[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 151 (Thursday, August 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42055-42057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21014]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Intent to Prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Comprehensive Conservation Plans.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises that the Fish and Wildlife Service intends 
to gather information necessary to prepare Comprehensive Conservation 
Plans and associated environmental documents for Medicine Lake National 
Wildlife Refuge Complex in northeastern Montana, Red Rock Lakes 
National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Montana, and Crescent Lake and 
North Platte National Wildlife Refuges in western Nebraska. The 
Medicine Lake NWR Complex includes the Medicine Lake National Wildlife 
Refuge, Lamesteer National Wildlife Refuge, and the Northeast Montana 
Wetland Management District. The Service is furnishing this Notice in 
compliance with Service CCP policy to advise other agencies and the 
public of its intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on 
the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.

DATES: Written comments should be received by September 8, 1998.


[[Page 42056]]


ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for more information regarding 
Medicine Lake NWR should be sent to Allison Banks. Planning Team 
Leader, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225. 
Comments and requests for more information regarding Red Rock Lakes, 
Crescent Lake, and North Platte NWRs should be sent to Carol Taylor, 
Chief, Land Acquisition and Refuge Planning Branch, Division of Realty, 
P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Banks, Planning Team Leader, 
Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 (Medicine 
Lake NWR). Carol Taylor, Chief, Land Acquisition and Refuge Planning 
Branch, Division of Realty, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225 (Red 
Rock Lakes, Crescent Lake, and North Platte NWRs).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service has initiated Comprehensive 
Conservation Planning for the Medicine Lake NWR Complex. Red Rock Lakes 
NWR, Crescent Lake NWR, and North Platte NWR.
    Each National Wildlife Refuge has specific purposes for which it 
was established and for which legislation was enacted. Those purposes 
are used to develop and prioritize management goals and objectives 
within the National Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to guide which 
public uses will occur on the Refuge. The planning process is a way for 
the Service and the public to evaluate management goals and objectives 
for the best possible conservation efforts of this important, wildlife 
habitat, while providing for wildlife-dependent recreation 
opportunities that are compatible with each National Wildlife Refuge's 
establishing purposes and the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 
System.
    The Medicine Lake NWR Complex consists of Medicine Lake NWR, 
Lamesteer NWR, and the Northeast Montana WMD. The Complex lies within 
the mixed grass glaciated prairie pothole ecosystem in Sheridan, 
Roosevelt, Daniels, Richland, Dawson, and Wilbaux Counties of northeast 
Montana. Medicine Lake NWR (approximately 31,660 acres) was established 
to protect breeding habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in 
1935. The 11,360 acre Medicine Lake Wilderness Area was designated by 
Congress in 1976. Lamesteer NWR, near Wilbaux, Montana, is an 800-acre 
easement refuge. The Northeast Montana WMD consists of fee Waterfowl 
Production Areas (11,772 acres), wetland easements (7,967 acres), and 
grassland easements (8,366 acres). Public use opportunities include 
wildlife observation, photography, hunting, and fishing.
    Cresent Lake NWR (45,985 acres) was established to protect breeding 
habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife in 1931. The Refuge is 
located in Garden County, 28 miles north of Oshkosh, Nebraska within 
the western portion of the Nebraska Sandhills. The Refuge provides 
breeding and migration habitat for Central Flyway waterfowl, other 
migratory birds, and supports significant populations of the endangered 
blowout penstemon. Public use opportunities include wildlife 
observation, photography, environmental education, hunting, and fishing 
on the Refuge.
    North Platte NWR (2,909 acres) was established to provide breeding 
and migratory habitat for native birds and for use by the Bureau of 
Reclamation in 1916. The Refuge provides significant migration and 
wintering habitat for waterfowl in the Chain of Lakes area in western 
Nebraska (Lake Minatare, Winters Creek Lake, and Lake Alice). The 
Refuge also provides year-round resident wildlife habitat on Stateline 
Island in the North Platte River. Public use opportunities include 
wildlife observation, photography, fishing, and environmental 
education.
    Red Rock Lakes NWR (44,483 acres) was established in 1935 to 
protect habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife with emphasis on 
the trumpeter swan. Located in Beaverhead County, Montana, the Refuge 
is primitive and highly diverse, and includes meadows, sagebrush 
grasslands, coniferous forests, and two large lake and marsh complexes. 
In 1976, a 32,350 acre portion of the Refuge was designated as 
Wilderness. The Refuge is also designated as a National Natural 
Landmark. Wildlife observation, photography, hunting, fishing, and 
camping are available on the Refuge.
    The Service will conduct a comprehensive conservation planning 
process that will provide opportunity for Tribal, Federal, State and 
local governments, agencies, organizations, and the public to 
participate in issue scoping and public comment. The Service is 
requesting input on issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the 
future management of the National Wildlife Refuges included in this 
notice. Anyone interested in providing input is invited to respond to 
the following three questions:
    (1) What makes the Refuge (Medicine Lake, Crescent Lake, North 
Platte, Red Rock Lakes, or any specific unit) special or unique for 
you?
    (2) What concerns or issues do you want to see addressed in the 
Comprehensive Conservation Plans?
    (3) What improvements would you recommend for the Refuge (Medicine 
Lake, Crescent Lake, North Platte, Red Rock Lakes, or any specific 
unit)?
    The Service has provided the above questions for your optional use; 
no requirement to provide information to the Service exists. The 
Planning Team developed these questions to facilitate gathering more 
information about individual issues and ideas concerning these Refuges. 
An opportunity will be given to the public to provide input at open 
houses to scope issues and concerns (schedules can be obtained from the 
Planning Team Leaders at the above addresses). Comments may also be 
submitted anytime during the planning process by writing to the above 
addresses. Comments received by the Planning Team will be used as part 
of the planning process; individual comments will not be referenced in 
our reports or directly responded to.
    The environmental review of these projects will be conducted in 
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA Regulations (40 
CFR 1500-1508), other appropriate Federal laws and regulations, and 
Service policies and procedures for compliance with those regulations.
    All comments received from individuals on FWS NEPA documents become 
part of the official public record. Requests for such comments will be 
handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, the Council 
on Environmental Quality's NEPA regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)], and 
other FWS and Departmental policy and procedures. When requested, FWS 
generally will provide comment letters with the names and addresses of 
the individuals who wrote the comments. However, the telephone number 
of the commenting individual will not be provided in response to such 
requests to the extent permissible by law. Additionally, public comment 
letters are not required to contain the commentator's name, address, or 
other identifying information. Such comments may be submitted 
anonymously to the FWS.
    We estimate that the draft CCP's and environmental documents for 
each Refuge will be available for review in September 1999.


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    Dated: July 30, 1998.
Terry T. Terrell,
Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 98-21014 Filed 8-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M