Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 27 / Wednesday, February 9, 2000 / Notices 6391

ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare a

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and

Associated Environmental Impact

Statement.

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(Service) is preparing a Comprehensive

Conservation Plan (CCP) and an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

for Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge,

Thurston and Pierce Counties,

Washington. The Service is furnishing

this notice in compliance with Service

CCP policy and the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and

implementing regulations to advise

other agencies and the public of our

intentions.

DATES: Submit comments on or before

March 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Address comments and

requests for more information to: Refuge

Manager, Nisqually National Wildlife

Refuge, 100 Brown Farm Road,

Olympia, Washington, 98516.

Submit electronic mail comments to:

FW1PubliclCommentsl

Nisqually@fws.gov. See Submitting

Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION for file formats and other

information about electronic

commenting.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Refuge Manager Jean Takekawa at (360)

753–9467 (see ADDRESSES section for

mailing address).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

During the Environmental Assessment

development process, a further

determination was made that an EIS

should be prepared to address NEPA

requirements for the development of the

CCP. A previous notice to prepare a CCP

was published in the Federal Register

(62 FR 52764–52765, Oct. 9, 1997).

It is Service policy to have all lands

within the National Wildlife Refuge

(NWR) System managed in accordance

with an approved CCP. The CCP guides

management decisions and identifies

refuge goals, long-range objectives, and

strategies for achieving refuge purposes.

Public input into this planning process

is encouraged. The CCP 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 Nisqually NWR was established

in 1974, ‘‘* * * for use as an inviolate

sanctuary, or for any other management

purposes, for migratory birds’’ (16

U.S.C. 715d). A CCP is needed to update

the 1978 Nisqually NWR Conceptual

Plan and facilitate potential changes in

habitat management and public uses,

with full public participation. The major

issues to be addressed in the CCP

include habitat protection and

enhancement, boundary expansion and

completion of the Refuge, riparian and

tidal restoration, control of invasive and

exotic vegetation, future flooding,

compatibility of secondary uses, public

access and accessibility, fishing, and

waterfowl hunting.

Starting in 1996, issues, goals, and

other comments on the CCP were

submitted by persons and organizations

involved in the scoping process

including: the Washington Department

of Fish and Wildlife; Ft. Lewis; the

Nisqually Indian Tribe; Thurston and

Pierce Counties; members of national,

state, and local conservation

organizations; neighboring landowners;

and other interested citizens. Comments

and concerns received are being used to

draft alternatives.

Five planning updates have been

mailed out to approximately 600

addresses. The first two updates

soliciting comments were mailed in

August and November 1996. The third

update, which announced the public

open houses, was mailed in November

1997. Comments received were used to

develop goals, key issues, and habitat

management strategies that were

presented at public open houses in the

fall of 1997. In addition, more than 600

issues workbooks were mailed or

distributed at the open houses. The

workbook, offered people a chance to

provide input on the CCP, draft Refuge

goals, and four main issues, including:

(1) Changing the mix of habitat types at

the Refuge; (2) trail access and

configuration; (3) waterfowl hunting;

and (4) Refuge expansion and land

protection. Planning update number

four, mailed in April 1998, summarized

the comments received from the

workbook. Update number five was

mailed in December 1998, and

summarized the results of three

workshops which focused on: public

use; grasslands; and estuarine and

freshwater wetlands restoration and

management. Copies of these planning

updates may be requested from the

Refuge.

Submitting Comments

With the publication of this notice,

the public is encouraged to send written

comments. Comments already received

are on record and need not be

resubmitted. All comments received

from individuals on a draft EIS become

part of the official public record.

Requests for such comments will be

handled in accordance with the

Freedom of Information Act, Council on

Environmental Quality’s NEPA

regulations 40 CFR 1506.6(f), and other

Service and Department policy and

procedures. When requested, the

Service generally will provide comment

letters with the names and addresses of

the individuals who wrote the

comments. However, the telephone

number of the commenting individual

will not be provided in response to such

requests to the extent permissible by

law. Additionally, public comment

letters are not required to contain the

author’s name, address, or other

identifying information. Such comments

may be submitted anonymously to the

Service.

You may submit comments by

sending electronic mail (e-mail) to:

FW1PubliclCommentsl

Nisqually@fws.gov. Submit comments

as an ASCII file, avoiding the use of

special characters and any form of

encryption. On the e-mail message title

line, please note that your message is in

response to the Nisqually NWR Draft

CCP and Draft EIS.

The environmental 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.), NEPA

Regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508), other

appropriate Federal laws and

regulations, Executive Order 12996, and

Service policies and procedures for

compliance with those regulations. We

estimate that the Draft CCP and Draft

EIS will be available by Summer 2000.

Dated: January 28, 2000.

Thomas Dwyer,

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 00–2871 Filed 2–8–00; 8:45 am]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Species

Permit Application

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application.

The following applicant has applied

for a permit to conduct certain activities

with endangered species. This notice is

provided pursuant to section 10(c) of

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.).

Permit Number TE022454–0

Applicant: The Nature Conservancy,

Michigan Chapter, East Lansing,

Michigan; Helen Taylor, State Director

6392 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 27 / Wednesday, February 9, 2000 / Notices

The applicant requests a permit for

the purpose of determining management

strategies for the Karner blue butterfly

(Lycaeides melissa samuelis) in

southwestern Newaygo County,

Michigan. The applicant proposes to

complete the following activities which

may take the Karner blue butterfly: (1)

Control and eliminate invasive alien

plants, particularly spotted knapweed

(Centaurea maculosa), by the initiation

of a proposed burn regime, hand-pulling

and spot-burning, (2) research and

monitoring of the species to determine

the impacts of the management regime

described above, and (3) to expand and

restore suitable habitat for occupation

by the species. Take (kill, harass) is

expected to occur in association with

proposed activities. Activities are

proposed for the enhancement of

survival of the species in the wild.

Written data or comments should be

submitted to the Regional Director, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological

Services Operations, 1 Federal Drive,

Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111–4056,

and must be received within 30 days of

the date of this publication.

Documents and other information

submitted with this application are

available for review by any party who

submits a written request for a copy of

such documents to the following office

within 30 days of the date of publication

of this notice: U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Ecological Services Operations,

1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling,

Minnesota 55111–4056. Telephone:

(612/713–5350); FAX: (612/713–5292).

Dated: February 3, 2000.

Charles M. Wooley,

Assistant Regional Director, Ecological

Services, Region 3, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

[FR Doc. 00–2986 Filed 2–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Environmental Assessment for

Construction of a Raised Boardwalk

and Improvements to Wildlife Viewing

Areas at Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Availability of the

Environmental Assessment for the

proposed construction of a raised

boardwalk and improvements to

wildlife viewing areas at Dyke Marsh

Wildlife Preserve (Dyke Marsh).

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Council on

Environmental Quality regulations and

National Park Service policy, the

National Park Service announces the

availability of an Environmental

Assessment for the proposed

construction of a raised boardwalk and

improvements to wildlife viewing

opportunities at Dyke Marsh Wildlife

Preserve, within the George Washington

Memorial Parkway (Parkway). The

Environmental Assessment examines

several alternatives for the specific

location, size, and configuration of the

boardwalk. The National Park Service is

soliciting comments on this

Environmental Assessment. These

comments will be considered in

evaluating it and making decisions

pursuant to the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA).

DATES: The Environmental Assessment

will remain available for public

comment 30 days from the date of

publication in the Federal Register.

Written comments should be received

no later than March 10, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this

Environmental Assessment should be

submitted in writing to: Ms. Audrey F.

Calhoun, Superintendent, George

Washington Memorial Parkway, Turkey

Run Park, McLean, Virginia 22101. The

Environmental Assessment will be

available for public inspection Monday

through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 4:00

p.m. at GWMP Headquarters, Turkey

Run Park, McLean, VA, on the National

Park Service Website www.nps.gov/

gwmp/Dmcons.html and at several

libraries in Alexandria, Fairfax and

Arlington, Virginia.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

National Park Service proposes to

construct a raised boardwalk and

viewing platform at the end of the ‘‘Haul

Road’’ trail in Dyke Marsh, now called

Dyke Marsh trail, an area that is

currently difficult to access because of

persistent wet conditions. The intent of

the proposed raised boardwalk is to

provide better access and viewing

opportunities than the current

proliferation of informal social trails

currently afford, and to encourage

visitor use patterns that are more

consistent with protection of the area’s

sensitive ecosystem. Specifically, the

proposed action aims to:

• Provide enhanced opportunities to

view wildlife and the environs of Dyke

Marsh by improving access to the area,

and affording a slightly elevated vantage

point from which visitors may view

wildlife and enjoy the surroundings.

• Enhance the protection of the area’s

natural resources by providing

appropriate facilities (i.e., a raised

boardwalk and interpretive waysides)

that encourage visitor use patterns and

activities that are consistent with

responsible management of the Dyke

Marsh ecosystem.

• Provide for increased educational

opportunities and public understanding

of Dyke Marsh and wetland ecology.

The proposed action is based on

longstanding observations by National

Park Service staff, general park visitors,

and members of the Friends of Dyke

Marsh. The current trail system neither

provides adequate access to the marsh,

nor is appropriate for the protection of

vegetation and wildlife, including

migratory and nesting bird species.

While the Dyke Marsh trail provides

reasonably good access to a point

somewhat beyond the existing wooden

footbridge, beyond that point the trail

simply degenerates into a network of

poorly defined, muddy social trails,

many of which are inundated at high

tide. While the social trails suggest a

desire by visitors to be able to access the

area, it is clear that there is no well

defined or officially provided trail to

meet that need. The existing conditions

are insensitive to protection of

vegetation and wildlife, and encourage

the inappropriate and unmanaged

development of more social trails. In

addition, tidal fluctuations effectively

limit opportunities to access some of the

most scenic and interesting portions of

the marsh, since much of the area is

inundated or excessively muddy much

of the time.

Increasingly, Dyke Marsh serves as a

venue for environmental education and

science programs for local school

systems. The Parkway’s expanding

Parks-As-Classrooms program, as well

as a multi-park science oriented

program brings elementary and high

school aged students to Dyke Marsh for

educational programs. Construction of

the boardwalk and viewing platform

would enhance educational

opportunities by making the marsh

more easily accessible and improving

wildlife viewing opportunities.

All interested individuals, agencies,

and organizations are urged to provide

comments on the Environmental

Assessment. The National Park Service

in making a final decision regarding this

matter will consider all comments

received by the closing date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Bart Truesdell, (703) 289–2530.

Audrey F. Calhoun,

Superintendent, George Washington

Memorial Parkway.

[FR Doc. 00–2883 Filed 2–8–00; 8:45 am]

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