Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 148 / Tuesday, August 4, 2009 / Notices 38667 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

[Docket No. USCG–2009–0714] 

National Maritime Security Advisory 

Committee; Meeting 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The National Maritime 

Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC) 

will conduct a meeting by 

teleconference on August 24, 2009. This 

teleconference will be open to the 

public. 

DATES: The Committee will meet on 

August 24, 2009 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 

This meeting may close early if all 

business is finished. Written material 

and requests to make oral presentations 

should reach the Coast Guard on or 

before August 17, 2009. Requests to 

have a copy of your material distributed 

to each member of the committee or 

subcommittee should reach the Coast 

Guard on or before August 17, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: The NMSAC teleconference 

calls will be hosted in room 6228, U.S. 

Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second 

St., SW., Washington, DC 20593. Public 

participation is limited to monitoring 

the teleconference only, except at the 

time allotted by the chairperson for 

public comment; special note, the 

number of teleconference lines is 

limited and available on a first-come, 

first-served basis. For call-in 

information or to send written material 

and requests to make oral presentations 

contact Mr. Ryan Owens, Executive 

Secretary of NMSAC, at 

ryan.f.owens@uscg.mil, Commandant 

(CG–5441), ATTN NMSAC DFO/EA, 

U.S. Coast Guard, 2100 2nd St., SW., 

STOP 7581, Washington, DC 20593– 

7581. This notice is available in our 

online docket, USCG–2009–0714, at 

http://dms.dot.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ryan F. Owens Executive Secretary of 

NMSAC at 202–372–1108. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of 

this meeting is given under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 

(Pub. L. 92–463). 

Agenda of Meeting 

The agenda for the August 24 

Committee meeting is as follows: 

(1) Maritime Information Sharing 

Taskforce Briefing 

(2) Discussion of a Certain Dangerous 

Cargo (CDC) Tasking for the Committee 

Procedural 

This meeting is open to the public. 

Please note that the meeting may close 

early if all business is finished. At the 

Chair’s discretion, members of the 

public may make oral presentations 

during the meeting. If you would like to 

make an oral presentation at a meeting, 

please notify the Executive Secretary no 

later than August 17. Written material 

for distribution at a meeting should 

reach the Coast Guard no later than 

August 17. If you would like a copy of 

your material distributed to each 

member of the committee or 

subcommittee in advance of a meeting, 

please submit 25 copies to the Executive 

Secretary no later than August 17. 

Information on Services for Individuals 

With Disabilities 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meeting, contact the Executive Secretary 

as soon as possible. 

Dated: 28 July, 2009. 

Ryan F. Owens, 

Acting Designated Federal Official, U.S. Coast 

Guard, Office of Port and Facility Activities. 

[FR Doc. E9–18511 Filed 8–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R2–R–2009–N0073; 22570–1261– 

0000–V3] 

Limiting Mountain Lion Predation on 

Desert Bighorn Sheep on Kofa 

National Wildlife Refuge, Yuma and La 

Paz Counties, AZ 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft 

environmental assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce 

that our draft environmental assessment 

(EA) for limiting mountain lion (Puma 

concolor) predation on desert bighorn 

sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicana) on 

the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge 

(Refuge) is available. The Refuge is 

located in southwest Arizona. The draft 

EA describes alternatives, including a 

proposed action alternative, that address 

how we intend to manage mountain lion 

predation to help achieve bighorn sheep 

population objectives. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments on 

the draft EA 60 days from date of 

publication. 

ADDRESSES: Please provide written 

comments to the Southwest Arizona 

National Wildlife Refuge Complex, by 

U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 9300 East 28th Street, Yuma, 

AZ 85365; via facsimile at 928–783– 

8611; or electronically to 

KofaLionComments@fws.gov. You may 

obtain a copy of the draft EA by writing 

to the address above, or by download 

from http://www.fws.gov/southwest/ 

refuges/arizona/kofa. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jose 

Viramontes, 505–248–6455 (phone); 

505–248–6915 (fax); or 

Jose_Viramontes@fws.gov (e-mail). If 

you use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf (TDD), you may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339, 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Refuge contains a major portion 

of the largest contiguous habitat for 

desert bighorn sheep in southwestern 

Arizona and historically has been home 

to a population averaging 760 bighorns. 

The Refuge has served as the primary 

source of bighorn sheep for 

translocations to reestablish and 

supplement extirpated or declining 

populations throughout southern 

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and 

Colorado. Population estimates from 

systematic aerial surveys indicate that a 

50-percent decline in the Refuge sheep 

population occurred during the period 

2000–2008. 

In response to this decline, the 

Service and the Arizona Game and Fish 

Department (AZGFD) have conducted 

an analysis of the probable causes of the 

decline and are currently implementing 

a strategic management program 

intended to lead to the recovery of this 

important wildlife resource. Several 

studies and monitoring projects have 

been initiated or enhanced. Some of the 

more important aspects of this broad 

program include more frequent bighorn 

population surveys, monitoring and 

maintaining water availability, assessing 

body condition and disease in the 

bighorn population, monitoring 

disturbance attributable to human 

recreation, and monitoring the extent of 

predation and its impacts on the 

population. Many of the elements in 

this management program have been 

addressed through prior planning 

documents and require little additional 

review. Others, such as the proposed 

lethal control of mountain lions, have 

not been previously addressed and 

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38668 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 148 / Tuesday, August 4, 2009 / Notices 

therefore require National 

Environmental Policy Act analysis and 

public review. 

Draft Environmental Assessment 

This draft EA identifies and evaluates 

three alternatives for managing 

mountain lion predation on desert 

bighorn sheep on the Refuge. 

Alternative A: Under this alternative, 

the Refuge would continue to be 

managed as it has been in the past. We 

currently have no plan to guide the 

management of mountain lions. Current 

management efforts, described in the 

Refuge’s general management plan, 

focus on maintaining critical wildlife 

water sources for bighorn sheep, and, in 

coordination with the AZGFD, 

monitoring desert bighorn sheep 

numbers, and considering desert 

bighorn sheep transplants to augment 

populations elsewhere. Research on 

wildlife and wildlife water sources 

would continue. We would not take 

action to prevent mountain lion 

predation on desert bighorn sheep 

within the Refuge boundaries under this 

alternative. 

Alternative B: This is the our 

proposed action, which would allow the 

option of removing specific, 

individually identified offending 

mountain lions, through translocation or 

lethal removal, from the Refuge under 

certain circumstances, in order to 

recover and maintain an optimal 

population of desert bighorn sheep. The 

proposed action has several 

components. We would trap mountain 

lions and fit them with tracking devices 

to monitor their activities. When the 

Refuge bighorn sheep population 

estimate is below 600 animals, active 

mountain lion removal would occur. 

Active mountain lion control is the 

removal of mountain lions found to kill 

two or more bighorn sheep within a 6- 

month period. The Service, or its agents, 

would carry out the lethal removal or 

translocation. However, when the 

Refuge bighorn sheep population 

estimate is between 600 and 800 

animals, active mountain lion control 

may or may not be employed based on 

the totality of the circumstances at the 

time. In order to meet the bighorn sheep 

population objectives while minimizing 

the necessary impacts to mountain 

lions, some flexibility is desired. 

Decisions regarding whether active 

mountain lion control is necessary will 

be based on an adaptive management 

approach and based on the following 

factors: The current sheep population 

estimate; the current sheep population 

trend; bighorn sheep lamb survival and 

recruitment; the estimate of the number 

of mountain lions currently using the 

Refuge; current and forecasted habitat 

conditions; and available funding and 

manpower. When the Refuge bighorn 

sheep population estimate is at or above 

800 animals, active mountain lion 

control would not occur, although 

mountain lions on the Refuge would 

continue to be captured and fitted with 

tracking devices to aid in continuing 

research. 

Alternative C: Under this alternative, 

there would be no attempts to radio 

collar and distinguish which mountain 

lions are preying on bighorn sheep. 

Mountain lions would be lethally 

removed or translocated at a rate of 

approximately 2 mountain lions per 

year from the area until the sheep 

population reaches an estimated 800 

animals and has exhibited an increasing 

trend based on at least 3 sheep 

population surveys. Mountain lion 

removals would resume if the Refuge 

bighorn sheep population was found to 

again go below 800 animals. 

Additional Refuge Information 

Additional information on the history 

of the Refuge and its purpose, goals, 

objectives, and management strategies 

can be found in the Kofa National 

Wildlife Refuge & Wilderness and New 

Water Mountains Wilderness 

Interagency Management Plan and 

Environmental Assessment: EA–AZ– 

055–95–105, October 1996. Pertinent 

information can also be found in the 

April 2007 report titled Investigative 

Report and Recommendations for the 

Kofa Bighorn Sheep Herd, prepared 

jointly by the Service and the AZGFD. 

Both documents, along with other 

detailed information, are available at the 

following Web site: http://www.fws.gov/ 

southwest/refuges/arizona/kofa. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Authorities 

The Environmental Review of this 

project will be conducted in accordance 

with the requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.); NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508); other appropriate Federal 

laws and regulations; Executive Order 

12996; the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997; and 

Service policies and procedures for 

compliance with those laws and 

regulations. 

Dated: April 3, 2009. 

Benjamin N. Tuggle, 

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

[FR Doc. E9–18285 Filed 8–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–R–2008–N0292; 80230–1265– 

0000–S3] 

Klamath Marsh National Wildlife 

Refuge, Klamath County, OR 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments: draft comprehensive 

conservation plan/environmental 

assessment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of a Draft Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan/Environmental 

Assessment (CCP/EA) for the Klamath 

Marsh National Wildlife Refuge for 

public review and comment. The CCP/ 

EA, prepared pursuant to the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997, and in accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, describes how the Service will 

manage the Refuge for the next 15 years. 

Draft compatibility determinations for 

several existing and proposed public 

uses are also available for review and 

public comment with the Draft CCP/EA. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received at the address below on or 

before Friday, September 18, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: For more information on 

obtaining documents and submitting 

comments, see ‘‘Review and Comment’’ 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. For 

public meeting location see ‘‘Public 

Meetings.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Pelz, Chief, Refuge Planning, 2800 

Cottage Way, W–1832, Sacramento, CA 

95825, phone (916) 414–6500. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd-668ee), which amended the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, requires us 

to develop a CCP for each national 

wildlife refuge. The purpose in 

developing a CCP is to provide refuge 

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