[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 212 (Thursday, November 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64552-64553]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18373]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Record of Decision for the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan
and Environmental Impact Statement for the San Diego Bay National
Wildlife Refuge (Sweetwater Marsh and South San Diego Bay Units)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of record of decision.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
decision and availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement
(Final CCP/EIS) for the Sweetwater Marsh and South San Diego Bay Units
of the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR or Refuge). A
thorough analysis of the environmental, social, and economic
considerations was completed and presented in the Final CCP/EIS. The
Final CCP/EIS was released to the public and a Notice of Availability
was published in the Federal Register on August 25, 2006. The ROD
documents the Service's decision to adopt and implement Alternative C
(Implement Habitat Enhancement and Restoration and Improve Existing
Public Uses) for the Sweetwater Marsh Unit and Alternative D (Expand
Habitat Management, Enhance Nesting Opportunities, Maximize Habitat
Restoration, and Provide Additional Public Use Opportunities) for the
South San Diego Bay Unit.
DATES: The ROD was signed by the Manager, California/Nevada Operations,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on September 29, 2006.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the ROD may be obtained by writing to: Victoria
Touchstone, Refuge Planner, San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, CA 92011 or by e-mailing [email protected]. A copy of the Final CCP/EIS and associated
Appendices is available at the following Web site address: http://sandiegorefuges.fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Victoria Touchstone, Refuge Planner,
at the above street and e-mail address, or via telephone at (760) 431-
9440 extension 349, or by fax at (760) 930-0256.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The San Diego Bay NWR, which consists of the
Sweetwater Marsh and South San Diego Bay Units, is located
approximately 10 miles north of the United States Mexico border in
southwestern San Diego County, California. Collectively, the two Refuge
Units encompass approximately 2,620 acres of land and water in and
around the south end of San Diego Bay. The coastal wetlands protected
within this Refuge annually provide essential foraging and resting
habitat for tens of thousands of migratory shorebirds and wintering
waterfowl traveling along the Pacific Flyway. The South San Diego Bay
Unit also provides nesting habitat for a variety of colonial nesting
seabirds.
The Sweetwater Marsh Unit was established as a National Wildlife
Refuge in 1988. Encompassing approximately 316 acres, this Refuge was
established to protect federally listed endangered and threatened
species. The South San Diego Bay Unit was established in 1999 as a unit
of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge for the purpose of
protecting, managing, and restoring habitats for federally listed
endangered and threatened species and migratory birds. The Service
currently manages approximately 2,300 acres of the 3,940 acres included
within the Unit's approved acquisition boundary. The majority of this
management area is leased to the Service by the California State Lands
Commission.
The Final CCP will provide guidance for how the refuge, its
resources, and compatible public uses should be managed over the next
15 years. Three alternatives for the Sweetwater Marsh Unit and four
alternatives for the South San Diego Bay Unit, along with the
consequences of implementing each alternative, were described in detail
in the Draft and Final CCP/EIS. The Draft CCP/EIS was distributed for
public review and comment on July 22, 2005 and comments were accepted
through September 19, 2005. The Service received 38 written comment
letters and four individuals presented verbal comments at a public
meeting held on August 30, 2005. All substantive issues raised in these
comments were addressed through changes incorporated into the Final
CCP/EIS and/or through responses to the comments, which are included in
Appendix P, Responses to Comments, of the Final CCP/EIS.
The ROD for the San Diego Bay NWR Final CCP/EIS has been prepared
by the Service in compliance with the National
[[Page 64553]]
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended. It documents the
decision of the Service, based on the information contained in the San
Diego Bay NWR Final CCP/EIS and the entire Administrative Record. The
Service adopted and plans to implement Alternative C (Implement Habitat
Enhancement and Restoration and Improve Existing Public Uses) for the
Sweetwater Marsh Unit and Alternative D (Expand Habitat Management,
Enhance Nesting Opportunities, Maximize Habitat Restoration, and
Provide Additional Public Use Opportunities) for the South San Diego
Bay Unit. These alternatives have been identified by the Service as the
alternatives that would best achieve refuge purposes and contribute
toward the mission of the NWRS, consistent with sound principles of
fish and wildlife science, conservation, legal mandates, and Service
policies.
The selected alternatives recognize the need to provide high
quality habitat for the Refuge's federally listed species, while also
maintaining, and in some cases enhancing, the habitats needed to
support the overall biological diversity of the Refuge. The selected
alternatives also include expanded opportunities for compatible public
use including wildlife observation, environmental education, and
interpretation; provisions to protect cultural resources;
recommendations for addressing existing contaminant issues; and
proposals for establishing partnerships to address issues such as water
quality, the accumulation of discarded fishing line around the bay, and
stewardship of Refuge resources.
Alternative C for the Sweetwater Marsh Unit would improve habitat
quality and restore intertidal and upland habitats to support six
federally listed species, along with the Refuge's other plant and
animal resources. The existing trail system on Gunpowder Point would be
redesigned and new interpretive elements would be provided to better
complement the existing environmental education programs supported by
the Refuge.
Alternative D for the South San Diego Bay Unit would enhance
nesting opportunities in and around the salt ponds for the California
least tern, western snowy plover, and various other colonial seabirds;
restore to native coastal habitats the former agricultural lands in the
Otay River floodplain; restore 650 acres of commercial solar salt ponds
to tidal influence to support intertidal mudflat and coastal salt marsh
habitats; and manage the water and salinity levels in an additional 275
acres of salt ponds. Opportunities for wildlife observation,
photography, and environmental interpretation would be expanded; a
pedestrian pathway would be constructed along the southern end of the
Refuge to improve wildlife observation opportunities for Refuge
visitors; and the other public uses (i.e., fishing, environmental
education, and boating) currently provided on the Refuge would be
maintained.
The Service considered the environmental and relevant concerns
presented by agencies, organizations, and individuals and believes that
implementing Alternative C for the Sweetwater Marsh Unit and
Alternative D for the South San Diego Bay Unit is the best way to
achieve the vision and goals for the Refuge. The selected alternatives
are also the most consistent with the purposes of the Refuge, the
mission of the NWRS, the recovery actions proposed for those federally
listed species that are supported by the Refuge, and the bird
conservation recommendations relevant to this part of the Pacific
Flyway. These alternatives recognize the need to restore habitat
essential to the recovery of listed species, while also protecting
those habitats and conditions that currently support a diverse and
abundant array of migratory birds. The selected alternatives also
balance the need to protect habitat with the need to provide the public
with the opportunity to experience and enjoy the resources being
protected.
Dated: October 18, 2006.
Steve Thompson,
Manager, California/Nevada Operations, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. E6-18373 Filed 11-1-06; 8:45 am]
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