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Notice of Availability of Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 [Federal Register: February 28, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 39)]
[Notices]
[Page 9018-9019]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28fe07-77]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan
and Environmental Impact Statement for Vieques National Wildlife Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Draft
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement
(Draft CCP/EIS) for the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge is available
for review and comment. This Draft CCP/EIS was prepared pursuant to the
National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended
by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The Draft CCP/EIS describes
how the Service intends to manage the refuge over the next 15 years.

DATES: Written comments must be received at the postal address listed
below no later than April 30, 2007.

ADDRESSES: To provide written comments or to obtain a copy of the Draft
CCP/EIS, please write to: Oscar Diaz, Refuge Manager, Vieques National
Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 1527, Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765. A copy of
the Draft CCP/EIS is also available on compact diskette. It can be
accessed and downloaded at the following Internet address: http://
www.fws.gov/southeast/planning/. A public meeting will be held at the
Multiple Use Center (Centro de Usos Multiples) in Isabel Segunda,
Vieques, Puerto Rico, to present the plan to the public. Special
mailings, news media outlets, and posters will be avenues to inform the
public of the date and time of the meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 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) requires the
Service to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for each refuge.
The purpose in developing a plan is to provide refuge managers with a
15-year strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward
the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, consistent with
sound principles of fish and wildlife science, conservation, legal
mandates, and Service policies. In addition to outlining broad
management direction on conserving wildlife and their habitats, plans
identify wildlife-dependent recreational opportunities available to the
public, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation
and photography, and environmental education and interpretation.
    The Vieques National Wildlife Refuge was created from former Navy
managed lands by congressional actions in 2001 and 2003. It consists of
approximately 17,771 acres--3,100 acres on western Vieques and 14,671
acres on eastern Vieques. The transferred lands are to be managed in
accordance with the Refuge Administration Act (as amended).
    The refuge lands were historically used for agricultural purposes
and more recently for military training activities. As a result, the
wildlife habitats and communities are significantly altered and non-
native invasive species are common along with remnants of native
habitats. As a result of the military training, portions of the refuge
contain unexploded ordnance and other contaminants. These areas have
been classified as a ``superfund site'' under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
Cleanup of these portions of the refuge is being conducted by the Navy
in accordance with CERCLA. In addition, a Federal Facilities Agreement
between the Navy, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife
Service, and Commonwealth of Puerto Rico will help to guide the cleanup
process.
    Although the short-term use and management of areas contaminated with

[[Page 9019]]

unexploded ordnance would be restricted, the alternatives presented in
this Draft Plan were developed with the assumption that these lands
would be cleaned of any contaminants that would pose a threat to either
wildlife or humans.
    Before the Service began the development of the Draft Plan, it
hosted a series of public scoping meetings to solicit public opinion
and identify issues that should be addressed. To address the existing
habitat conditions, the ongoing cleanup activities, the issues
identified by the public, and the mission and purpose of the refuge,
the planning team developed a series of goals for the plan. The goals
are: (1) Conserve, enhance, and restore native plant communities and
wetland habitats and their associated fish, wildlife, and plants,
representative of the native biological diversity that would have been
found on Vieques Refuge lands prior to major agricultural and military
use of the lands; (2) monitor, protect, and recover special status
animals, plants, and species of management interest; (3) provide
opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation and education to
enhance public appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of refuge
wildlife, habitats, and cultural history; (4) ensure, through the
cooperative efforts of partners, that the refuge is cleaned of all
classes of contaminants that could pose a threat to the health and
safety of the wildlife, residents, staff, and visitors; (5) provide the
resources needed to implement the selected management alternative and
ensure the other goals and objectives identified in the plan can be
achieved; and (6) develop effective and open communication with the
community to raise public awareness of refuge programs, management
decisions, the missions of the Fish and Wildlife Service and the
National Wildlife Refuge System by working closely with Vieques
citizens and interested groups and organizations.
    Based on these goals and information obtained during the scoping
process, the plan offers three alternatives to help address the issues
identified and achieve the vision of the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge.

Alternative A (Current Management or No Action)

    The current management alternative provides for a continuation of
the existing level of management. Staffing would remain at the current
levels and ongoing programs and activities would continue with only
minor changes and no new programs.

Alternative B (Resource Emphasis)

    This alternative focuses on wildlife and habitat management but
maintains the existing visitor programs and public uses. Habitat
management and monitoring would be expanded and agreements with
research, governmental, and non-governmental organizations would be
developed to provide information needed for the management of forests,
grasslands, coastal wetlands, beaches, and listed species and their
habitats. In partnership with others, programs would be developed for
management of nesting sea turtle populations on Vieques Refuge beaches.

Alternative C (Habitat Management and Public Use Emphasis) (Proposed
Alternative)

    This alternative directs the refuge toward a realistic and
achievable level of both habitat management and public use and provides
a management program that addresses the needs of the resources and,
where appropriate and compatible with the refuge purposes, the needs of
the community. This alternative provides for an increase in management
efforts to restore the refuge habitats without diminishing the wildlife
values associated with the current conditions. There is also a focus on
management activities to benefit threatened and endangered species.
This includes the possible reintroduction of species extirpated from
Vieques and expansion of populations of species already found on the
refuge. Priority public uses, as identified in the National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, would be expanded and other uses
that are determined to be compatible with the refuge mission may be
permitted. Historic and archaeological resources would be stabilized
and, where possible, interpretation of their significance and role in
the evolution of Vieques Refuge would be provided.
    After the review and comment period for the Draft Plan and
Environmental Impact Statement, all comments will be analyzed and
considered by the Service. All comments become part of the official
public record. Requests for such comments will be handled in accordance
with the Freedom of Information Act and other Service and Departmental
policies and procedures.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gisella Burgos; Telephone: 787/741-2138.

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

     Dated: November 21, 2006.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E7-3478 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

 
 

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