Draft Planning Policy Pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997

SUMMARY: We propose to establish requirements and guidance for National

Wildlife Refuge System planning, including Comprehensive Conservation

Plans (CCPs) and step-down management plans. This policy, which

incorporates the CCP provisions of the National Wildlife Refuge System

Improvement Act of 1997 (NWRSIA-1997), will replace Part 602 Chapters

1, 2, and 3 of the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual.

Our policy for managing units of the National Wildlife Refuge

System (System) is that we will manage all refuges in accordance with

an approved CCP that: guides management decisions; sets forth goals,

objectives, and strategies for achieving refuge purposes; contributes

to the mission of the System; and meets other relevant mandates. We

also may require step-down management plans to provide additional

details about meeting goals and objectives and implementing management

strategies identified in CCPs. Each plan will be consistent with

principles of sound fish and wildlife management, available science,

legal mandates, and our other policies, guidelines, and planning

documents.

DATES: Submit comments on or before October 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send comments concerning this draft planning policy via

mail, fax or e-mail to: Chief, Division of Refuges, US Fish and

Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 670, Arlington,

Virginia 22203; fax (703) 358-2248; e-mail:

Planning__Policy__C[email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liz Bellantoni, Refuge Planning

Coordinator, Division of Refuges, US Fish and Wildlife Service,

telephone (703) 358-2422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NWRSIA-1997 amends and builds upon the

National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, providing

an ``Organic Act'' for the National Wildlife Refuge System. It clearly

establishes that wildlife conservation is the singular mission of the

National Wildlife Refuge System; provides guidance to the Secretary of

the Interior for management of the National Wildlife Refuge System;

reinforces the importance of comprehensive planning for all units of

the National Wildlife Refuge System; and gives refuge managers uniform

direction and procedures for making decisions regarding wildlife

conservation and uses of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Planning and the NWRSIA-1997

We will develop a CCP for each refuge or related complex of refuges

by October 2012 and will revise each plan every 15 years thereafter or

sooner as necessary. The NWRSIA-1997 also requires that we provide an

opportunity for active public involvement during the preparation and

revision of CCPs. These plans will guide management decisions and

establish strategies for achieving the mission of the System and the

purposes of each refuge unit.

The NWRSIA-1997 includes a number of provisions that specifically

address planning. The following is a summary of those provisions and

how they apply to us.

In general, we will propose a CCP for each refuge or related

complex of refuges. For each proposed plan we will publish a notice of

opportunity for public comment in the Federal Register. We will issue a

final CCP for each planning unit consistent with the provisions of the

NWRSIA-1997 and, to the extent practicable, consistent with the fish

and wildlife and conservation plans of the State in which the refuge is

located. We will revise the CCP every 15 years after issuance or sooner

as necessary.

We shall manage each refuge or planning unit under plans in effect

on the date of enactment of the NWRSIA-1997, to the extent such plans

are consistent with the NWRSIA-1997, until new CCPs revise or supercede

these plans. Uses or activities consistent with the NWRSIA-1997 may

occur on any refuge or planning unit before we revise existing plans or

issue new CCPs. Upon completion of a CCP for a refuge or planning unit,

we shall manage the refuge or planning unit in a manner consistent with

the CCP and revise the plan at any time if we determine that conditions

affecting the refuge or planning unit have changed significantly.

In developing each CCP for a planning unit, the plan shall identify

and describe: the purposes of each refuge comprising the planning unit;

the distribution, migration patterns, and abundance of fish, wildlife,

and plant populations and related habitats within the planning unit;

the archaeological and cultural values of the planning unit; such areas

within the planning unit that are suitable for use as administrative

sites or visitor facilities; significant problems that may adversely

affect the populations and habitats of fish, wildlife, and plants

within the planning unit and the actions necessary to correct or

mitigate such problems; and opportunities for compatible wildlife-

dependent recreational uses.

In preparing and revising each CCP, we shall, to the maximum extent

practicable and consistent with the NWRSIA-1997, consult with adjoining

Federal, State, local, and private landowners and affected State

conservation agencies. We shall also coordinate the development of the

CCP or revision with relevant State conservation plans for fish and

wildlife and their habitats.

We shall develop and implement a process to ensure active public

involvement in the preparation and revision of CCPs. At a minimum, the

publication of any final CCP shall include a summary of the comments

made by States, owners of adjacent or potentially affected land, local

governments, and any other affected persons, and a statement of the

disposition of concerns expressed in those comments.

Prior to the adoption of each CCP, we shall issue a public notice

of the draft proposed CCP, make copies of the CCP available at our

field and regional offices, and provide opportunity for public comment.

Purpose of This Draft Policy

This draft policy would establish requirements and guidance for

National Wildlife Refuge System planning, including CCPs and step-down

plans, and ensure that planning efforts comply with the provisions of

the NWRSIA-1997. This draft planning policy describes a systematic

decision-making process that fulfills the requirements we are

establishing for developing a CCP. It is not the intent of this policy

to provide step-by-step direction on how to prepare a CCP but rather to

establish the requirements and standards to which we will hold all

CCPs.

Fish and Wildlife Service Directives System

Because many of our field stations are in remote areas across the

United States, it is important that all employees have available and

know the current policy and management directives that affect their

daily activities. Our Directives System, consisting of the Fish and

Wildlife Service Manual, Director's Orders, and National Policy

Issuances, is the vehicle for issuing our standing and continuing

policy and management

[[Page 44369]]

directives. We post new directives on the Internet upon approval,

ensuring that all employees have prompt access to the most current

guidance.

The Fish and Wildlife Service Manual contains our standing and

continuing directives with which our employees must comply and has

force and effect within the Service. We use it to implement our

authorities and to ``step down'' our compliance with statutes,

executive orders, and departmental directives. It establishes the

requirements and procedures to assist our employees in carrying out our

authorities, responsibilities, and activities.

We limit Director's orders to temporary policy, procedures,

delegations of authority, emergency regulations, special assignments of

functions, and initial functional statements on the establishment of

new organizational units. We convert all Director's orders, as needed,

to appropriate parts of the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual. We

generally do not issue material appropriate for immediate inclusion in

the Fish and Wildlife Service Manual as a Director's order.

National Policy Issuances promulgate the Director's national

policies for managing the Service and our programs. These policies are

necessarily broad and generally require management discretion or

judgment in their implementation. They represent the Director's

expectations of how we will act in carrying out our official

responsibilities.

The Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, Director's Orders, and

National Policy Issuances are available on the Internet at http://

www.fws.gov/directives/direct.html. When finalized, we will incorporate

this policy on National Wildlife Refuge System planning into the Fish

and Wildlife Service Manual as Part 602 Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

Comment Solicitation

If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any one of

several methods. You may mail comments to: Chief, Division of Refuges,

US Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 670,

Arlington, Virginia 22203. You may comment via the Internet to:

Planning__Policy__C[email protected]. Please submit Internet comments as

an ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of

encryption. Please also include your name and return address in your

Internet message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system

that we have received your Internet message, contact us directly at

(703) 358-1744. You may also fax comments to: Chief, Division of

Refuges, (703) 358-2248. Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the

address mentioned above.

Our practice is to make comments, including names and home

addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular

business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold

their home address from the record, which we will honor to the extent

allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which we would

withhold from the record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law.

If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state

this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not

consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from

organizations or businesses and from individuals identifying themselves

as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses,

available for public inspection in their entirety.

We seek public comments on this draft planning policy and will take

into consideration comments and any additional information received

during the 60-day comment period.

We will send a copy of the draft Fish and Wildlife Service Manual

chapters on National Wildlife Refuge System planning to anyone who

would like to receive them. In addition, these chapters will be

available on the National Wildlife Refuge System web site (http://

refuges.fws.gov [select link to ``Library,'' then link to ``Service

Manual/Policy--Draft Chapters'']) during the 60-day comment period.

Primary Author: Elizabeth Bellantoni, Fish and Wildlife Biologist

(Refuge Planning Coordinator), Division of Refuges, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, is the primary author of this notice.

Dated: July 14, 1999.

John G. Rogers,

Director.

Refuge Management

Part 602 National Wildlife Refuge System Planning

Chapter 1 Refuge Planning Overview

602 FW 1

1.1 What is the purpose of Part 602? Part 602 provides guidance

for National Wildlife Refuge System (System) planning, including

specific chapters on Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) and step-

down management plans. This chapter (602 FW 1) provides an overview of

refuge planning.

1.2 What does Part 602 apply to? Part 602 applies to all units of

the National Wildlife Refuge System.

1.3 What is our policy for managing refuges? We will manage all

refuges in accordance with an approved CCP that guides management

decisions and sets forth goals, objectives, and strategies, which when

implemented will achieve refuge purposes, contribute to the System

mission, and meet all other relevant mandates. We also may require

step-down management plans to provide additional details about meeting

goals and objectives and implementing management strategies identified

in CCPs. Each plan will be consistent with principles of sound fish and

wildlife management, available science, legal mandates, and our other

policies, guidelines, and planning documents.

1.4 What are our authorities? Authorities listed below include

laws that require us to manage units of the System in accordance with

approved CCPs and to integrate refuge planning decisions with the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

A. National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 as

amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997,

16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee (Refuge Administration Act). This law states that

`` * * * the Secretary shall--(i) propose a comprehensive conservation

plan for each refuge or related complex of refuges * * * in the System;

(ii) publish a notice of opportunity for public comment in the Federal

Register on each proposed conservation plan; (iii) issue a final

conservation plan for each planning unit consistent with the provisions

of this Act and, to the extent practicable, consistent with fish and

wildlife conservation plans of the State in which the refuge is

located; and (iv) not less frequently than 15 years after the date of

issuance of a conservation plan under clause (iii) and every 15 years

thereafter, revise the conservation plan as may be necessary.'' This

law provides additional detail on conservation planning for the System.

B. Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980 as

amended, 16 U.S.C. 140hh-3233, 43 U.S.C. 1602-1784 (ANILCA). Section

304 states, in part, ``The Secretary shall prepare, and from time to

time, revise, a comprehensive conservation plan * * * for each

refuge.'' Find additional guidance on the content of these plans and on

management direction in this and other sections of ANILCA. If any

provisions of the Refuge Administration Act conflict with the

provisions of

[[Page 44370]]

ANILCA, the provisions of ANILCA shall prevail for refuges in Alaska.

C. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 42

U.S.C. 4321-4347, and the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ)

Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, 40 CFR

1500-1508. NEPA is the basic national charter for the protection of the

environment (NEPA, section 2). The procedural provisions in CEQ's

regulations require Federal agencies to: integrate the NEPA process

with other planning at the earliest possible time in order to provide a

systematic interdisciplinary approach; identify and analyze

environmental effects of their actions; describe appropriate

alternatives to the proposal; involve the affected State and Federal

agencies, Indian tribes, and the affected public in the planning and

decision making process; and fully integrate all refuge proposals that

may have an impact on the environment with the procedural provisions of

NEPA (40 CFR 1501.2).

1.5 What are the goals of refuge planning?

A. To help ensure that we manage the System for the conservation of

fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats; and that refuge management

accomplishes our policies, the System mission, and the purposes for

which we established the refuge.

B. To help ensure that the administration of the System contributes

to the conservation of biological diversity and integrity and to the

structure and function of the ecosystems of the United States.

C. To help ensure that our other programs; Federal, State, and

local agencies; Tribal governments; conservation organizations;

adjacent landowners; and the public have opportunities to participate

in the refuge planning process.

D. To provide a basis for adaptive management by monitoring

progress, evaluating plan implementation, and updating refuge plans

accordingly.

E. To promote efficiency, effectiveness, continuity and national

consistency in refuge management.

F. To help ensure consistent Systemwide consideration of the six

priority general public uses--hunting, fishing, wildlife observation

and photography, and environmental education and interpretation--

established by the Refuge Administration Act.

1.6 What do the following terms mean? (Quotations are from the

Refuge Administration Act)

A. Alternative. Alternatives are different means of accomplishing

refuge purposes and goals, contributing to the System mission, and

resolving issues.

B. Comprehensive Conservation Plan/CCP. A document that describes

the desired future conditions of the refuge and provides long-range

guidance and management direction to accomplish the purposes of the

refuge, contribute to the mission of the System, and meet other

relevant mandates.

C. Coordination Area. A wildlife management area that is made

available to a State, by ``(A) cooperative agreement between the United

States Fish and Wildlife Service and the State fish and game agency

pursuant to section 4 of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16

U.S.C. 664); or (B) by long-term leases or agreements pursuant to the

Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (50 Stat. 525; 7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.).''

States manage coordination areas but they are part of the Refuge

System. We do not require CCPs for Coordination Areas.

D. Goal. Descriptive, open-ended, and often broad statement of

desired future conditions that conveys a purpose but does not define

measurable units.

E. Issue. Any unsettled matter that requires a management decision,

e.g., an initiative, opportunity, resource management problem, threat

to the resources of the unit, conflict in uses, public concern, or the

presence of an undesirable resource condition.

F. National Wildlife Refuge (refuge). ``A designated area of land,

water, or an interest in land or water within the System, but does not

include Coordination Areas.'' Find a complete listing of all units of

the System in the current Annual Report of Lands Under Control of the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

G. National Wildlife Refuge System Mission (mission). ``The mission

of the System is to administer a national network of lands and waters

for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of

the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the

United States for the benefit of present and future generations of

Americans.''

H. Objective. An objective is a concise statement of what we want

to achieve, how much we want to achieve, when and where we want to

achieve it, and who is responsible for the work. Objectives derive from

goals and provide the basis for determining management strategies,

monitoring refuge accomplishments, and evaluating the success of the

strategies. Make your objectives attainable and time-specific and state

them quantitatively to the extent possible. If you cannot state

objectives quantitatively, state them qualitatively.

I. Planning Area. A planning area may include lands outside

existing planning unit boundaries currently studied for inclusion in

the System and/or partnership planning efforts. It may also include

watersheds or ecosystems that affect the planning unit.

J. Planning Team. Planning teams are interdisciplinary in

membership and function. Teams generally consist of a Planning Team

Leader; Refuge Manager and staff biologists; and other appropriate

specialists (e.g., social scientist, ecologist, recreation specialist).

Team members may come from our other programs and other Federal,

Tribal, and State natural resource agencies. The planning team prepares

the CCP.

K. Planning Team Leader. The Planning Team Leader typically is a

professional planner or natural resource specialist knowledgeable of

the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and

who has planning experience. The Planning Team Leader manages the

refuge planning process.

L. Planning Unit. A single refuge, an ecologically/administratively

related refuge complex or distinct unit of a refuge.

M. Purposes of the Refuge. ``The purposes specified in or derived

from the law, proclamation, executive order, agreement, public land

order, donation document, or administrative memorandum establishing,

authorizing, or expanding a refuge, refuge unit, or refuge subunit.''

N. Refuge Operating Needs System (RONS). The Refuge Operating Needs

System is a national database which contains the unfunded operational

needs of each refuge. We include projects required to implement

approved plans, and meet goals, objectives, and legal mandates.

O. Step-down Management Plans. Step-down management plans deal with

specific management subjects (e.g., habitat, public use, fire, safety)

or groups of related subjects. Step-down management plans describe

management strategies and implementation schedules.

P. Strategy. A specific action, tool or technique or combination of

actions, tools, and techniques used to meet unit objectives.

Q. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mission. Our mission is working

with

[[Page 44371]]

others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife and their

habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

R. Wildlife-Dependent Recreational Use. ``A use of a refuge

involving hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, or

environmental education and interpretation.'' These uses are the six

priority general public uses of the Refuge System as established in the

National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act.

S. Vision Statement. A concise statement of what the planning unit

could be, or what we could do, in the next 10 to 15 years, based

primarily upon the System mission and specific refuge purposes, and

other relevant mandates.

1.7 What is the relationship between the Refuge System, and other

planning efforts? Refuge planning should maintain continuity and

consistency with other planning initiatives. The relationship between

these planning efforts is hierarchical, starting from national plans to

regional, State, and ecoregion level plans stepping down to refuge-

specific planning. See Exhibit 1. The process of adaptive management

uses feedback from refuge research and monitoring, and evaluation of

management actions to support or modify goals, objectives, and

strategies at all planning levels.

A. National and Regional Plans. Opportunities and issues to address

in refuge planning will consider other Service documents that address

particular programs, species, habitats, public uses, economic uses,

archaeological resources, etc. National and regional goals, objectives,

strategies, and policies influence management planning for refuges.

Source documents include the Service Manual, the North American

Waterfowl Management Plan, National Outreach Strategy, regional

resource plans, endangered species recovery plans, migratory bird and

flyway plans, fishery resource plans, joint venture plans, Partners in

Flight plans, and strategies to promote the conservation of natural

biological diversity. The contribution of the refuge to achieving

regional and national goals will help implement our mission and ensure

the integrity of the System.

B. Service Ecoregion Plans, State Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Plans, and Other Landscape Level Plans. Refuge planning will reflect

conservation goals and objectives for the landscapes in which the

refuges are located. Refuges must review goals and objectives of

existing ecosystem plans and determine how the refuge can best

contribute to the functioning of the ecosystem. Coordinate refuge

planning with State conservation agencies, Tribal governments, other

government agencies, and non-governmental organizations. To the extent

practicable, the plans will be consistent with the fish and wildlife

conservation plans of the State and the conservation programs of

Tribal, public, and private partners within the ecosystem.

C. Land Acquisition Planning.

(1) Refuge planning typically begins before the establishment of an

area as a unit of the System. Land acquisition planning, (usually

resulting in a Land Protection Plan (LPP) and associated NEPA document)

is a preliminary step in the continuous, integrated refuge planning

process. This process eventually results in completion of a CCP and

appropriate refuge step-down plans. Other land use, species, or habitat

protection planning efforts, or legislative or executive directive may

precede land acquisition planning. Initial refuge establishment

documentation (LPP and associated NEPA document) should identify the

approved refuge boundary, refuge purpose(s), goals, and general

management direction.

(2) Planning for proposed new refuges or major expansions to

existing refuges not undergoing a CCP will include the development of a

Conceptual Management Plan (CMP) for the new unit. We design the CMP to

provide general, interim management direction. The CMP should identify

refuge purpose(s), interim goals, and pre-existing compatible wildlife-

dependent recreational uses that we may allow to continue on an interim

basis. We define the interim period as the duration of time between

establishment of a new refuge or refuge expansion and the completion of

an approved CCP. Fully integrate land acquisition planning efforts into

CCP preparation whenever possible. Some proposed new refuges or refuge

expansions may warrant CCP development at the time of acquisition

planning. Include appropriate Realty staff on the planning team when

considering land acquisition during the CCP process to ensure

consistency with land acquisition policy. Also see 341 FW 2.

D. Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCP). The CCP is a document

that describes the desired future conditions of the refuge and provides

long-range guidance and management direction for the Refuge Manager to

accomplish the purposes of the refuge, contribute to the mission of the

System, and to meet other relevant mandates. See 602 FW 2. For refuges

established after October 9, 1997, prepare CCPs when the refuge obtains

staff and acquires a land base sufficient to accomplish refuge

purposes, but no later than 15 years after we establish the refuge.

Convert refuge long-range management plans (e.g., master plans and

refuge management plans), approved prior to October 9, 1997, into CCPs

with appropriate public involvement and NEPA compliance no later than

October 2012.

E. Step-down Management Plans. Step-down management plans provide

the details necessary to implement management strategies identified in

the CCP. CCPs will either incorporate or identify step-down plans

required to fully implement the CCP. After completion of the CCP,

modify existing step-down plans to accomplish stated objectives as

needed. See 602 FW 3.

F. Integration with Budget Development and Implementation. We will

use CCPs to guide annual budget requests. We will identify the unfunded

costs of implementing strategies in refuge plans using our budget

databases, including the Refuge Operating Needs System (RONS),

Maintenance Management System (MMS), and Land Acquisition Priority

System (LAPS). As we complete or update each plan, we will review and

update these databases to incorporate projects identified in refuge

plans. The total funding and staffing identified in these databases

represents the additional resources required to fully implement the

refuge plans.

1.8 Who are the responsible officials?

A. Director. The Director is responsible for providing national

policy and ensuring adherence to refuge planning policy.

B. Regional Director. The Regional Director: (1) Ensures compliance

with national planning policy, NEPA, and other applicable laws and

policies; (2) approves CCPs and associated NEPA and other agency

compliance documents; and (3) ensures that we manage refuges in

accordance with approved CCPs. The Regional Director or designee

approves step-down plans, determines planning priorities and allocates

funds to develop and implement plans.

C. Refuge Programmatic Assistant Regional Director (PARD)/

Geographic Assistant Regional Director (GARD). The Refuges and Wildlife

Program Assistant Regional Directors are responsible for initiating and

completing refuge plans, budgeting for planning, ensuring programmatic

staff participation, and developing planning priorities with input from

the Geographic Assistant Regional

[[Page 44372]]

Directors. The Geographic Assistant Regional Directors are responsible

for ensuring that ecosystem teams participate in developing plans and

implementing approved plans.

D. Refuge Planning Coordinators. The Washington Office, Division of

Refuges and each Region will designate a Refuge Planning Coordinator.

The Coordinators will periodically meet as a national team to review

and recommend changes to planning policy, resolve common planning

problems and issues, and help ensure national consistency. In

cooperation with representatives of our National Conservation Training

Center, the Coordinators will establish and maintain appropriate

training courses. Refuge Planning Coordinators will provide guidance

and direction to assist regional and field-based planning staff and

planning team members. The coordinators are also responsible for

maintaining regional planning schedules and updating status reports and

funding needs for the planning program.

E. Planning Team Leader. The Planning Team Leader is responsible

for initiation of the planning process, preparation and completion of

refuge plans, and associated compliance requirements. The Planning Team

Leader is responsible for identifying appropriate and proper

representation on the interdisciplinary planning team, including core

team members, support personnel, and outside or contract assistance.

The Refuge Manager and Planning Team Leader submit the final CCP

through line supervision for concurrence and approval by the Regional

Director.

F. Refuge Supervisor. The Refuge Supervisor is responsible for

overseeing participation of the Refuge Manager in CCP preparation and

implementation, and for providing direction and guidance on compliance

with System policy and regulations.

G. Refuge Manager. The Refuge Manager prepares the CCP working

closely with the Planning Team Leader. The Refuge Manager assures that

the refuge staff participates in plan development. The Refuge Manager

and Planning Team Leader submit the final CCP through line supervision

for concurrence and approval by the Regional Director. The Refuge

Manager is responsible for making compatibility determinations and

ensuring that agency compliance requirements are met and that the CCP,

when implemented, will achieve the purposes of the refuge and will

contribute to fulfilling the System mission. The Refuge Manager is

responsible for implementing approved comprehensive and step-down

plans, monitoring progress, and recommending changes to plans based on

monitoring and evaluation. The Refuge Manager also reports plan

accomplishments through standard reporting mechanisms and budgeting

procedures.

H. Planning Team. The planning team, coordinated by the Planning

Team Leader, is responsible for the initiation and completion of all

planning steps, including public involvement and NEPA compliance,

resulting in a refuge CCP. We describe the steps in 602 FW 2.4 C.

I. Regional Environmental (NEPA) Coordinator. The Regional

Environmental (NEPA) Coordinator provides technical assistance on NEPA-

related matters.

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

[[Page 44373]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN13AU99.000

BILLING CODE 4310-55-C

[[Page 44374]]

Refuge Management

Part 602 National Wildlife Refuge System Planning

Chapter 2 Comprehensive Conservation Planning Process

602 FW 2

2.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? Comprehensive

Conservation Plans (CCPs) describe the desired future conditions of a

refuge, and provide long-range guidance and management direction for

the Refuge Manager to accomplish the purposes of the refuge, contribute

to the mission of the System, and meet other relevant mandates. The

purpose of this chapter is to describe a systematic decision-making

process that fulfills the requirements we are establishing for

developing a CCP. It is not the intent of this policy to provide step-

by-step direction on how to prepare a CCP but rather to establish the

requirements and standards to which we will hold all CCPs. Experienced

planners lead the CCP process. We strongly encourage the Refuge Manager

and other key planning team members to attend the National Conservation

Training Center (NCTC) course on Refuge Comprehensive Conservation

Planning.

2.2 What is our policy for CCPs? We will prepare a CCP for each

refuge in existence as of October 9, 1997, by October 2012. For refuges

established after October 9, 1997, we will prepare CCPs when we staff

the refuge and acquire a land base sufficient to accomplish refuge

purposes, but no later than 15 years after establishment of the refuge.

To the extent practicable, we will coordinate the development of CCPs

with affected States. We will continue to manage each refuge or

planning unit with existing plans effective prior to October 9, 1997,

to the extent these plans are consistent with the Refuge Administration

Act, until we revise such plans or new CCPs supercede them. Upon

completion of a CCP, we will manage the refuge or planning unit in a

manner consistent with the CCP. We will revise the CCP every 15 years

thereafter, or earlier, if conditions that affect the refuge or

planning unit change significantly.

2.3 What are our goals for Comprehensive Conservation Planning?

A. To provide a clear and comprehensive statement of desired future

conditions for each refuge or planning unit.

B. To help ensure that we manage each refuge to fulfill the mission

of the System as well as the specific purposes for which we established

that refuge.

C. To encourage that we conduct refuge planning in concert with an

ecosystem approach. This includes conducting concurrent refuge planning

for refuges within the same watershed or ecosystem, and to consider the

broader goals and objectives of the ecoregion, ecosystems and

watersheds in which refuges are located when developing management

direction.

D. To support management decisions and their rationale by sound

professional judgment.

E. To provide a forum for the public to comment on the type,

extent, and compatibility of uses on refuges.

F. To provide a uniform basis for budget requests for operational,

maintenance, and capital improvement programs.

G. To ensure public involvement in refuge management decisions by

providing a process for effective coordination, interaction, and

cooperation with affected parties, including Federal agencies, State

conservation agencies, Tribal governments, local governments,

conservation organizations, adjacent landowners, and interested members

of the public.

2.4 What is the Comprehensive Conservation Planning process?

A. The Comprehensive Conservation Planning process (see Exhibit 1)

provides consistent guidelines for developing CCPs. We designed the

planning process to result in the development of vision statements,

goals, objectives, and management strategies that achieve refuge or

planning unit purpose(s), contribute to the fulfillment of the System

mission, and meet other relevant mandates.

B. Each CCP will comply with the provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) through the concurrent preparation of

an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) that will accompany or be integrated with the CCP. We have

integrated NEPA compliance requirements directly into the CCP planning

process. When preparing an EA, consider integrating it into the draft

CCP. When preparing an EIS with a CCP, integrate the documents. See

Exhibit 1. Following completion of the final CCP/NEPA document, the

product of the Comprehensive Conservation Planning process will be a

stand-alone CCP, separate from the EA or EIS.

C. Our Comprehensive Conservation Planning process consists of the

following eight steps. Although we display the steps sequentially, CCP

planning and NEPA documentation are iterative processes. It is normal

to cycle through some of the steps more than once or to have several

steps occurring simultaneously. Actions within each of the eight steps

may not be sequential.

(1) Preplanning: Plan the Plan

(a) Planning Team. Assemble the planning team, including the

Planning Team Leader, the Refuge Manager and key staff members, and

appropriate support staff or specialists from both regional and

ecosystem teams (e.g., fisheries, cultural resources, endangered

species, external affairs/outreach, realty, contaminants, migratory

birds, water resources, etc.). The planning team also may include

representatives from appropriate State or Tribal conservation agencies,

and any agency that may have a direct land management relationship with

the refuge.

(b) Identify Planning and Compliance Requirements and Special

Designations. The planning team will identify planning and compliance

requirements by reviewing our mission statements and those of the

System, as well as refuge purposes and establishing legislation of the

refuge. See Exhibit 2 for a list of laws and Executive Orders that may

apply and Exhibit 3 for a checklist of elements we must include within

a CCP. The planning team will identify and review other relevant

mandates including laws, executive orders, regulations, and our

policies, especially those with compliance requirements. The planning

team also will review any existing special designation areas such as

wilderness, research natural areas, wild and scenic rivers, wetlands of

international importance, Western Hemisphere shorebird reserves, etc.,

and will specifically address the potential for any new special

designations. Concurrent with the CCP process we will conduct a

wilderness review and incorporate a summary of the review into the CCP.

Refer to the wilderness section of the manual (Part 610) for guidance.

(c) Purpose and Need for the Plan. The purpose of developing the

CCP is to provide the Refuge Manager with a 15-year management plan for

the conservation of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their

related habitats, while providing opportunities for compatible

wildlife-dependent recreational uses. The CCP, when fully implemented,

should achieve planning unit purpose(s), contribute to the mission of

the System, and address any relevant mandates. The CCP must be specific

to the planning unit and identify the overarching wildlife, public, or

management needs for the refuge.

[[Page 44375]]

(d) Planning Area, Data Needs, and Data Standards. Identify the

relationship between the planning unit and its ecosystem(s) as well as

relationships between the refuge and any other refuges or protected

areas. Identify data available to address issues discussed in Step (g)

Internal Scoping. You do not need to develop new data for the CCP; the

CCP can identify the need for further data collection as a part of plan

implementation and refinement. Identify and describe the following as

appropriate (also see Exhibit 3).

(i) Distribution, migration patterns, and abundance of fish,

wildlife, and plant populations, including any threatened or endangered

species, and related habitats.

(ii) Significant problems that may adversely affect the populations

and habitats of fish, wildlife, and plants found within the planning

unit and the actions necessary to correct or mitigate the problems.

(iii) Diversity of habitats and natural communities.

(iv) Archaeological and cultural resources.

(v) Land acquisition or habitat protection efforts.

(vi) Habitat management practices.

(vii) Natural and historic role of fire and other major disturbance

agents affecting ecological processes.

(viii) Water resources including quality and quantity.

(ix) Known or suspected sources of environmental contaminants and

their potential impacts on the planning unit (refer to the Contaminant

Assessment Program).

(x) Opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreation.

(xi) Potential need for administrative sites or visitor facilities.

(xii) Existing administrative resources, including staffing,

funding, and facilities.

(xiii) Existing special management areas, or the potential for such

designations (e.g., wilderness, research natural areas, and wild and

scenic rivers).

(e) Review all available information, plans, data, maps, and data

standards. Based on this review, determine what the initial planning

area should include and identify any additional information and data

needs, including mapping and GIS needs. Note: All Federal agencies and

their contractors must comply with data standards endorsed by the

Federal Geographic Data Committee (Executive Order 12906; 59 FR 17671,

April 13, 1994). Of particular relevance to refuge planning are the

Vegetation Classification Standard (FGDC-STD-005) and the

Classification of Wetlands and Deep Water Habitats (FGDC-STD-004).

Compliance with these standards will facilitate the sharing and

exchange of high-quality vegetation and wetland data among Federal

agencies and their partners. We also are developing other data

standards, such as cartographic standards for delineation of refuge

boundaries and land status.

(f) Vision and Goals. Review the existing planning unit vision

statement and goals and determine the need for revision. If these do

not exist, prepare draft vision and goals for consideration during

public scoping. At a minimum each refuge should develop goals within

the following management areas: habitat; fish, wildlife, and plant

populations; compatible wildlife-dependent recreation; and other

relevant mandates (such as refuge-specific legislation, executive

orders, special area designations, etc.). In some cases, one or more of

these areas will not require goal statements because opportunities do

not exist in the management area. Goals will reflect planning unit

purposes, contribute to the mission of the System, and will be

consistent with relevant mandates and principles of sound fish and

wildlife management. Planning unit goals will also reflect ecosystem

goals to the extent these goals do not conflict with the System mission

or the purposes for which we established the refuge. We also may

develop refuge goals for our relevant mandates. Subsequently, we will

develop objectives and strategies for planning unit goals (see 602 FW

2.5 (D)(a) Objective Development). For additional information on

developing goals and objectives, see the Writing Refuge Management

Goals and Objectives: A Handbook (March 1996).

(g) Internal Scoping. The planning team begins the internal scoping

process by identifying management concerns, issues, and opportunities

to resolve them, as well as any potential impacts and alternatives that

we may need to address in the CCP and the NEPA analysis. Identify any

significant problems that may adversely affect the populations and

habitats of fish, wildlife, and plants found within the planning unit

(including candidate, threatened, and endangered species) and the

actions necessary to correct or mitigate such problems. Make a

preliminary assessment of water quality and quantity issues. See 403

FW1-3. Identify the potential need for administrative sites or visitor

facilities, and land acquisition. Review the background, rationale, and

the success or failure of any controversial management actions, and

determine whether you need more information or data. Identify any

additional information and data needed where appropriate.

(h) Public Involvement/Outreach Planning. The planning team will

prepare a Public Involvement/Outreach Plan indicating how and when we

will invite the affected public to participate in the development of

the CCP. Establish a mailing list. Identify appropriate techniques and

materials to use in public involvement efforts. Public involvement and

outreach are integrated into each step and will continue throughout the

planning process. For additional information on public involvement

techniques, consult the Public Participation Handbook (U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 1985) or the NCTC Refuge Comprehensive Conservation

Planning Course Handbook and Reference Notebook.

(i) Work Plan/Planning Schedule. Establish a work plan or planning

schedule for the project. Determine who will be responsible for

carrying out identified tasks, gathering information and data, and

preparing products identified in the work plan or schedule. Identify

all key NEPA compliance steps and public involvement activities.

Identify any additional expertise, besides the planning team, required

to prepare the CCP. This may include an economist, a facilitator for

public and other meetings, contracted professional services, etc.

(j) Planning Record. Establish a Planning Record to document the

preparation of the CCP and NEPA compliance, and assign its maintenance

to a team member. The Planning Record will serve as a valuable

reference source and provide important background and historical

information. If there is a legal challenge to the CCP, use the Planning

Record to construct the Administrative Record. For additional

information on the Planning Record, consult the NCTC Refuge

Comprehensive Conservation Planning Course Handbook and Reference

Notebook.

(2) Initiate Public Involvement and Scoping

(a) Notice of Intent. Prepare a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a

CCP, with appropriate NEPA compliance, and publish the notice in the

Federal Register. The notice initiates public scoping for the CCP/NEPA

planning and decision-making process. If we initially determine that we

will prepare an EIS for the CCP, the NOI should specify that. If at any

time during the planning process we decide to prepare an EIS, we will

publish a NOI to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register. A 30-day

comment period will follow this notice.

[[Page 44376]]

(b) Public Scoping. Using news releases to the local media and

other appropriate means, notify the affected public of the opportunity

to participate in the preparation of the CCP and begin the scoping

process. Conduct public involvement activities and gather public

comments on any existing planning unit vision statements, goals, and

objectives. Encourage the public to help identify potential issues,

management actions and concerns, significant problems or impacts, and

opportunities or alternatives to resolve them.

(c) Issues and Data Needs. Analyze all comments gathered and

recorded during the scoping process. Identify any new issues, concerns,

or significant problems, opportunities to resolve them, and potential

refinements or revisions of existing planning unit vision statements,

goals, and objectives. Based on this analysis, identify any additional

information and data needed.

(3) Review Vision Statement and Goals and Determine Significant

Issues

(a) Vision and Goals. Review and evaluate the public's comments on

the planning unit vision statement and goals. Based on this review,

modify the vision and goals for the planning unit as appropriate. See

602 FW2.5A(5).

(b) Determine Significant Issues. Review and evaluate all potential

issues, management concerns, and problems and the opportunities to

resolve them that the planning team or the public have identified.

Identify those issues and concerns that are significant and that the

CCP and associated NEPA document will address. Document the rationale

for selecting significant issues, as well as the rationale for not

selecting the other issues and concerns (e.g., outside the scope of the

CCP, does not contribute to meeting refuge purposes/mission, etc.).

(4) Develop and Analyze Alternatives, Including the Proposed

Action. This part of the process is not sequential, it is iterative.

Iterations of issue assessment; refinement and development of goals,

objectives, and strategies; analysis and comparison of impacts and

benefits of management actions; and the packaging or combining of

similar themes or programs to develop preliminary alternatives result

in the development of alternative management plans, and assessment of

their environmental consequences. Start the process by defining the No

Action or Continuation of Current Management Alternative. The

alternatives should reflect different sets of strategies and actions to

achieve refuge purposes, goals and objectives. Consider presenting this

information in a matrix comparing issues, impacts, and benefits for

each alternative.

(a) No Action Alternative. Define the No Action Alternative, which

usually will be a continuation of current planning unit management

strategies, fish, wildlife, plant populations, habitat, and public use

management with no changes, or changes that would have occurred without

the CCP. Develop maps that depict the No Action Alternative and

document current management strategies.

(b) A Range of Alternatives. Develop a range of alternatives, or

different approaches to planning unit management, that we could

reasonably undertake to achieve planning unit goals and resolve any

significant issues identified. Combine different sets of objectives and

strategies to provide alternatives for management of the refuge. Give

an equal effort to each alternative regarding specific objectives and

strategies so that the decision-maker can make an informed choice. NEPA

requires an equal and full analysis of all alternatives considered for

implementation.

(c) Proposed Action. Identify our proposed action. This may be the

alternative that best achieves planning unit purpose(s), vision, and

goals; contributes to the System mission; addresses the significant

issues and relevant mandates, and is consistent with principles of

sound fish and wildlife management. Our proposed action is, for all

practical purposes, the draft CCP for the planning unit.

(d) Objective Development. Develop objectives to address each goal.

Consult our manual chapters on habitat management, populations

management, and wildlife-dependent recreation during the development of

objectives. The planning team should develop detailed, quantitative

objectives when possible, using available information. Developing

detailed objectives at this stage will expedite development of step-

down plans. Develop objectives for specific refuge habitat types,

management units, key species (e.g., migratory birds and threatened and

endangered species), wildlife-dependent recreation, monitoring

populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats, and other

areas of management. Objectives may also deal with station information

needs (for example, including the development of baseline data),

administrative needs, and any other issues we need to address to meet

the goals of the refuge. Document the rationale which supports each

objective. The planning team also should consult Writing Refuge

Management Goals and Objectives: a Handbook (March 1996). Prepare step-

down management plans to provide the specific details of how to

implement some strategies, and accomplish some objectives, if needed.

(e) Strategy Development. Develop strategies to identify the

specific actions, tools, or techniques which are necessary to

accomplish each objective. Strategies represent specific projects that

provide the detail required to assess and develop funding, staffing,

and partnerships needed to implement the plan. Develop inventory and

monitoring strategies to measure implementation results in quantifiable

and verifiable ways. We may need step-down management plans to provide

the specific details of how to implement some strategies.

(f) Environmental Consequences. Assess the environmental

consequences of implementing each alternative as required by NEPA.

Compare the consequences of implementing each alternative in relation

to the No Action Alternative, which serves as a baseline. Describe the

adverse and beneficial impacts of implementing each alternative on

fish, wildlife, and plants, and their habitats; any threatened or

endangered species; cultural resources; the local economy; the ability

to provide opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational

uses; and other issues identified earlier in the planning process. This

analysis must provide the level of detail necessary to assess the

compatibility of all proposed uses. Describe each alternative's ability

to achieve planning unit purpose(s), vision, and goals; contribute to

the System mission; and address the significant issues and relevant

mandates. This assessment will also identify the funding, staffing, and

facilities required for implementation of each alternative.

(5) Prepare Draft Plan and NEPA Document

(a) Draft CCP and NEPA Document. Concurrently prepare the draft CCP

and appropriate NEPA documentation. When preparing an EA, consider

integrating the draft CCP with the EA. When preparing an EIS with a

CCP, integrate the documents. If you decide to prepare separate

documents, see Exhibit 4 for a recommended CCP outline. If the

documents are separate, the proposed action and alternatives in the EA/

EIS must fully contain all of the major actions of the draft CCP. If

you decide to merge the CCP and NEPA documents, see Exhibit 5 for a

recommended outline. During the process of preparing the plan, refer to

Exhibit 3 to ensure that you include all

[[Page 44377]]

required elements in the plan. Ensure compliance regarding other

programs and policies, including Section 7 of the Endangered Species

Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 106 and 110 of the

National Historic Preservation Act, Section 14 of the Archaeological

Resources Protection Act, Executive Order 13007--Protection of Sacred

Sites, Executive Order 11990--Protection of Wetlands, Executive Order

11988--Floodplain Management, etc. See Exhibit 2 for a list of relevant

mandates to consider during the planning process.

(b) Compatibility Determinations. Complete or recertify

compatibility determinations as part of the CCP process for all

individual uses, specific use programs, or groups of uses associated

with our proposed action. Prepared concurrently with the CCP,

incorporate the draft compatibility determinations into the draft CCP

as an appendix. We require public review and comment for all

compatibility determinations. We can achieve this concurrently through

public review and comment of the draft CCP and NEPA document. While

other alternatives do not require formal compatibility determinations,

assess the environmental consequences, and, for all practical purposes,

compatibility of all uses proposed in those alternatives in the NEPA

document. For additional information on compatibility determinations,

consult the Service Manual, Part 603, Chapter 3 (603 FW 3).

(c) Interim Compatibility Determinations. If our proposed action

includes expanding the planning unit by acquiring new lands, the draft

CCP and NEPA documents also must identify any existing wildlife-

dependent recreational uses occurring on those lands. Also identify

those uses deemed compatible that we may allow to continue on an

interim basis once we acquire the lands, pending completion of the CCP.

Incorporate these interim compatibility determinations into the draft

CCP and NEPA document.

(d) Internal Review. Submit the draft CCP and NEPA document for

internal review within the Region following established regional

procedures. Also submit these documents for internal review to all

Regional Planning Coordinators and the Washington Office Planning

Coordinator. Consider all comments received from the internal reviews

and make appropriate changes to the draft document. Print the draft CCP

and NEPA document and prepare for public review.

(e) Public Notice, Review, and Comment. Prepare a Notice of

Availability of the draft CCP and NEPA document and publish it in the

Federal Register. Notify the affected public of the availability of

these documents through other appropriate means, as identified in the

Public Involvement/Outreach Plan. Public notices will make clear that

we are seeking concurrent review on compatibility determinations.

Provide a minimum of 30 days review for a draft CCP with an EA and 60

days for a draft CCP with a draft EIS. Make copies of the draft CCP and

NEPA document available to appropriate elected officials; Federal,

State, and local agencies; Tribal governments; organizations;

libraries; adjacent landowners; and individuals requesting them.

Conduct appropriate public involvement activities as called for in the

Public Involvement/Outreach Plan. Document all public comments, both

written and oral, received on the draft CCP and NEPA document as part

of the planning record.

(6) Prepare and Adopt Final Plan

(a) Public Comment, Analysis, and Response. Review and analyze all

written and oral comments received from the public on the draft CCP and

NEPA document. Determine which comments are substantive and warrant

written response. Modify the document(s) as appropriate. Prepare a

summary of the public comments received and a statement of the

disposition of concerns expressed in those comments, noting where we

have changed the document(s) or why we did not make such changes.

Incorporate the summary and statement of disposition into the final

document(s) (usually in the NEPA document or a CCP appendix).

(b) Final CCP and NEPA Document(s). Identify our preferred

alternative and prepare the final CCP and appropriate NEPA

documentation. The preferred alternative can be the proposed action, no

action alternative, or another alternative discussed in the draft CCP

and NEPA document. Following completion of the final CCP/NEPA document,

the product of the CCP process is a stand-alone CCP (the preferred

alternative for the planning unit). During the process of preparing the

final plan, refer to Exhibit 3 to ensure that you include all required

elements.

(c) Internal Review. Submit the final document(s) for internal

review within the region according to established regional procedures.

Consider all comments received from the internal review and make

appropriate changes to the final document(s).

(d) Decision Document. The decision document will certify that

agency compliance requirements are met and that the CCP, when

implemented, will achieve the purposes of the refuge and will

contribute to fulfilling the System mission.

(i) CCP with an EA and FONSI. The Refuge Manager and Planning Team

Leader submit the final CCP and the FONSI through line supervision for

concurrence and approval by the Regional Director. The Regional

Director will sign and date both the FONSI and the final CCP. Following

approval, print and distribute the final documents and appropriate

appendices. Provide the FONSI to all interested and affected parties.

Concurrent with distribution of the FONSI, provide the final, approved

CCP or a summary to all interested parties. In some cases we may

require a 30-day public review period for the FONSI (see 550 FW 3.3

B(4)(c)). In these cases, we may not sign or release the final CCP

until the end of the 30-day review.

(ii) CCP with an EIS and ROD. The Refuge Manager and Planning Team

Leader submit the final CCP/EIS through line supervision for

concurrence and approval to release these documents to the public.

Provide the final EIS to interested and affected parties for at least

30 days prior to issuing a ROD. After a minimum of 30 days, submit the

ROD through line supervision for concurrence and approval by the

Regional Director. The Regional Director will sign and date both the

ROD and the final CCP. Following approval, print the final documents

and appropriate appendices. Provide the ROD or notification of its

availability to all interested and affected parties. Concurrent with

the release of the ROD, provide or make available the final, approved

CCP or a summary to interested parties. Effective with the signing and

release of the ROD, implement the CCP.

(iii) The final product of the CCP process is a stand-alone CCP

(the preferred alternative for the planning unit).

(e) Public Notice. Prepare a Notice of Availability of the final

approved CCP and NEPA document(s) and publish it in the Federal

Register. Notify the affected public of the availability of the final

document(s) and through other appropriate means, as identified in the

Public Involvement/Outreach Plan. Send copies of all final documents to

the regional and Washington Office Planning Coordinators. Make copies

of the final approved CCP and NEPA document(s) available to appropriate

elected officials; Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribal

governments; organizations; libraries; adjacent

[[Page 44378]]

landowners; and individuals requesting them.

(7) Implement Plan, Monitor, and Evaluate. Following formal

adoption of the CCP and public notification of the decision,

implementation of the management strategies identified in the CCP may

begin. Allocate funding and staff time to the priority management

strategies as defined in the CCP. Initiate the monitoring and

evaluation process identified in the CCP to determine if we are making

progress in achieving the planning unit purpose(s), vision, goals, and

objectives. Through adaptive management, evaluation of monitoring and

research results may indicate the need to modify refuge objectives or

management strategies.

(8) Review and Revise Plan

(a) Plan Review. Review the CCP periodically to decide if it

requires any revisions. Modify management activities periodically if

monitoring and evaluation determine that we need changes to achieve

planning unit purpose(s), vision, goals, and objectives.

(b) Plan Revision. As set forth in the Refuge Administration Act,

periodically review and revise the CCP at least every 15 years. Make

minor plan revisions generally through the use of a categorical

exclusion, if applicable. Document minor plan revisions that meet the

criteria of a categorical exclusion in an Environmental Action

Statement, in accordance with 550 FW 3.3C. Contact the Regional NEPA

Coordinator for an up-to-date list of categorical exclusions. If the

plan requires a major revision, then the CCP process starts anew at the

pre-planning step.

(c) Ongoing Public Involvement. Continue informing and involving

the public through appropriate means.

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

[[Page 44379]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN13AU99.001

BILLING CODE 4310-55-C

[[Page 44380]]

Exhibit 2--Mandates to Consider During Comprehensive Conservation

Planning

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applicable Yes/No

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statutes

Alaska National Interest Lands ____________

Conservation Act of 1980, as

amended.

American Indian Religious Freedom ____________

Act of 1978.

Americans with Disabilities Act of ____________

1990.

Anadromous Fish Conservation Act of ____________

1965, as amended.

Antiquities Act of 1906............. ____________

Archaeological and Historic ____________

Preservation Act of 1974.

Archaeological Resources Protection ____________

Act of 1979, as amended.

Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act ____________

of 1940, as amended.

Clean Air Act of 1970............... ____________

Clean Water Act of 1974, as amended. ____________

Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, ____________

as amended.

Emergency Wetlands Resources Act of ____________

1986.

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as ____________

amended.

Farmland Protection Act of 1981, as ____________

amended.

Federal Cave Protection Act of 1988. ____________

Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1990.... ____________

Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956....... ____________

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act ____________

of 1958.

Fishery (Magnuson) Conservation and ____________

Management Act of 1976.

Marine Mammal Protection Act of ____________

1972, as amended.

Migratory Bird Conservation Act of ____________

1929.

Migratory Bird Hunting and ____________

Conservation Stamp Act of 1934.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, ____________

as amended.

National Environmental Policy Act of ____________

1969.

National Historic Preservation Act ____________

of 1966, as amended.

National Wildlife Refuge System ____________

Administration Act of 1966, as

amended.

Native American Graves Protection ____________

and Repatriation Act of 1990.

Refuge Recreation Act of 1962, as ____________

amended.

Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899...... ____________

Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 ____________

(sole-source aquifers).

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1972, ____________

as amended.

Wilderness Act of 1964, as amended.. ____________

Executive Orders

Executive Order 11644, Use of Off- ____________

Road Vehicles on Public Lands.

Executive Order 11987, Exotic ____________

Organisms.

Executive Order 11988, Floodplain ____________

Management.

Executive Order 11990, Protection of ____________

Wetlands.

Executive Order 12898, Environmental ____________

Justice for Minority Populations.

Executive Order 12996, Management ____________

and General Public Use of the

National Wildlife Refuge System.

Executive Order 13007, Indian Sacred ____________

Sites.

Executive Order 13084, Consultation ____________

and Coordination with Indian Tribal

Governments.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exhibit 3--Checklist of Required Comprehensive Conservation Plan

Elements

____ Short description of the refuge to include:

____ Size

____ Establishment date

____ Regional setting (include area map)

____ Status of acquisition

____ Current management (including a map)

____ Current staffing

____ Existing partnerships

____ Purpose(s) for which we established the refuge

____ Refuge System mission and goals.

____ Ecosystem goals and objectives.

____ Goals and objectives for other landscape level plans.

____ National goals and objectives for species, species groups, or

programs (e.g., shorebirds, an endangered species, priority public use

program).

____ Identify any relevant mandates that apply to the area or the

proposed plan.

____ Description of the refuge environment:

____ the distribution, migration patterns, and abundance of fish

wildlife, and plant populations within the planning unit;

____ the archaeological and cultural values of the planning unit;

____ refuge land status map;

____ description of refuge (planning area) vegetation types (map

required);

____ description of vegetation/land cover and wildlife habitat

relationships;

____ description of wildlife habitat and species relationships;

____ describe the context of the refuge in meeting the habitat

needs of fish, wildlife, and plants, as they occur throughout their

natural ranges;

____ describe the natural and historic role of fire and other

ecological processes;

____ identify any existing special management areas (e.g.,

wilderness, wild and scenic rivers);

____ the relationship between the planning unit and other refuges

and protected areas.

Exhibit 3

____ Document and describe the following:

____ the need for administrative sites or visitor facilities and

areas within the planning unit that are suitable for such sites;

____ significant problems that may adversely affect the populations

and habitats of fish, wildlife, and plants within the planning unit and

the actions necessary to correct or

[[Page 44381]]

mitigate such problems;

____ summary of management history;

____ water quantity and quality requirements and issues;

____ identify all known or suspected sources of environmental

contaminants and their potential impacts (i.e., Contaminant Assessment

Program);

____ opportunities for compatible wildlife-dependent recreational

uses;

____ other significant issues of management or public concern;

____ the potential for special management areas (e.g., wilderness,

wild and scenic rivers, research natural areas).

____ Refuge Vision Statement

____ Refuge goals for at least the following areas:

____ habitat management (including land protection needs as

appropriate);

____ fish, wildlife, and plant populations management;

____ wildlife-dependent recreation;

____ others as needed to meet relevant mandates (e.g., wilderness,

wild and scenic rivers, cultural resources, etc.).

____ Objectives for each goal, including objectives to monitor the

status and trends of fish, wildlife and plants which will evaluate the

effectiveness of the plan.

____ Strategies to achieve each objective.

____ Map(s) of desired future conditions (e.g., habitat management

areas, facilities, wildlife-dependent recreation sites, etc.).

____ Identify step-down management plans required to fully implement

the plan.

____ Prioritized list of projects and estimated project costs (update

priorities and cost estimates annually).

____ Staffing required to implement the plan.

____ Potential partnership opportunities.

____ Monitoring plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan and

project implementation, including monitoring of target fish, wildlife,

and plant populations and their habitats.

____ Summary of public involvement process, comments, and consultation

and coordination with other Federal agencies, State conservation

agencies, and adjacent landowners.

____ Compatibility determinations.

____ Wilderness review.

____ Habitat/Land Protection Plans (if applicable).

____ NEPA documentation.

Note: Some of these required elements may not be available. In

these cases, you need to develop objectives or strategies in the

plan to acquire that information.

Exhibit 4--Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan Recommended

Outline

Cover Sheet

Title/Approval Page

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Summary

I. Introduction/Background

Refuge Overview: History of Refuge Establishment, Acquisition and

Management

Purpose of and Need for Plan

NWRS Mission, Goals and Guiding Principles

Refuge Purpose(s)

Refuge Vision Statement

Legal and Policy Guidance

Existing Partnerships

II. Planning Process

Description of Planning Process

Planning Issues

III. Summary Refuge and Resource Descriptions

Geographic/Ecosystem Setting

Refuge Resources, Cultural Values and Uses

Special Management Areas

IV. Management Direction

Refuge Management Direction: Goals, Objectives and Strategies/

Projects

Refuge Management Policies and Guidelines

V. Implementation and Monitoring

Funding and Personnel

Step-down Management Plans

Partnership Opportunities

Monitoring and Evaluation

Plan Amendment and Revision

Appendices

Glossary

Bibliography

RONS List

MMS list

Compatibility Determinations

Habitat/Land Protection Plan(s)

Compliance Requirements

NEPA Documentation

Summary of Public Involvement/Comments and Consultation/

Coordination

Mailing List

List of Preparers

Others, as appropriate

Exhibit 5--EA or EIS Incorporating Elements of a CCP Recommended

Outline

Cover Sheet

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

Summary

I. Introduction, Purpose of and Need for Action

Purpose of and Need for Plan

NWRS Mission, Goals and Guiding Principles

History of Refuge Establishment, Acquisition and Management

Legal and Policy Guidance

Refuge Purpose(s)

Refuge Vision Statement

Refuge Management Direction: Goals

Refuge Management Policies and Guidelines

Step-down Management Plans

Description of Planning Process

Planning Issues

Plan Amendment and Revision

II. Alternatives, Including the Service's Proposed Action

Description of Each Alternative

Refuge Management Direction:

Objectives and Strategies

Funding and Personnel

Partnership Opportunities

Monitoring and Evaluation

Alternatives Considered, but Eliminated from Detailed Study

Summary Comparison of Alternatives

III. Affected Environment

Geographic/Ecosystem Setting

Refuge Resources, Cultural Values and Uses

IV. Environmental Consequences

Environmental Effects of Each Alternative

V. List of Preparers

VI. Consultation and Coordination with Others

Summary of Public Involvement/Comments

Mailing List

Appendices

Glossary

Bibliography

RONS List

MMS List

Compatibility Determinations

Habitat/Land Protection Plan(s)

Compliance Requirements

Others, as appropriate

Refuge Management

Part 602 National Wildlife Refuge System Planning

Chapter 3 Step-Down Management Planning

602 FW 3

3.1 What is the purpose of this chapter? This chapter provides

guidance on step-down management planning.

3.2 What is our policy for step-down management planning? Prepare

step-down management plans when required by policy or identified in

Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) and when they may be necessary

to provide additional detail for achieving objectives or implementing

management strategies identified in

[[Page 44382]]

CCPs. Step-down management plans should include public involvement and

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance documentation, as

appropriate. Develop step-down management plans following the planning

process guidance in 602 FW 2. (Consult your NEPA Coordinator.)

3.3 What is the applicability of step-down management planning and

its relationship to Comprehensive Conservation Plans?

A. Step-down management planning is the formulation of detailed

plans that describe management activities necessary to achieve

objectives or implement management strategies identified in the CCP.

B. Step-down plans describe the specific management actions we are

to follow, ``stepping down'' from general goals, objectives, and

strategies. The preparation of new step-down plans or substantial

changes to existing step-down plans typically will require further

compliance with NEPA and other policies, and opportunity for public

review. For public use plans or other step-down plans dealing with

proposed uses of the refuge, prepare and append compatibility

determinations to the plan.

C. The CCP will identify which step-down management plans are

necessary and provide a schedule for their completion. While we require

certain step-down plans for all refuges, we may require others, such as

fire management and pest management depending on refuge resources,

specific program requirements, or the need for additional details to

implement management strategies identified in CCPs. In the absence of

an approved CCP, we may develop step-down plans to describe goals,

objectives, management strategies, and details necessary to implement a

management program.

D. As an alternative to separate step-down management plans, we may

address management programs in detail during the preparation of the

CCP. Determining which programs we can address in detail in the CCP

depends on several factors, including the degree of public interest,

the amount of available information, and the complexity of the issues.

3.4 How do we combine step-down management plans? Address

management subjects individually or combined into a single, integrated

step-down plan. This decision rests with the Refuge Manager. Base the

decision on management strategies defined in the CCP, the relationship

between management program areas, and the complexity of the programs

under consideration. Some program areas, such as fire management and

habitat management, logically suggest an integrated approach.

3.5 What is the list of potential step-down management plans?

Following is the current list of potential refuge step-down management

plans. Consider all of these plans during the CCP process. The CCP will

document which plans we require for the station.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Step-down management plans Service manual reference

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Occupational Safety and Health (required). (Part 240)

Safety Program........................ (240 FW 1-9)

Safety Operations..................... (241 FW 1-8)

Industrial Hygiene.................... (242 FW 1-13)

Emergency Spill Response Plan......... (242 FW 6.1)

Compliance Requirements................... (Part 561)

Spill Prevention Control and (561 FW 3)

Countermeasures Plan.

Pollution Prevention Plan............. (560 FW 1 and 560 FW 2)

Hazardous Waste Contingency Plan...... (561 FW 6)

Special Management Areas.................. (Part 611)

Research Natural Areas................ (611 FW 1)

Public Use Natural Areas.............. (611 FW 2)

Wild and Scenic Rivers................ (611 FW 3)

National Trails....................... (611 FW 4)

Wilderness Area Management............ (Part 610)

Man in the Biosphere Reserve.......... (National Park Service)

Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserves.

Ramsar Convention..................... (International Legal

Materials 11:963-976)

Minerals Management....................... (Part 612)

Minerals and Mining................... (612 FW 1)

Oil and Gas........................... (612 FW 2)

Long-Range Water Management Plan.......... (403 FW 1.4)

Cultural Resources Management............. (Part 614)

Habitat Management Plan (HMT)............. (Part 620)

Fire Management........................... (Part 621)

Wildlife-dependent Recreation............. (Part 605)

Hunting (required).................... (605 FW 2)

Fishing (required).................... (605 FW 3)

Wildlife Observation.................. (605 FW 4)

Wildlife Photography.................. (605 FW 5)

Environmental Education............... (605 FW 6)

Interpretation........................ (605 FW 7)

Law Enforcement........................... (Parts 440-459)

Populations Management.................... (Part 701)

Wildlife Inventories.................. (701 FW 2)

Propagation and Stocking.............. (701 FW 3)

Marking and Banding................... (701 FW 4)

Disease Prevention and Control........ (701 FW 7)

Fishery Management.................... (Part 710)

Trapping.............................. (631 FW 4)

Pest Management....................... (562 FW 2)

Exotic Species Management............. (Part 751)

Air Quality Management.................... (563 FW 2)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 99-20923 Filed 8-12-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P