Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 30, 2009 / Notices 50235 

/s/ Chadwick Smith 

Chadwick Smith, 

Principal Chief, Cherokee Nation. 

Attest: 

/s/ Melanie Knight 

Melanie Knight, 

Secretary of State, Cherokee Nation. 

Yeas and Nays as Recorded: 

Tina Glory Jordan ............................ Yea 

Bill John Baker ................................. Yea 

Joe Crittenden .................................. Nay 

Jodie Fishinghawk ........................... Yea 

Janelle Lattimore Fullbright ............ Yea 

David W. Thornton, Sr. ................... Yea 

Don Garvin ....................................... Yea 

Harley L. Buzzard ............................ Yea 

Curtis G. Snell ................................. Yea 

Meredith A. Frailey ......................... Yea 

Chris Soap ........................................ Yea 

Cara Cowan Watts ........................... Yea 

Buel Anglen ..................................... Yea 

Bradley Cobb .................................... Yea 

Charles Hoskin, Jr. ........................... Yea 

Julia Coates ...................................... Yea 

Jack D. Baker .................................... Yea 

[FR Doc. E9–23542 Filed 9–29–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–4J–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–R–2009–N181;60138–1265– 

6CCP–S3] 

Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, 

Stevensville, MT 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), intend to 

gather information necessary to prepare 

a comprehensive conservation plan 

(CCP) and associated environmental 

documents for Lee Metcalf National 

Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Stevensville, 

Montana. We furnish this notice in 

compliance with Service CCP policy to 

advise other agencies and the public of 

our intentions and to obtain suggestions 

and information on the scope of issues 

to consider in the planning process. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by 

November 13, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments or 

requests for more information by any of 

the following methods. 

E-mail: leemetcalf@fws.gov. Include 

‘‘Lee Metcalf CCP’’ in the subject line of 

the message. 

Fax: Laura King, Planning Team 

Leader, 406–644–2661. 

U.S. Mail: Laura King, Planning Team 

Leader, National Bison Range, Division 

of Refuge Planning, 58355 Bison Range 

Road, Moiese, MT 59824. 

In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off 

comments during regular business hours 

at the above address or at the Lee 

Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge office 

located in Stevensville, Montana, at 

4567 Wildfowl Lane. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laura King, 406–644–2211, extension 

210 (phone); or Michael Spratt, Chief, 

Division of Planning, P.O. Box 25486, 

Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 

80225. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we initiate our 

process for developing a CCP for Lee 

Metcalf NWR for the conservation and 

enhancement of its natural resources. 

This notice complies with our CCP 

policy to (1) Advise other Federal and 

State agencies, tribes, and the public of 

our intention to conduct detailed 

planning on this refuge and (2) obtain 

suggestions and information on the 

scope of issues to consider in the 

environmental document and during 

development of the CCP. 

Background 

The CCP Process 

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 and photography, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation. We will review and 

update the CCP at least every 15 years 

in accordance with the Administration 

Act. 

Each unit of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System was established for 

specific purposes. We use these 

purposes as the foundation for 

developing and prioritizing the 

management goals and objectives for 

each refuge within the National Wildlife 

Refuge System mission, and to 

determine how the public can use each 

refuge. The planning process is a way 

for us and the public to evaluate 

management goals and objectives that 

will ensure the best possible approach 

to wildlife, plant, and habitat 

conservation, while providing for 

wildlife-dependent recreation 

opportunities that are compatible with 

each refuge’s establishing purposes and 

the mission of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. 

Our CCP process provides 

participation opportunities for tribal, 

State, and local governments; agencies; 

organizations; and the public. At this 

time we encourage input in the form of 

issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions 

for the future management of Lee 

Metcalf NWR. 

We will conduct the environmental 

review of this project and develop 

environmental documents in 

accordance with the requirements of the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.); NEPA regulations (40 CFR 

parts 1500–1508); other appropriate 

Federal laws and regulations; and our 

policies and procedures for compliance 

with those laws and regulations. 

Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge 

This Refuge was established in 1963 

and has two purposes: 

(1) ‘‘For use as an inviolate sanctuary, 

or for any other management purpose, 

for migratory birds’’ (Migratory Bird 

Conservation Act); and 

(2) ‘‘for (a) incidental fish and wildlife 

oriented recreational development, (b) 

the protection of natural resources, 

[and] (c) the conservation of endangered 

species or threatened species’’ (Refuge 

Recreation Act). 

This Refuge is located in Ravalli 

County, 2 miles north of Stevensville, 

Montana. The Refuge is one of the 

Nation’s smaller refuges, encompassing 

2,800 acres, but it is one of the few 

remaining undeveloped areas in the 

Bitterroot Valley. The Refuge lies along 

the meandering Bitterroot River and is 

comprised of wet meadow and forested 

habitats and has created and modified 

wetlands. This Refuge provides 

numerous opportunities for the public, 

including walking trails and an outdoor 

classroom for students and visitors. The 

Refuge provides habitat for raptors, 

including ospreys and numerous 

waterfowl species. 

Scoping: Preliminary Issues, Concerns, 

and Opportunities 

We have identified preliminary 

issues, concerns, and opportunities that 

we may address in the CCP. During 

public scoping, we may identify 

additional issues. 


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50236 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 188 / Wednesday, September 30, 2009 / Notices 

We request input as to which issues 

affecting management or public use 

should be addressed during the 

planning process. We are especially 

interested in receiving public input in 

the following areas: 

(a) What do you value most about this 

Refuge? 

(b) What problems or issues do you 

see affecting management of this 

Refuge? 

(c) What changes, if any, would you 

like to see in the management of this 

Refuge? 

We provide the above questions for your 

optional use. We have no requirement 

that you provide information; however, 

any comments the planning team 

receives will be used as part of the 

planning process. 

Public Meetings 

We will give the public an 

opportunity to provide input at a public 

meeting to be scheduled for fall 2009. 

You can obtain the schedule from the 

planning team leader or the Refuge 

office (see ADDRESSES). Exact dates and 

times for these public meetings are yet 

to be determined, but will be announced 

via local and State media, the Region 6 

planning Web site at http:// 

www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/ 

planning/ccp.htm, and a planning 

update. If you would like to be notified 

of this meeting by mail, please provide 

your mailing address to the planning 

team leader (ADDRESSES). There will be 

additional opportunities to provide 

public input once we have prepared a 

draft CCP. 

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. 

Dated: September 8, 2009. 

Noreen E. Walsh, 

Deputy Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. E9–23551 Filed 9–29–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–ES–2009–N163; 80221–1113– 

0000–D3] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Draft Post-Delisting 

Monitoring Plan for the Brown Pelican 

(Pelecanus occidentalis) 

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of document availability 

for review and comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of the draft post-delisting 

monitoring plan for the brown pelican 

(Pelecanus occidentalis) (draft PDM 

Plan, Draft Monitoring Plan). The 

Endangered Species Act (Act) requires 

that we implement a system, in 

cooperation with the States, to monitor 

effectively, for at least 5 years, the status 

of all species that have been recovered 

and no longer need the protection 

afforded by the Act (i.e. delisted). The 

brown pelican has been proposed to be 

removed from the Federal List of 

Threatened and Endangered Wildlife 

and Plants due to recovery. If the brown 

pelican is removed from the list, we 

propose to monitor the status of the 

brown pelican over a 10-year period 

from 2010 through 2020, through annual 

evaluation of information collected by 

the States of California, Texas, and 

Louisiana; the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the 

West Indies; Mexico; other partners; and 

the Service. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by October 

30, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the 

Draft Monitoring Plan will be available 

on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/ 

Ventura. Requests for copies of the Draft 

Monitoring Plan and submission of 

written comments or materials regarding 

the plan should be addressed to Field 

Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Ventura Fish and Wildlife 

Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, 

Ventura, CA 93003. The Draft 

Monitoring Plan, reference materials, 

and submitted comments regarding the 

Draft Monitoring Plan will also be 

available for inspection, by 

appointment, during normal business 

hours at the above address. You may 

also submit electronic comments on the 

Draft Monitoring Plan to: 

FW8pelicanmonitoring@fws.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michael McCrary, Listing and Recovery 

Coordinator, at the above address or at 

telephone 805–644–1766, extension 

372. If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On February 20, 2008, we published 

a proposed rule to remove the brown 

pelican from the Federal List of 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

(List) due to recovery (73 FR 9408), with 

a 60-day comment period that closed on 

April 21, 2008. Our proposed rule 

concluded that the primary reason for 

severe declines in the brown pelican 

population in the United States, and for 

designating the species as endangered, 

was DDT contamination in the 1960s 

and early 1970s. Banning of DDT, along 

with other recovery actions, has resulted 

in increased population numbers and 

reproductive success, and information 

now indicates that major threats to 

brown pelicans have been reduced, 

managed, or eliminated. We are 

currently reviewing comments we 

received on the proposed rule and 

preparing responses as appropriate. 

Section 4(g) of the Act requires the 

Secretary of the Interior to implement a 

system in cooperation with the States to 

monitor effectively for not less than 5 

years the status of any species that is 

delisted due to recovery. The intent of 

this monitoring is to determine whether 

the species should be proposed for 

relisting under the normal listing 

procedures, relisted under the 

emergency listing authority of the Act, 

or kept off of the List because it remains 

neither threatened nor endangered. 

Brown pelican populations currently 

listed under the Act breed along the 

coast of the Gulf of Mexico from 

Mississippi to Texas; along the Pacific 

Coast from southern California, south 

through Mexico into Central and South 

America; and in the West Indies 

(Shields 2002, pp. 2–4). Additional 

information about the brown pelican’s 

biology and life history can be found in 

the Birds of North America, No. 609 

(Shields 2002, pp. 1–36). 

The brown pelican draft PDM Plan 

was developed in cooperation with the 

State resources agencies of California, 

Louisiana, and Texas and the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. If the 

brown pelican is removed from the 

Federal List of Threatened and 

Endangered Wildlife and Plants, our 

Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office will be 

the lead office responsible for this 

monitoring effort, and will coordinate 

all phases of implementation of the plan 

and ensure that monitoring 


CPrice-Sewell on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES