Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 180 / Tuesday, September 16, 2008 / Notices 53439 

Branch, Division of Extramural Activities, 

NIDCD, NIH, 6120 Executive Blvd., Suite 

400C, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–496–8683, 

sullivas@mail.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.173, Biological Research 

Related to Deafness and Communicative 

Disorders, National Institutes of Health, HHS) 

Dated: September 9, 2008. 

Jennifer Spaeth, 

Director, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. E8–21501 Filed 9–15–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–R–2008–N0186; 60138–1261– 

0000–S3] 

Wetland Management Districts, South 

Dakota 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Environmental Assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), intend to 

gather information necessary to prepare 

a Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP) and associated environmental 

documents for three Wetland 

Management Districts (WMDs) located 

in the State of South Dakota. The three 

WMDs are Huron, Madison and Sand 

Lake. The Service is furnishing this 

notice in compliance with Service CCP 

Policy to advise other agencies and the 

public of its intentions, and to obtain 

suggestions and information on the 

scope of issues to be considered in the 

planning process. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments by 

October 16, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Please send your comments 

or requests for more information to 

Bernardo Garza, Planning Team Leader, 

Division of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box 

25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, 

Colorado 80225. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bernardo Garza, 303–236–4377, or John 

Esperance, Chief, Branch of Refuge 

Planning at 303–236–4369. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With this 

Notice, the Service initiates a CCP for 

three WMDs in eastern South Dakota. 

These three WMDs were established for 

the protection of critical migratory 

waterfowl habitat within the State of 

South Dakota. Through these WMDs, 

the Service manages a complex of 

wetlands in 27 counties within South 

Dakota. The wetlands range from 

seasonal shallow basins to deeper, more 

permanent ponds that provide resting 

and feeding areas for millions of birds 

during spring and fall migration. 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), requires the Service to 

develop a CCP for each unit of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System. The 

purpose in developing a CCP is to 

provide project leaders with a 15-year 

strategy for achieving refuge and 

wetland management district 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 on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, CCPs identify wildlife 

dependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation, wildlife 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. 

The Service established each unit of 

the National Wildlife Refuge System, 

including these three WMDs, with 

specific purposes. The Service uses 

these purposes to develop and prioritize 

management goals and objectives within 

the National Wildlife Refuge System 

mission and to guide which public uses 

will occur on these WMDs. The 

planning process is a way for the 

Service and the public to evaluate 

management goals and objectives for the 

best possible conservation efforts of this 

important wildlife habitat, while 

providing for wildlife-dependent 

recreation. The Service will conduct a 

comprehensive conservation planning 

process that will provide opportunity 

for Tribal, State, and local governments; 

agencies; organizations; and the public 

to participate in issue scoping and 

public comment. The Service requests 

input on issues, concerns, ideas, and 

suggestions for the future management 

of these WMDs in South Dakota. 

Anyone interested in providing input is 

invited to respond to the following two 

questions. 

(1) What problems or issues do you 

want to see addressed in the CCP? 

(2) What improvements would you 

recommend for these three (3) WMDs? 

The Service has provided the above 

questions for your optional use; you are 

not required to provide information to 

the Service. The planning team 

developed these questions to gather 

information about individual issues and 

ideas concerning these WMDs. 

Comments received by the planning 

team will be used as part of the 

planning process; individual comments 

will not be referenced in our reports or 

responded to directly. An opportunity 

will be given to the public to provide 

input at an open house to scope issues 

and concerns (schedules can be 

obtained from the planning team leader 

at the above address). Comments may 

also be submitted any time during the 

planning process by writing to the above 

address. All information provided 

voluntarily by mail, phone, or at public 

meetings becomes part of our official 

public record (i.e., names, addresses, 

letters of comment, input recorded 

during meetings). If requested under the 

Freedom of Information Act by a private 

citizen or organization, the Service may 

provide informational copies. 

The Service will conduct the 

environmental review of this project 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; and 

Service policies and procedures for 

compliance with those regulations. All 

comments received from individuals on 

Service Environmental Assessments and 

Environmental Impact Statements 

become part of the official public 

record. Requests for such comments will 

be handled in accordance with the 

Freedom of Information Act, NEPA (40 

CFR 1506.6(f)), and other Departmental 

and Service policies 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. 

Dated: July 18, 2008. 

Sharon R. Rose, 

Acting Deputy Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. E8–21548 Filed 9–15–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 


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