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Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

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 [Federal Register: December 4, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 232)]
[Notices]
[Page 70421-70422]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04de06-74]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Final Comprehensive Conservation
Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties, Georgia, and
Baker County, Florida.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Final
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact
for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge are available for distribution.
The plan was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and describes how the refuge will be
managed for the next 15 years.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the plan may be obtained by writing to George
Constantino, Refuge Manager, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Route
2, Box 3330, Folkston, Georgia 31537; or by calling 912/496-7366. The
plan may also be accessed and downloaded from the Service's Internet
Web site http://southeast.fws.gov/planning/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The availability of the draft comprehensive
conservation plan and environmental assessment for a 45-day review
period was announced in the Federal Register on August 2, 2005 (70 FR
44355). The draft plan and environmental assessment evaluated four
alternatives for managing the refuge and Alternative 2, ``Integrated
Landscape Management,'' was selected as the preferred alternative to
guide management direction over the next 15 years.
    Under Alternative 2, landscape management will be emphasized.
Threats to the refuge are more prominent as development increases in
northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. Although Okefenokee Refuge is
a large system in itself, it can be greatly compromised by activities a
distance away from its boundary. Under this alternative, the staff will
extend beyond the immediate neighbors to address issues associated with
the aquifer, air shed, and biota exchange pathways. Extensive resources
sharing and networking with other refuges, state agencies,
organizations, specialists, researchers, and private citizens will
expand the knowledge base and assist in developing cooperation between
interest groups. Restoration of natural systems, native communities,
and healthy environments will be emphasized, thus promoting a high
quality of life regionally. Within the refuge, the original refuge
purpose, natural processes, and the wilderness philosophy will be
strongly considered in all decisions. Monitoring environmental
parameters, fauna, and flora will be incorporated into an integrated
study to gain knowledge on the health of the Okefenokee ecosystem. The
refuge and surrounding area will be promoted, linking recreational and
educational avenues. Education and outreach will be expanded with an
emphasis on the health of the whole ecosystem and the links between the
components.

[[Page 70422]]

    Approximately 371,000 acres of the Okefenokee Swamp wetlands are
incorporated into the refuge; and 353,981 acres within the swamp were
designated as wilderness by the Okefenokee Wilderness Act of 1974,
making it the third largest National Wilderness Area east of the
Mississippi River. In 1986, Okefenokee Refuge was designated by the
Wetlands Convention as a Wetland of International Importance.
    The swamp is considered the headwaters of the Suwannee and St.
Marys Rivers. Habitats provide for threatened and endangered species,
such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, wood storks, indigo snakes, and a
wide variety of other wildlife species. It is world renowned for its
amphibian populations that are bio-indicators of global health. By
combining Okefenokee Refuge with Osceola National Forest, private
timberlands, and state-owned forests, more than 1 million contiguous
acres provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. Nearly
400,000 people visit Okefenokee Refuge each year making it the 16th
most visited refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. In 1999,
the economic impact of tourists in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties
in Georgia was more than $67 million.
    Implementing the comprehensive conservation plan will enable the
refuge to fulfill its critical role in the conservation and management
of fish and wildlife resources within southeast Georgia, maintain
wilderness qualities, and provide quality environmental education and
wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities for refuge visitors.

    Authority: This notice is published under the authority of the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, Public Law 105-57.

    Dated: February 23, 2006.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.

    Editorial Note: This document was received at the Office of the
Federal Register November 29, 2006.
[FR Doc. 06-9495 Filed 12-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M

 
 

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