27588 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Notices 

Each unit of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System, including each of these 

NWRs, is established with specific 

purposes. The Service uses these 

purposes to develop and prioritize 

management goals and objectives within 

the National Wildlife Refuge System 

mission, and to guide which public uses 

will occur on these Refuges. The 

planning process is a way for us and the 

public to evaluate management goals 

and objectives for the best possible 

conservation efforts of this important 

wildlife habitat, while providing for 

wildlife-dependent recreation 

opportunities that are compatible with 

the Refuges’ establishing purposes and 

the mission of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. 

The Service will conduct a 

comprehensive conservation planning 

process that will provide opportunity 

for Tribal, State, and local governments; 

agencies; organizations; and the public 

to participate in issue scoping and 

public comment for the future 

management of the Muscatatuck NWR, 

Tamarac NWR and WMD, and Big 

Muddy NWR. We invite anyone 

interested to respond to the following 

two questions: 

1. What issues do you want to see 

addressed in the CCP? 

2. What improvements would you 

recommend for the refuges? 

Responding to these two questions is 

optional; you are not required to 

provide information to us. Our Planning 

Team developed the questions to gather 

information about individual issues and 

ideas concerning these Refuges. 

Comments we receive will be used as 

part of the planning process; however, 

we will not reference individual 

comments in our reports or directly 

respond to them. 

We will also give the public an 

opportunity to provide input at open 

houses. You can obtain a schedule of 

the open house events by contacting the 

Refuge Managers listed in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

The environmental review of these 

projects will be conducted in 

accordance 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. 

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: March 26, 2007. 

Robyn Thorson, 

Regional Director, Robyn Thorson, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, 

Minnesota. 

[FR Doc. E7–9384 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife 

Refuge, Boquero ́n, PR 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

comprehensive conservation plan and 

environmental assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service, intend to gather information 

necessary to prepare a comprehensive 

conservation plan and associated 

environmental documents for the 

Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife 

Refuge. We furnish this notice in 

compliance with our comprehensive 

conservation planning policy to advise 

other agencies and the public of our 

intentions, and to obtain suggestions 

and information on the scope of issues 

to be considered in the planning 

process. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments by 

June 15, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments or 

requests for more information to Ms. 

Susan Silander, Refuge Manager, 

Caribbean Islands National Wildlife 

Refuge Complex, P.O. Box 510, 

Boquero ́n, PR 00622; Telephone: 787/ 

851–7258; or electronically to: 

susan_silander@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With this 

notice, we initiate the comprehensive 

conservation plan for Laguna Cartagena 

National Wildlife Refuge with 

headquarters in Boquero ́n, Puerto Rico. 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended 

by the National Wildlife Refuge System 

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

668dd–668ee), requires the Service to 

develop a comprehensive conservation 

plan for each national wildlife refuge. 

The purpose in developing a 

comprehensive conservation plan is to 

provide refuge managers with a 15-year 

strategy 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 Service policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, plans identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation, wildlife 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. 

We establish each unit of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System with specific 

purposes. We use these purposes to 

develop and prioritize management 

goals and objectives within the National 

Wildlife Refuge System mission, and to 

guide which public uses will occur on 

this refuge. The planning process is a 

way for us and the public to evaluate 

management goals and objectives for the 

best possible conservation efforts of this 

important wildlife habitat, while 

providing for wildlife-dependent 

recreation opportunities that are 

compatible with the refuge’s 

establishing purposes and the mission 

of the National Wildlife Refuge System. 

We will conduct a comprehensive 

conservation planning process that will 

provide opportunity for Tribal, State, 

and local governments; agencies; 

organizations; and the public to 

participate in issue scoping and public 

comment. We request input for issues, 

concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the 

management of the Laguna Cartagena 

National Wildlife Refuge in Boquero ́n, 

Puerto Rico. We invite anyone 

interested to respond to the following 

two questions: 

1. What problems or issues do you 

want to see addressed in the 

comprehensive conservation plan? 

2. What improvements would you 

recommend for the Laguna Cartagena 

National Wildlife Refuge? 

We have provided the above 

questions for your optional use; you are 

not required to provide information to 

us. Our Planning Team developed these 

questions to gather information about 

individual issues and ideas concerning 

this refuge. Our Planning Team will use 

comments it receives as part of the 

planning process; however, we will not 

reference individual comments in our 

reports or directly respond to them. 

We will also give the public an 

opportunity to provide input at an open 

house and public scoping meetings 

during 2007, to identity issues to be 

addressed in the plan. These events will 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 94 / Wednesday, May 16, 2007 / Notices 27589 

be advertised through local media 

outlets. You may also submit comments 

anytime during the planning process by 

writing to the address in the ADDRESSES

section. All information provided 

voluntarily by mail, phone, or at the 

public meetings becomes part of our 

official record (i.e., names, addresses, 

letters of comment, input recorded 

during meeting). 

We will conduct the environmental 

review of this project in accordance 

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. 

The Laguna Cartagena National 

Wildlife Refuge was established in 1989 

through a lease agreement with the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The 

present lagoon is a remnant of what was 

once a large open expanse of water and 

one of the most important freshwater 

habitats for migrating waterfowl and 

aquatic birds in Puerto Rico. Due to 

agricultural practices, about 90 percent 

of the lagoon is covered with cattail. In 

addition to the lagoon, there are uplands 

that include pastureland, abandoned 

sugar cane fields, and 263 acres in the 

foothills of the Sierra Bermeja. The total 

area of the refuge is 1,059 acres. The 

refuge objectives are to restore and 

maintain this locally important wetland 

ecosystem for the benefit of endangered 

species and migratory birds. These 

issues and the objectives along with 

others identified during the scoping 

process will be addressed during the 

development of the Draft CCP/EA. 

Authority: This notice is published under 

the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997, Public 

Law 105–57. 

Dated: February 8, 2007. 

Cynthia K. Dohner, 

Acting Regional Director. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received in the Office of the Federal Register 

on May 11, 2007. 

[FR Doc. E7–9403 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Energy Policy Act of 2005, Section 

1813, Report to Congress 

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of publication of report 

to Congress. 

SUMMARY: Section 1813 of the Energy 

Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–58) 

requires the Department of the Interior 

and the Department of Energy 

(Departments) to jointly consult with 

stakeholders and conduct a study of 

issues related to energy rights-of-way 

(ROWs) on tribal lands. The Act further 

directs the Departments to submit a 

report to Congress on the findings of the 

study. The Report to Congress is 

available on the Section 1813 Web site 

(http://1813.anl.gov). This Web site will 

remain active until August 8, 2007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Darryl Francois (DOI, Office of Indian 

Energy and Economic Development) at 

(202) 219–0740, or Kristen Ellis (DOE, 

Office of Congressional and 

Intergovernmental Affairs) at (202) 586–

5810. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–

8339, to contact the above individuals 

during business hours. FIRS is available 

twenty-four hours a day, seven days a 

week. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Section 1813 of the Energy Policy Act 

of 2005 (Pub. L. 109–58) requires the 

Department of the Interior and the 

Department of Energy (Departments) to 

jointly conduct a study of issues 

regarding grants, expansions, and 

renewals of energy rights-of-way 

(ROWs) on tribal lands. Section 1813 

also requires the Departments to consult 

with Indian tribes, the energy industry, 

appropriate governmental entities, and 

affected businesses and consumers in 

the course of the study. The Act further 

directs the Departments to submit a 

report to Congress on the findings of the 

study, including: (1) An analysis of 

historic rates of compensation paid for 

energy ROWs on tribal land; (2) 

Recommendations for appropriate 

standards and procedures for 

determining fair and appropriate 

compensation to Indian tribes for grants, 

expansions, and renewals of energy 

ROWs on tribal land; (3) An assessment 

of the tribal self-determination and 

sovereignty interests implicated by 

applications for the grant, expansion, or 

renewal of energy ROWs on tribal land; 

and (4) An analysis of relevant national 

energy transportation policies relating to 

grants, expansions, and renewals of 

energy ROWs on tribal land. 

The Departments held a number of 

public meetings to seek input and 

feedback from Indian tribes, the energy 

industry, appropriate governmental 

entities, and affected businesses and 

consumers. In addition the Departments 

held a number of government to 

government consultations with Indian 

tribes. The Departments released two 

draft reports and accepted comment 

about the content of both draft reports. 

This final Report to Congress reflects the 

Departments’ response to the considered 

and substantial comments received. The 

Report to Congress is available on the 

Section 1813 Web site (http:// 

1813.anl.gov) until August 8, 2007. 

Dated: May 11, 2007. 

Carl J. Artman, 

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. 

[FR Doc. E7–9431 Filed 5–15–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–96–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[F–14865–B; AK–964–1410–HY] 

Alaska Native Claims Selection 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of decision approving 

lands for conveyance. 

SUMMARY: As required by 43 CFR 

2650.7(d), notice is hereby given that an 

appealable decision approving lands for 

conveyance pursuant to the Alaska 

Native Claims Settlement Act will be 

issued to Deloycheet, Incorporated. The 

lands are in the vicinity of Holy Cross, 

Alaska, and are located in: 

Seward Meridian, Alaska 

T. 24 N., R. 55 W., 

Secs. 16 and 17; 

Sec. 18 and that portion of U.S. Survey No. 

10183 formerly within Native allotment 

application AA–59647. 

Containing approximately 1,636 acres. 

T. 26 N., R. 55 W., 

Secs. 4 to 8, inclusive; 

Secs. 17 to 20, inclusive; 

Secs. 29 to 32, inclusive. 

Containing 6,832.21 acres. 

T. 25 N., R. 58 W., 

Secs. 2 to 6, inclusive; 

Secs. 11 and 14; 

Secs. 23, 24 and 25. 

Containing 4,058.61. 

Aggregating approximately 12,527 acres. 


cprice-sewell on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES