62606 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 207 / Thursday, October 26, 2006 / Notices 

through wildlife viewing and 

interpretation on adjacent OPRD lands. 

Public use on the Cape Meares Refuge 

is managed cooperatively by the OPRD 

and the Service through a Memorandum 

of Agreement. 

The Oregon Islands Refuge is located 

along 320 miles of the Oregon coast, and 

includes 1,853 rocks, islands and reefs, 

and two headlands (Coquille Point in 

Coos County, and Crook Point in Curry 

County). In 1970, 1978 and 1996, the 

rocks, islands and reefs within the 

Refuge were designated wilderness, 

with the exception of Tillamook Rock. 

The rocks, reefs and islands of Oregon 

Islands Refuge and wilderness lands 

were acquired to serve as a refuge and 

breeding ground for birds and marine 

mammals. The Coquille Point headland 

was acquired in 1991 to: Provide a 

buffer zone between the Refuge’s 

offshore islands and mainland 

development; protect a bluff zone for 

the wildlife species that are dependent 

on it; and provide one of the best 

opportunities along the Oregon coast for 

wildlife observation. The Crook Point 

headland was acquired in 2000 to 

provide permanent protection to one of 

the few remaining undisturbed 

headlands on the Oregon coast, 

resulting in increased protection for 

major near shore seabird breeding 

colonies and pinniped pupping and 

haulout sites within the Oregon Islands 

Refuge. A relatively undisturbed 

intertidal zone, unique geological 

formations, rare plants, and cultural 

resource sites on the mainland are also 

protected within the Refuge. 

The Three Arch Rocks Refuge is 

located a half-mile west of the town of 

Oceanside, and is comprised of nine 

rocks and islands encompassing 15 

acres of seabird and marine mammal 

habitat. The Refuge was established in 

1907 and was accorded Wilderness 

status in 1970. The Refuge is closed to 

public use to protect seabirds, marine 

mammals, and their habitats from 

human disturbance. A seasonal closure 

of the waters within 500 feet of the 

Refuge is enforced yearly from May 1 

through September 15. Interpretation, 

wildlife photography, and wildlife 

observation are all existing public uses 

of Three Arch Rocks Refuge, which 

occur offsite at both Cape Meares State 

Scenic Viewpoint and from Oceanside 

Beach State Recreation Area. 

Preliminary Issues, Concerns, and 

Opportunities 

Preliminary issues, concerns, and 

opportunities that have been identified 

and may be addressed in the CCP, are 

briefly summarized below. Additional 

issues will be identified during public 

scoping. 

During the CCP planning process, the 

Service will analyze methods for 

protecting the resources of the Cape 

Meares Refuge in the long term, while 

continuing to provide quality 

opportunities for wildlife-dependent 

recreation in partnership with OPRD, 

volunteers, and a Friends group. 

At the Oregon Islands and Three Arch 

Rocks Refuges, the Service will identify 

and consider a wide range of techniques 

and partnerships in the CCP, for 

protection of the sensitive and 

irreplaceable wildlife, habitat, and 

cultural resources contained within 

these Refuges. Opportunities for the 

public to enjoy the Refuges will be 

examined. The Service will also 

evaluate the extensive inventory, 

monitoring, and research needs of these 

Refuges, within the context of Refuge 

needs and priorities, and in the wider 

context of regional, national, and 

international conservation priorities, 

and will analyze and determine 

methods for prioritizing and 

accomplishing these needs. 

Public Meetings 

Five public open house meetings will 

be held in November 2006. The public 

open house meetings will be held on 

weeknights between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 

p.m. Addresses and dates for the public 

meetings follow. 

1. November 1, 2006, Newport High 

School, Boone Center Room, 322 NE 

Eads St., Newport, OR 97365. 

2. November 6, 2006, Oceanside 

Community Center, 1550 Pacific St., 

Oceanside, OR 97134. 

3. November 8, 2006, Cannon Beach 

Elementary School, 268 Beaver, Cannon 

Beach, OR 97110. 

4. November 14, 2006, Brookings High 

School Auditorium, 564 Fern St., 

Brookings, OR 97415. 

5. November 15, 2006, Bandon High 

School Cafeteria, 550 Ninth Street, SW., 

Bandon, OR 97411. 

Opportunities for public input will be 

announced throughout the CCP 

planning process. All comments 

received from individuals become part 

of the official public record. Requests 

for such comments will be handled in 

accordance with the Freedom of 

Information Act, NEPA, and Service and 

Departmental policies and procedures. 

Dated: September 25, 2006. 

David J. Wesley, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, 

Oregon. 

[FR Doc. E6–17940 Filed 10–25–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of the 

Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

and Finding of No Significant Impact for 

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in 

Dare County, North Carolina. 

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service 

announces that a Final Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan and Finding of No 

Significant Impact for Pea Island 

National Wildlife Refuge are available 

for distribution. The plan was prepared 

pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997 and in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969. It 

describes how the refuge will be 

managed for the next 15 years. The 

compatibility determinations for 

recreational hunting, fishing, wildlife 

observation, wildlife photography, and 

environmental education and 

interpretation are also available within 

the plan. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the plan may be 

obtained by writing to: Bonnie Strawser, 

P.O. Box 1969, Manteo, North Carolina 

27954, or by electronic mail to: 

bonnie_strawser@fw.gov. The plan may 

also be accessed and downloaded from 

the Service Web site http:// 

southeast.fws.gov/planning/. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

availability of the Draft Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan and Environmental 

Assessment for a 30-day public review 

and comment period was announced in 

the Federal Register on February 6, 

2006 (71 FR 6089). The draft plan and 

environmental assessment identified 

and evaluated five alternatives for 

managing the refuge over the next 15 

years. Based on the environmental 

assessment and the comments received, 

the Service adopted Alternative 2 as its 

preferred Alternative. This alternative 

was considered to be the most effective 

for meeting the purposes of the refuge 

and the mission of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. Under this alternative, 

the refuge will continue to manage very 

intensively the water levels of the 

impoundments and the vegetation to 

create optimum habitat for migrating 

waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, 

and aquatic organisms. The refuge will 

continue to allow five of the six priority 

public uses of the Refuge System, as 

identified in the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997. These uses are: fishing, wildlife 


ycherry on PROD1PC64 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 207 / Thursday, October 26, 2006 / Notices 62607 

observation, wildlife photography, and 

environmental education and 

interpretation. 

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, 

in northeastern North Carolina, consists 

of approximately 5,800 acres of ocean 

beach, barrier dunes, salt marshes, fresh 

and brackish water ponds and 

impoundments, as well as tidal creeks 

and bays. These habitats support a 

variety of wildlife species including 

waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, sea 

turtles, and neotropical migratory 

songbirds. 

Authority: This notice is published under 

the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997, Public 

Law 105–57. 

Dated: May 3, 2006. 

Cynthia K. Dohner, 

Acting Regional Director. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received at the Office of the Federal Register 

on October 23, 2006. 

[FR Doc. 06–8897 Filed 10–25–06: 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Availability, Draft Restoration 

Plan and Environmental Assessment 

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), on behalf of the 

Department of the Interior (DOI), as the 

natural resource trustee, announces the 

release for public review of the Draft 

Natural Resource Damages Restoration 

Plan and Environmental Assessment 

(RP/EA) for the John Heinz National 

Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum (JHNWR). 

The Draft RP/EA presents a preferred 

alternative that compensates for impacts 

to natural resources caused by: (1) The 

release of oil at the JHNWR; and (2) the 

release of hazardous substances from 

the Publicker Industries Inc. National 

Priorities List Superfund Site. Natural 

resource damages received from the 

impacts from the release of oil and 

hazardous substances are being 

combined and used for restoration 

activities at the JHNWR. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before November 27, 

2006. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the RP/EA are 

available for review during office hours 

at: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, John 

Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at 

Tinicum, 8601 Lindbergh Boulevard, 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19153, and 

online at http://heinz.fws.gov. Requests 

for copies of the RP/EA may be made to 

the same address and to: U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Field 

Office, 315 South Allen Street, Suite 

322, State College, Pennsylvania 16801. 

Written comments or materials 

regarding the RP/EA should be sent to 

the State College address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Melinda Turner, Environmental 

Contaminants Program, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Field 

Office, 315 South Allen Street, Suite 

322, State College, Pennsylvania 16801. 

Interested parties may also call 814–

234–4090 or e-mail 

Melinda_Turner@fws.gov for further 

information. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In July 

2005, the DOI, acting as natural resource 

Trustee, reached a natural resource 

damages settlement in the amount of 

$865,000 for natural resource injuries 

associated with the discharge of oil that 

occurred on February 2, 2000, at the 

JHNWR. The discharge of oil and the 

remedial activities injured Service trust 

resources (migratory birds and Federal 

lands). 

In addition, the DOI reached two 

settlement agreements between 1989 

and 1996 for natural resource injuries 

associated with the Publicker Industries 

Inc. Superfund Site, located 

approximately 7 miles upstream from 

the JHNWR. Natural resource injuries 

associated with the Publicker Site 

included injuries to Service trust 

resources (migratory birds and 

anadromous fish) from the discharge of 

hazardous substances. Because of the 

similar resource injuries associated with 

the sites, an opportunity exists to 

combine the Sunoco settlement funds 

with those acquired from the 

settlements from the nearby Publicker 

Superfund Site to create a larger-scale 

restoration action. The combined funds 

available for restoration activities from 

the oil release and Publicker settlements 

total $1,523,845. Restoration projects 

proposed in the Draft RP/EA include 

wetland restoration at the JHNWR. 

The RP/EA is being released in 

accordance with the Oil Pollution Act of 

1990, (33 U.S.C. et seq.), the 

Comprehensive Environmental 

Response, Compensation, and Liability 

Act of 1980 as amended, commonly 

known as Superfund, (42 U.S.C. 9601 et 

seq.), the Natural Resource Damage 

Assessment Regulations found at 43 

CFR, part 11, and the National 

Environmental Policy Act. It is intended 

to describe and evaluate the Trustee’s 

proposal to restore natural resources 

injured by the release of oil at the 

JHNWR and release of hazardous 

substances from the Publicker National 

Priorities List Superfund Site. 

The RP/EA describes and compares a 

reasonable number of habitat restoration 

alternatives. Restoration projects which 

provide similar services as those 

impacted by the release of oil and 

hazardous substances and coincide with 

the primary goals of the JHNWR are 

preferred. Based on an evaluation of the 

various restoration alternatives, the 

preferred alternative consists of 

removing filled material to restore 

freshwater tidal wetland at the JHNWR. 

Restoration of wetlands will compensate 

for injuries to natural resources, 

including migratory birds, migratory 

bird habitat, anadromous fish, and 

Federal lands. 

Interested members of the public are 

invited to review and comment on the 

RP/EA. Copies of the RP/EA are 

available for review at the John Heinz 

National Wildlife Refuge, 8601 

Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, 

Pennsylvania 19153, and online at 

http://heinz.fws.gov. Requests for copies 

of the RP/EA may be made to the same 

address and to the Service’s 

Pennsylvania Field Office at 315 South 

Allen Street, Suite 322, State College, 

Pennsylvania 16801. Written comments 

will be considered and addressed in the 

final RP/EA at the conclusion of the 

restoration planning process. 

Author: The primary author of this 

notice is Melinda Turner, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Pennsylvania Field 

Office, 315 South Allen Street, Suite 

322, State College, Pennsylvania 16801. 

Authority: The authority for this action is 

the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, (33 U.S.C. et 

seq.), the Comprehensive Environmental 

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 

1980 as amended, commonly known as 

Superfund, (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), and the 

Natural Resource Damage Assessment 

Regulations found at 43 CFR part 11. 

Dated: September 15, 2006. 

Anthony D. Leger, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 5, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the 

Interior, DOI Designated Authorized Official. 

[FR Doc. E6–16878 Filed 10–25–06; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[WY–100–05–1310–DB] 

Notice of Meetings of the Pinedale 

Anticline Working Group 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 


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