20360 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 78 / Tuesday April 24, 2007 / Notices 

Dated: April 17, 2007. 

Reed R. Murray, 

Program Director, Department of the Interior. 

[FR Doc. E7–7749 Filed 4–23–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–RK–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Final Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan for Kirwin National Wildlife 

Refuge, KS 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) announces that the 

final Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP) and Environmental Assessment 

(EA) for Kirwin National Wildlife 

Refuge (Refuge) are available. This final 

CCP/EA describes how the Service 

intends to manage the Refuge for the 

next 15 years. 

ADDRESSES: Please provide written 

comments to Toni Griffin, Planning 

Team Leader, Division of Refuge 

Planning, P.O. Box 25486, Denver 

Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225, 

or electronically to toni_griffin@fws.gov. 

A copy of the CCP may be obtained by 

writing to U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Division of Refuge Planning, 

134 Union Boulevard, Suite 300, 

Lakewood, Colorado 80228; or by 

download from http://mountainprairie.fws.gov/planning. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Toni 

Griffin, 303–236–4378 (phone); 303–

236–4792 (fax); or toni_griffin@fws.gov 

(e-mail). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

Refuge, the first national wildlife refuge 

in Kansas, was established in 1954 as an 

overlay project on a U.S. Bureau of 

Reclamation (Reclamation) irrigation 

and flood control reservoir. Reclamation 

owns the land and controls reservoir 

water levels, while the Refuge staff 

manages all other activities on the land 

and water. 

Basic authority for the existence of the 

Refuge stems from the Fish and Wildlife 

Coordination Act, which authorized the 

establishment of wildlife areas on 

federal water projects. The primary 

purpose of the reservoir is to provide for 

flood control and provide irrigation 

water for the Kirwin Irrigation District. 

The purpose of the Refuge ‘‘* * * shall 

be administered by him (Secretary of the 

Interior) directly or in accordance with 

such rules and regulations for the 

conservation, maintenance, and 

management of wildlife, resources 

thereof, and its habitat thereon * * * in 

behalf of the National Migratory Bird 

Management Program’’ (Fish and 

Wildlife Coordination Act). The Refuge 

is managed in accordance with a 

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) 

between Reclamation and the Service 

that was updated and signed in 1985. 

The draft CCP and EA was made 

available to the public for a 30-day 

review and comment period following 

the announcement in the Federal 

Register on March 24, 2006 (71 FR 

14939–14940). The draft CCP/EA 

identified and evaluated two 

alternatives for managing the Refuge for 

the next 15 years. 

Alternative A, the No Action 

Alternative, would continue current 

management. The Refuge would 

continue to be managed in accordance 

with the MOA between Reclamation 

and the Service; the Cooperative 

Agreement between the Kansas 

Department of Wildlife and Parks; and 

the Kirwin Comprehensive Management 

Plan completed in 1996. Existing and 

proposed Refuge uses would be 

evaluated to comply with current 

Refuge laws, regulations, and policies. 

Alternative B, the Preferred 

Alternative (Wildlife, Habitat, and 

Public Use), strives to implement the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997. Under this 

alternative, the Refuge will continue to 

be managed in accordance with the 

current MOA between Reclamation and 

the Service. Other actions include 

continued habitat management for 

waterfowl and game species; expanded 

habitat management for nongame 

species and species of conservation 

concern by increasing efforts to manage 

and plant native grasses and forbs; 

promotion of wildlife-dependent 

recreation, with hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation, wildlife 

photography, environmental education, 

and interpretation receiving priority 

attention; discontinuance of nonwildlife dependent recreation uses (i.e., 

water and jet skiing, personal watercraft, 

camping, swimming, horseback riding, 

volleyball, basketball, tournament 

fishing, power and speed boating); 

enhanced management of invasive 

species; collection of in-depth baseline 

wildlife and habitat data on the Refuge, 

from which to monitor management 

actions; and development of 

partnerships with other state, federal, 

and conservation organizations to 

achieve common goals that enhance and 

support the Refuge program. 

The Service is furnishing this notice 

to advise other agencies and the public 

of the availability of the final CCP, to 

provide information on the desired 

conditions for the Refuge, and to detail 

how the Service will implement 

management strategies. Based on the 

review and evaluation of the 

information contained in the EA, the 

Regional Director has determined that 

implementation of the final CCP does 

not constitute a major federal action that 

would significantly affect the quality of 

the human environment within the 

meaning of Section 102(2)(c) of the 

National Environmental Policy Act. 

Therefore, an Environmental Impact 

Statement will not be prepared. Future 

site-specific proposals discussed in the 

final CCP will be addressed in separate 

planning efforts with full public 

involvement. 

Dated: December 8, 2006. 

James J. Slack, 

Deputy Regional Director, Region 6, Denver, 

Colorado. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received at the Office of the Federal Register 

on April 19, 2007. 

[FR Doc. E7–7740 Filed 4–23–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Endangered and Threatened Species 

Permit Applications 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications. 

SUMMARY: The following applicants have 

applied for scientific research permits to 

conduct certain activities with 

endangered species pursuant to section 

10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, as amended. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be received on or before 

May 24, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments should 

be submitted to the Chief, Endangered 

Species Division, Ecological Services, 

P.O. Box 1306, Room 4102, 

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103. 

Documents and other information 

submitted with these applications are 

available for review, subject to the 

requirements of the Privacy Act and 

Freedom of Information Act. Documents 

will be available for public inspection, 

by appointment only, during normal 

business hours at the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Ave. SW., 

Room 4102, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

Please refer to the respective permit 

number for each application when 

submitting comments. 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES