfowl Lane, Stevensville, MT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura King, 406-644-2211, extension
210 or email at leemetcalf@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Lee Metcalf
National Wildlife Refuge. We started this process through a notice in
the Federal Register (74 FR 50235), on September 30, 2009.
Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge was established February 4,
1964, and has two purposes:
(1) ``[F]or use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other
management purpose, for migratory birds'' (Migratory Bird Conservation
Act); and
(2) ``for (a) incidental fish and wildlife oriented recreational
development, (b) the protection of natural resources, [and] (c) the
conservation of endangered species or threatened species'' (Refuge
Recreation Act).
This refuge is located in Ravalli County, one of the fastest
growing counties in the State of Montana, 2 miles north of Stevensville
and 25 miles south of Missoula. Although it is one of the nation's
smaller refuges, encompassing 2,800 acres, it is one of the few
remaining undeveloped areas in the Bitterroot Valley. The refuge lies
along the meandering Bitterroot River and is comprised of wet meadow
and gallery and riverfront forest habitats and has created and modified
wetlands. Riverfront forest includes early succession tree species such
as black cottonwood and sandbar willow that are present near the active
channel of the Bitterroot River and next to floodplain drainages.
Gallery forest is dominated by cottonwood and ponderosa pine and is
present on higher floodplain elevations along natural levees. Over
140,000 visitors come to this refuge annually to view and photograph
wildlife, archery deer hunt, walk the refuge trails, or participate in
interpretive programs in the indoor and outdoor classrooms. The Refuge
provides habitat for raptors, including ospreys, and numerous songbird
and waterbird species.
Background
The CCP Process
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 as necessary, at least every 15 years in
accordance with the Refuge Administration Act.
Public Outreach
The Service has involved the public, agencies, partners, and
legislators throughout the planning process. At the beginning of the
planning process, the Service initiated public involvement through a
Federal Register notice and news releases in the statewide media. For
initial public scoping, the Service held two open-house meetings, on
September 29 and October 1, 2009, in Stevensville and Missoula, MT,
respectively. These open houses were announced in local media and
through the first planning update which was mailed to over 270
individuals and organizations. We have considered and evaluated all of
the comments received, with many were incorporated into the various
alternatives addressed in the draft CCP and the EA.
CCP Alternatives We Are Considering
During the public scoping process with which we started work on
this draft CCP, we, other governmental partners, Tribes, and the public
raised several issues. Our draft CCP addresses the issues that were
raised. To address these issues, we developed and evaluated the
following alternatives, summarized below.
[[Page 18853]]
Alternative A, Current Management (No Action)
Alternative A is the no-action alternative, which represents the
current management of the refuge. This alternative provides the
baseline against which to compare the other alternatives. It also
fulfills the requirement in the National Environmental Policy Act that
a no-action alternative be addressed in the analysis process.
Under alternative A, management activity currently conducted by the
Service would remain the same. The Service would continue to manage and
monitor refuge habitats at current levels. The Bitterroot River would
continue to migrate through the refuge, eroding some levees and trails.
Invasive species would be treated primarily with mechanical and
chemical methods as resources become available. Water supply and
management structures would be inadequate to properly manage many of
the wetland impoundments. Cattail monocultures would be treated. The
current staff of five would perform limited, issue-driven research and
monitor only long-term wildlife and vegetation changes. Visitor
services programs and facilities would be maintained or expanded as
resources become available. Funding and staff levels would follow
annual budget allocations provided for refuge operations on Service
lands.
Alternative B (Proposed Action)
This alternative focuses on the expansion and restoration of native
plant communities on the refuge, including grasslands, shrublands, and
gallery and riverfront forests. Some areas that are currently part of
wetland impoundments would be restored to native communities, including
forest and shrubland. A significant focus of restoration proposals
would be controlling invasive species and preventing further spread.
Grasses and shrubs native to the uplands, including the alluvial fans,
would begin to be restored to provide habitat for native wildlife,
including grassland-dependent migratory birds. Some wetland
impoundments and Service (nonpublic) roads would be removed or reduced
in size to allow for river migration and to restore native gallery and
riverfront forest for riparian-dependent wildlife. The remaining
impoundments would be managed to mimic natural conditions for wetland-
dependent migratory birds.
The Service would expand and improve the refuge's compatible
wildlife-dependent public use programs, in particular the wildlife
observation, environmental education, and interpretation programs. The
visitor contact area would be expanded into a visitor center, with new
displays and a combination conference room and environmental education
classroom. New displays would be professionally planned and produced.
The refuge would work with Ravalli County staff to designate the county
road in the refuge as an auto tour route, which would include pulloffs
and some form of interpretation. A seasonal hiking trail would be
added, and current trails would be improved for wildlife observation
and photography. Interpretation and environmental education programs
would be expanded, using added staff and volunteers. All public use
programs would provide visitors a consistent message about the purposes
and values of the refuge and the mission of the Refuge System. The
refuge staff would be expanded to include an assistant refuge manager,
two biological science technicians (one full time and one career
seasonal), and a visitor services specialist who would serve as a
visitor center manager and volunteer coordinator.
Increased research and monitoring, staff, funding, infrastructure,
and partnerships would be required to accomplish the goals, objectives,
and strategies associated with this alternative. Additional staff and
funding would be added depending on the regional priorities for those
funds allocated to the Service for management of lands and waters
within the Refuge System.
Alternative C
Alternative C contains many of the elements found in alternative B
related to expanding visitor service programs and facilities. However,
habitat management would be focused on maintaining the wetland
impoundments and attempting to restrict the movements of the Bitterroot
River throughout the refuge. Habitat efforts would be primarily focused
on providing waterfowl and other waterbird habitat.
Public Meeting
A public meeting, to be held at the refuge headquarters in
Stevensville, MT, will be announced through the local media and the
refuge's Web site www.fws.gov/leemetcalf.
Next Steps
After this comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and
address them in the form of a final CCP and NEPA finding.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email 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: February 29, 2012.
Matt Hogan,
Acting Deputy Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-7398 Filed 3-27-12; 8:45 am]
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