Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 13, 2010 / Notices 1803 

DATES: The request to terminate the 

Environmental Impact Statement and 

proceed with an Environmental 

Assessment was approved by the Chief 

of the NPS Environmental Quality 

Division on November 4, 2009. The 

draft general management plan and 

Environmental Assessment is expected 

to be distributed for a 30 day public 

comment period early in 2011 and a 

decision is expected be made in the fall 

of 2011. The NPS will notify the public 

by mail, Web site, and other means, and 

will include information on where and 

how to obtain a copy of the GMP/EA, 

how to comment on the plan, and the 

dates of the public comment period. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Riley, Superintendent, Gila Cliff 

Dwellings National Monument, HC 68 

Box 100, Silver City, NM 88061. 

Telephone (575) 536–9461. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In place of 

the EIS, the NPS will prepare an 

Environmental Assessment (EA) that 

analyzes four alternatives (no-action and 

three action alternatives) that look at 

different ways of protecting resources, 

providing appropriate visitor 

experiences, and addressing joint NPS/ 

Forest Service operations: 

—Alternative 1 (No-Action) would 

continue the present management 

direction. 

—Alternative 2 would emphasize and 

expand high-quality visitor services 

and experiences by providing more 

comprehensive interpretation of the 

Gila Headwaters area and its 2,000 

years of human occupation. 

—Alternative 3 would enhance visitor 

understanding and enjoyment of the 

Gila Headwaters’ natural and cultural 

heritage by providing a more unified 

management approach to the two 

units of the monument. 

—Alternative 4 would forge more 

personal connections between visitors 

and the ancient cultures and 

wilderness character of the 

monument. 

Dated: November 12, 2009. 

Michael D. Snyder, 

Director, Intermountain Region, National 

Park Service. 

[FR Doc. 2010–443 Filed 1–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4312–FA–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R4–R–2009–N162; 40136–1265–0000– 

S3] 

Lower Florida Keys Refuges, Monroe 

County, FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability: final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

finding of no significant impact. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), announce our 

decision and the availability of the final 

CCP and finding of no significant 

impact (FONSI) for the Environmental 

Assessment for the Lower Florida Keys 

Refuges in accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

requirements. We completed a thorough 

analysis of impacts on the human 

environment, which are included in the 

Environmental Assessment (Appendix 

N of the CCP). The CCP will guide us 

in managing and administering the 

Lower Florida Keys Refuges for the next 

15 years. 

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of 

the CCP by writing to: Ms. Anne 

Morkill, Refuge Manager, Florida Keys 

National Wildlife Refuge Complex, 

28590 Watson Boulevard, Big Pine Key, 

FL 33043. You may also access and 

download the document from the 

Service’s Web site: http:// 

southeast.fws.gov/planning. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Anne Morkill; telephone: 305/872–2239; 

or Mary Morris, Natural Resource 

Planner; telephone 850/567–6202. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we finalize the CCP 

process for the Lower Florida Keys 

Refuges. We started this process through 

a notice in the Federal Register on May 

9, 2003 (68 FR 25058). 

The Lower Florida Keys Refuges 

includes three wildlife refuges—Key 

West National Wildlife Refuge (Key 

West NWR), Great White Heron 

National Wildlife Refuge (Great White 

Heron NWR), and National Key Deer 

Refuge in Monroe County, Florida. 

These are a collection of low-lying, 

subtropical islands between the Gulf of 

Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean that 

protect all the vital habitats 

representative of the Florida Keys 

ecosystem, including the globally 

imperiled pine rockland and tropical 

hardwood hammock. These geologically 

and climatically distinct islands provide 

a haven for a diversity of native flora 

and fauna, including endemic, 

threatened, endangered, and candidate 

species. 

Key West NWR 

Located west of Key West and 

accessible only by boat, the refuge 

consists of the Marquesas Keys and 13 

other keys distributed across over 375 

square miles of open water. Key West 

NWR is among the first refuges 

established in the United States. 

President Roosevelt created the refuge 

in 1908 as a preserve and breeding 

ground for colonial nesting birds and 

other wildlife. The refuge encompasses 

208,308 acres of land and water with 

only 1 percent (2,019 acres) being land. 

Most islands are dominated by 

mangrove plant communities. 

The refuge provides habitat and 

protection for Federally listed species, 

including piping plovers and roseate 

terns. The refuge harbors the largest 

wintering population of piping plovers 

and the largest colony of white-crowned 

pigeons in the Florida Keys. It is a 

haven for over 250 species of birds, 

including 10 wading-bird species that 

nest in the refuge. Other notable 

imperiled species include sea turtles. 

More loggerhead and green sea turtle 

nests are found each year in Key West 

NWR than in any area of the Florida 

Keys except the Dry Tortugas. Waters 

within the refuge’s administrative 

boundaries are important 

developmental habitat for these sea 

turtle species, as well as hawksbills and 

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. In 1975, 

Public Law 93–632 designated all 

islands in Key West NWR, except 

Ballast Key, which is privately owned, 

as a part of the National Wilderness 

Preservation System. These islands total 

2,109 acres. 

Great White Heron NWR 

Great White Heron NWR was 

established in 1938, by Executive Order 

7993 signed by President Roosevelt, as 

a haven for great white herons, 

migratory birds, and other wildlife. The 

refuge encompasses 117,683 acres of 

land and water with 6,300 acres of land, 

including 1,900 land acres which were 

designated Wilderness Areas in 1975, 

also under Public Law 93–632. While 

the islands are primarily mangroves, 

some of the larger islands contain pine 

rockland and tropical hardwood 

hammock habitats. This vast area, 

known locally as the ‘‘backcountry,’’ 

provides critical nesting, feeding, and 

resting areas for more than 250 species 

of birds. We co-manage this area with 

the State through a ‘‘Management 

Agreement for Submerged Lands Within 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
1804 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 13, 2010 / Notices 

the Boundaries of Key West and Great 

White Heron National Wildlife Refuges’’ 

(hereinafter referred to as Management 

Agreement). 

Great white herons are a white colorphase of great blue herons. In the United 

States, nesting is restricted to extreme 

south Florida including the Florida 

Keys. The refuge was created to protect 

great white herons from extinction since 

the population was decimated by the 

demand for feathered hats. Protection of 

great white herons was successful, and 

these magnificent birds can be observed 

feeding on tidal flats throughout the 

refuge. The refuge islands are also used 

for nesting by 10 wading bird species, 

including the reddish egret, and by 

many neotropical migratory bird 

species. 

National Key Deer Refuge 

The National Key Deer Refuge was 

established on August 22, 1957, to 

protect and conserve Key deer and other 

wildlife resources. It comprises about 

8,983 acres of land on several islands 

within the authorized approved 

acquisition boundary, as well as 

additional parcels located outside the 

boundary administered by the refuge. 

These lands host diverse habitats, most 

notably globally endangered tropical 

hardwood hammocks and pine 

rocklands. The refuge provides habitat 

for hundreds of endemic and migratory 

species, including 21 Federally listed 

species, such as Key deer, Lower Keys 

marsh rabbit, and silver rice rat. It 

contains a variety of plants endemic to 

the Florida Keys. 

The refuge is an important stopping 

point for thousands of migrating birds 

each year and an important wintering 

ground for many North American bird 

species. Notable species include the 

piping plover and peregrine falcon. The 

mosaic of upland and wetland habitats 

found in the Florida Keys are critical 

breeding and feeding grounds for birds, 

and refuge land acquisition efforts strive 

to add to the lands already protected. 

Loggerhead, green, hawksbill, and 

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles forage in the 

waters surrounding the refuge, but 

nesting is limited to refuge lands on 

Ohio Key, where a small number of 

loggerhead nests are laid annually. 

There are 2,278 acres of Wilderness 

Area designated on this refuge as of 

1975 per Public Law 632. 

Refuge Purposes 

The purposes of the refuges come 

from the executive orders and 

subsequent laws Congress passed as it 

established each refuge. There are also 

specific purposes Congress designated 

for managing the Refuge System as a 

whole. Each of the three refuges has 

different enabling legislation and 

purposes. The CCP has been designed 

with consideration of the distinct 

purposes of each refuge. For the 

purposes of each refuge, refer to a notice 

in the Federal Register dated May 23, 

2008 (73 FR 30139). 

Alternatives, Including the Preferred 

Alternative 

The Service developed three 

alternatives for managing the refuges 

over the next 15 years and chose 

Alternative B as the preferred 

alternative. A description of the three 

alternatives follows. 

Alternative A—(Current Management— 

No Action) 

The Lower Florida Keys Refuges have 

a high diversity of community types and 

endemic species, with many threatened, 

endangered, candidate, and other 

imperiled species. The primary mission 

of these refuges is to provide habitat for 

wildlife. The refuges currently have a 

small staff and funding source for the 

inventorying and monitoring of natural 

resources. Much effort has been put into 

some resources, such as Key deer and 

their habitat (pine rocklands), as a result 

of cooperative partnerships with 

academic and other research 

organizations. Certain species, such as 

great white herons, white-crowned 

pigeons, and sea turtles, have been 

studied over time by refuge biological 

staff. Under this alternative, these 

studies would continue. 

Baseline data have yet to be 

established for some protected species, 

species suites, habitats, and cultural 

resources. The effects of natural 

catastrophic disturbances (e.g., 

Hurricane Wilma in 2005) on the 

refuges’ resources have not been fully 

assessed and the effect of climate 

change (e.g., sea level rise) is not 

known. 

We would protect threatened and 

endangered species through a variety of 

management tools, such as area 

closures, law enforcement, exotic plant 

control, etc. Working with partners, we 

would continue limited research and 

monitoring of focal species, such as Key 

deer, Lower Keys marsh rabbit, and 

some migratory birds. The National Key 

Deer Refuge’s prescribed fire 

management program would continue 

with the objectives to reduce fuels and 

sustain the pine rockland ecosystem for 

the benefit of Key deer. 

As funding and willing sellers are 

available, we would continue habitat 

conservation through land acquisition 

within the approved acquisition 

boundary and through lease agreements 

with other agencies for non-refuge lands 

that support the refuges’ missions. 

Partnerships exist to promote land 

conservation. Exotic plant control to 

protect and maintain current habitat 

would occur at existing levels by relying 

on partnerships with the Nature 

Conservancy, the Florida Fish and 

Wildlife Conservation Commission, and 

Monroe County. A predator 

management program is currently under 

development on National Key Deer 

Refuge to reduce the effects of feral cat 

predation on the endangered Lower 

Keys marsh rabbit and other native 

wildlife. 

Most ecologically sensitive areas and 

living resources are protected from 

disturbance or degradation through the 

use of closure areas, law enforcement, 

and the implementation of the 

Management Agreement. Impacts from 

concentrated, non-wildlife-dependent 

uses threaten a limited number of sites, 

particularly islands with accessible sand 

beaches. The effects of commercial 

activities and public uses (both wildlifedependent and non-wildlife-dependent) 

have not been fully evaluated and 

visitor carrying capacities have not been 

quantified. 

We have an active volunteer program 

to assist in all facets of refuge 

management. Partnerships for these 

purposes and for research are 

encouraged and maintained. Under this 

alternative, the existing level of 

administrative resources (e.g., staffing, 

facilities and assets, funding, and 

partnerships) would be maintained. 

This means some positions may not be 

filled when vacated if funds need to be 

reallocated to meet rising costs or new 

priorities. 

Alternative B—(Preferred Alternative) 

This alternative assumes a slow-tomoderate growth of refuge resources 

over the 15-year implementation period 

of the CCP. It proposes a proactive and 

adaptive ecosystem-management 

approach for the enhancement of 

wildlife populations. It will promote a 

natural diversity and abundance of 

habitats for native plants and animals, 

especially Keys’ endemic, trust, and 

keystone imperiled species. Many of the 

objectives and strategies are designed to 

maintain and restore native 

communities. Active management 

strategies will be applied particularly 

within the globally imperiled pine 

rockland, salt marsh transition, and 

freshwater wetland habitats, and island 

beach berm communities. We will 

initiate research and long-term 

monitoring to expand the collection of 

baseline data and measure variables of 

ecosystem health. We will promote 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 13, 2010 / Notices 1805 

cooperative studies to monitor and 

model the immediate and/or long-term 

effects of natural catastrophic events 

(e.g., hurricanes, wildfire) and global 

climate change, particularly sea level 

rise. 

Current ongoing and proposed 

programs and efforts focus on 

threatened, endangered, and candidate 

species of plants and animals. The need 

for more comprehensive inventorying 

and long-term monitoring is addressed 

in this alternative, particularly for 

priority imperiled species and their 

habitats within the refuges. The 

feasibility of managing the core 

population of Key deer to minimize the 

effects of over-browsing on native plants 

will be considered in accordance with 

the Endangered Species Act. 

Habitat enhancement for critically 

imperiled species, such as the Lower 

Keys marsh rabbit and Key tree cactus, 

will occur to ensure the long-term 

sustainability of these species. 

Opportunities for land acquisition will 

focus more strategically on protecting 

environmentally sensitive habitat by 

contacting specific property owners to 

determine their willingness to sell, with 

a particular emphasis on enhancing 

habitat connectivity and protecting 

marsh rabbit habitat. Off-refuge nursery 

propagation of the Key tree cactus will 

be implemented for later translocation 

to suitable refuge habitats. Cooperative 

partnerships with nurseries and 

botanical gardens will be developed to 

secure seed and plant material of rare 

and endemic plant species to ensure 

genetically viable sources for future 

restoration needs. Research will be 

initiated to identify causal reasons for 

the marked, long-term decline in the 

great white heron nesting population 

and to evaluate the potential impacts of 

sea level rise on the ecology of wading 

birds. 

Since a primary purpose of the 

refuges is to provide sanctuary for 

nesting and migratory birds, we will 

provide greater protection from human 

disturbance, particularly at colonial 

nesting bird rookeries and at beach 

habitats in the backcountry islands. 

Additional limitations to public use 

may be implemented in sensitive beach 

areas important for shorebirds, terns, sea 

turtles, and butterflies. 

Strategies are proposed to enhance the 

biological diversity and resiliency of the 

fire-dependent pine rocklands and also 

to enhance fire-adapted habitat features 

in salt marsh transition and freshwater 

wetlands that benefit priority species in 

the National Key Deer Refuge. 

Prescribed fire and mechanical or 

manual vegetation treatments will be 

used as habitat management tools to 

reduce wildland fuels and restore 

desirable habitat features where 

appropriate. Predictive modeling and 

fire effects monitoring will be used on 

all prescribed-fire treatments in an 

adaptive management approach to 

develop site-specific burn prescriptions 

and to determine whether objectives 

were met. We will conduct research on 

fire behavior, fuel response, and fire 

history. The fire management step-down 

plan will be revised and implemented 

accordingly in conjunction with the 

development of a habitat management 

step-down plan. 

We will continue exotic plant control 

as an ongoing operation within the 

refuges to maintain native habitats and 

prevent new infestations. Cooperative 

efforts will be sought with private 

property owners and homeowners 

associations to control seed sources 

from private lands. Existing 

partnerships will be reinforced to 

increase coordinated mapping and 

monitoring of treated areas with known 

infestations and ongoing control needs. 

Management of non-native exotic 

predators will be implemented as 

directed by the South Florida MultiSpecies Recovery Plan for the benefit of 

threatened and endangered species. An 

early detection and rapid response 

program will be implemented in 

cooperation with Federal, State, and 

local authorities to address the 

increasing invasion by and potential 

establishment of exotic snakes, lizards, 

and other non-native animals in the 

Florida Keys. 

A primary focus of the visitor services 

program, as proposed, is to enhance 

environmental education and outreach 

efforts substantially to reach larger 

numbers of residents, students, 

educators, and visitors. This alternative 

also focuses on increasing public 

awareness, understanding, and support 

for the refuges’ conservation mission. It 

places priority on wildlife-dependent 

uses, such as photography and wildlife 

observation. A new visitor center on 

U.S. Highway 1 on Big Pine Key and 

enhanced visitor facilities at existing 

sites (e.g., Blue Hole and WatsonMannillo Nature Trails) are proposed. 

Non-wildlife-dependent forms of 

recreation will be limited or restricted 

in sensitive areas and awareness efforts 

will be stepped-up to inform visitors 

about protecting wilderness areas. A 

Visitor Services step-down plan will 

specify program details consistent with 

the Service’s visitor service program 

standards. 

The basic administrative and 

operational needs of the refuges have 

been addressed. Essential new staffing is 

proposed through the addition and 

funding of five permanent, full-time 

employees. Daily operation of the 

refuges will be guided by the CCP and 

the development and implementation of 

19 projects and 11 step-down 

management plans. Wilderness and 

cultural resource protection objectives 

and strategies will be incorporated 

within the appropriate step-down 

management plans. The modest growth 

in administrative resources will be used 

for wildlife monitoring and habitat 

enhancement to better serve the refuges’ 

purposes and the CCP’s vision. With the 

exception of a new Visitor Center that 

is proposed, the existing number of 

facilities will be maintained. Energy 

efficiency standards will be applied 

wherever feasible during facility 

maintenance, repair, or renovation 

projects. Existing vehicles will be 

replaced with alternative fuel vehicles 

to increase fuel efficiency and reduce 

carbon emissions. 

Alternative C 

This alternative assumes a moderateto-substantial growth of refuge resources 

from internal or external sources. It 

would more fully realize the refuges’ 

missions and address the large number 

of threatened, endangered, and 

candidate species along with other 

imperiled species and habitat types. 

While Alternative C contains many of 

the provisions to protect and restore 

habitats similar to Alternative B, it 

emphasizes a broader suite of priority 

species, assuming the addition of 

several new staff positions and 

increased funding. The long-term 

inventorying and monitoring plan 

would be expanded to cover more 

species and species suites. Additional 

studies on some species would be 

undertaken and additional biological 

staffing would be required. The use of 

captive, off-refuge sources of some 

species facing potential extirpation (e.g., 

Lower Keys marsh rabbit) would be 

explored for reintroduction after a 

natural catastrophe, such as a major 

hurricane. In certain habitats, some 

alternative habitat management 

techniques would be studied and 

applied. Fire management efforts would 

emphasize fire suppression and the 

reduction of hazardous fuels by 

mechanical or manual means to protect 

private properties, and the use of 

prescribed fire would be reduced or 

eliminated. Under this alternative, the 

CCP anticipates shifts in the Visitor 

Services program in order to increase 

visitation and public use. A refuge 

ranger position is proposed to 

coordinate and enhance volunteerism, 

to foster expanded relationships with 

the Friends and Volunteers of Refuges 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
1806 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 8 / Wednesday, January 13, 2010 / Notices 

(FAVOR), and to establish new 

partnerships for environmental 

education and outreach programs. 

Resource protection and visitor safety 

would be greatly enhanced through this 

alternative, with the addition of two law 

enforcement officers. This would allow 

for more patrol and enforcement of 

closures and sensitive areas protection, 

especially of wilderness areas or 

cultural resource sites. New areas of the 

backcountry would be closed to public 

access to protect wildlife resources. We 

would seek expanded management 

authority to regulate public and 

commercial activities in nearshore 

waters and submerged lands under the 

Management Agreement. A cultural 

resources field investigation and 

inventory would be conducted. 

Implementation of Alternative C 

would also occur through the 

development of 11 step-down 

management plans. New staffing would 

be proposed through the addition of 6 

permanent, full-time employees. The 

positions would be in addition to the 5 

full-time positions proposed in 

Alternative B, for a total of 11 full-time 

positions in Alternative C. New 

maintenance and government housing 

facilities would be proposed along with 

new vehicles and boats to accommodate 

the staff increases. While Alternative C 

would promote our vision for these 

refuges, the resources available to 

implement it would not likely be 

forthcoming in the current economic 

environment as compared to when first 

proposed. 

Background 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd–668ee) (Administration Act), as 

amended by the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997, requires us to develop a CCP for 

each national wildlife refuge. The 

purpose for developing a CCP is to 

provide refuge managers with a 15-year 

plan for achieving refuge purposes and 

contributing toward the mission of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System, 

consistent with sound principles of fish 

and wildlife management, conservation, 

legal mandates, and our policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation, wildlife 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. We will 

review and update the CCP at least 

every15 years in accordance with the 

Administration Act. 

Comments 

Notices of availability of the Draft 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Assessment (Draft CCP/ 

EA) were sent to 200 persons on the 

mailing list and copies were made 

available for a 30-day public review 

period as announced in the Federal 

Register on May 23, 2008 (73 FR 30139). 

At least 47 persons attended two public 

meetings held on the Draft CCP/EA 

during the open comment period. We 

received 25 comment letters by mail or 

e-mail from 16 persons and 11 nongovernmental organizations. Comments 

were received from 4 government 

agencies and 1 Tribal government. The 

Draft CCP/EA was circulated through 

the Florida State Clearinghouse to 8 

State, regional, and local governments. 

Selected Alternative 

After considering the comments we 

received, and based on the professional 

judgment of the planning team, we 

selected Alternative B to implement the 

CCP. It promotes the enhancement of 

wildlife populations by maintaining and 

enhancing a diversity and abundance of 

habitats for native plants and animals, 

especially imperiled species that are 

only found in the Florida Keys. Many of 

the objectives and strategies are 

designed to maintain and restore native 

plant communities and ensure the 

biological integrity across the landscape. 

Strategies are designed to restore and 

maintain the fire-dependent pine 

rocklands and to enhance habitat 

features of selected salt marsh transition 

and freshwater wetland communities 

that benefit priority species in the 

National Key Deer Refuge. Research and 

monitoring will provide essential 

information for implementing an 

adaptive management approach to 

strategic landscape conservation, 

providing flexibility in management 

strategies in order to incorporate new 

information and changing 

environmental conditions. The CCP also 

provides for obtaining baseline data and 

monitoring indicator species to detect 

changes in ecosystem diversity and 

integrity related to climate change. 

Since a primary purpose of the 

refuges is to provide sanctuary for 

nesting and migratory birds, protection 

from human disturbance will be 

enhanced, particularly at colonial 

nesting bird rookeries and at beach 

habitats in the backcountry islands of 

the Key West and Great White Heron 

NWRs. Ongoing research to identify 

causal reasons for the marked, long-term 

decline in the great white heron nesting 

population, as well as studies on the 

impacts of sea level rise on wading 

birds, will be expanded. 

A primary focus of the visitor services 

program is to enhance environmental 

education and outreach efforts through 

existing venues and expanded 

partnerships to reach a diversity of local 

residents, businesses, students, 

educators, and visitors. This plan 

focuses on increasing public awareness, 

understanding, and support for the 

refuges’ conservation mission. It places 

priority on wildlife-dependent 

recreational uses, such as wildlife 

observation and photography. Nonwildlife dependent forms of recreation, 

such as beach picnicking and 

sunbathing, will be limited or restricted 

in sensitive areas. Awareness efforts 

will be expanded to inform visitors 

about protecting wilderness values. 

The compatibility determinations for 

(1) Environmental education and 

interpretation; (2) hiking/daypacking, 

jogging, and walking (National Key Deer 

Refuge only); (3) bicycling (National Key 

Deer Refuge only); (4) wildlife 

observation and photography; (5) 

fishing; (6) beach use (National Key 

Deer Refuge only); (7) public use on 

wilderness and backcountry islands; (8) 

research and monitoring; (9) mosquito 

management (National Key Deer Refuge 

and Great White Heron NWR only); and 

(10) horseback riding (National Key 

Deer Refuge only) are available in 

Appendix F of the CCP. 

Authority 

This notice is published under the 

authority of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997, Public Law 105–57. 

Dated: August 24, 2009. 

Patrick Leonard, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 2010–447 Filed 1–12–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

Draft General Management Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement, New 

River Gorge National River, WV 

AGENCY: National Park Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of the 

Draft General Management Plan and 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

New River Gorge National River. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 

U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park 

Service announces the availability of the 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES