Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 195 / Friday, October 6, 2000 / Notices 59861

Total Estimated Burden Hours:

44,800.

Status: Reinstatement, without

change.

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35, as

amended.

Dated: September 29, 2000.

Wayne Eddins,

Departmental Reports Management Officer,

Office of the Chief Information Officer.

[FR Doc. 00–25670 Filed 10–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee

National Wildlife Refuge;

Comprehensive Conservation Plan,

Environmental Assessment and

Finding of No Significant Impact

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service

has published a Comprehensive

Conservation Plan, Environmental

Assessment, and a Finding of No

Significant Impact for the Arthur R.

Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife

Refuge. This refuge, located seven miles

west of Boynton Beach, Florida, consists

of 221 square miles of the last remaining

northern Everglades. The plan describes

how the Fish and Wildlife Service

intends to manage the refuge for the

next 15 years.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the above

documents will be available on October

6, 2000, and may be obtained by writing

to Mark J. Musaus, Refuge Manager,

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee

National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 10216 Lee Road,

Boynton Beach, Florida 33437–4796. In

the meantime, a copy of the

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and

Environmental Assessment can be

obtained from the following website

address: http://loxahatchee.fws.gov

SUMMARY INFORMATION: The plan

provides a clear statement regarding the

future management of the refuge;

ensures that the refuge’s management

actions are consistent with refuge

purposes and mandates of the National

Wildlife Refuge System; and addresses

the issues regarding the renewal

(planned by January 1, 2002) of the

refuge’s license agreement with the

South Florida Water Management

District, including issues relating to

modifying the agreement and

management capabilities and

responsibilities. The major issues

addressed in the plan include invasive

exotic species; biological diversity;

water quality, quantity, timing, and

delivery; land use changes; habitat and

wildlife protection; appropriate and

compatible wildlife-dependent public

recreational opportunities and access;

environmental education and

interpretation; and partnerships.

Dated: September 19, 2000.

Steven P. Thompson,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 00–25712 Filed 10–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent To Prepare

Comprehensive Conservation Plans,

and Conduct Biological, Public Use,

and Wilderness Reviews for the

Central Mississippi National Wildlife

Refuge Complex. The Complex

Includes Yazoo Refuge in Washington

County; Panther Swamp Refuge in

Yazoo County; Hillside and Morgan

Brake Refuges in Holmes County; and

Mathews Brake Refuge in Leflore

County

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the Fish and Wildlife Service,

Southeast Region, intends to gather

information necessary to prepare a

comprehensive conservation plan and

associated environmental documents

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act and implementing

regulations to achieve the following:

(1) Advise other agencies and the

public of our intentions, and

(2) To obtain suggestions and

information on the scope of issues to

include in the environmental

documents.

DATES: Written comments should be

received within 60 days of this

publication.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and

requests for more information to the

following:

Ms. Laura Reid, Natural Resource

Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

728 Yazoo Refuge Road, Hollandale,

Mississippi 38748, (662) 839–2638.

If you wish to comment, you may

submit your comments by any one of

several methods. You may mail

comments to the above address. You

may also comment via the Internet to

the following address:

Laura_Reidfws.gov. Please submit

Internet comments as an ASCII file

avoiding the use of special characters

and any form of encryption. Please also

include your name and return address

in your Internet message. If you do not

receive a confirmation from the system

that we have received your Internet

message, contact us directly at the above

address. Our practice is to make

comments, including names and home

addresses of respondents, available for

public review during regular business

hours. Individual respondents may

request that we withhold their home

address from the rulemaking record,

which we will honor to the extent

allowable by law. There also my be

circumstances in which we would

withhold from the rulemaking record a

respondent’s identity, as allowable by

law. If you wish us to withhold your

name and/or address, you must state

this prominently at the beginning of

your comment. However, we will not

consider anonymous comments. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By Federal

law, all lands within the National

Wildlife Refuge System are to be

managed in accordance with an

approved comprehensive conservation

plan. These plans will guide

management decisions and identify

refuge goals, long-range objectives, and

strategies for achieving refuge purposes.

The planning process will consider

many elements, including habitat and

wildlife management, habitat protection

and acquisition, public use, and cultural

resources. Public input into this

planning process is essential. The plan

will provide other agencies and the

public with a clear understanding of the

desired conditions for the refuge and

how the Service will implement

management strategies.

The Service will solicit information

from the public via open houses,

meetings, and written comments.

Special mailings, newspaper articles,

and announcements will inform people

in the general refuge area of the time

and place of such opportunities for

public involvement. Review of this

project 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.),

National Environmental Policy Act

Regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), other

appropriate Federal laws and

regulations, including the National

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement

Act of 1997, Executive Order 12996, and

Service policies and procedures for

compliance with those regulations.

59862 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 195 / Friday, October 6, 2000 / Notices

We estimate that the draft

environmental documents will be

available in January 2003.

Dated: September 28, 2000

H. Dale Hall,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 00–25680 Filed 10–05–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent To Prepare

Comprehensive Conservation Plans

for Reelfoot, Lake Isom, Chickasaw,

Lower Hatchie, and Hatchie National

Wildlife Refuges, and Sunk Lake Public

Use Natural Area in Tennessee

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the Fish and Wildlife Service,

Southeast Region, intends to gather

information necessary to prepare

comprehensive conservation plans and

associated environmental documents

pursuant to the Service’s

Comprehensive Conservation Planning

Policy and the National Environmental

Policy Act and implementing

regulations to achieve the following:

(1) Advise other agencies and the

public of our intentions, and

(2) Obtain suggestions and

information on the scope of issues to

include in the environmental

documents.

Public scoping meetings will be held

as follows:

Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge,

Sunk Lake Public Use Natural Area,

Thursday, October 26, 2000, 7 P.M.,

Community Conference Room, Baptist

Memorial Hospital, 1995 Highway 51

South, Covington, Tennessee 38019.

Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge,

Thursday, November 2, 2000, 7 P.M.,

Multi-Purpose Room, Tennessee

Technology Center, 127 Industrial

Drive, Ripley, Tennessee 38063.

Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge,

Monday, November 6, 2000, 7 P.M.,

Brownsville-Haywood County

Chamber of Commerce, 121 West

Main, Brownsville, Tennessee 38012.

Reelfoot and Lakes Isom National

Wildlife Refugees, Tuesday,

November 14, 2000, 7 P.M., Ellington

Center, Route 1, Box 2345,

Tiptonville, Tennessee 38079,

(Located on Highway 21–22,

approximately 2 miles east of

Tiptonville at the State Park Visitor

Center.)

DATES: Written comments should be

received within 60 days of this

publication.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and

requests for more information to the

following: Rob Martin, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 309 N. Church Street,

Room 201, Dyersburg, Tennessee 38024,

(901) 287–0650, (901) 286–0468 (Fax).

If you wish to comment, you may

submit your comments by any one of

several methods. You may mail

comments to the above address. You

may also comment via the Internet to

the following address:

Rob_Martin@fws.gov. Please submit

Internet comments as an ASCII file

avoiding the use of special characters

and any form of encryption. Please also

include your name and return address

in your Internet message. If you do not

receive a confirmation from the system

that we have received your Internet

message, contact us directly at the above

address. Our practice is to make

comments, including names and home

addresses of respondents, available for

public review during regular business

hours. Individual respondents may

request that we withhold their home

address from the rulemaking record,

which we will honor to the extent

allowable by law. There also may be

circumstances in which we would

withhold from the rulemaking record a

respondent’s identity, as allowable by

law. If you wish us to withhold your

name and/or address, you must state

this prominently at the beginning of

your comment. However, we will not

consider anonymous comments. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By Federal

law, all lands within the National

Wildlife Refuge System are to be

managed in accordance with an

approved comprehensive conservation

plan. These plans will guide

management decisions and identify

refuge goals, long-range objectives, and

strategies for achieving refuge purposes.

The planning process will consider

many elements, including public use

management, habitat management,

wildlife population management, and

cultural resource identification and

protection. Alternatives that address the

issues and management strategies

associated with these topics will be

included in the environmental

documents.

Pre-planning for each of the above

stated national wildlife refuges, as well

as the public use natural area, began in

January 2000. Reelfoot Refuge was

established in 1941 under terms of a 75-

year cooperative agreement with the

State of Tennessee. Lake Isom Refuge

was established by a Presidential

Proclamation in 1938. Chickasaw

Refuge was established August 5, 1985,

by the Migratory Bird Conservation

Commission, as was Lower Hatchie

Refuge in 1980, and Hatchie Refuge in

1964. Sunk Lake Public Use Natural

Area was purchased in 1986 by the

Natural and Cultural Areas Acquisition

Fund. Reelfoot, Lake Isom, Chicasaw,

and Lower Hatchie Refuges were

established for use as inviolate

sanctuaries, or for any other

management purpose, for migratory

birds. Hatchie Refuge was established to

provide habitat for wintering and

migrating waterfowl, particularly

dabbling ducks. The Fish and Wildlife

Service manages the Sunk Lake Public

Use Natural Area in accordance with

State Natural Area rules of the

Tennessee Department of Conservation.

Dated: September 28, 2000.

H. Dale Hall,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 00–25681 Filed 10–5–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Intent To Prepare a

Comprehensive Conservation Plan for

St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge in

Franklin County, FL

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the Fish and Wildlife Service,

Southeast Region, intends to gather

information necessary to prepare a

comprehensive conservation plan and

associated environmental documents

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act and implementing

regulations to achieve the following:

(1) Advise other agencies and the

public of our intentions, and

(2) To obtain suggestions and

information on the scope of issues to

include in the environmental

documents.

DATES: Written comments should be

received on or before December 5, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and

requests for more information to the

following:

Mr. Steve Ovenden, Natural Resource

Planner, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

7298 Coastal Highway, Crawfordville,

Florida 32327, (850) 925–1497.

If you wish to comment, you may

submit your comments by any one of

several methods. You may mail

comments to the above address. You