[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 77 (Monday, April 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20132-20133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7643]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), Wilderness
Stewardship Plan (WSP) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), Ajo, AZ
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that
the Final CCP is available for the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife
Refuge (Refuge). This CCP is prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Wilderness Act of 1964. The
CCP describes how the Service intends to manage this Refuge over the
next 15 years.
[[Page 20133]]
DATES: A Record of Decision may be signed no sooner than 30 days after
publication of this notice (40 CFR 1506.10(b)(2)).
ADDRESSES: Copies of the CCP are available on compact disk or in hard
copy, and can be obtained by writing: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
John Slown, Division of Planning, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, New
Mexico 87103.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roger DiRosa, Refuge Manager, Cabeza
Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, 1611 North Second Street, Ajo, Arizona
85321; 520-387-4993 or John Slown (See ADDRESSES), telephone: 505-248-
7458; or e-mail to [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge
is located in Pima and Yuma Counties in southwestern Arizona. This
860,010 acre Refuge is comprised of several northwest to southeast
trending mountain ranges separated by broad alluvial valleys. Located
in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, the Refuge's habitats support a
diversity of desert wildlife.
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge was withdrawn from the
public domain by Executive Order 8038 in 1939, and set apart ``* * *
for the conservation and development of natural wildlife resources, and
for the protection and improvement of public grazing lands and natural
forage resources * * * Provided, however, that all the forage resources
in excess of that required to maintain a balanced wildlife population
within this range or preserve should be available for livestock.'' When
the last grazing leases on the Refuge expired in 1981 the grazing
purpose of the Refuge was no longer valid. The Arizona Desert
Wilderness Act of 1990 designated 803,418 acres of the Refuge, or
approximately 93 percent of the Refuge area, as federal wilderness.
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 et seq.), requires the Service to develop a CCP
for each National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose of developing CCPs is to
provide refuge managers with a 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
science, conservation, legal mandates, and Service policies. In
addition to outlining broad management direction on conserving wildlife
and their habitats, the CCPs identify wildlife-dependent recreational
opportunities available to the public, including opportunities for
hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. These CCPs will be reviewed
and updated at least every 15 years in accordance with the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.
The availability of Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge's Draft
CCP, WSP and EIS for public review and comment was announced in the
Federal Register on March 16, 2005 (70 FR 12895-12896), the comment
period closed on August 15, 2005. The Draft CCP, WSP and EIS propose
and evaluate five management alternatives for the Refuge. All
management alternatives implement recovery actions for the Endangered
Sonoran pronghorn. The alternatives differ primarily in the level of
active management intervention proposed to support the desert bighorn
sheep. The first alternative is ``no action'' or continuance of current
Refuge management. Under this alternative, the Refuge would continue to
offer a limited desert bighorn sheep hunt each year in cooperation with
the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Refuge staff would continue to
maintain and supply supplemental water to existing developed waters in
desert bighorn sheep habitat. The second alternative focuses on
limiting management interventions within Refuge wilderness. Under this
alternative, developed wildlife waters in sheep habitat within the
Refuge wilderness would not be maintained or supplied with supplemental
water. The desert bighorn sheep hunt would also be discontinued. The
third alternative includes limited management intervention in
wilderness. Under this alternative, the Refuge would supply
supplemental water to developed waters in sheep habitat within Refuge
wilderness only during periods of severe drought. The desert bighorn
sheep hunt would be continued, but no hunting would be allowed during
years of severe drought. The fourth alternative, identified as the
Service's preferred alternative, would allow continued maintenance and
water supply to existing developed waters in sheep habitat within
Refuge wilderness and would include projects to increase the water
collection efficiency of such waters. The Refuge desert bighorn sheep
hunt program would continue unchanged under this alternative. The fifth
alternative would include the maximum management intervention within
Refuge wilderness. Under this alternative all existing developed waters
in Refuge wilderness would be maintained and supplied with water, and
new developed waters would be created. The desert bighorn sheep hunt
program would continue unchanged under this alternative.
Dated: August 3, 2006.
Larry G. Bell,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
This document was received at the Office of the Federal
Register on April 18, 2007.
[FR Doc. E7-7643 Filed 4-20-07; 8:45 am]
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