[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 184 (Monday, September 23, 2013)] [Notices] [Pages 58340-58342] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-23107] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R6-R-2013-N158; FXRS1265066CCP0-134-FF06R06000] Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, WY; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; announcement of meeting; request for comments. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce that our draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is available for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes how the Service intends to manage this Refuge for the next 15 years. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise the public, other Federal and State agencies, and Tribes of the availability of the draft CCP/EA and to solicit comments. DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive your written comments on the draft CCP/EA by October 21, 2013. Submit comments by one of the methods under ADDRESSES. We will hold a public meeting; see Public Meeting under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the date, time, and location. ADDRESSES: Send your comment or requests for more information by any of the following methods. Email: seedskadee@fws.gov. Include ``Cokeville Meadows NWR Draft CCP and EA'' in the subject line of the message. Fax: Attn: Bernardo Garza, 303-236-4792. U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225. In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 303-236-4377 to make an appointment (necessary for view/pickup only) during regular business hours at 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80228. Document Request: A copy of the CCP/EA may be obtained by writing to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Refuge Planning, 134 Union Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80228; or by download from http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/planning. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bernardo Garza, 303-236-4377, (phone) or bernardo_garza@fws.gov (email); or David C. Lucas, 303-236-4366 (phone), P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225-0486. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Introduction With this notice, we continue the CCP process for the Cokeville Meadows NWR. We started this process through a notice in the Federal Register (74 FR 57328; November 5, 2009). This notice complies with our CCP policy to (1) advise other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of the availability of the draft CCP/EA for this refuge and (2) to obtain comments on the information provided in the draft CCP/EA. 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 unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System). The purpose for developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year plan for achieving the purposes for which their refuge was established and contributing toward the mission of the 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. The Refuge Cokeville Meadows NWR was established in 1993 for the conservation of the wetlands of the nation, in order to maintain the public benefits they provide and to help fulfill international obligations contained in various migratory bird treaties and conventions, as well as for use as an inviolate sanctuary for migratory birds. This refuge is bisected throughout its length by the Bear River and contains a mosaic of wet meadows and cattail/bulrush sloughs. Many of these wetlands were originally created and maintained by agricultural practices. The shrub- steppe uplands are dominated by sagebrush and a combination of grasses typical of the arid West. Cokeville Meadows NWR provides nesting habitat for at least 32 water bird species; if developed, these habitats could provide suitable nesting habitat for more migratory bird species, including the trumpeter swan, a species of management concern. Refuge habitats also provide important habitat for resident species. Greater sage grouse use upland sagebrush areas for nesting, while riparian areas provide important feeding sites for their broods and a variety of neotropical migratory birds. Big game, including antelope, mule deer, and elk, also utilize Refuge habitats. Public Outreach We started the CCP for the Cokeville Meadows NWR in early November 2009, by inviting the Wyoming Game, Fish and Parks Department and 12 Native American tribal governments to participate in the planning process. The planning team was assembled in late November during the CCP Kickoff Meeting. We developed a mailing list and sent a planning update to all individuals and groups on that list. The planning update included basic information on the Refuge, the planning process, how the public could provide comments and become involved in the planning process, and the dates, times, and places of the two public meetings we held in public venues in two communities near the Refuge (also in November). At that time and throughout the process, we requested public comments and considered and incorporated them in numerous ways. Comments we received cover topics such as invasive plant control on refuge lands, opening the refuge to hunting and fishing opportunities, improvement of the water quality and fisheries in the Bear River, public access to the Refuge, and the Refuge habitats' management tools (e.g., grazing, haying, farming, water flooding, etc.). We have considered and evaluated all of these comments, with many incorporated into the various alternatives addressed in the draft CCP and the EA. [[Page 58341]] CCP Alternatives We Are Considering During the public scoping process with which we started work on this draft CCP, we, State of Wyoming wildlife officials, representatives of the City of Cokeville, the Lincoln County Planning Department, the Bureau of Land Management, and the public raised several issues. Our draft CCP addresses them. A full description of each alternative is in the EA. To address these issues, we developed and evaluated the following alternatives, summarized below. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alternative B: Alternative D: Alternative A: Hydrology and Alternative C: Landscape-level Current management Habitat Resource management (No action) Restoration enhancement (Proposed action) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Access to Refuge Lands to Refuge remains The Refuge: Same as Same as Engage in Wildlife-Dependent closed to public Maintains the Alternative B. Alternative C. Public Uses. access except for existing open Plus: Plus: information areas;. Refuge staff seeks Refuge staff kiosk, walking Opens new access partners to expands trail at Netherly points and areas restore Bear partnerships Slough and of the refuge to River riparian throughout headquarters, and migratory bird, corridor to Wyoming's Bear to opportunistic, big and small improve the River watershed staff-guided, game hunting, and river's water and to improve environmental fishing;. fisheries habitats and education Seeks to provide quality.. movement programs. self-guided corridors for interpretive wildlife and opportunities;. fishes. Provides information wildlife observation and photography opportunities.. Habitat and Wildlife Management. Continue current Haying and grazing Upland habitats Same as levels of used to manage are managed and Alternative C. irrigation, refuge habitats. restored to haying, and Agricultural crops increase wildlife grazing to manage used solely as a productivity and refuge habitats. tool to diversity. reestablish Wet meadow and native habitats. wetland habitats Consider removing are managed with water management water diversions infrastructure to from the Bear replace current River.. irrigation with Agricultural overbank flooding practices are during river high geared to enhance flows to manage refuge habitats wet meadow and for wildlife.. wetland habitats. Monitoring and Research......... Maintain Same as Same as Same as partnerships on Alternative A. alternative A, Alternative C, limited and but in more plus the refuge: opportunistic programmatic Expands monitoring of fashion. Plus the partnerships to wildlife staff: include new populations, Pursues funding partners habitats and and research throughout water quality opportunities Wyoming's Bear conditions. with higher River watershed. Continue education permitting institutions;. research Actively seeks new activities when partners to compatible with enhance its refuge purposes. monitoring capabilities.. Invasive Species................ Continue Same as Same as Same as coordinating and Alternative A. Alternative B. Alternative B. working with the Plus the staff: Plus: Lincoln County to Works with The staff expands monitor and cooperators to its involvement control treat address invasive and partnerships invasive plants aquatic species to control through throughout Bear invasive species integrated pest River watershed.. throughout management, Works with Wyoming's Bear including partners to River watershed. chemical, control carp, and biological, and improve water mechanical quality on refuge methods. wet meadow and riverine habitats. Wildlife Disease, Crop Continue work with The refuge Same as Same as Depredation, and Wildlife the State to establishes hunt Alternative B. Alternative B. Damage to Private Property. separate elk herd program which from cattle on would alleviate refuge lands to wildlife and keep wildlife cattle comingling diseases from and crop domestic cattle. depredation Continue to grow issues. small grain crops on refuge lands to keep migratory birds from depredating on private crops.. [[Page 58342]] Funding, Staffing, Refuge to remain Staffing and Same as Same as Infrastructure, and unmanned. funding would Alternative B. Alternative B. Partnerships. No new or added need to be vehicles, expanded to: infrastructure or Carry out the equipment. plan;. Replace them only Build and maintain as needed.. access roads, Current staffing auto tour route, and funding will and parking preclude pursuing facilities;. new partnerships.. Maintain existing and establish new partnerships.. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Meeting Opportunity for public input will be provided at the following public open house meeting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Time Location ------------------------------------------------------------------------ September 26, 2013............ 5:30-7:30 p.m.... Cokeville High School, Auditorium, 435 Pine Street, Cokeville, WY 83114. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next Steps After the public reviews and provides comments on the draft CCP and EA, the planning team will present this document, along with a summary of all substantive public comments, to the Regional Director. The Regional Director will consider the environmental effects of each alternative, including information gathered during public review, and will select a preferred alternative for the draft CCP and EA. If the Regional Director finds that no significant impacts would occur, the Regional Director's decision will be disclosed in a finding of no significant impact included in the final CCP. If the Regional Director finds a significant impact would occur, an environmental impact statement will be prepared. If approved, the action in the preferred alternative will compose the final CCP. Public Availability of Comments All public comment information provided voluntarily by mail, by phone, or at meetings (e.g., names, addresses, letters of comment, input recorded during meetings) becomes part of the official public record. If requested under the Freedom of Information Act by a private citizen or organization, the Service may provide copies of such information. Authority The environmental review of this project will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508, 43 CFR Part 46); other appropriate Federal laws and regulations; Executive Order 12996; the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and Service policies and procedures for compliance with those laws and regulations. Dated: August 20, 2013. Noreen Walsh, Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2013-23107 Filed 9-20-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P