[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 143 (Wednesday, July 27, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43446-43448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-14796]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Pelican Island National Wildlife
Refuge in Sebastian, Florida.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental
[[Page 43447]]
Assessment for Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge are available
for review and comment. The National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997, requires the Service to develop a
comprehensive conservation plan for each national wildlife refuge. The
purpose in developing a comprehensive conservation plan is to provide
refuge managers with 15-year strategy 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 Service policies. In addition to
outlining broad management direction on conserving wildlife and their
habitat, plans identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities
available to the public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education
and interpretation.
ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation
Plan and Environmental Assessment should be addressed to Mr. Paul
Tritaik, Refuge Manager, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, 1339
20th Street, Vero Beach, Florida 32960; Telephone 772/562-3909,
extension 275; Fax 772/299-3101. The draft plan and environmental
assessment may be accessed and downloaded from the Service's Web site
http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/.
DATES: Individuals wishing to comment on the Draft Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment for Pelican Island
National Wildlife Refuge should do so no later than September 26, 2005.
Comments on the draft plan and environmental assessment may be
submitted to Ms. Cheri Ehrhardt, Planning Team Leader, Merritt Island
National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 6504, Titusville, Florida 32782-
6504; Telephone 321/861-2368; Fax 321/861-1276, or may be submitted via
electronic mail to [email protected]. Please include your name
and return address in your message. Our practice is to make comments,
including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public
review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may
requests that we withhold their home addresses from the record, which
we will honor to the extent allowable by law.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft plan identifies and evaluates
three alternatives for managing the refuge over the next 15 years.
Under Alternative A, management would continue with programs following
the same direction, emphasis, and intensity as historically occurred.
No active management would address threatened and endangered species;
neotropical migratory birds; shorebirds; natural and spoil islands;
estuarine habitats; fish species; fish and wildlife disturbance;
aquatic exotic, invasive, and nuisance species; seagrass beds;
commercial operations on the refuge; and research activities occurring
on the refuge. Few wildlife surveys would be conducted by the refuge.
Limited management activities would address exotic, invasive, and
nuisance species in transitional and upland habitats. Under Alternative
A, the Kroegel Homestead would not be protected by the Fish and
Wildlife Service. Further, no visitor center facility would be
developed. Little or no patrol and enforcement would be provided to
vulnerable archaeological sites of the refuge. Recreational activities
would continue as currently offered, under the current lease with the
State of Florida. Recreational activities (e.g., jet skiing and island
camping) that are currently negatively impacting refuge wildlife and
habitat would continue to occur under the current lease with the State
of Florida. Refuge staff would continue at 6 or fewer staff members.
Under Alternative B, management activities would minimally expand.
Management activities would complete shoreline restoration of Pelican
Island proper, expand the buffer of Pelican Island proper in accord
with current research, and conduct regular patrol and enforcement
activities. Further, management activities would expand to conduct
baseline surveys for neotropical migratory birds; shorebirds; exotic,
invasive, and nuisance species; and native wildlife using the refuge.
Special use permits would be required for all research and commercial
activities on the refuge. The refuge would pursue partnerships to
protect key fish and spawning and settlement sites, to limit
disturbance. The refuge would enhance opportunities for passive
recreative, including observing and photographing wildlife, providing
environmental education opportunities through partners, and
interpreting the refuge. Fishing activities would continue to occur,
under the current lease with the State of Florida. Other recreational
activities (e.g., jet skiing and island camping) that are currently
negatively impacting refuge wildlife and habitat would continue to
occur under the current lease with the State of Florida. Regular patrol
and enforcement activities would help limit negative impacts to
archaeological sites on the refuge. Under Alternative B, the Kroegel
Homestead would not be protected by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Further, no visitor center facility would be developed. To accomplish
the outlined expansions in the biological, public use, and law
enforcement programs, the staff level would expand to a total of nine.
Alternative C, the preferred alternative, moderately expands refuge
management activities to a level more in keeping with resources
protected in the developed and developing landscape that surrounds the
refuge. Under Alternative C, the biological program would expand to
encompass management activities addressing rare, threatened, and
endangered species; migratory birds; and wildlife diversity, including
managing research projects, restoring and creating appropriate
habitats, mapping key sites, collecting data, coordinating with
education and management partners, and monitoring occurrences. Baseline
data collection and habitat management activities would be directed
towards neotropical migratory birds, shorebirds, native wildlife, and
fish and wildlife disturbance. To limit wildlife and habitat
disturbance and to provide better management of and protection for
wildlife and habitats of the refuge, the refuge would work with the
State of Florida and other governmental partners to alter existing
agreements to enable the enforcement of Service regulations on all
refuge managed lands and waters. Key fish spawning and settlement sites
would be protected. Only compatible public use activities would be
allowed to occur on all refuge owned or managed lands and waters. All
uses not meeting the requirements of compatibility would be eliminated
from the refuge (e.g., jet skiing and island camping). Fishing
activities would include bank fishing from select upland sites. Signs,
boardwalks, additional trails, and a wildlife drive would enhance
existing recreational opportunities, including wildlife observation and
photography and interpretation. All other activities on the refuge,
such as research activities and commercial operations, would be
required to obtain and maintain refuge special use permits. The refuge
would work with the partners to acquire, manage, and list in the
National Historic Register the Kroegel Homestead, home to the first
refuge manager. The refuge would develop a modest visitor center and
other visitor use facilities. Regular patrol and enforcement activities
would help limit negative impacts to wildlife,
[[Page 43448]]
habitats, historical resources, and archaeological sites of the
refuges. To enable the implementation of management activities outlined
under Alternative C, the refuge volunteer program would more than
double from current levels and refuge staff would be expanded to
eleven.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1903 by
President Roosevelt ``as a preserve and breeding ground for native
birds'' through an unnumbered Executive Order. Located across the
Intracoastal Waterway from Sebastian, Florida, in Indian River County
in southeastern Florida, the refuge manages over 5,400 acres of
estuarine, transitional, and upland habitats supporting 14 federally
listed species and 45 state listed species, as well as a wide variety
of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, and
plants. Although the refuge exists in an increasingly developed
landscape, it supports key fish spawning sites, a globally important
juvenile sea turtle habitat, and important bird rookeries. Given its
location in a transitional zone between subtropical and temperate
climates, refuge supports highly diverse resident and migratory
species. Over 600 wildlife species have been confirmed on the refuge
with hundreds more expected to occur with more extensive surveys. Over
130 species of birds, over 200 species of fish, and 250 species of
plants have been confirmed on the refuge.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: January 25, 2005.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register, July 22, 2005.
[FR Doc. 05-14796 Filed 7-26-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M