Notice of Intent To Revise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Manual and Establish Regulations as They Relate to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-57)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent To Revise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Manual and Establish Regulations as They Relate to the National

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-57)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997

(Refuge Improvement Act) was signed by President Clinton on October 9,

1997. The Refuge Improvement Act amends and builds upon the National

Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (NWRSAA), (16 U.S.C.

668dd et seq.). This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (Service) will be developing new or revised policies

pursuant to the Refuge Improvement Act. The key policy areas to be

addressed are listed later in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. This notice

also identifies opportunities for public review and comment.

Interested persons contacting the Service as described in ADDRESSES

below, will be provided draft Service Manual chapters as they are

prepared and will be notified of due dates for written comments. Final

chapters will be issued following review of public comments. Proposed

regulations will be developed through the rule making process.

ADDRESSES: Requests to receive copies of the specific draft Service

Manual chapters as they are prepared should be sent via mail to: Refuge

Improvement Act Project, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of

Refuges, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Rm. 670, Arlington, VA 22203, Fax (703)

358-2248, or email to: [email protected]

Each request should include a complete mailing address to which the

draft chapters will be sent.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The nearly 93 million acre National Wildlife

Refuge System (Refuge System) has been administered, since its

inception, under a collection of Presidential proclamations, Executive

Orders, administrative orders, and laws. Until 1966, and enactment of

the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act (NWRSAA), there

was no single Federal law that governed administration of the Refuge

System. The NWRSAA provided guidance for refuge management; but in the

32 years since its passage, Refuge System acreage has grown more than

threefold, wildlife management issues have increased in complexity and

controversy, and the demands for recreational and economic uses of

refuges have increased substantially.

The Refuge Improvement Act amends and builds upon the NWRSAA in a

manner that provides an ``Organic Act'' for the Refuge System similar

to those laws which exist for other Federal Lands. The Refuge

Improvement Act will serve to ensure that the Refuge System is

effectively managed as a national system of lands, waters, and

interests for the protection and conservation of our nation's wildlife

resources.

The Refuge Improvement Act's principal focus is to establish

clearly the wildlife conservation mission of the Refuge System, provide

guidance to the Secretary of the Interior for management of the Refuge

System, provide a mechanism for unit-specific planning, and give

managers clear direction and procedures for making determinations

regarding wildlife conservation and public uses of units of the Refuge

System.

The Service will be implementing the Refuge Improvement Act by

developing new or revised Service Manual chapters for the Refuge

System. All units within the Refuge System will be managed with regard

to these chapters which will guide management strategies for achieving

individual unit purposes and the Refuge System mission.

Key issues to be addressed in specific Service Manual chapters

include:

Biological integrity of the Refuge System;

Appropriate general public uses for the System;

Implementation of the compatibility test; and

Comprehensive conservation planning.

Public input into the development of these key Service Manual

chapters is essential. The Service will provide these draft chapters to

interested agencies and individuals as described above in ADDRESSES.

These draft chapters will also be available on the National Wildlife

Refuge System web site: (http://refuges.fws.gov) during the pre-

rulemaking public review and comment period. Any resulting proposed

regulations will be available for public review and comment through the

rule making process.

Due to the varying levels of complexity of issues, some chapters

will require more time for development than others. Therefore, specific

draft chapters will be made available to the public as they are

prepared. The Refuge

[[Page 3584]]

Improvement Act requires the Service to establish new compatibility

policy and regulations within two years of enactment. There are no

other directives in the Refuge Improvement Act for specific policy

updates; however, the Service desires to move forward expeditiously on

the specific policies listed in this notice to incorporate the most

important provisions of the Refuge Improvement Act into all management

functions. The Service estimates that draft Service Manual chapters for

these issues will be available for public review and comment beginning

in May 1998.

This notice and the public participation in this implementation

process is being conducted in accordance with the policy and rulemaking

requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act (5 U.S.C. 553), other

appropriate Federal laws and regulations, including the National

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-57),

Executive Order 12996, and associated Service policies and procedures.

Dated: January 16, 1998.

Donald Barry,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.

[FR Doc. 98-1607 Filed 1-22-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-M