9352 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 20, 2008 / Notices 

providing for wildlife-dependent 

recreation opportunities that are 

compatible with the refuges’

establishing purposes and the mission 

of the Refuge System. 

This final CCP identifies goals, 

objectives, and strategies for the 

management of Medicine Lake NWR 

Complex that emphasize restoration and 

maintenance of native habitats in 

vigorous condition for migratory birds. 

The CCP places high importance on the 

control of invasive plant species with 

partners and integrated pest 

management. It seeks to provide habitats 

in order to contribute to conservation, 

enhancement, and production of 

migratory bird species while protecting 

federally listed species. 

The availability of the draft CCP and 

Environmental Assessment (EA) was 

announced in the Federal Register on 

August 7, 2007, and made available for 

a 30-day public review and comment 

period. The draft CCP/EA evaluated 

three alternatives for managing 

Medicine Lake NWR and the Northeast 

Montana WMD, and two alternatives for 

managing Lamesteer NWR for the next 

15 years. 

The preferred alternative would 

conserve the natural resources of 

Northeast Montana by restoring or 

protecting the native and mixed-grass 

prairie grasslands and maintaining highquality nesting habitats within the 

refuge complex. The refuge would 

reduce populations of selected species 

of invasive plants, and control of crested 

wheatgrass would be the management 

priority. The approved refuge 

administrative boundary would be 

expanded through willing sellers or 

buyers by about 722 hectares (1,784 

acres) based on three priority areas. This 

alternative would focus funding for 

visitor-use resources on developing 

access and improving opportunities for 

wildlife-dependent recreational uses 

(hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, 

photography, interpretation, and 

environmental education) while also 

encouraging a greater understanding 

and appreciation for the mixed grass 

prairie ecosystem. 

We selected this alternative because it 

best meets the purposes and goals of the 

Medicine Lake NWR and the Northeast 

Montana WMD, as well as the mission 

and goals of the Refuge System. The 

preferred alternative also will benefit 

federally listed species, shore birds, 

migrating and nesting waterfowl, 

neotropical migrants, including birds of 

management concern and resident 

wildlife. Environmental education and 

partnerships will result in improved 

wildlife-dependent recreational 

opportunities. Cultural and historical 

resources as well as federally listed 

species will be protected. 

The preferred alternative for 

Lamesteer NWR would take the refuge 

out of the Refuge System and relinquish 

the easement to the current landowner. 

The Service’s easement requirements 

would no longer exist, and we would 

divest our interest in the refuge. This 

would be carried out within 15 years. 

Through the CCP process, we 

evaluated the level of national trust 

resource values represented by 

Lamesteer NWR to determine if those 

values and associated risks were 

sufficient to justify continuation of the 

easement. Trust resources are resources 

that through law or administrative act 

are held in trust for the people by the 

government. We determined that 

Lamesteer NWR possesses no trust 

resource values and minimal habitat 

value for wildlife. We have no 

management authority on the uplands 

surrounding the easement, and public 

access is by permission of the 

landowner. Further, the dam structure is 

in need of substantial repairs to meet 

the State of Montana and regional dam 

safety standards. We determined that 

Lamesteer NWR does not meet the goals 

of the Refuge System or the legislative 

purpose of the refuge. 

We are furnishing this notice to 

advise other agencies and the public of 

the availability of the final CCP, provide 

information about the desired 

conditions for the Medicine Lake NWR 

Complex, and offer details on how we 

will implement management strategies. 

Based on the review and evaluation of 

the information contained in the EA, the 

Regional Director has determined that 

implementation of the Final Plan does 

not constitute a major Federal action 

that would significantly affect the 

quality of the human environment 

within the meaning of Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act. Therefore, an Environmental 

Impact Statement will not be prepared. 

Dated: October 2, 2007. 

Gary Mowad, 

Acting Deputy Regional Director. 

Editorial Note: This document was 

received at the Office of the Federal Register 

on February 14, 2008. 

[FR Doc. E8–3079 Filed 2–19–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R9–EA–2008–N0025] 

Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership 

Council 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service 

announces a public meeting of the Sport 

Fishing and Boating Partnership 

Council (Council). 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Monday, March 10, 2008, from 1:30 

p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, March 11, 

2008, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

(Eastern Time). Members of the public 

wishing to participate in the meeting 

must notify Douglas Hobbs by close of 

business on Friday, February 29, 2008, 

per instructions under the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this notice. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Department of the Interior, Room 

5160, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, 

DC, 20240; telephone (703) 358–2336. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Douglas Hobbs, Council Coordinator, 

4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mailstop 

3103–AEA, Arlington, Virginia 22203, 

telephone (703) 358–2336, fax (703) 

358–2548, or via e-mail at 

doug_hobbs@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the requirements of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App., notice is hereby given that 

the Sport Fishing and Boating 

Partnership Council will hold a meeting 

on Monday, March 10, 2008, from 1:30 

p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, March 11, 

2008, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 

(Eastern Time). 

The Council was formed in January 

1993 to advise the Secretary of the 

Interior, through the Director, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, on nationally 

significant recreational fishing, boating, 

and aquatic resource conservation 

issues. The Council represents the 

interests of the public and private 

sectors of the sport fishing, boating, and 

conservation communities and is 

organized to enhance partnerships 

among industry, constituency groups, 

and government. The 18-member 

Council, appointed by the Secretary of 

the Interior, includes the Director of the 

Service and the president of the 

Association of Fish and Wildlife 

Agencies, who both serve in ex officio 

capacities. Other Council members are 

Directors from State agencies 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 34 / Wednesday, February 20, 2008 / Notices 9353 

responsible for managing recreational 

fish and wildlife resources and 

individuals who represent the interests 

of saltwater and freshwater recreational 

fishing, recreational boating, the 

recreational fishing and boating 

industries, recreational fisheries 

resource conservation, Native American 

tribes, aquatic resource outreach and 

education, and tourism. Background 

information on the Council is available 

at http://www.fws.govv/sfbpc. 

The Council will convene to consider: 

(1) The Council’s continuing role in 

providing input to the Fish and Wildlife 

Service on the Service’s strategic plan 

for its Fisheries Program; (2) the 

Council’s work in addressing the issue 

of boating and fishing access; (3) the 

Council’s role as a facilitator of 

discussions with Federal and State 

agencies and other sport fishing and 

boating interests concerning a variety of 

national boating and fisheries 

management issues; (4) the Council’s 

work to assess the Clean Vessel Act 

Grant Program; (5) the potential Council 

role in providing information to Service 

and Department on the upcoming 

reauthorization of the Sport Fish 

Restoration and Boating Trust Fund; (6) 

the Council’s role in providing the 

Secretary with information about the 

implementation of the Strategic Plan for 

the National Outreach and 

Communications Program, authorized 

by the 1998 Sportfishing and Boating 

Safety Act, that is now being 

implemented by the Recreational 

Boating and Fishing Foundation, a 

private, nonprofit organization; and (7) 

other Council business. The final 

agenda will be posted on the Internet at 

http://www.fws.gov/sfbpc. 

Procedures for Public Input: 

Interested members of the public may 

submit relevant written or oral 

information for the Council to consider 

during the public meeting. Questions 

from the public will not be considered 

during this period. Speakers who wish 

to expand upon their oral statements or 

those who had wished to speak but 

could not be accommodated on the 

agenda are invited to submit written 

statements to the Council. 

Individuals or groups requesting an 

oral presentation at the public Council 

meeting will be limited to two minutes 

per speaker, with no more than a total 

of one-half hour for all speakers. 

Interested parties should contact 

Douglas Hobbs, Council Coordinator, in 

writing (preferably via e-mail), by 

Friday, February 22, 2008, at the contact 

information noted above, to be placed 

on the public speaker list for this 

meeting. Written statements should be 

received by Friday, February 29, 2008, 

so that the information may be made 

available to the Council for their 

consideration prior to this meeting. 

Written statements should be supplied 

to the Council Coordinator in the 

following formats: One heard copy with 

original signature, and one electronic 

copy via e-mail (acceptable file format: 

Adobe Acrobat PDF, WordPerfect, MS 

Word, MS PowerPoint, or Rich Text 

files in IBM—PC/Windows 98/2000/XP 

format). 

Anyone wishing to attend this 

meeting must register by close of 

business Friday, February 29, 2008, in 

order to attend. Because entry to Federal 

buildings is restricted, all visitors are 

required to pre-register to be admitted. 

Please submit your name, time of 

arrival, e-mail address and phone 

number to Douglas Hobbs, and he will 

provide you with instructions for 

admittance. Mr. Hobbs’ e-mail address 

is doug_hobbs@fws.gov and his phone 

number is (703) 358–2236. 

Summary minutes of the conference 

will be maintained by the Council 

Coordinator at 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 

MS–3103–AEA, Arlington, VA 22203, 

and will be available for public 

inspection during regular business 

hours within 30 days following the 

meeting. Personal copies may be 

purchased for the cost of duplication. 

Dated: February 6, 2008 

Kenneth Stansell, 

Acting Director. 

[FR Doc. 08–764 Filed 2–19–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. Geological Survey 

National Cooperative Geologic 

Mapping Program (NCGMP) Advisory 

Committee 

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Public Law 106–

148, the NCGMP Advisory Committee 

will meet in Room BA102A of the John 

Wesley Powell Building of the U.S. 

Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley 

Drive, Reston, Virginia. The Advisory 

Committee, composed of scientists from 

Federal Agencies, State Agencies, 

academic institutions, and private 

companies, will advise the Director of 

the U.S. Geological Survey on planning 

and implementation of the geologic 

mapping program. Topics to be 

reviewed and discussed by the Advisory 

Committee include the: 

• Progress of the NCGMP towards 

fulfilling the purposes of the National 

Geological Mapping act of 1992 

• Field oriented geoscience 

experience for college and university 

students. 

• Paucity of Black, Hispanic, and 

Native American college and university 

students with geoscience majors. 

DATES: March 6–7, 2008 commencing at 

8:30 a.m. on March 6, and adjourning by 

5 p.m. on March 7. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Laurel M. Bybell, U.S. Geological 

Survey, 908 National Center, Reston, 

Virginia 20192 (703) 648–5281. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Meetings 

of the National Cooperative Geological 

Mapping Program Advisory Committee 

are open to the Public. 

Dated: February 7, 2008. 

Peter T. Lyttle, 

Acting Associate Director for Geology, U.S. 

Geological Survey. 

[FR Doc. 08–759 Filed 2–29–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4311–AM–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[ID 100 1220MA 241A: DBG081006] 

Notice of Public Meeting: Resource 

Advisory Council to the Boise District, 

Bureau of Land Management, U.S. 

Department of the Interior 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

U.S. Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of public meeting. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) Boise District 

Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will 

hold a meeting as indicated below. 

DATES: The meeting scheduled for 

January 31, 2008, was cancelled due to 

adverse weather and hazardous driving 

conditions. The business scheduled for 

that meeting will be conducted on 

March 12, 2008, beginning at 9 a.m. and 

adjourning at 2 p.m. The meeting will 

be held at the Boise District Office 

located at 3948 S. Development Avenue, 

Boise, Idaho. Public comment periods 

will be held during the course of the 

meeting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M.J. 

Byrne, Public Affairs Officer and RAC 

Coordinator, BLM Boise District, 3948 

Development Ave., Boise, ID 83705, 

Telephone (208) 384–3393. 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES