8892 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / Notices 

Alternative B: Optimize WildlifeDependent Public Use and Management 

(Proposed Alternative) 

The proposed alternative, Alternative 

B, would emphasize management of the 

natural resources of Clarks River NWR 

based on maintaining and improving 

wetland habitats, monitoring targeted 

flora and fauna representative of the 

surrounding Clarks River watershed, 

and providing quality public use 

programs and wildlife-dependent 

recreational activities. All species 

occurring on the refuge would be 

considered, and certain targeted species 

would be managed for and monitored in 

addition to species of Federal 

responsibility. These species would be 

chosen based on the criteria that they 

are indicators of the health of important 

habitat or species of concern. 

Information gaps in knowledge of the 

refuge’s aquatic species would be 

addressed. 

Restoration efforts, habitat 

management, a prescribed fire program, 

and forest management would reflect 

best management practices determined 

after examination of historical regimes, 

soil types and elevation, and the current 

hydrological system. Management 

actions would be monitored for 

effectiveness and adapted to changing 

conditions, knowledge, and technology. 

A habitat management plan would be 

developed to plan future habitat projects 

and evaluate previous actions. 

Overall public use would be 

monitored to determine if any negative 

impacts are occurring on resources from 

overuse. Education programs would be 

reviewed and improved to complement 

current management and current 

staffing. Public use programs would be 

updated to support and teach the 

reasons behind management actions, 

and to provide quality experiences to 

visitors. The refuge headquarters would 

be developed to provide more visitor 

services. In an increasingly developing 

region, a balanced wildlife-dependent 

recreational program would be a focus 

under this alternative. A new visitor 

center would be constructed. 

Archaeological resources would be 

surveyed. 

The refuge currently has fee-title 

ownership of about 8,634 acres with an 

approved acquisition boundary of 

19,605 acres. Lands are purchased on a 

willing-seller basis only. Alternative B 

includes a proposed expansion of 

34,269 acres and would bring the total 

refuge acquisition boundary to 

approximately 53,874 acres, and would 

protect lands along the east and west 

forks of the Clarks River. Land 

acquisitions within the existing and 

proposed expanded acquisition 

boundaries would be based on 

importance of the habitat for target 

management species. We would offer 

interpretation of refuge wildlife and 

habitats, as well as demonstrate habitat 

improvements for individual 

landowners. 

In general, under Alternative B, 

management decisions and actions 

would support wildlife species and 

habitat occurring on the refuge based on 

well-planned strategies and sound 

scientific judgment. Quality wildlifedependent recreational uses and 

environmental education and 

interpretation programs would be 

offered to support and explain the 

natural resources of the refuge. 

This alternative would add six new 

positions to current staffing in order to 

protect resources, provide visitor 

services, and attain goals of facilities 

and equipment maintenance in the 

future. The biological environment 

would improve as adaptive and best 

management practices are utilized. 

Socioeconomic values should also 

increase as we offer increased wildlifedependent recreational opportunities. 

Areas such as this are beneficial to local 

ecotourism trade and residents 

searching for natural landscapes and 

associated benefits. 

Alternative C: Maximize WildlifeDependent Recreation and Management 

Alternative C would emphasize 

maximizing wildlife-dependent 

recreational uses on the refuge. The 

increase of nine staff members in 

addition to the existing employees 

would support public use activities, 

including hunting, fishing, wildlife 

observation, wildlife photography, and 

environmental education and 

interpretation. In general, the focus 

would be on expanding public use 

activities to the fullest extent possible, 

while conducting only mandated 

resource protection, such as 

conservation of threatened and 

endangered species, migratory birds, 

and archaeological resources. 

All management programs for 

conservation of wildlife and habitat, 

such as monitoring, surveying, and 

researching, would support species and 

resources of importance for public use 

enhancement. Emphasis would be 

placed more on interpreting and 

demonstrating these programs than 

actual implementation. Providing access 

with trails would be maximized, as well 

as providing public use facilities 

throughout the refuge. Federal trust 

species and archaeological resources 

would be monitored as mandated, but 

other species targeted for management 

would depend on which ones the public 

is interested in utilizing. Habitat 

restoration efforts would be based on 

public use demands and criteria rather 

than determined through methods using 

a strategic habitat conservation 

approach. 

With the majority of staff time and 

funds supporting a public use program, 

wildlife-dependent recreation and 

environmental education and 

interpretation could be more successful 

than in the other alternatives. Land 

acquisitions within the approved 

acquisition boundary would be based on 

importance of the habitat for public use. 

The refuge headquarters and visitor 

center would be developed for public 

use activities such as interpretation and 

outreach. 

Next Step 

After the comment period ends, we 

will analyze the comments and address 

them. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email 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. 

Authority 

This notice is published under the 

authority of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997 (Pub. L. 105–57). 

Dated: January 4, 2012. 

Mark J. Musaus, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3477 Filed 2–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

National Park Service 

[FWS–R6–R–2011–N211; 

FXRS1265066CCP0S2–123–FF06R06000] 

Detailed Planning To Consider 

Additional Land Protection on the 

Missouri River From Fort Randall Dam 

to Sioux City, IA; National 

Environmental Policy Act Documents 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

National Park Service, Interior. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / Notices 8893 

ACTION: Notice of intent; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public 

that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(FWS) and the National Park Service 

(NPS), U.S. Department of the Interior, 

as lead agencies, intend to gather 

information necessary to complete 

detailed planning and prepare 

associated documents under the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) and its implementing 

regulations, in order to consider 

additional land protection on the 

Missouri River from Fort Randall Dam 

to Sioux City, Iowa. The FWS and NPS 

are furnishing this notice in compliance 

with the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Administration Act of 1966, as 

amended, and the National Park Service 

Organic Act of 1916, as amended, to 

advise other agencies, Tribal 

governments, and the public of our 

intentions and to obtain suggestions and 

information on the scope of issues to 

include in the environmental 

documents. Special mailings, 

newspaper articles, and other media 

announcements will inform people of 

the opportunities for input throughout 

the planning process. 

DATES: We are soliciting written 

comments and will hold public scoping 

meetings in February 2012. Information 

on meeting dates and times will be 

available at http:// 

parkplanning.nps.gov/niob-ponca when 

that information is available. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments or 

requests for more information by any of 

the following methods. 

Email: niobrara_ponca@fws.gov. 

U.S. Mail: Nick Kaczor, USFWS, 

Division of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box 

25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick 

Kaczor, Planning Team Leader, Division 

of Refuge Planning, USFWS, P.O. Box 

25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, the FWS and NPS, 

as lead agencies, propose to complete 

detailed planning on a joint 

comprehensive conservation strategy 

and land protection plan (LPP) for the 

Niobrara Confluence and Ponca Bluffs 

areas of the Missouri River in southeast 

South Dakota and northeast Nebraska 

aimed to improve floodplain 

management. The LPP would develop a 

proposal for a comprehensive 

conservation strategy, including a plan 

aimed at enhancing wildlife habitat, 

increasing recreational opportunities, 

and improving floodplain management 

within the study area, by working with 

willing landowners to strategically 

protect land through acquisition and 

conservation easements. 

The Niobrara Confluence segment 

between Fort Randall Dam and Lewis 

and Clark Lake is one of the last 

portions of the middle Missouri River 

that remain un-channelized, relatively 

free-flowing, and undeveloped. This 

area of the Missouri River’s main 

channel in the old, wider river valley 

contains important habitat for at least 60 

native and 26 sport fish. In addition, the 

riparian woodlands and island 

complexes are important for 

approximately 25 year-round bird 

species and 115 species of migratory 

birds, including piping plovers, least 

terns, and bald eagles. 

The Ponca Bluffs segment between 

Gavins Point Dam and Sioux City is a 

diverse, relatively unaltered, riverine/ 

floodplain ecosystem characterized by a 

main channel, braided channels, 

wooded riparian corridor, pools, chutes, 

sloughs, islands, sandbars, backwater 

areas, wetlands, natural floodplain and 

upland forest communities, pastureland, 

and croplands. This area also supports 

a wide variety of wildlife and fisheries 

resources similar to the Niobrara 

Confluence segment. 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 outlines six 

priority public uses (hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation, wildlife 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation) that are to 

be facilitated on national wildlife 

refuges, where compatible. 

The river reaches are components of 

the National Wild and Scenic River 

System as designated by Congress in 

1978 and 1991 under the Wild and 

Scenic River Act (Pub. L. 90–542, as 

amended). The National Park Service is 

the river administering agency and is 

tasked to protect and enhance the 

outstandingly remarkable recreational, 

fish and wildlife, and scenic or similar 

values. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 

specifies that these river reaches shall 

be preserved in free-flowing condition 

and that their Outstandingly 

Remarkable Values shall be protected 

for the benefit and enjoyment of present 

and future generations. 

Public feedback into the land 

protection planning process is essential 

to ensure that the FWS and NPS include 

society’s input into the proposed 

project. FWS and NPS will request 

public review and comment throughout 

the planning process. 

Background 

The Missouri River basin 

encompasses 530,000 square miles— 

approximately one-sixth of the 

continental United States. The main 

stem, stretching from Three Forks, 

Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri, is the 

longest river in the United States, at 

more than 2,300 miles long. 

Historically, the Missouri River was a 

dynamic ecosystem, characterized by a 

changing interplay of open free-flowing, 

braided channel, sandbar, prairie, 

wetland, and forest habitats. Although 

manmade structures and activities have 

altered many of these natural processes, 

important habitats still remain, for a 

rich diversity of plants and animals. The 

dynamic nature of the Missouri River 

means that habitats change on a daily, 

seasonal, annual, and long-term basis. 

Erosive forces constantly transport 

sediment down the river, creating and 

modifying habitat and removing 

terrestrial vegetation from some areas 

while creating suitable conditions for 

new plants to grow in other areas. 

Seasonal river flow patterns flood riverbottom wetlands and maintain chutes, 

backwaters, and lakes in the floodplain 

that provide important wildlife breeding 

and foraging habitat. The combination 

of open water, floodplain wetlands, and 

river vegetation is particularly 

important for the large number of 

migratory birds that use the Missouri 

River during spring and fall migrations. 

Despite significant alterations of 

impoundment and stabilization, 

portions of the Missouri River have 

shown resiliency, exhibiting numerous 

historical characteristics witnessed by 

Lewis and Clark during their 

explorations in the early 1800s. The 

FWS and NPS will work with local 

communities and willing landowners to 

conserve significant stretches of the 

Missouri River. The opportunity to 

preserve and potentially improve 

important processes and habitats for fish 

and wildlife will provide benefits to 

visitors, neighbors, and local 

communities of these areas now and 

into the future. The project proposal is 

designed to improve conditions within 

the channel migration zone, retaining 

those habitat characteristics important 

to federally managed species such as 

pallid sturgeon, least tern, and piping 

plover, while potentially mitigating 

flooding impacts in the future. In 

addition, the project proposal is also 

designed to enhance recreation 

opportunities such as boating, fishing, 

hunting, and camping, while increasing 

scenic values along the river and 

protecting cultural resources. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
8894 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 31 / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / Notices 

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. 

Authorities 

The FWS and NPS are furnishing this 

notice in compliance with 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; the National 

Park Service Organic Act of 1916, as 

amended; and the National 

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.) and its implementing 

regulations. 

Dated: December 2, 2011. 

Matt Hogan, 

Acting, Deputy Regional Director, MountainPrairie Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Dated: December 20, 2011. 

Michael T. Reynolds, 

Regional Director, NPS, Midwest Region. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3491 Filed 2–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P; 4312–51–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCON06000–L16100000–DP0000] 

Notice of Resource Advisory Council 

Meetings for the Dominguez-Escalante 

Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Public Meetings. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) DominguezEscalante Advisory Council (Council) 

will meet as indicated below. 

DATES: Meetings will be held March 21, 

2012; April 4, 2012; and May 2, 2012. 

All meetings will begin at 3 p.m. and 

will normally adjourn at 6 p.m. These 

meetings are in addition to the alreadyscheduled meeting on March 7, 2012, 

which was advertised through a 

separate notice. Any adjustments to 

duration of meetings will be advertised 

on the Dominguez-Escalante RMP Web 

site, http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/ 

denca/denca_rmp.html. Field trips may 

be scheduled in these months as well. 

Notice of field trips will also be posted 

on the Web site. 

ADDRESSES: Meetings on March 21 and 

May 2 will be held at the Delta County 

Courthouse, Room 234, 501 Palmer, 

Delta, Colorado. The meeting on April 4 

will be held at the Mesa County 

Courthouse Annex, Training Room A, 

544 Rood, Grand Junction, Colorado. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Katie Stevens, Advisory Council 

Designated Federal Official, 2815 H 

Road, Grand Junction, CO 81506. Phone: 

(970) 244–3049. Email: 

kasteven@blm.gov. 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 individual during 

normal business hours. The FIRS is 

available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 

to leave a message or question with the 

above individual. You will receive a 

reply during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 10- 

member Council advises the Secretary 

of the Interior, through the BLM, on a 

variety of planning and management 

issues associated with the resource 

management planning process for the 

Dominguez-Escalante National 

Conservation Area and Dominguez 

Canyon Wilderness. 

Topics of discussion during the 

meeting may include informational 

presentations from various resource 

specialists working on the resource 

management plan, as well as Council 

reports relating to the following topics: 

recreation, fire management, land-use 

planning process, invasive species 

management, travel management, 

wilderness, land exchange criteria, 

cultural resource management and other 

resource management topics of interest 

to the Council raised during the 

planning process. 

These meetings are anticipated to 

occur monthly, and may occur as 

frequently as every two weeks during 

intensive phases of the planning 

process. Dates, times and agendas for 

additional meetings may be determined 

at future Advisory Council Meetings, 

and will be published in the Federal 

Register, announced through local 

media and on the BLM’s Web site for 

the Dominguez-Escalante planning 

effort, www.blm.gov/co/st/en/nca/ 

denca/denca_rmp.html. 

These meetings are open to the 

public. The public may present written 

comments to the Council. Each formal 

Council meeting will have time 

allocated at the beginning and end of 

each meeting for hearing public 

comments. Depending on the number of 

persons wishing to comment and time 

available, the time for individual oral 

comments may be limited at the 

discretion of the chair. 

Dated: February 9, 2012. 

Helen M. Hankins, 

State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3490 Filed 2–14–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLMTB07900 09 L10100000 PH0000 

LXAMANMS0000] 

Notice of Public Meeting; Western 

Montana Resource Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) Western 

Montana Resource Advisory Council 

(RAC) will meet as indicated below. 

DATES: The meeting will be held March 

14, 2012, beginning at 9 a.m. with a 30- 

minute public comment period and will 

adjourn at 3 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be in the 

BLM’s Butte Field Office, 106 N. 

Parkmont, in Butte, MT. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 15- 

member council advises the Secretary of 

the Interior on a variety of management 

issues associated with public land 

management in Montana. During these 

meetings the council will participate in/ 

discuss/act upon several topics, 

including the BLM’s Sage Grouse 

Conservation Strategy, a report from the 

RAC’s recreation fee subgroup, and 

reports from the Butte, Missoula and 

Dillon field offices. 

All RAC meetings are open to the 

public. The public may present written 

comments to the RAC. Each formal RAC 

meeting will also have time allocated for 

hearing public comments. Depending on 

the number of persons wishing to 

comment and time available, the time 

for individual oral comments may be 

limited. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATON CONTACT: 

David Abrams, Western Montana 

Resource Advisory Council Coordinator, 

Butte Field Office, 106 North Parkmont, 

Butte, MT 59701, 406–533–7617, 

dabrams@blm.gov. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Information 

Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES