27838 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 95 / Thursday, May 17, 2007 / Notices 

with the requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (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 

regulations. All comments we receive 

on our environmental assessment 

become part of the official public 

record. We will handle requests for such 

comments in accordance with the 

Freedom of Information Act, NEPA [40 

CFR 1506.6(f)], and other Departmental 

and Service policies and procedures. 

When we receive a request, we generally 

will provide comment letters with the 

names and addresses of the individuals 

who wrote the comments. 

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge 

was established in 1957, under the 

Transfer of Real Property Act, as a result 

of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

navigation and flood control project. 

This 6,616-acre refuge is six miles south 

of Dardanelle, Arkansas, just off of State 

Highway 155. The refuge lies along the 

Arkansas River and is bounded by an 

old oxbow that was created when the 

Corps of Engineers cut a channel 

through the bend in the river to promote 

navigation and flood control. The 

primary objectives of the refuge are to: 

(1) Provide habitat for migratory 

waterfowl; (2) provide habitat for 

endangered species; (3) provide habitat 

for resident wildlife; and (4) provide 

interpretation and recreation to the 

public. 

Authority: This notice is published under 

the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997, Public 

Law 105–57. 

Dated: March 29, 2007. 

Cynthia K. Dohner, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. E7–9483 Filed 5–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Final Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan for Long Lake National Wildlife 

Refuge Complex, Moffit, ND 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) announces that a final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP) for the Long Lake National 

Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex) is 

available. This CCP, prepared pursuant 

to the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 and the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, describes how the Service intends 

to manage the Complex, which includes 

Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge 

(NWR), Slade NWR, Florence Lake 

NWR, and Long Lake Wetland 

Management District (WMD), for the 

next 15 years. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the final CCP or 

Summary is available by writing to 

Bernardo Garza, Planning Team Leader, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 

25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, 

Colorado 80225; or download from 

http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/ 

planning. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bernardo Garza, (303) 236–4377, or John 

Esperance, (303) 236–4369. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Complex is located within 

Burleigh, Emmons and Kidder Counties 

in south-central North Dakota. The final 

CCP for this Complex includes three 

NWRs and one WMD: 

• Long Lake NWR (22,310 acres in 

size) was established on February 25, 

1932, ‘‘as a refuge and breeding ground 

for migratory birds and wild animals’’; 

and ‘‘for use as an inviolate sanctuary, 

or for any other management purpose, 

for migratory birds.’’ This refuge 

encompasses 15,000 acres of brackish to 

saline marsh and lake; 1,000 acres of 

other wetlands; and approximately 

6,000 acres of tame and native 

grassland, woodland, and cropland. The 

refuge serves as an important staging 

area for migrating sandhill cranes, 

Canada geese and other waterfowl, 

shorebirds, and other migratory birds. 

Endangered whooping cranes often 

utilize refuge marshes during Spring 

and Fall migrations. 

• Slade NWR (3,000 acres in size) was 

established on October 10, 1944, ‘‘for 

use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any 

other management purpose, for 

migratory birds.’’

• Florence Lake NWR was established 

on May 10, 1939, ‘‘as a refuge and 

breeding ground for migratory birds and 

other wildlife’’; and ‘‘for use as an 

inviolate sanctuary, or for any other 

management purpose, for migratory 

birds.’’ The fee portion of this refuge 

consists of 1,468 acres. 

• Long Lake WMD manages 1,036 

perpetual wetland easements, 93 

perpetual grassland easements, 16 

Farmers Home Administration 

perpetual easements, 2,759 upland 

acres, one Garrison Diversion Unit 

mitigation tract managed as a Wildlife 

Development Area, and 78 Waterfowl 

Production Areas. The WMD was 

established with the purposes of 

assuring the long-term viability of the 

breeding waterfowl population and 

production through the acquisition and 

management of Waterfowl Production 

Areas, while considering the needs of 

other migratory birds, threatened and 

endangered species and other wildlife; 

‘‘as Waterfowl Production Areas subject 

to all provisions of the Migratory Bird 

Conservation Act except the inviolate 

sanctuary provisions’’; and ‘‘for any 

other management purposes, for 

migratory birds, and for conservation 

purposes.’’

This final CCP identifies goals, 

objectives and strategies for the 

management of the Complex that 

emphasize restoration and maintenance 

of Long Lake and other native habitats 

in vigorous condition to promote 

biological diversity. The CCP places 

high importance on the control of 

invasive plant species with partners and 

integrated pest management. It seeks to 

provide habitats in order to contribute 

to conservation, enhancement and 

production of migratory bird species, 

while protecting federally listed species. 

The availability of the draft CCP and 

Environmental Assessment (EA) for a 

30-day public review and comment 

period was announced in the Federal 

Register on July 10, 2006 (71 FR 38892–

38893). The draft CCP/EA evaluated 

four alternatives for managing the 

Complex for the next 15 years. 

The preferred alternative will expand 

the scope and level of efforts of the 

current management of habitats by 

incorporating adaptive resource 

management. This alternative will seek 

to improve and develop public use 

facilities to maximize existing and 

potential wildlife-dependent priority 

public use opportunities when they are 

compatible with other management 

objectives. Under this alternative, the 

Complex will strive to develop 

partnerships; encourage research that 

provides the necessary knowledge and 

data to guide habitat management 

decisions and activities; and to protect 

and/or restore additional wildlife 

habitats. 

This alternative was selected based on 

the EA, comments received, and 

because it best meets the purposes and 

goals of the Complex, as well as the 

goals of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System. The management direction of 

the Complex is expected to also benefit 

federally listed species, large ungulates, 

shore birds, migrating and nesting 

waterfowl, and neotropical migrants. It 

identifies increased environmental 

education and partnerships that are 

likely to result in improved wildlifeVerDate Aug<31>2005 17:15 May 16, 2007 Jkt 211001 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\17MYN1.SGM 17MYN1

pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 95 / Thursday, May 17, 2007 / Notices 27839 

dependent recreational opportunities. 

Finally, the CCP places high importance 

on the protection of cultural and 

historical resources. 

Dated: January 17, 2007. 

James J. Slack, 

Deputy Regional Director, Region 6, Denver, 

Colorado. 

[FR Doc. E7–9493 Filed 5–16–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Construction of a Health Center in 

Brevard County, FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice: receipt of application for 

an incidental take permit; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), announce the 

availability of an incidental take permit 

(ITP) application and Habitat 

Conservation Plan (HCP). Parrish 

Medical Center (applicant) requests an 

incidental take permit (ITP) for a 

duration of 2 years pursuant to section 

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

Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The 

applicant anticipates taking 

approximately 6.93 acre (ac) of Florida 

scrub-jay (Alphelocoma coerulescens)—

occupied habitat incidental to 

constructing a health center in Brevard 

County, Florida (project). The 

applicant’s HCP describes the mitigation 

and minimization measures the 

applicant proposes to address the effects 

of the project to the scrub-jay. 

DATES: We must receive any written 

comments on the ITP application and 

HCP on or before June 18, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the 

application and HCP, you may write the 

Field Supervisor at our Jacksonville 

Field Office, 6620 Southpoint Drive 

South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL, 

32216, or make an appointment to visit 

during normal business hours. If you 

wish to comment, you may mail or hand 

deliver comments to the Jacksonville 

Field Office, or you may e-mail 

comments to erin_gawera@fws.gov. For 

more information on reviewing 

documents and public comments and 

submitting comments, see 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin 

Gawera, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, 

Jacksonville Field Office (see 

ADDRESSES); telephone: 904/232–2580, 

ext. 121. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Review and Comment 

Please reference permit number 

TE151083–0 for Parrish Medical Center 

in all requests or comments. Please 

include your name and return address 

in your e-mail message. If you do not 

receive a confirmation from us that we 

have received your e-mail message, 

contact us directly at the telephone 

number listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. Our practice is to 

make comments, including names and 

home addresses of respondents, 

available for public review during 

regular business hours. We will make all 

submissions from organizations or 

businesses, and from individuals 

identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety. 

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. 

Background 

The Florida scrub-jay (scrub-jay) is 

found exclusively in peninsular Florida 

and is restricted to xeric uplands 

(predominately in oak-dominated 

scrub). Increasing urban and agricultural 

development has resulted in habitat loss 

and fragmentation, which have 

adversely affected the distribution and 

numbers of scrub-jays. 

The total estimated population is 

between 7,000 and 11,000 individuals. 

The decline in the number and 

distribution of scrub-jays in east-central 

Florida has been exacerbated by 

tremendous urban growth in the past 50 

years. Much of the historic commercial 

and residential development has 

occurred on the dry soils which 

previously supported scrub-jay habitat. 

Much of this area of Florida was settled 

early because few wetlands restricted 

urban and agricultural development. 

Due to the effects of urban and 

agricultural development over the past 

100 years, much of the remaining scrubjay habitat is now relatively small and 

isolated. What remains is largely 

degraded due to the exclusion of fire, 

which is needed to maintain xeric 

uplands in conditions suitable for scrubjays. 

Applicant’s Proposal 

The applicant is requesting take of 

approximately 6.93 ac of occupied 

scrub-jay habitat incidental to the 

construction of a health center. The 

project is located within Section 26 and 

27, Township 23 South, Range 35 East, 

Port St. John, Brevard County, Florida, 

on the south side of the Port St. John 

Interchange, west of Grissom Parkway. 

Development of the project, including 

infrastructure, parking areas and 

landscaping, preclude retention of 

scrub-jay habitat onsite. Therefore, the 

applicant proposes to mitigate for the 

loss of 6.93 ac of occupied scrub-jay 

habitat by donating $254,051 to the 

Florida Scrub-jay Fund administered by 

The Nature Conservancy. Funds in this 

account are earmarked for use in the 

conservation and recovery of scrub-jays 

and may include habitat acquisition, 

restoration, and/or management. The 

applicant also proposed to preserve and 

manage 6 ac of scrub habitat for scrubjays on site as described in their HCP. 

We have determined that the 

applicant’s proposal, including the 

proposed mitigation and minimization 

measures, would have minor or 

negligible effects on the species covered 

in the HCP. Therefore, the ITP is a ‘‘loweffect’’ project and qualifies for 

categorical exclusions under the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), as provided by the Department 

of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2 

Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6 Appendix 1). 

This preliminary information may be 

revised based on our review of public 

comments that we receive in response to 

this notice. A low-effect HCP is one 

involving (1) Minor or negligible effects 

on federally listed or candidate species 

and their habitats, and (2) minor or 

negligible effects on other 

environmental values or resources. 

We will evaluate the HCP and 

comments submitted thereon to 

determine whether the application 

meets the requirements of section 10(a) 

of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If we 

determine that the application meets 

those requirements, we will issue the 

ITP for incidental take of the Florida 

scrub-jay. We will also evaluate whether 

issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP 

complies with section 7 of the Act by 

conducting an intra-Service section 7 

consultation. We will use the results of 

this consultation, in combination with 

the above findings, in our final analysis 

to determine whether or not to issue the 

ITP. 

Authority: We provide this notice under 

Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act 

and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 


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