18852 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 28, 2012 / Notices 

the time for individual oral comments 

may be limited. 

Questions about the agenda or written 

comments may be emailed or submitted 

by U.S. Mail to: Department of the 

Interior, Office of the Secretary, Office 

of Wildland Fire, Attention: Shari 

Eckhoff, 300 E. Mallard Drive, Suite 

170, Boise, Idaho 83706–6648. WFEC 

requests that written comments be 

received by the Friday preceding the 

scheduled meeting. Attendance is open 

to the public, but limited space is 

available. Persons with a disability 

requiring special services, such as an 

interpreter for the hearing impaired, 

should contact Ms. Eckhoff at (202) 

527–0133 at least seven calendar days 

prior to the meeting. 

Dated: March 12, 2012. 

Roy Johnson, 

Designated Federal Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–7402 Filed 3–27–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–J4–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–R–2012–N058; FF06R06000– 

FXRS1265066CCP0S2–123] 

Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, 

Stevensville, MT; Draft Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan and Environmental 

Assessment 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments; announcement of public 

meeting 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of a Draft Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan (CCP) and 

Environmental Assessment (EA) for Lee 

Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, 

Stevensville, MT, for public review and 

comment. This Draft CCP/EA describes 

our proposal for managing the refuge for 

the next 15 years. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

submit your written comments by April 

30, 2012 in person or send them to one 

of the addresses, including email and 

fax, listed below. We will also be 

holding a public meeting, which will be 

announced in the statewide news media 

and on the refuge Web site. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

or requests for copies or more 

information by any of the following 

methods. You may request a hard copy 

of the document or view it on the 

Service’s planning Web site, http:// 

www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/ 

planning/ccp/mt/lmc/lmc.html. 

Email: leemetcalf@fws.gov. Include 

‘‘Lee Metcalf Draft CCP and EA’’ in the 

subject line of the message. 

Fax: Attn: Laura King, 406–644–2661. 

U.S. Mail: Laura King, National Bison 

Range, 58355 Bison Range Road, 

Moiese, MT 59824. 

In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or 

Pickup: Call (406–777–5552) to make an 

appointment (necessary for view/pickup 

only) during regular business hours at 

the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife 

Refuge headquarters located at 4567 

Wildfowl Lane, Stevensville, MT. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laura King, 406–644–2211, extension 

210 or email at leemetcalf@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we continue the CCP 

process for Lee Metcalf National 

Wildlife Refuge. We started this process 

through a notice in the Federal Register 

(74 FR 50235), on September 30, 2009. 

Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge 

was established February 4, 1964, and 

has two purposes: 

(1) ‘‘[F]or use as an inviolate 

sanctuary, or for any other management 

purpose, for migratory birds’’ (Migratory 

Bird Conservation Act); and 

(2) ‘‘for (a) incidental fish and wildlife 

oriented recreational development, (b) 

the protection of natural resources, 

[and] (c) the conservation of endangered 

species or threatened species’’ (Refuge 

Recreation Act). 

This refuge is located in Ravalli 

County, one of the fastest growing 

counties in the State of Montana, 2 

miles north of Stevensville and 25 miles 

south of Missoula. Although it is one of 

the nation’s smaller refuges, 

encompassing 2,800 acres, it is one of 

the few remaining undeveloped areas in 

the Bitterroot Valley. The refuge lies 

along the meandering Bitterroot River 

and is comprised of wet meadow and 

gallery and riverfront forest habitats and 

has created and modified wetlands. 

Riverfront forest includes early 

succession tree species such as black 

cottonwood and sandbar willow that are 

present near the active channel of the 

Bitterroot River and next to floodplain 

drainages. Gallery forest is dominated 

by cottonwood and ponderosa pine and 

is present on higher floodplain 

elevations along natural levees. Over 

140,000 visitors come to this refuge 

annually to view and photograph 

wildlife, archery deer hunt, walk the 

refuge trails, or participate in 

interpretive programs in the indoor and 

outdoor classrooms. The Refuge 

provides habitat for raptors, including 

ospreys, and numerous songbird and 

waterbird species. 

Background 

The CCP Process 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd–668ee) (Refuge Administration 

Act), as amended by the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997, requires us to develop a 

CCP for each national wildlife refuge. 

The purpose for developing a CCP is to 

provide refuge managers with a 15-year 

plan 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 our policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation and photography, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation. We will review and 

update the CCP as necessary, at least 

every 15 years in accordance with the 

Refuge Administration Act. 

Public Outreach 

The Service has involved the public, 

agencies, partners, and legislators 

throughout the planning process. At the 

beginning of the planning process, the 

Service initiated public involvement 

through a Federal Register notice and 

news releases in the statewide media. 

For initial public scoping, the Service 

held two open-house meetings, on 

September 29 and October 1, 2009, in 

Stevensville and Missoula, MT, 

respectively. These open houses were 

announced in local media and through 

the first planning update which was 

mailed to over 270 individuals and 

organizations. We have considered and 

evaluated all of the comments received, 

with many were incorporated into the 

various alternatives addressed in the 

draft CCP and the EA. 

CCP Alternatives We Are Considering 

During the public scoping process 

with which we started work on this 

draft CCP, we, other governmental 

partners, Tribes, and the public raised 

several issues. Our draft CCP addresses 

the issues that were raised. To address 

these issues, we developed and 

evaluated the following alternatives, 

summarized below. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 28, 2012 / Notices 18853 

Alternative A, Current Management 

(No Action) 

Alternative A is the no-action 

alternative, which represents the current 

management of the refuge. This 

alternative provides the baseline against 

which to compare the other alternatives. 

It also fulfills the requirement in the 

National Environmental Policy Act that 

a no-action alternative be addressed in 

the analysis process. 

Under alternative A, management 

activity currently conducted by the 

Service would remain the same. The 

Service would continue to manage and 

monitor refuge habitats at current levels. 

The Bitterroot River would continue to 

migrate through the refuge, eroding 

some levees and trails. Invasive species 

would be treated primarily with 

mechanical and chemical methods as 

resources become available. Water 

supply and management structures 

would be inadequate to properly 

manage many of the wetland 

impoundments. Cattail monocultures 

would be treated. The current staff of 

five would perform limited, issuedriven research and monitor only longterm wildlife and vegetation changes. 

Visitor services programs and facilities 

would be maintained or expanded as 

resources become available. Funding 

and staff levels would follow annual 

budget allocations provided for refuge 

operations on Service lands. 

Alternative B (Proposed Action) 

This alternative focuses on the 

expansion and restoration of native 

plant communities on the refuge, 

including grasslands, shrublands, and 

gallery and riverfront forests. Some 

areas that are currently part of wetland 

impoundments would be restored to 

native communities, including forest 

and shrubland. A significant focus of 

restoration proposals would be 

controlling invasive species and 

preventing further spread. Grasses and 

shrubs native to the uplands, including 

the alluvial fans, would begin to be 

restored to provide habitat for native 

wildlife, including grassland-dependent 

migratory birds. Some wetland 

impoundments and Service (nonpublic) 

roads would be removed or reduced in 

size to allow for river migration and to 

restore native gallery and riverfront 

forest for riparian-dependent wildlife. 

The remaining impoundments would be 

managed to mimic natural conditions 

for wetland-dependent migratory birds. 

The Service would expand and 

improve the refuge’s compatible 

wildlife-dependent public use 

programs, in particular the wildlife 

observation, environmental education, 

and interpretation programs. The visitor 

contact area would be expanded into a 

visitor center, with new displays and a 

combination conference room and 

environmental education classroom. 

New displays would be professionally 

planned and produced. The refuge 

would work with Ravalli County staff to 

designate the county road in the refuge 

as an auto tour route, which would 

include pulloffs and some form of 

interpretation. A seasonal hiking trail 

would be added, and current trails 

would be improved for wildlife 

observation and photography. 

Interpretation and environmental 

education programs would be 

expanded, using added staff and 

volunteers. All public use programs 

would provide visitors a consistent 

message about the purposes and values 

of the refuge and the mission of the 

Refuge System. The refuge staff would 

be expanded to include an assistant 

refuge manager, two biological science 

technicians (one full time and one 

career seasonal), and a visitor services 

specialist who would serve as a visitor 

center manager and volunteer 

coordinator. 

Increased research and monitoring, 

staff, funding, infrastructure, and 

partnerships would be required to 

accomplish the goals, objectives, and 

strategies associated with this 

alternative. Additional staff and funding 

would be added depending on the 

regional priorities for those funds 

allocated to the Service for management 

of lands and waters within the Refuge 

System. 

Alternative C 

Alternative C contains many of the 

elements found in alternative B related 

to expanding visitor service programs 

and facilities. However, habitat 

management would be focused on 

maintaining the wetland impoundments 

and attempting to restrict the 

movements of the Bitterroot River 

throughout the refuge. Habitat efforts 

would be primarily focused on 

providing waterfowl and other 

waterbird habitat. 

Public Meeting 

A public meeting, to be held at the 

refuge headquarters in Stevensville, MT, 

will be announced through the local 

media and the refuge’s Web site 

www.fws.gov/leemetcalf. 

Next Steps 

After this comment period ends, we 

will analyze the comments and address 

them in the form of a final CCP and 

NEPA finding. 

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. 

Dated: February 29, 2012. 

Matt Hogan, 

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

[FR Doc. 2012–7398 Filed 3–27–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R2–R–2012–N019; 

FXRS12610200000S3–123–FF02R06000] 

Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, 

Liberty County, TX; Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan and Environmental 

Assessment 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of a draft comprehensive 

conservation plan (CCP) and an 

environmental assessment (EA) for 

Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge 

(Refuge, NWR), located approximately 

50 miles northeast of Houston, Texas, 

for public review and comment. The 

Draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for 

managing the refuge for the next 15 

years. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by May 4, 

2012. We will announce upcoming 

public meetings in local news media. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

or requests for copies or more 

information by any of the following 

methods. You may request hard copies 

or a CD–ROM of the documents. Please 

contact Stuart Marcus, Refuge Manager, 

or Joseph Lujan, Natural Resource 

Planner. 

Email: Joseph_Lujan@fws.gov. Include 

‘‘Trinity River NWR draft CCP and EA’’ 

in the subject line of the message. 

Fax: Attn: Joseph Lujan, 505–248– 

6803. 

U.S. Mail: Joseph Lujan, Natural 

Resource Planner, U.S. Fish and 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES