[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 14, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45444-45445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15882]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Sequim, WA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan
and environmental assessment.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intend to
prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment
(CCP/EA) for the Protection Island and San Juan Islands National
Wildlife Refuges (Refuges). The Refuges are located in Island,
Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom Counties, Washington. The San
Juan Islands Refuge includes the San Juan Islands Wilderness Area. We
are furnishing this notice to advise other agencies and the public of
our intentions, and to obtain public comments, suggestions, and
information on the scope of issues to be considered during the CCP and
National Environmental Policy Act planning process.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the CCP received by October 15,
2007, will be considered during development of the Draft CCP/EA.
ADDRESSES: Address comments, questions, and requests for information
to: Kevin Ryan, Project Leader, Washington Maritime National Wildlife
Refuge Complex, 33 South Barr Road, Port Angeles, WA 98362. Comments
may be faxed to the Refuge at (360) 452-5086, or e-mailed to
[email protected]. Include Protection Island and San Juan
Islands Refuges CCP in the subject line of your message. Additional
information about the CCP planning process is available on the Internet
at: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/planning.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Ryan, Project Leader, Washington
Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex, phone (360) 457-8451.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), requires all
lands within the National Wildlife Refuge System to be managed in
accordance with an approved CCP. A CCP guides refuge management
decisions, and identifies long-range goals, objectives, and strategies
for achieving the purposes for which the refuge was established. During
the CCP planning process many elements will be considered, including
wildlife and habitat protection and management, public use
opportunities, and cultural resource protection. Public input during
the planning process is essential. The CCP for the Protection Island
and San Juan Islands Refuges will describe desired conditions for the
Refuges and the long-term goals, objectives, and strategies for
achieving those conditions. As part of the planning process, the
Service will prepare an environmental assessment in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C.
4371 et seq.)
Background
The Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge Act was enacted in
1982 (Pub L. 97-333), authorizing creation of the 316-acre Refuge
located near the mouth of Discovery Bay on the southeast side of the
Strait of Juan de Fuca. The purposes of the Protection Island Refuge
are to provide habitat for a broad diversity of bird species, with
particular emphasis on protecting the nesting habitat of the bald
eagle, tufted puffin, rhinoceros auklet, pigeon guillemot, and pelagic
cormorant; protecting harbor seals' hauling-out areas; and providing
for scientific research and wildlife-oriented public education and
interpretation. Refuge habitats include grass and shrublands, a small
woodland area, shoreline, spits, and sandy bluffs. Most of the breeding
seabird population of Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca nests
on Protection Island. The island is a major resting and breeding site
for harbor seals, and also supports a small number of breeding elephant
seals. Additional information concerning Protection Island NWR is
available at: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/refuges/field/wa_protectionis.htm.
Located in the northwest corner of Washington State between
southern Canada and the United States mainland, the San Juan Islands
Refuge has a long establishment history. Executive Order 1959
established the Smith Island Reservation in 1914, as a preserve,
breeding ground, and winter sanctuary for native birds. Subsequent
executive orders and public land orders through 1983 culminated in the
current configuration of the Refuge, which totals
[[Page 45445]]
approximately 454 acres of islands, rocks, and reefs. Habitats include
remnant prairies, cliff faces, shorelines, and old growth forest. San
Juan Islands Refuge provides important breeding, resting, and foraging
habitat for sensitive marine bird and mammal species. The islands of
this refuge are part of the San Juan Islands Wilderness, except for
Smith, Minor, and Turn Island, and a 5-acre parcel on Matia Island. The
provisions of the Wilderness Act apply to all refuge lands that are
designated wilderness. Additional information concerning San Juan
Islands Refuge is available at: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/refuges/field/wa_sanjuanis.htm.
Preliminary Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities
The following broad categories of preliminary issues have been
identified by the Service for consideration in the planning process:
Threats to Refuge resources; Refuge buffers; habitat restoration;
wilderness management on San Juan Islands Refuge; research
opportunities; visitor services; and refuge administration. Additional
issues may be identified during public scoping. The CCP will focus on
ways of minimizing threats to the Refuges' resources and visitor
services programs will be evaluated based on current Service policies.
A revised wilderness stewardship plan for the San Juan Islands
Wilderness will be included in the CCP as well.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments received from individuals become part of the official
public record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance
with the Freedom of Information Act, NEPA, and Service and Department
of the Interior policies and procedures.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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 we will be able to
do so.
Dated: July 17, 2007.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. E7-15882 Filed 8-13-07; 8:45 am]
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