Notice of Intent to Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Associated Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent to Prepare a Comprehensive Conservation Plan and

Associated Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) is preparing a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP)

and an Environmental Impact Statement for Little Pend Oreille National

Wildlife Refuge, Stevens County, Washington. The Service is furnishing

this notice in compliance with Service CCP policy and the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations for the

following purposes: (1) to advise other agencies and the public of our

intentions; (2) to obtain suggestions and information on the

preliminary alternatives which have been drafted for the EIS; and (3)

to announce public open house meetings.

DATES: Submit comments on or before August 24, 1998. See Supplementary

Information for meeting dates and locations.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and requests for more information to:

Refuge Manager, Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, 1310 Bear

Creek Road, Colville, Washington 99114.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Langelier, Refuge Manager (509)

684-8384.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service started the process of

developing a management plan for Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife

Refuge (Little Pend Oreille NWR) in 1995. Open houses and public

meetings were held in 1995, 1996, and 1997. A previous notice was

published in the Federal Register (61 FR 65591, Dec. 13, 1996).

Persons and organizations involved in the scoping process include:

the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service; Washington

Department of Fish and Wildlife; U.S. Air Force; members of national,

state and local conservation organizations; timber industry

representatives; grazing permittees; inholders and neighboring

landowners; and other interested citizens. Comments and concerns

received have been used to identify issues and draft preliminary

alternatives.

Major issues to be addressed in the plan include grazing;

management of degraded aquatic and riparian habitats; overstocked

forest habitats; military training; and various recreational public

uses. The plan will include the following topics: (a) an assessment of

existing biological, physical, and cultural resources, and their

condition; (b) identification of the long term goals and objectives of

the refuge, consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System

mission; (c) strategies for habitat management, including actions for

forests, riparian areas, water courses, reservoirs, wetlands, and old

farm fields; (d) strategies for management of public access and uses,

including hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography,

environmental education and interpretation, camping, horseback riding,

mountain-bike riding, and snowmobiling; and (e) strategies for

management of other special uses including military training and

grazing.

Draft management goals are intended to guide the future management

of Little Pend Oreille NWR. They are: (1) Conserve, enhance and restore

native forest, riparian, in-stream, and wetland habitats and associated

migratory birds, other wildlife, fish and plants. (2) Monitor, protect

and recover plants and animals that are threatened, endangered,

proposed, and candidate species and species of special concern. (3)

Provide opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation, education, and

research to enhance public appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment

of refuge, wildlife, fish and their habitats.

A range of preliminary alternatives are being considered in the

plan:

(A) The No Action Alternative--Make no changes to the prevailing

practices and uses at the refuge.

(B) Restore Wildlife Habitat While Managing Existing public Uses--

This alternative combines an active forest and riparian restoration

program with minimal change to existing public uses.

(C) Restore Wildlife Habitat While Emphasizing Priority Uses--This

alternative adopts a greater emphasis on priority uses identified under

the Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (PL 105-57) and

eliminates or reduces non-priority uses. This alternative also

incorporates a strong forest and riparian restoration program.

(D) Manage the Refuge as an Ecological Reserve and Reduce Human

Disturbances--This alternative minimizes human access and use of the

refuge while conducting a moderate restoration program, with a greater

emphasis on hydrologic restoration than other alternatives.

(E) The Caretaker Strategy With Minimal Public Services

Alternative--This alternative minimizes management, reduces public

uses, and would minimize staffing needs.

With the publication of this notice, the public is encouraged to

attend

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public open houses and/or submit written comments on the preliminary

management alternatives. Comments already received are on record and

need not be resubmitted.

Two public open houses will be held as follows:

July 29, 4pm-8pm, Colville High School, 154 Highway 20 East,

Colville, Washington. (Presentation on alternatives at 6:30 pm)

July 30, 4pm-8pm, Inland NW Wildlife Council Building, 616 North

Market St., Spokane, Washington. (Presentation on alternatives at 6:30

pm)

All comments received from individuals on Environmental Assessments

and 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

policy and procedures. When requested, the Service 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 Service.

The environmental review of this project 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, the

National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and Service

policies and procedures for compliance with those regulations.

We estimate that the draft CCP / Environmental Impact Statement

will be available in November, 1998.

Dated: July 10, 1998.

Don Weathers,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98-19727 Filed 7-23-98; 8:45 am]

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