Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Issuance of a Special Use Permit to the Government of Guam for the Proposed Ritidian Point Territorial Park, Guam National Wildlife Refuge, Dededo, Guam

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment for

the Issuance of a Special Use Permit to the Government of Guam for the

Proposed Ritidian Point Territorial Park, Guam National Wildlife

Refuge, Dededo, Guam

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the draft Environmental

Assessment (EA) for the issuance of a Special Use Permit to the

Government of Guam for the proposed Ritidian Point Territorial Park on

the Guam National Wildlife Refuge, Dededo, Guam is available for public

review.

WRITTEN COMMENTS INFORMATION: Interested agencies, organizations, and

individuals are encouraged to provide written comments to the Fish and

Wildlife Service within 30 days after publication of this Notice.

Address comments to the Refuge Manager as shown below:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kelly Wolcott, Refuge Manager, Guam National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box

8134 MOU-3, Dededo, Guam 96912, (671) 355-5096.

Individuals wishing copies of this draft EA for review should

immediately contact the above named individual.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: Field Supervisor, Jerry Leinecke, Hawaiian

and Pacific Islands NWR Complex, is the primary author of this

document. The Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior,

has prepared a draft EA on its proposal to issue a Special Use Permit

to the Government of Guam for the proposed Ritidian Point Territorial

Park within the Guam National Wildlife Refuge.

The Government of Guam proposes to establish and operate the

Ritidian Point Territorial Park (RPTP) within an approximate 20.24 ha

(50 acres) site of the Ritidian Point Unit of the Guam National

Wildlife Refuge (NWR). The RPTP would be operated by the Guam

Department of Parks and Recreation with the biological support of the

Guam Department of Agriculture, Division of Aquatic and Wildlife

Resources, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service). The proposed RPTP would provide the public with natural

history educational and recreational opportunities within the setting

of the Ritidian Point Unit of the Guam NWR. The proposed RPTP would be

managed to be compatible with the purposes for which the Guam NWR was

established and in accordance with a Special Use Permit issued by the

Service to the Government of Guam for the use of the approximate 20.24

ha site within the Ritidian Point Unit.

The proposed action is anticipated to have only minimal direct,

indirect, and cumulative effects on the human environment. The

establishment, operation and maintenance of the park will occur on a

site that has been previously disturbed by construction of fields,

pavilions, shelters and Navy buildings and by the past use of the area

for recreational purposes by the Navy.

The major alternatives under consideration that were analyzed and

evaluated during planning are: (A) Preferred Alternative, establishment

of the proposed RPTP on an approximate 20.24 ha (50 acre) site within

the Ritidian Point Unit by the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation;

(Alternative 2) establishment of a Territorial Park at Tarague Basin,

South Finegayan, Falcona Beach, or the Anao Conservation Area at the

present time; (Alternative 3) establishment of a public use area at the

Ritidian Point Unit by the Service; (Alternative 4) which is the No

Action alternative.

Staffs of the Government of Guam, Department of Parks and

Recreation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jointly cooperated to

plan, prepare and evaluate the proposals and prepare this draft EA.

Detailed information concerning consultation and coordination is

contained in Section VII of the draft EA.

All agencies and individuals are urged to provide comments and

suggestions for improving this EA as soon as possible. All comments

received during the designated comment period will be considered in

preparation of the final EA for this proposed action.

Dated: October 31, 1994.

Thomas Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-29228 Filed 11-25-94; 8:45 am]

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