[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78009-78011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32046]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement and Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Nisqually
National Wildlife Refuge for Review and Comment, and Notice of Public
Meetings
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and notice of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Comprehensive Conservation
Plan (Draft EIS/CCP) for Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is
available for review and comment. This Draft EIS/CCP, prepared pursuant
to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, as amended
and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes the
Service's proposal for management of the Refuge for the next 15 years.
Proposed changes to the Refuge being considered include the restoration
of historic estuarine habitat and dike removal; a proposed expansion of
the approved Refuge boundary; changes to the trail system; opening the
Refuge to waterfowl hunting; and establishing a speed limit of 5 miles
per hour in Refuge waters for all water craft. Also available for
review with the Draft EIS/CCP, are draft compatibility determinations
for waterfowl hunting; recreational fishing; boating; environmental
education; wildlife observation, photography and interpretation;
research; and haying.
DATES: Written comments must be received at the address below by
February 18, 2003. Public meetings will be held on:
1. Wednesday, January 15, 2003, 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Olympia, WA.
2. Thursday, January 16, 2003, 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Tacoma, WA.
ADDRESSES: Comments on the Draft EIS/CCP should be addressed to: Jean
Takekawa, Refuge Manager, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, Washington 98516. Comments may also be
submitted at the public meetings or via electronic mail to
[email protected]. Please type ``Nisqually NWR'' in the
subject line. The public meeting locations are:
1. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, 100 Brown Farm Road,
Olympia, WA.
2. Tacoma Public Library, 1102 Tacoma Avenue S., Tacoma, WA.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Refuge Manager, Nisqually National
Wildlife Refuge Complex, 100 Brown Farm Road, Olympia, Washington
98516, (360) 753-9467, or Michael Marxen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Pacific Northwest Planning Team, 16507 Roy Rogers Road,
Sherwood, Oregon 97140, (503) 590-6596.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Copies of the Draft EIS/CCP may be obtained
by writing to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attn: Michael Marxen,
Pacific Northwest Planning Team, 16507 Roy Rogers Road, Sherwood,
Oregon, 97140. Copies of the Draft EIS/CCP may be viewed at this
address or at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 100 Brown
Farm Road, Olympia, Washington 98516. The Draft EIS/CCP will also be
available for viewing and downloading online at http://pacific.fws.gov/planning. Printed documents will also be available for review at the
following libraries: Timberland Community Library in Olympia; Tacoma
Public Library; University of Washington--Suzallo Library; William J.
Reed Library in Shelton, WA; and the Evergreen State College Library.
Background
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge is located in western Washington
at the southern end of Puget Sound in Thurston and Pierce counties. The
Refuge is one of nearly 540 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge
System managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wildlife
conservation is the priority of National Wildlife Refuge System lands.
Nisqually Refuge contributes substantially to the conservation of fish,
wildlife, and native habitats of the Puget Sound region. The Refuge
protects one of the few relatively undeveloped large estuaries
remaining in Puget Sound. It provides crucial habitat for migratory
birds of the Pacific Flyway, including many waterfowl, shorebirds,
waterbirds, and seabirds. The Refuge also contains regionally important
migration and rearing habitat for salmon, particularly the threatened
fall chinook salmon. Each year, more than 100,000 visitors come to view
wildlife and enjoy and learn about Refuge habitats and the wildlife
they support.
Proposed Action
The Proposed Action is to adopt and implement a Comprehensive
Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Nisqually Refuge that best achieves the
Refuge's purpose, vision, and goals; contributes to the National
Wildlife Refuge System mission; addresses the
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significant issues and relevant mandates; and is consistent with
principles of sound fish and wildlife management. The Service analyzed
four alternatives for future management of the Refuge; of these, it is
proposed that Alternative D would best achieve all of these elements,
and it has, therefore, been identified as the Preferred Alternative.
Purpose and Need for Action
A CCP is needed to guide the long term management of the highest
priority natural resource needs at Nisqually Refuge. The Refuge is
currently managed under an outdated 1978 Conceptual Management Plan.
The purpose of the CCP is to provide management guidance for the Refuge
including guidance for land protection, habitat restoration, fish and
wildlife conservation, and visitor services to more effectively achieve
Refuge goals and purposes. Implementing the CCP will provide the Refuge
with an opportunity to enhance its critical role in the conservation
and management of the fish and wildlife resources of Nisqually River
delta and lower watershed and continue developing high quality
environmental education and wildlife interpretation for Refuge
visitors.
Eighty percent of estuarine habitat has been lost in Puget Sound in
the last 150 years, contributing to the decline of many fish and
wildlife species that depend on estuaries, including several salmon
species. The Refuge's diked freshwater wetlands were historically
estuarine and habitat quality has declined. The south Puget Sound
region is undergoing dramatic changes in population and landscape, as
it becomes more urban. As Refuge visitor use has increased, so have
conflicts among visitors and concerns over meeting the needs of fish
and wildlife. In response to these changes and management issues the
CCP needs to consider increased land protection, restoration of the
historic estuarine system, improved wildlife protection, enhanced
environmental education and compatibility of wildlife-dependent
recreation activities.
Alternatives
This Draft EIS/CCP identifies and evaluates four alternatives for
managing Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge for the next 15 years. Each
alternative describes a combination of habitat and public use
management prescriptions designed to achieve the Refuge purposes,
goals, and vision. The four alternatives are briefly described below,
followed by additional features common to some or all of the
alternatives.
Alternative A, the ``No Action'' alternative assumes no change from
past management programs and is considered the baseline from which to
compare the other alternatives. As funding becomes available, the
Refuge would continue to seek acquisition of interests in the remaining
1,011 acres within the current approved Refuge boundary (3,936 acres)
as lands become available from willing sellers, but no expansion beyond
the current approved Refuge boundary would occur. There would be no
major changes in habitat management or public use programs. The
environmental education program would continue to serve approximately
5,000 students per year. A new education facility would be required to
ensure a safe, high quality experience under all alternatives. No new
internal dikes or impoundments would be created, but external dikes
(28,000 linear feet) would need extensive repairs and continued
maintenance.
Alternative B would provide for moderate expansion of the approved
Refuge boundary (a 2,407-acre addition for a total of 6,343 acres). It
places new management emphasis on the restoration of estuarine habitat
and improved freshwater wetland management. Approximately 318 acres
(30%) of the diked interior would be restored to muted estuarine
habitat by creating bridged breaches and retaining dikes. Approximately
140 acres (15%) of diked habitat would be restored to fully functional
estuarine habitat in the northern half of the Shannon Slough system
along McAllister Creek, requiring only limited dike removal. All
remaining exterior dikes would require extensive repairs to prevent
seepage and failure. Management of 542 acres of freshwater and
grassland habitats would be improved in the remaining diked area by
converting some grasslands to seasonal freshwater wetlands and ponds,
and constructing five internal management units with new interior
dikes, creating a higher proportion of freshwater habitat. The current
environmental education program would be improved and expanded to the
largest degree of all action alternatives, serving 20,000 students per
year. There would be fewer changes to the public wildlife observation
trail system than in other action alternatives, and Refuge lands would
remain closed to waterfowl hunting, with the closure posted and
enforced to eliminate unauthorized hunting on the Refuge. Hunting would
still occur on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) lands;
therefore, a portion of the wildlife observation trail would continue
to be closed during hunting season to avoid conflicts with hunters.
Alternative C would provide for the same expansion of the Refuge
boundary as in Alternative B (a 2,407-acre addition). However, it
places a stronger emphasis on the restoration of estuarine habitat,
while improving freshwater wetland and riparian habitats. This
alternative would restore approximately 515 acres (50%) of the diked
interior to estuarine habitat. This alternative would retain the
Shannon Slough system along McAllister Creek as diked freshwater
habitat. Exterior dikes would be removed in the northern half of the
1,000-acre diked area, and all remaining exterior dikes would require
extensive repairs to prevent seepage and failure. Riparian habitat
would be enhanced along the Nisqually River by restoring forested,
surge plain habitat on 38 acres north of the Twin Barns. Management of
the remaining 447 acres of freshwater and grassland habitats would be
improved, with a higher proportion of freshwater habitat created by
converting some grasslands to seasonal freshwater wetlands and ponds as
well as constructing five internal management units with new interior
dikes. The environmental education program would be improved and
expanded to serve 15,000 students, fewer than in Alternative B, to
provide sufficient staff time to operate a waterfowl hunt program.
Moderate changes would occur in the trail system, reducing the 5.5-mile
loop to 3.75 miles; a new trail would be developed on Tribal and Refuge
properties east of the Nisqually River. Approximately 713 acres of
Refuge land would be opened to waterfowl hunting limited to 3 days per
week and consolidated in a block with WDFW lands (totaling 1,170
acres). This would require an agreement with WDFW to limit hunting on
their lands in McAllister Creek. New fishing opportunities would be
provided including bank fishing on the east side of the Nisqually
River, improved bank fishing at Trotter's Woods south of I-5, and
disabled access fishing at Luhr Beach, if acquired.
Alternative D would provide a larger approved Refuge boundary
expansion (a 3,479-acre addition for a total of 7,415 acres). It also
increases estuarine restoration while improving freshwater wetland and
riparian habitats on the Refuge. Under Alternative D, 699 acres (70%)
of the diked area would be converted to estuarine habitat, resulting in
removal of a large part of the exterior dike. Management of the
remaining 263-acre area within the dike would be greatly improved as
freshwater wetland
[[Page 78011]]
and riparian habitats and five internal management units would be
constructed with new interior dikes. As in Alternative C, 38 acres of
forested, surge plain habitat would be restored to increase the acreage
of this important habitat along the Nisqually River. The environmental
education program would be improved and expanded (15,000 students per
year), although not to the extent of Alternative B, to provide
sufficient staff time to operate a waterfowl hunt program. The greatest
changes would occur in the wildlife observation trail system of any
alternative, reducing the 5.5-mile loop to a 3.5-mile round trip trail
no longer in a loop configuration; a new trail would be developed on
Tribal and Refuge properties east of the river. A smaller portion of
Refuge lands (191 acres) would be opened to hunting 7 days per week,
with no changes to hunting on WDFW lands; however, a portion of the
main trail would be seasonally closed. Bank fishing on McAllister Creek
would no longer be offered due to dike removal, but new fishing
opportunities could be provided in the future, if appropriate lands
were acquired along McAllister Creek south of I-5, as well as those
described under Alternative C.
Actions Common to All Action Alternatives
In addition, the following components are proposed to be
implemented under alternatives B, C, and D. Walk-in waterfowl hunting
opportunities would be considered if sufficient lands were acquired
south of I-5, which would provide adequate wildlife sanctuary and
minimal conflict with other priority uses. A speed limit of 5 mph for
all water craft would be established in all Refuge waters to provide
wildlife and habitat protection and reduce conflicts with other
visitors. Service policies prohibiting consumptive uses in the Research
Natural Area (RNA) in the northeast part of the Refuge would be
enforced, including fishing, shell fishing, and waterfowl hunting. The
RNA would be closed to all boating from October 1 to March 31 to
provide a seasonal sanctuary for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Public comments are requested, considered, and incorporated
throughout the planning process in numerous ways. Public outreach has
included open houses, public meetings, technical workgroups, planning
update mailings, and Federal Register notices. Two previous notices
were published in the Federal Register concerning this Draft EIS/CCP
(October 9, 1997 and February 9, 2000). After the review and comment
period ends for this Draft EIS/CCP, comments will be analyzed and
considered by the Service. A Final EIS will then be prepared and
published which will include substantive comments received and provide
the Service's responses. Changes made to the selected alternative will
also be identified in the Final EIS. A Record of Decision and final CCP
will then be published.
All comments received from individuals on environmental impact
statements 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 Service and Departmental policies and procedures.
Dated: November 13, 2002.
Rowan W. Gould,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 02-32046 Filed 12-19-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P