[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 15 (Monday, January 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4061-4062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-01417]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-R-2015-N235]; [FXRS12650400000S3-123-FF04R02000]
Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, LA; Final Comprehensive
Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for
Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and
finding of no significant impact for the environmental assessment for
Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in West Feliciana Parish,
Louisiana. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge
for the next 15 years.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the CCP by writing to: Lower
Mississippi River NWR Complex, P.O. Box 217, Sibley, MS 39165.
Alternatively, you may download the document from our Internet Site at
http://southeast.fws.gov/planning under ``Final Documents.''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jimmy Laurent, Project Leader, Lower
Mississippi River NWR Complex, by telephone at (601) 442-6696 or by
email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
With this notice, we finalize the CCP process for Cat Island NWR.
We started the process through a notice in the Federal Register on
November 25, 2013 (78 FR 70318). For more about the process, see that
notice.
Cat Island NWR was established in October 2000, as the 526th refuge
in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located in West Feliciana
Parish, Louisiana, near the town of St. Francisville, 25 miles north of
Baton Rouge. Acquisition has occurred in stages, beginning in 2000 when
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Louisiana made the first purchase of
about 9,500 acres of forested wetlands. That and subsequent
acquisitions by TNC were purchased by the Service using both the Land
and Water Conservation Fund and Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.
Today, the refuge encompasses 10,473 acres. The congressionally
approved acquisition boundary encloses 36,500 acres.
Cat Island NWR was created by Congress through Public Law 106-369,
which states: ``The purposes for which the Refuge is established and
shall be managed are: (1) To conserve, restore, and manage habitats as
necessary to contribute to the migratory bird population goals and
habitat objective [sic] as established through the Lower Mississippi
Valley Joint Venture; (2) to conserve, restore, and manage the
significant aquatic resource values associated with the area's forested
wetlands and to achieve the habitat objectives of the Mississippi River
Aquatic Resources Management Plan; (3) to conserve, enhance, and
restore the historic native bottomland community characteristics of the
lower Mississippi alluvial valley and its associated fish, wildlife,
and plant species; (4) to conserve, enhance, and restore habitat to
maintain and assist in the recovery of endangered and threatened plants
and animals; and (5) to encourage the use of
[[Page 4062]]
volunteers and facilitate partnerships among the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service, local communities, conservation organizations, and
other non-Federal entities to promote public awareness of the resources
of the Refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System and public
participation in the conservation of those resources'' (Cat Island NWR
Establishment Act, 114 Stat. 1418, October 27, 2000).
Background
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Administration Act), as amended by the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, 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 plan for achieving
refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National
Wildlife Refuge System, 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, wildlife photography, and
environmental education and interpretation. We will review and update
the CCP at least every 15 years in accordance with the Administration
Act.
Comments
We made copies of the Draft CCP/EA available for a 30-day public
review and comment period via a Federal Register notice on May 1, 2015
(80 FR 24958). Copies of the Draft CCP/EA were posted at refuge
headquarters and also were available for download at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/planning/CCP/cat-island.html. Over 100 letters
with links to the draft comprehensive conservation plan and
environmental assessment were distributed to local landowners, the
public, and local, State, and Federal agencies. Three respondents,
consisting of the Humane Society of the United States, the Jena Band of
Choctaw Indians, and local citizens, submitted comments on the Draft
CCP/EA by mail or email.
CCP Alternatives, Including Our Preferred Alternative
We developed three alternatives for managing the refuge
(Alternatives A, B, and C), with Alternative B selected for
implementation. This alternative will focus on managing the refuge's
natural resources to enhance habitats for priority species including
waterfowl and other migratory birds, threatened and endangered species,
species of concern, and resident fish and wildlife. Additionally,
wildlife surveys would be conducted using established protocols to
establish baseline habitat conditions, estimate wildlife population
indices, determine responses to management actions, and contribute to
larger scale biological assessments. Invasive exotic and nuisance
species would be actively managed to minimize their impacts on refuge
resources. Refuge forests would be actively managed to enhance wildlife
habitat. Aquatic habitats on the refuge would be inventoried and
assessed, and where feasible, access to them would be improved for
recreational anglers.
Refuge cultural resources would continue to be protected as they
have been in the past. In addition, the refuge would seek funding to
survey and catalog cultural resources on the refuge. Protection of
cultural resources would be integrated into refuge planning at all
levels, and management actions would be reviewed in order to avoid or
mitigate impacts to cultural resources.
Under the preferred alternative, public use would be more actively
managed by refuge staff. Hunting and fishing would continue to be
managed and made available with the active partnership of Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. More law enforcement personnel
hours would be allocated by the Service for Cat Island NWR. New
partnerships with organizations interested in promoting nonconsumptive
refuge use would be sought, and existing ones strengthened. In
particular, environmental education opportunities would be enhanced by
active participation of Service personnel with local schools and
nonprofit organizations.
Refuge infrastructure would be maintained as in the past. The
refuge would seek to improve access via the main refuge road and
various trails. Efforts would be made to provide access to the
northeast section of the refuge, and access via Cat Island Road would
be pursued. The refuge would hire or assign staff to the refuge. Staff
may include one or more of the following: Refuge manager, volunteer
coordinator, equipment operator, law enforcement officer, forester, and
biologist. Any or all of these may be shared positions among refuges in
the Lower Mississippi River Refuge Complex. Full staffing under this
alternative is anticipated to be 1.5 to 2 full-time employees.
Authority
This notice is published under the authority of the National
Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd et
seq.).
Dated: November 10, 2015.
Brett E. Hunter,
Deputy Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-01417 Filed 1-22-16; 8:45 am]
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