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Wapack National Wildlife Refuge

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 [Federal Register: February 23, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 36)]
[Notices]
[Page 8197-8198]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23fe07-79]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Wapack National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent: preparation of a comprehensive conservation
plan and environmental assessment; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) intends to
gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation
plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Wapack National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Greenfield, Lyndeborough, and Temple, New
Hampshire. We furnish this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to
advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and to obtain
suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in
the planning process.

DATES: We will hold a public open house meeting to begin the CCP planning
process; see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for date, time, and location.

ADDRESSES: Wapack National Wildlife Refuge, c/o Great Bay National
Wildlife Refuge, 100 Merrimac Drive, Newington, New Hampshire 03801-
2903, at 603-431-7511 (telephone); 603-431-6014 (FAX); 
fw5rw_gbnwr@fws.gov (e-mail); 
http://www.fws.gov/Refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=53572 (Web site).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Lelaina Marin, Assistant Refuge
Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive,
Hadley, Massachusetts 01035; 413-253-8731 (telephone); 413-253-8468
(FAX); northeastplanning@fws.gov (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With this notice, we initiate the CCP for
Wapack NWR with headquarters in Newington, New Hampshire. We will hold
a public open house and announce its location, date, and time at least
2 weeks in advance, in special mailings and local newspaper notices, on
our Web site, and through personal contacts. Additional public
information sessions in the local community are available upon request.
    Under the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of
1966, as amended by the National Wildlife

[[Page 8198]]

Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 668dd-668ee), the
Service is to manage all lands in the National Wildlife Refuge System
in accordance with an approved CCP. The plan guides management
decisions and identifies refuge goals, management objectives, and
strategies for achieving refuge purposes over a 15-year period.
    The planning process will cover many elements, including wildlife
and habitat management, visitor and recreational activities, wilderness
area management, cultural resource protection, and facilities and
infrastructure. Compatibility determinations will be completed for all
applicable refuge public uses. We will also conduct a wilderness review
on refuge lands to determine whether any areas on the refuge qualify
for those Federal designations.
    Public input into the planning process is essential. The comments
we receive will help identify key issues and refine our goals and
objectives for managing refuge resources and visitor use. Additional
opportunities for public participation will arise throughout the
planning process, which we expect to complete by September 2008. We are
presently summarizing refuge data and collecting other resource
information to provide us a scientific basis for our resource
decisions. We will prepare the EA in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality procedures for implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370d).
    The 1,672-acre Wapack NWR, established through donation in 1972,
was New Hampshire's first national wildlife refuge. It is administered
by Great Bay NWR, headquartered in Newington, New Hampshire. Its
purpose is for use as an inviolate sanctuary or any other management
purpose for migratory birds. The refuge is located about 20 miles west
of Nashua, New Hampshire, and encompasses the 2,278-foot North Pack
Monadnock Mountain in the towns of Greenfield, Lyndeborough, and
Temple. The terms of the deed of donation require the Service to manage
the refuge as a ``wilderness'' for wildlife. Specific restrictions
include prohibiting hunting, fishing, trapping, motorized vehicles and
tree cutting.
    Generally, refuge lands are characterized by mature northern
hardwood-mixed and conifer (spruce-fire) forest. These forests provide
nesting habitat for numerous migratory songbirds, such as the black-
capped chickadee, blackburnian warbler, black-throated blue warbler,
hermit thrush, myrtle warbler, ovenbird and red-eyed vireo. The refuge
also supports a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, bear, coyote,
fisher, fox, mink and weasel.
    Refuge visitors annually engage in wildlife observation and
photography. The refuge is especially popular as a hawk migration
viewing area. A 3-mile segment of the 21-mile Wapack Trail, a spur of
the Appalachian Trail, traverses the refuge and rewards hikers with a
beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.

    Dated: January 19, 2007.
Richard O. Bennett,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley,
Massachusetts.
[FR Doc. E7-3111 Filed 2-22-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

 
 

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