2754 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 2012 / Notices 

second revision available for public 

comment (70 FR 49668). We have 

considered information we received 

from public comments and peer 

reviewers in our preparation of the 

recovery plan, and have summarized 

that information in an appendix of the 

approved recovery plan. We welcome 

continuing public comment on this 

recovery plan, and we will consider all 

substantive comments on an ongoing 

basis to inform the implementation of 

recovery activities and future updates to 

the recovery plan. 

The four species of waterbirds 

addressed in the recovery plan occurred 

historically on all of the main Hawaiian 

Islands except Lanai and Kahoolawe. 

Currently, Hawaiian ducks are found on 

the islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, 

Maui, and Hawaii; Hawaiian coots and 

Hawaiiian stilts are found on all of the 

main Hawaiian Islands except 

Kahoolawe; and Hawaiian common 

moorhens are found only on the islands 

of Kauai and Oahu. These species use a 

variety of wetland habitats, including 

freshwater marshes and ponds, coastal 

estuaries and ponds, artificial reservoirs, 

taro patches, irrigation ditches, sewage 

treatment ponds, and, in the case of the 

Hawaiian duck, montane streams and 

swamplands. Historically, the primary 

cause of population declines for the 

endangered Hawaiian waterbirds has 

been loss of wetland habitat. Other 

factors that have contributed to 

waterbird population declines, and 

which continue to be detrimental, 

include predation by introduced 

animals, altered hydrology, grazing, 

alteration of habitat by invasive 

nonnative plants, disease, and possibly 

environmental contaminants. Hunting 

in the late 1800s and early 1900s took 

a heavy toll on Hawaiian duck 

populations and, to a lesser extent, 

populations of the other three endemic 

waterbirds. Currently, predation by 

introduced animals may be the greatest 

threat to the coot, moorhen, and stilt; 

hybridization with feral mallards is the 

most serious threat to the Hawaiian 

duck. 

The recovery of the endangered 

waterbirds focuses on the following 

objectives: (1) Increasing population 

numbers to be consistently stable or 

increasing, with a minimum of 2,000 

birds for each species; (2) establishing 

multiple, self-sustaining breeding 

populations throughout each species’ 

historical range; (3) establishing and 

protecting a network of both core and 

supporting wetlands that are managed 

as habitat suitable for waterbirds, 

including the maintenance of 

appropriate hydrological conditions and 

control of invasive nonnative plants; (4) 

eliminating or controlling the threats 

posed by introduced predators, avian 

diseases, and contaminants; and (5) for 

the Hawaiian duck, removing the threat 

of hybridization with feral mallards. 

Authority: The authority for this action is 

section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 

16 U.S.C. 1533(f). 

Dated: October 28, 2011. 

Richard R. Hannan, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–926 Filed 1–18–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R4–R–2011–N241; 

FXRS12650400000S3–123–FF04R02000] 

Establishment of Everglades 

Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge 

and Conservation Area 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Director of the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service (Service) has 

approved the establishment of the 

Everglades Headwaters National 

Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area 

in Polk, Osceola, Highlands, and 

Okeechobee Counties, Florida. The 

Service establishes the Refuge and 

Conservation Area in order to support a 

connected conservation landscape; to 

provide quality habitats for native 

wildlife diversity and at-risk species; to 

enhance water quality, quantity, and 

storage; and to provide opportunities for 

wildlife-dependent recreation. 

DATES: This action was effective on 

December 16, 2011. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Cheri M. Ehrhardt, Natural Resource 

Planner, at (321) 861–2368 (telephone) 

or Mr. Charlie Pelizza, Refuge Manager, 

at (772) 562–3909, extension 244 

(telephone). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

establishment of the Everglades 

Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge 

and Conservation Area will protect 

approximately 150,000 acres in central 

and south Florida, helping to protect 

and restore one of the great grassland 

and savanna landscapes of eastern 

North America, conserving one of the 

nation’s prime areas of biological 

diversity. It will also help to address the 

threats from habitat fragmentation and 

urban development, altered ecological 

processes, and impacts from global 

climate change. The Service will work 

with willing landowners to create a 

100,000-acre conservation area through 

conservation easements or other lessthan-fee-title means, and a 50,000-acre 

national wildlife refuge. 

The authorities to establish and 

manage the Everglades Headwaters 

National Wildlife Refuge and 

Conservation Area are the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Administration 

Act [16 U.S.C. 668dd(a)(2)], Endangered 

Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1534), 

Emergency Wetlands Resources Act [16 

U.S.C. 3901(b), 100 Stat. 3583], 

Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 

U.S.C. 715d), Fish and Wildlife Act [16 

U.S.C. 742f(a)(4)], and Refuge 

Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 460k–460k–4). 

Working with conservation land 

managers across this landscape, the 

Service will: (1) Manage the refuge and 

employ appropriate conditions for the 

conservation area to support a more 

connected and functional conservation 

landscape that will provide effective 

habitat connections between existing 

conservation areas and allow habitats 

and species to shift in response to urban 

development pressures and global 

climate change; (2) provide a wide range 

of quality Kissimmee River Basin 

habitats to support migratory birds, 

Federal- and State-listed species, Statedesignated species of special concern, 

and native wildlife diversity; (3) 

contribute to water quality, water 

quantity, and water storage capacity of 

the upper Everglades watershed to 

complement Everglades restoration 

goals and objectives and water quality 

and supply for central and south 

Florida; and (4) provide opportunities 

for hunting, fishing, wildlife 

observation, wildlife photography, and 

environmental education and 

interpretation, while increasing 

knowledge of and support for 

conservation of the important grassland 

and savanna landscape of the 

headwaters of the Everglades. 

Several uses were evaluated in the 

interim compatibility determinations 

and determined to be compatible for the 

refuge. These included hunting, fishing, 

environmental education and 

interpretation, wildlife observation and 

photography, research, camping, hiking, 

horseback riding, bicycling, grazing, and 

off-road vehicle use (on designated 

roads and trails to support hunting and 

research). The Service is working with 

the Florida Fish and Wildlife 

Conservation Commission to establish a 

memorandum of understanding to also 

employ appropriate State wildlife 

management areas for hunting on 

properties acquired for the refuge. 

On September 8, 2011, the Service 

published a Federal Register notice (76 

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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 2012 / Notices 2755 

FR 55699) announcing the proposed 

establishment of the Everglades 

Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge 

and Conservation Area, and the release 

for public review and comment of the 

Draft Land Protection Plan and Draft 

Environmental Assessment in 

accordance with National 

Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 

1506.6 (b)) requirements. On October 

26, 2011, the Service published a 

Federal Register notice (76 FR 66321) 

announcing the extension of the 

comment deadline to November 25, 

2011. With this extension, the public 

review and comment period on the Draft 

Land Protection Plan and Draft 

Environmental Assessment totaled 79 

days. 

Based on the documentation in the 

Final Land Protection Plan and Final 

Environmental Assessment, the 

Regional Director of the Southeast 

Region of the Service signed a Finding 

of No Significant Impact on December 9, 

2011. Along with the interim 

compatibility determinations, we have 

developed a Conceptual Management 

Plan, which will serve as an interim 

management plan until the Service 

develops a Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan and/or appropriate step-down 

management plans. 

Authority 

This notice is published under the 

authority of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997, Public Law 105–57. 

Daniel M. Ashe, 

Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–1019 Filed 1–18–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLES956000 L14200000.BK0000] 

Eastern States: Filing of Plats of 

Survey; Alabama and Minnesota 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) will file the plats of 

survey of the lands described below in 

the BLM-Eastern States office in 

Springfield, Virginia, 30 calendar days 

from the date of publication in the 

Federal Register. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bureau of Land Management-Eastern 

States, 7450 Boston Boulevard, 

Springfield, Virginia 22153. Attn: 

Dominica Van Koten. Persons who use 

a telecommunications device for the 

deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 

(800) 877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: These 

surveys were requested by the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs. 

The lands surveyed are: 

St. Stephens Meridian, Alabama 

T. 2 N., R. 6 E. 

The plat of survey represents the 

dependent resurvey of a portion of the 

subdivisional lines and the survey of Tract 

No. 10, land held in trust for the Poarch Band 

of Creek Indians, in Sections 29 and 29, in 

Township 2 North, Range 6 East, of the St. 

Stephens Meridian, in the State of Alabama, 

and was accepted December 20, 2011. 

Fourth Principal Meridian, Minnesota 

T. 144 N., R 38 W. 

The plat of survey represents the corrective 

dependent resurvey of a portion of the West 

boundary and the dependent resurvey of a 

portion of the East and South boundaries and 

a portion of the subdivisional lines and the 

survey of the subdivision of Sections 21, 25, 

28, 30, 31, 33, and 36, in Township 144 

North, Range 38 West, of the Fifth Principal 

Meridian, in the State of Minnesota, and was 

accepted December 20, 2011. 

We will place copies of the plats we 

described in the open files. They will be 

available to the public as a matter of 

information. 

If BLM receives a protest against a 

survey, as shown on the plat, prior to 

the date of the official filing, we will 

stay the filing pending our 

consideration of the protest. 

We will not officially file the plats 

until the day after we have accepted or 

dismissed all protests and they have 

become final, including decisions on 

appeals. 

Dated: January 10, 2012. 

Dominica Van Koten, 

Chief Cadastral Surveyor. 

[FR Doc. 2012–917 Filed 1–18–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–GJ–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCAD00000 L19900000.AL0000] 

Call for Nominations for the Bureau of 

Land Management’s California Desert 

District Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management’s (BLM) California Desert 

District is soliciting nominations from 

the public for six members of its 

California Desert District Advisory 

Council (Council) to serve 3-year terms. 

Council members provide advice and 

recommendations to the BLM on the 

management of public lands in southern 

California. 

DATES: Nominations must be submitted 

within 45 days from the date of this 

notice. 

ADDRESSES: Nominations should be sent 

to Teresa Raml, District Manager, 

Bureau of Land Management, California 

Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San 

Juan De Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, 

California 92553. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

David Briery, BLM California Desert 

District External Affairs, (951) 697– 

5220. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Council comprises 15 private 

individuals who represent different 

interests and advise BLM officials on 

policies and programs concerning the 

management of 11 million acres of 

public land in southern California. The 

Council meets in formal session three to 

four times each year in various locations 

throughout the BLM’s California Desert 

District. Council members serve without 

compensation. Members serve 3-year 

terms and may be nominated for 

reappointment for additional 3-year 

terms. 

Section 309 of the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) 

directs the Secretary of the Interior to 

involve the public in planning and 

issues related to management of BLMadministered lands. The Secretary also 

selects Council nominees consistent 

with the requirements of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which 

requires nominees appointed to the 

Council be balanced in terms of points 

of view and representative of the 

various interests concerned with the 

management of the public lands. 

The Council also is balanced 

geographically, and the BLM will try to 

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