Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 33 / Friday, February 17, 2012 / Notices 9693 

pintail (koloa ma ̄pu), Northern shoveler 

(koloa moha ̄), lesser scaup, Pacific 

golden-plover (ko ̄lea) and ruddy 

turnstone (‘akekeke). A majority of the 

refuge is closed to general public access; 

however, trails, overlooks, and 

educational programs provide the 

public with opportunities to view some 

of Hawai‘i’s endangered and migratory 

wildlife. 

Kakahai‘a NWR, located on the 

southeastern coast of the island of 

Moloka‘i, was established in 1976 to 

protect and provide habitat for 

endangered species. Habitats found on 

this refuge include freshwater marsh, 

grassland, dry forest, and coastal strand. 

The refuge has the potential to provide 

breeding, foraging, and resting areas for 

endangered waterbirds, a variety of 

migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and 

other wetland birds. Some of the more 

common migrants are koloa ma ̄pu and 

ko ̄lea. Kakahai‘a NWR is closed to the 

general public; however, 

nongovernmental organizations 

occasionally conduct wetland education 

programs. 

During the CCP planning process, 

many elements were considered, 

including wildlife management and 

habitat protection, compatible wildlifedependent recreational opportunities, 

on- and off-site environmental 

educational opportunities, and 

coordination with State and Federal 

agencies and other interested groups. 

The draft CCPs and EAs identified 

and evaluated three alternatives for 

managing each refuge. These were 

available for a 30-day public review and 

comment period, which included two 

open house public meetings. The 

Service incorporated or responded to 

the comments on the Kea ̄lia Pond NWR 

draft CCP and Kakahai‘a NWR draft CCP 

in the final CCPs. 

Selected Alternative for Each Refuge 

All actions in the selected alternative 

for each refuge are subject to funding 

and any other compliance requirements. 

After considering the comments we 

received, we have selected each refuge’s 

Alternative C for implementation. 

Implementing Alternative C for the 

CCPs will encompass the following key 

actions: 

Kea ̄lia Pond NWR 

The Service will remove the most 

aggressive invasive plants and control 

pickleweed on the flats. Planned 

projects include constructing a water 

control structure, developing new wells 

to deliver water to target areas, and 

recontouring topography to maintain 

water on the flats. We expect an 

increased capability to dewater and 

flood the Main Pond will enhance our 

dust, midge, and tilapia control efforts. 

New vegetated blinds will provide 

better wildlife viewing opportunities, 

and public interpretation and 

environmental education programs will 

be expanded. Internships will be 

provided for up to five students. 

Wildlife monitoring on the proposed 

Molokini Unit will include up to six 

visits during the period running March 

through November, and we will initiate 

a native plant restoration plan. 

Kakahai‘a NWR 

If funded, we will restore the 15-acre 

Old Pond and 5.5 acres of New Pond by 

removing California bulrush and other 

aggressive nonnative species, dredging 

accumulated sediment, recontouring 

topography, removing radial levees, 

reconstructing perimeter levees, 

replacing the water control structure, 

and replacing the pump between the 

two ponds. A well, pump, water 

distribution line, and control outlet for 

New Pond will be constructed, and 

levees will be rebuilt. All monitoring 

activities will resume as part of the 

wetland restoration. A predator-proof 

fence will be installed to protect 

wetland habitat and species. The coastal 

strand will be restored and protected 

from further erosion to provide a 

protective barrier to the refuge wetlands 

and highway. A cultural resources 

survey will be completed for the entire 

refuge. Opportunities for visitors to 

engage in compatible wildlifedependent recreation may expand with 

new staffing. At a minimum, a kiosk 

will be constructed along the refuge 

entrance road and volunteer groups will 

be developed to assist refuge staff with 

restoration and maintenance activities. 

Dated: November 9, 2011. 

Robyn Thorson, 

Regional Director, Pacific Region, Portland, 

Oregon. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3648 Filed 2–16–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–R–2011–N212; FF06R06000– 

FXRS1265066CCP0S2–123] 

Establishment of Flint Hills Legacy 

Conservation Area, Kansas 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public 

that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service) has established the Flint Hills 

Legacy Conservation Area, the 555th 

unit of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System. The Service established the 

Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area on 

September 28, 2011, with the donation 

of a conservation easement in 

Chautauqua County, Kansas. 

ADDRESSES: A map depicting the 

approved Refuge boundary and other 

information regarding the Refuge is 

available on the Internet at http:// 

www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/ 

planning/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy Thornburg, Planning Team Leader, 

USFWS, Division of Refuge Planning, 

P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 

80225. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Service established the Flint Hills 

Legacy Conservation Area, which covers 

all or part of 21 counties in eastern 

Kansas. Today, less than 4 percent of 

the once-vast tallgrass prairie remains, 

most (80 percent) of which lies within 

the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas and 

northeastern Oklahoma. The Service 

will work to conserve tallgrass prairie 

and the wildlife resources in the 

conservation area primarily through the 

purchase of perpetual easements from 

willing sellers in Kansas. These 

conservation easements will protect 

native grassland birds, as well as over 

80 species of native fish, and native 

mollusks that depend on the pristine 

streams that are found in the Flint Hills 

region. 

The Service recognizes the 

importance of protecting and fostering 

traditional cultural values, including 

ranching lifestyles and economies, in 

concert with habitat conservation 

interests. Ranching has historically 

played a major role in preserving the 

tallgrass ecoregion—and by extension, 

conserving valuable fish and wildlife 

habitat. Based on anticipated levels of 

landowner participation, objectives for 

the conservation area are to protect up 

to 1.1 million acres of tallgrass prairie 

habitat. The conservation area is a 

landscape-scale effort to conserve 

populations of native grassland birds, 

which are among the most consistently 

declining species in the United States. 

Therefore, it is important to incorporate 

the elements of strategic habitat 

conservation (SHC) to ensure effective 

conservation. SHC entails strategic 

biological planning and conservation 

design, and integrated conservation 

delivery, monitoring, and research at 

ecoregional scales. 

This conservation area allows the 

Service to purchase perpetual 

conservation easements, using the 

acquisition authority of the Fish and 

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9694 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 33 / Friday, February 17, 2012 / Notices 

Wildlife Act of 1956 (16 U.S.C. 742a–j). 

The Federal money used to acquire 

conservation easements is primarily 

from the Land and Water Conservation 

Fund Act of 1965, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 460l–4 through 11) (derived 

primarily from oil and gas leases on the 

Outer Continental Shelf, motorboat fuel 

taxes, and the sale of surplus Federal 

property). Additional funding to acquire 

lands, water, or interests for fish and 

wildlife conservation purposes could be 

identified by Congress or donated by 

nonprofit organizations. The purchase 

of easements from willing sellers will be 

subject to available money. 

The Service has involved the public, 

agencies, partners, and legislators 

throughout the planning process for the 

easement program. At the beginning of 

the planning process, the Service 

initiated public involvement for the 

proposal to protect habitats primarily 

through acquisition of conservation 

easements for management as part of the 

Refuge System. The Service spent time 

discussing the proposed project with 

landowners; conservation organizations; 

Federal, State and county governments; 

tribes; and other interested groups and 

individuals. For initial public scoping, 

the Service held three open-house 

meetings, on November 30, December 1, 

and December 2, 2009, in Alma, 

Wichita, and Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, 

respectively. These open houses were 

announced in local media. 

In compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Service 

prepared an environmental assessment 

(EA) that evaluated two alternatives and 

their potential impacts on the project 

area. The Service released the draft EA 

and land protection plan (LPP), on April 

14, 2010, for a 30-day public review 

period. The draft documents were made 

available to Federal elected officials and 

agencies, State elected officials and 

agencies, Native American tribes with 

aboriginal or tribal interests, and other 

members of the public that were 

identified during the scoping process. 

The Service held three additional openhouse public meetings to discuss the 

draft EA and land protection plan LPP, 

on April 21, 22, and 23, 2010—at El 

Dorado, Cottonwood Falls, and Alma, 

Kansas, respectively. These meetings 

were announced in advance in local 

media. Approximately 148 landowners, 

citizens, and elected representatives 

attended the meetings. The Service 

received 7 letters from agencies, 

organizations, and other entities, and 24 

general public comments. After all 

comments were received, they were 

reviewed and incorporated into the EA 

and administrative record. 

Based on the documentation 

contained in the EA, a Finding of No 

Significant Impact was signed on July 

30, 2010, for the establishment of the 

Flint Hills Legacy Conservation Area. 

Dated: December 23, 2011. 

Noreen E. Walsh, 

Deputy Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie 

Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3756 Filed 2–16–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLAZ910000.L14300000.DB0000.

LXSS058A0000] 

Notice of Availability of the Draft 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Restoration Design Energy Project 

and Land Use Plan Amendments 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA); the Council 

on Environmental Quality and the 

Department of the Interior regulations 

implementing NEPA; and the Federal 

Land Policy and Management Act of 

1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) Arizona State Office 

has prepared a Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement (EIS) for the 

Restoration Design Energy Project 

(RDEP) to evaluate proposed 

amendments to several Resource 

Management Plans (RMPs) to identify 

lands across Arizona that may be 

suitable for developing renewable solar 

and wind energy, and to establish a 

baseline set of environmental protection 

measures for such projects. By this 

notice, the BLM is announcing the 

beginning of a 90-day public review and 

comment period on the Draft EIS. 

DATES: To ensure comments will be 

considered, the BLM must receive 

written comments on the RDEP Draft 

EIS within 90 days following the date 

the Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes its Notice of Availability in 

the Federal Register. The BLM will 

announce future meetings or hearings 

and any other public involvement 

activities at least 15 days in advance 

through local media, newspapers, 

mailings, and the BLM Web site at: 

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en.html. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on the RDEP Draft EIS by any of the 

following methods. 

• Email: az_arra_rdep@blm.gov. 

• Fax: Attn: Lane Cowger, (602) 417– 

9454; and 

• Mail or other delivery service: 

BLM–Arizona State Office, Attn: 

Restoration Design Energy Project, One 

North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 

Phoenix, AZ 85004–4427. 

Please be sure to include your name, 

any organization you represent, and 

return address with your comment. 

Copies of the Draft EIS are available 

at the BLM–Arizona State Office, One 

North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 

Phoenix, Arizona 85004, or it can be 

downloaded from the project Web site: 

http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/ 

energy/arra_solar.htm. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kathy Pedrick, BLM Project Manager; 

Telephone: 602–417–9235; Mail: One 

North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 

Phoenix, Arizona 85004–4427; or email: 

az_arra_rdep@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 RDEP 

supports the Secretary of the Interior’s 

goals to build America’s new energy 

future and to protect and restore 

treasured landscapes. The purpose of 

the RDEP is to conduct statewide 

planning that fosters environmentally 

responsible production of solar and 

wind energy and allows the permitting 

of future solar and wind energy 

development projects to proceed in a 

more efficient and standardized manner. 

The RDEP would amend BLM land use 

plans to identify geographic areas in 

Arizona best suited for solar and wind 

energy development, including solar 

and wind technologies, and to establish 

a baseline set of environmental 

protection measures for such projects. 

The BLM is proposing to identify 

Renewable Energy Development Areas 

(REDAs), BLM-administered lands that 

may be suitable for the development of 

solar and wind facilities, and a Solar 

Energy Zone (SEZ) with a priority for 

utility-scale (greater than 20 megawatts) 

solar development. These areas include 

disturbed sites and lands with low 

resource sensitivity and few 

environmental conflicts. Through 

scoping and outreach activities, 

disturbed sites have been identified 

throughout Arizona, including former 

landfills, brownfields, mines, isolated 

BLM parcels, and Central Arizona 

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