48388 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 161 / Tuesday, August 19, 2008 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–R–2008–N0059; 60138–1265–

6CCP–S3] 

Draft Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan for Nine Wetland Management 

Districts, North Dakota 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service) announce that 

our Draft Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan (CCP) and Environmental 

Assessment (EA) for the nine Wetland 

Management Districts (Districts) is 

available. The nine Districts include 

Arrowwood, Audubon, Chase Lake, 

Crosby, Devils Lake, J. Clark Salyer, 

Kulm, Lostwood, and Valley City 

Districts, located throughout the State of 

North Dakota. This Draft CCP/EA 

describes how the Service intends to 

manage these Districts for the next 15 

years. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments on 

the draft CCP/EA by September 18, 

2008. 

ADDRESSES: Please provide written 

comments to John Esperance, Planning 

Team Leader, Division of Refuge 

Planning, Branch of Comprehensive 

Conservation Planning, MountainPrairie Region, P.O. Box 25486, Denver 

Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 

80225–0486; via facsimile at 303–236–

4792; or electronically to 

John_Esperance@fws.gov. A copy of the 

CCP/EA may be obtained by writing to 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division 

of Refuge Planning, 134 Union 

Boulevard, Suite 300, Lakewood, 

Colorado 80228; or by download from 

http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/ 

planning. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

Esperance, 303–236–4369 (phone); 303–

236–4792 (fax); or 

John_Esperance@fws.gov (e-mail). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

wetland management districts provide 

oversight for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service’s small wetlands acquisition 

programs, that from receipts from Duck 

Stamp funds, acquire habitat under the 

provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty 

Act. The nine districts manage 1,208 

waterfowl production areas (232,509 

acres), tens of thousands of conservation 

easements, and 50 wildlife development 

areas (18,540 acres) in 34 counties in 

North Dakota. These district lands 

(totaling 1,125,100 acres) are part of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System, a 

network of lands set aside to conserve 

fish and wildlife and their habitat. 

This draft CCP/EA identifies and 

evaluates three alternatives for 

managing the districts for the next 15 

years. Alternative A, funding, staff 

levels, and management activities at the 

districts would not change. Programs 

would follow the same direction, 

emphasis, and intensity as they do at 

present. The Service would prioritize 

management of wildlife habitat and 

associated species at the districts’ WPAs 

into high, medium, and low areas. Only 

high-priority WPAs receive consistent 

management. District staffs conduct 

limited, issue-driven research and 

limited monitoring and inventory of 

birds and vegetation. 

The district staffs monitor all 

conservation easements and highpriority easement violations are 

consistently enforced. On a multiyear 

rotation among districts, the staffs 

conduct public use events and 

workshops with such groups as school 

districts, youth groups, and 

conservation groups. 

Alternative B, the Service’s proposed 

action, wildlife habitat management 

would enhance wetlands and uplands, 

where warranted, on district lands. 

Management objectives for habitat types 

would be based on the habitat 

preferences of groups of target species 

such as waterfowl, migratory shorebirds, 

grassland birds, and threatened and 

endangered species. District staff would 

focus on high-priority tracts and 

medium-priority tracts. The district staff 

would carry out compatible techniques, 

such as nest boxes for waterfowl, to 

enhance production of targeted 

migratory bird populations. The district 

staff would maintain existing 

environmental education and visitor 

services programs, with additional 

waterfowl emphases. The Service 

proposes, at a future date, (1) one new 

administration and visitor center facility 

each for Audubon and Kulm wetland 

management districts, and (2) one new 

visitor contact station each for 

Lostwood, Valley City, and Arrowwood 

wetland management districts. 

Alternative C, management by the 

district staff would be more intensive 

and widespread, targeting native prairie 

and wetland habitat. As a priority, 

district staff would seek out restoration 

projects that expand and return native 

grasslands to quality native prairie. This 

alternative would have potential for 

additional management options that 

address habitat requirements and needs 

of specific groups of water-dependent 

birds such as waterfowl and shorebirds. 

The staff would develop new 

environmental education and visitor 

services programs. The Service 

proposes, at a future date, (1) one new 

administration and visitor center facility 

each for Audubon and Kulm wetland 

management districts, and (2) one new 

visitor contact station each for 

Lostwood, Valley City, and Arrowwood 

wetland management districts. 

Opportunity for public input will be 

provided by the Service. All public 

comment information provided 

voluntarily by mail, by phone, or at 

meetings (e.g., names, addresses, letters 

of comment, input recorded during 

meetings) becomes part of the official 

public record. If requested under the 

Freedom of Information Act by a private 

citizen or organization, the Service may 

provide copies of such information. The 

environmental review of this project 

will be conducted in accordance with 

the requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.); NEPA Regulations (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508); other appropriate Federal 

laws and regulations; Executive Order 

12996; the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997; and 

Service policies and procedures for 

compliance with those laws and 

regulations. 

Dated: August 13, 2008. 

David Lucas, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. E8–19145 Filed 8–18–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Agency Information Collection: 

Comment Request 

AGENCY: United States Geological 

Survey (USGS), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of a new collection. 

SUMMARY: To comply with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), we are notifying the public that 

we will submit to OMB a new 

information collection request (ICR) for 

approval of the paperwork requirements 

for the National Cooperative Geologic 

Mapping Program—EDMAP (NCGMP–

EDMAP). This notice provides the 

public an opportunity to comment on 

the paperwork burden of this collection. 

DATES: You must submit comment on or 

before September 18, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments to the 

IC to Phadrea Ponds, Information 

Collections Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Geological Survey, 2150–C Center 

Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80525 (mail); 


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