[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 30 (Wednesday, February 13, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8343-8344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2628]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation
Plan and Environmental Assessment for Waccamaw National Wildlife
Refuge.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment (Draft
CCP/EA) for Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge in Georgetown, Horry, and
Marion Counties, South Carolina, is available for distribution. This
Draft CCP/EA was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act of 1997, and the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, and describes the Service's proposal for management
of this refuge over the next 15 years.
DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal address listed
below no later than March 14, 2008.
ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft
CCP/EA, please write to: Mr. Craig Sasser, Refuge Manager, Waccamaw
National Wildlife Refuge, 1601 North Fraser Street, Georgetown, SC
29440. The Draft CCP/EA may also be accessed and downloaded from the
Service's Internet site: http://southeast.fws.gov.planning.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Craig Sasser, Refuge Manager, at
Telephone: 843-527-8069 or 843-509-1514; E-mail: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Availability of Comments: 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 comments to
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Background: Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge is currently 18,251
acres in size (within an approved acquisition boundary of 54,000
acres), and was established in 1997 for the following purposes: (1) To
protect and manage diverse habitat components within an important
coastal river ecosystem for the benefit of threatened and endangered
species, freshwater and anadromous fish, migratory birds, and forest
wildlife, including a wide array of plants and animals associated with
bottomland hardwood habitats; and (2) to provide compatible wildlife-
dependent recreational activities, including hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation.
Significant issues raised by the public and addressed in the Draft
CCP/EA include: conserving migratory waterfowl, neotropical migratory
birds, and black bears; increasing opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education
and interpretation; developing a new visitor center; acquiring parcels
from willing sellers within the approved refuge acquisition boundary;
restoring longleaf pine forests; developing partnerships with the State
and non-governmental organizations, and protecting Bull Island as
wilderness. The Service developed four alternatives for management of
the refuge (Alternatives A, B, C, and D), with Alternative D as the
Service's proposed alternative.
Alternative A (Current Management)
Under this alternative, Waccamaw Refuge would continue its current
management. No active, direct management of waterfowl populations would
occur. With regard to neotropical migratory birds, the refuge would
continue to conduct informal surveys on swallow-tailed kites and
Swainson's warblers on an occasional basis. Incidental observations of
black bear on the refuge would be compiled. Threatened and endangered
species would continue to be protected on appropriate refuge habitats.
Each of the recreational uses as identified in the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 would continue.
Alternative B (Habitat Restoration/Enhancements on Unit 1)
Under this alternative, the refuge would focus on habitat
restoration efforts and enhancements on Unit 1, which consists of
34,784 acres (including acreage within the acquisition boundary not
owned by the refuge) and is made up entirely of alluvial and black
water floodplain forested wetlands. The refuge would aim to improve
wintering waterfowl habitat on approximately 600 acres on Unit 1 by
restoring hydrology. With regard to neotropical migratory birds and
black bears, Alternative B would be the same as Alternative A. With
regard to threatened and endangered species, Alternative B's proposed
hydrology restoration on Unit 1 would enhance its existing wood stork
rookery. All existing recreational uses would be continued and
additional wildlife-dependent public uses would be implemented.
Alternative C (Habitat Restoration/Enhancement on All Units)
Under this alternative, the refuge would focus habitat restoration
efforts
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and enhancements on all units of the refuge--Units 1, 2, and 3. Unit 1
consists of 34,784 acres of alluvial and black water floodplain
forested wetlands. Unit 2 consists of 12,046 acres, with approximately
6,362 acres of upland longleaf pine forest and tidal forested and
emergent wetlands. Unit 3 consists of 2,902 acres and contains historic
rice fields, many of which remain intact and are managed for wintering
waterfowl. Management of migratory waterfowl and neotropical migratory
birds would be the same as Alternatives A and B. Management of black
bears would be more active under this alternative. Refuge acquisition
and habitat restoration efforts within wetland corridors would be
targeted to improve connectivity between bear populations. Management
of threatened and endangered species would generally be the same as
Alternative B, restoring the hydrology on Unit 1 to enhance the
existing wood stork rookery. In addition, it would restore wood stork
feeding areas on Unit 3 and red-cockaded woodpecker nesting and
foraging habitat on Unit 2. Recreational use of the refuge would remain
the same as Alternatives A and B, but would expand hunting
opportunities. It would explore the potential for a youth waterfowl
hunt on managed wetlands. In addition, opportunities for wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation would be expanded.
Alternative D (Optimize Habitat Management and Visitor Services)--
Proposed Alternative
Under this alternative, habitat management and visitor services
throughout the refuge would be optimized. Management of waterfowl and
migratory birds would be the same as Alternatives B and C; however,
management of black bears would be stepped up from that of the previous
three alternatives. This alternative would conduct annual surveys of
black bears and attempt to enlist public participation in gathering,
recording, and compiling sightings. Management of threatened and
endangered species would generally be the same as Alternative C--
restoring the hydrology on Unit 1 to enhance the existing wood stork
rookery, restoring wood stork feeding areas on Unit 3, and red-cockaded
woodpecker nesting and foraging habitat on Unit 2. Recreational use of
the refuge would continue. This alternative would expand on hunting
opportunities for deer and hog by considering a hunt by mobility-
impaired individuals. It would potentially include a youth waterfowl
hunt on refuge management lands. Over the lifetime of the CCP, this
alternative would call for reducing deer herd density to improve herd
health and to improve habitat quality for other species. This
alternative would identify the 4,600-acre Bull Island as a proposed
Wilderness Study Area. The Service would maintain its wilderness
character, and within 10 years of approval of the comprehensive
conservation plan, would prepare a wilderness study report and
additional NEPA documentation on whether Bull Island should be formally
designated by Congress as a unit of the National Wilderness
Preservation System. The refuge would prepare and implement a Visitor
Services' Plan and expand most wildlife-dependent public uses in a
number of ways.
Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law
105-57.
Dated: November 30, 2007.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E8-2628 Filed 2-12-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P