Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 232 / Monday, December 5, 2005 / Notices 72463 

and objectives in the CCP describe how 

the agency intends to manage the refuge 

over the next 15 years. 

DATES: Written comments on the 

Supplement to the Draft CCP/EIS will be 

accepted up to 60 days after publication 

of this notice in the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Supplement 

are available on compact disk or hard 

copy. You may access and download a 

copy via the planning Web site http:// 

fws.gov/midwest/planning/uppermiss/ 

index.html or you may obtain a copy by 

writing to the following address: U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of 

Conservation Planning, Bishop Henry 

Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal 

Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111. 

All comments should be addressed to 

Upper Mississippi National Wildlife 

and Fish Refuge, Attention: CCP 

Supplement Comment, 51 East 4th 

Street, Room 101, Winona, Minnesota 

55987, or direct e-mail to 

r3planning@fws.gov. Comments may 

also be submitted through the Service’s 

regional Web site at: http:// 

www.fws.gov/midwest/planning/ 

uppermiss/index.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don 

Hultman, at (507) 452–4232. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Upper 

Mississippi River National Wildlife and 

Fish Refuge encompasses 240,000 acres 

along 261 miles of Mississippi River 

floodplain in Minnesota, Wisconsin, 

Iowa, and Illinois. The Refuge was 

established by Congress in 1924 to 

provide a refuge and breeding ground 

for migratory birds, fish, other wildlife, 

and plants. The Refuge is perhaps the 

most important corridor of habitat in the 

central United States due to its species 

diversity and abundance, and is the 

most visited refuge in the United States 

with 3.7 million annual visitors. 

The Draft CCP/EIS was released for 

public review May 1, 2005, for a 120- 

day comment period ending August 31, 

2005. The Refuge hosted 21 public 

meetings and workshops attended by 

2,900 people. The workshops resulted 

in 87 workgroup reports with comments 

or recommendations on major issues. 

We also received 2,438 written 

comments including comments from the 

four states involved, the Corps of 

Engineers, and 41 conservation or 

recreation-related organizations, and 6 

petitions with more than 3,000 

signatures. 

In response to the high degree of 

public interest and comment, in July 

2005 we announced through the media 

the intent to issue a new preferred 

alternative following the comment 

period to reflect the input received. This 

Supplement is the new preferred 

alternative and is called Alternative E—

Modified Wildlife and Integrated Public 

Use Focus. This new preferred 

alternative, along with the previous four 

alternatives, will be included in the 

Final CCP/EIS. 

The Supplement contains both 

substantive and editorial changes to 

Alternative D, the initial preferred 

alternative. Substantive changes were 

made to several objectives which 

addressed several issues or topics, 

including: no hunting zones around 

some hiking/observation trails, changes 

to the boundaries and regulations for the 

Waterfowl Hunting Closed Areas, a 25 

daily shotshell limit and 100 yard 

spacing requirement for waterfowl 

hunting, a managed hunt to address a 

waterfowl hunting firing line, changes 

to camping and other beach-related 

recreational use, proposed Electric 

Motor Areas, and boat ramp launch fees. 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended 

by the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd–668ee et seq.) requires the 

Service to develop a CCP for each 

National Wildlife Refuge. The purpose 

in developing a CCP is to provide refuge 

managers with a 15-year strategy 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 Service policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction for conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, the CCP identifies 

wildlife-dependent 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 these CCPs at least 

every 15 years in accordance with the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended 

by the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997, and the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4370d). 

Dated: October 24, 2005. 

Charles M. Wooley, 

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota. 

[FR Doc. E5–6814 Filed 12–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Draft Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan and Environmental Assessment 

for Shawangunk Grasslands National 

Wildlife Refuge 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service, we, our) announces 

that the draft Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan (CCP) and 

Environmental Assessment (EA) for the 

Shawangunk Grasslands National 

Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is available for 

review. The Service prepared this CCP/ 

EA in compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and 

the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended 

by the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd, et seq.). 

DATES: The draft CCP/EA will be 

available for public review and 

comment for a 45-day period starting 

with the publication of this notice. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft CCP/EA 

on compact diskette or in print may be 

obtained by writing to Nancy McGarigal, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 

Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, 

Massachusetts 01035, or e-mail 

northeastplaning@fws.gov. The 

document may also be viewed on the 

Web site at http://library.fws.gov/ 

ccps.htm. We plan to host one evening 

public meeting in the Town of 

Shawangunk. We will announce the 

details at least 2 weeks in advance in 

local papers and post them at the refuge. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Nancy McGarigal, Refuge Planner, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate 

Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 

01035, 413–253–8562 (telephone), 413–

253–8562 (FAX), or e-mail Nancy at 

Nancy_McGarigal@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966, as amended 

by the National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997, requires the 

Service to develop a CCP for each 

refuge. The purpose of developing a 

CCP is to provide refuge managers with 

a 15-year strategy for achieving refuge 

purposes and contributing to the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System, in conformance with the sound 

principles of fish and wildlife science, 

natural resources conservation, legal 

mandates, and Service policies. In 

72464 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 232 / Monday, December 5, 2005 / Notices 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation and photography, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation. The Service will review 

and update each CCP at least every 15 

years in accordance with the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997 and the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969. 

The transfer of 566 acres from the 

United States Military Academy at West 

Point (through the General Services 

Administration) to the Service created 

the Shawangunk Grasslands NWR in 

1999. No land has been added since 

then. The refuge was established for its 

‘‘particular value in carrying out the 

national migratory bird management 

program’’ (16 U.S.C. 667b), under the 

general legislative authority of the 

Transfer of Certain Real Property for 

Wildlife Conservation Purposes Act (16 

U.S.C. 667b) and the Federal Property 

and Administrative Services Act (40 

U.S.C. 471 et seq.; repealed by Public 

Law 107–217, August 21, 2002). Our 

Regional Director’s memorandum to the 

General Services Administration, dated 

October 17, 1997, specifies the refuge’s 

Regional importance for wintering 

raptors and breeding and migrating 

grasslands birds. 

The 566-acre refuge lies in the Town 

of Shawangunk, Ulster County, New 

York, in the Hudson River/New York 

Bight watershed. We maintain 400 of 

those acres as open fields and 

grasslands, primarily by mowing, to 

benefit breeding, migratory and 

wintering grasslands-dependent birds. 

Asphalt or concrete runways and 

taxiways cover 30 acres of the refuge, 

formerly a military training airport. We 

do not actively manage the remaining 

136 acres, which are classified as 

upland hardwood woodland with some 

shrub and transitioning to woodland. 

We know of no federally listed 

species on the refuge. However, several 

rare or uncommon plants, and at least 

141 species of birds, including 58 

breeding species, have been 

documented. At least 20 of those are 

listed by the State of New York or are 

species of conservation concern for the 

Region. We conduct annual breeding 

bird surveys to document their presence 

and breeding status. 

Bird watching is the most popular 

activity at this unstaffed refuge, which 

is administered by from the Wallkill 

River NWR headquarters in Sussex, 

New Jersey. The Shawangunk 

Grasslands NWR is open from sunrise to 

sunset, 7 days a week. Wildlife 

observation, nature photography, and 

environmental education and 

interpretation are all permitted. 

The draft CCP/EA analyzes three 

alternatives for managing the refuge 

over the next 15 years. Alternative A 

(the ‘‘No Action’’ Alternative) would 

continue our present management, and 

would not change the habitat 

management and visitor programs 

described above. 

Alternative B (the Service-preferred 

alternative) would expand our current 

grasslands management program with 

more intensive, diverse tools and 

techniques, which would potentially 

include grazing, haying, prescribed 

burning, and applying herbicides to 

promote native grassland and 

discourage invasive plants, and would 

also restore the natural hydrology of the 

area, to the extent that it does not 

impede our grasslands management. We 

would remove the runways and 

taxiways from 30 acres and restore them 

to native grassland, except where we 

can incorporate them into a planned 

interpretive trail. Alternative B would 

also open a small, man-made pond to 

fishing, and open the refuge to a fall 

archery deer hunt. 

Alternative C would allow all 400 

acres of managed grasslands and open 

fields to revert to shrub land, and 

eventually to woodland, to benefit 

shrub- and forest-dependent birds of 

conservation concern for the Region. Reestablishing the natural hydrology of the 

area would become a higher priority, 

which would eliminate the opportunity 

for fishing in the pond. As in alternative 

B, we would also restore the 30 acres of 

runways and taxiways, create an 

interpretive trail, and open the refuge to 

a fall archery deer hunt. 

The draft also identifies a 5,960-acre 

Shawangunk Grasslands Focus Area 

that includes the refuge and contiguous, 

ecologically important land. None of the 

alternatives proposes Service 

acquisition of additional land at this 

time. We will encourage conservation 

owners to protect grasslands in that 

area. 

All of the alternatives would continue 

to promote our existing conservation 

partnerships, new partnerships, and 

valuable volunteer opportunities. They 

would also enhance our outreach in the 

locale, including information exchanges 

with private landowners in the focus 

area who are interested in managing 

grassland for wildlife. 

Dated: September 21, 2005. 

Richard O. Bennett, 

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Hadley, Massachusetts. 

[FR Doc. 05–23642 Filed 12–2–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake 

Superior Chippewa Indians Liquor 

Control Ordinance 

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This notice publishes the Lac 

Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior 

Chippewa Indians’ Liquor Control 

Ordinance. The Ordinance regulates and 

controls the possession, sale and 

consumption of liquor within the Lac 

Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior 

Chippewa Indians’ Reservation. The 

Reservation is located on trust land and 

this Ordinance allows for the possession 

and sale of alcoholic beverages within 

the exterior boundaries of the Lac Vieux 

Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa 

Indians’ Reservation. This Ordinance 

will increase the ability of the tribal 

government to control the community’s 

liquor distribution and possession, and 

at the same time will provide an 

important source of revenue for the 

continued operation and strengthening 

of the tribal government and the 

delivery of tribal services. 

DATES: Effective Date: This Ordinance is 

effective on December 5, 2005. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: De 

Springer, Regional Tribal Operations 

Officer, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Midwest Regional Office, Bishop Henry 

Whipple Federal Building, One Federal 

Drive, Room 550, Ft. Snelling, MN 

55111, Telephone (612) 713–4400, Ext. 

1125, Fax (612) 713–4401; or Ralph 

Gonzales, Office of Tribal Services, 1951 

Constitution Avenue, NW., Mail Stop 

320–SIB, Washington, DC 20240; 

Telephone (202) 513–7629. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the Act of August 15, 1953, Public 

Law 83–277, 67 Stat. 586, 18 U.S.C. 

1161, as interpreted by the Supreme 

Court in Rice v. Rehner, 463 U.S. 713 

(1983), the Secretary of the Interior shall 

certify and publish in the Federal 

Register notice of adopted liquor 

ordinances for the purpose of regulating 

liquor transactions in Indian country. 

The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake 

Superior Chippewa Indians’ Tribal 

Council adopted its Liquor Ordinance