[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 20 (Monday, February 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5114-5115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2046]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-R-2009-N222; 80230-1265-0000-S3]
Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, Clark, Lincoln, and Nye
Counties, NV
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability: record of decision.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the record of decision (ROD) for the final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (CCP/
EIS) for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex. We
completed a thorough analysis of the environmental, social, and
economic considerations and presented it in our final CCP/EIS, which we
released to the public on August 19, 2009. The ROD documents our
decision to adopt and implement the final CCP/EIS Alternative C, for
Ash Meadows, Desert, and Moapa Valley NWRs and Alternative D for
Pahranagat NWR.
DATES: The Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, signed the ROD on September 24, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may view or obtain copies of the ROD and Final CCP/EIS
by any of the following methods:
Agency Web site: Download a copy of the documents at http://www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/ccp.htm.
Electronic mail: [email protected]. Include ``Desert NWRC
ROD'' in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Mark Pelz, Chief, Refuge Conservation Planning, Pacific
Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, W-
1832, Sacramento, CA 95825-1846.
In person viewing or pickup: Copies of the ROD may be viewed at the
Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 4701 North Torrey Pines, Las
Vegas, NV 89130.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia Martinez, Refuge Complex
Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4701 North Torrey Pines, Las
Vegas, NV 89130, phone (702) 515-5450 or Mark Pelz, Chief, Refuge
Planning, 2800 Cottage Way, W-1832, Sacramento, CA, 95825; (916) 414-
6504 (phone); [email protected] (e-mail).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for the Desert NWR
Complex (Ash Meadows, Desert, Moapa Valley and Pahranagat NWRs). The
CCP will guide us in managing and administering the four wildlife
refuges for the next 15 years. We started this process in a Federal
Register notice (67 FR 54229, August 21, 2002). We released the draft
CCP/EIS to the public, announcing and requesting comments in a notice
of availability in the Federal Register (73 FR 39979) on July 11, 2008.
The public review period lasted 60 days. We announced the availability
of the final CCP/EIS in the Federal Register (74 FR 41928) on August
19, 2009.
Ash Meadows NWR was established in 1984 under the authority of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. It comprises 23,000 acres
of spring-fed wetlands, mesquite bosques, and desert uplands that
provide habitat for at least 24 plants and animal species found nowhere
else in the world. The Wildlife Refuge is located 90 miles northwest of
Las Vegas and 30 miles west of Pahrump.
Desert NWR was originally established in 1936 by Executive Order
No. 7373 and subsequently modified by Public Land Order 4079, for the
protection, enhancement and maintenance of wildlife resources including
bighorn sheep. Located just north of Las Vegas, Nevada, the 1.6 million
acre Wildlife Refuge is the largest in the lower 48 States.
The Moapa Valley NWR was established in 1979 under the authority of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, to secure habitat for
the endangered Moapa dace. The Wildlife Refuge is located on 116 acres
in northeastern Clark County. Due to its small size, fragile habitats,
on-going habitat restoration work, and unsafe structures, the Wildlife
Refuge is currently closed to the general public.
The Pahranagat NWR was established in 1963, under the authority of
the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, as amended, to protect habitat for
migrating birds in the Pahranagat Valley. The 5,382 acre Wildlife
Refuge consists of marshes, meadows, lakes, and upland desert habitat.
It provides nesting, resting, and feeding areas for waterfowl,
shorebirds, wading birds, and song birds including the endangered
southwestern willow flycatcher.
In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (40 CFR
1506.6(b)) requirements, this notice announces the availability of the
ROD for the final CCP/EIS for the Desert NWR Complex. We completed a
thorough analysis of the environmental, social, and economic
considerations in the final CCP/EIS. The ROD documents our selection of
Alternative C, for Ash Meadows, Desert, and Moapa Valley NWRs and
Alternative D for Pahranagat NWR.
Background
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which amended the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, requires us to
develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose for
developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year
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plan for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission
of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), consistent with sound
principles of fish and wildlife management, conservation, legal
mandates, and our policies. In addition to outlining broad management
direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, CCPs identify
wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the public,
including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and
photography, and environmental education and interpretation. We will
review and update the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with
the Improvement Act.
CCP Alternatives and Selected Alternative
Both our draft and final CCP/EIS identified several major issues.
To address those issues, we developed and evaluated three alternatives
for managing Ash Meadows and Moapa Valley NWRs and four alternatives
for managing Desert and Pahranagat NWRs. These alternatives are
outlined in the final CCP/EIS Summary document available at http://www.fws.gov/desertcomplex/ccp.htm.
Our decision is to adopt Alternative C for Ash Meadows, Desert, and
Moapa Valley NWRs and Alternative D for Pahranagat NWR, as described in
the ROD. The ROD details the basis of our decision, which we made after
considering the following: the impacts identified in Chapter 4 of the
draft and final CCP/EIS; the results of public and other agency
comments; how well the alternative addresses the relevant issues,
concerns, and opportunities identified during the planning process; and
other relevant factors, including fulfilling the purposes for which the
wildlife refuges were established, contributing to the mission and
goals of the NWRS, and statutory and regulatory guidance. We have
determined that Alternative C for Ash Meadows, Desert, and Moapa Valley
NWRs and Alternative D for Pahranagat NWR include the suite of
activities that best achieve the stated purpose and need for action and
the goals for each wildlife refuge presented in the final CCP/EIS
Chapter 1. These alternatives were selected for implementation because
they provide the greatest number of opportunities for the wildlife
refuges to make a significant contribution to the conservation of fish,
wildlife, and habitat needs in the region, balanced with opportunities
for high-quality wildlife-dependant recreation.
Dated: January 26, 2010.
Ren Lohofener,
Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2010-2046 Filed 1-29-10; 8:45 am]
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