55600 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 176 / Monday, September 13, 2010 / Notices 

invasive species, and change forest 

productivity. 

Human activities causing pollution 

and water quantity and quality 

degradation, along with habitat 

fragmentation and loss, have caused 

environmental changes in freshwater 

systems. The Little River drains a 

watershed of approximately 2,225 

square miles and provides habitat for 

the Federally listed Ouachita rock 

pocketbook mussel (Arkanasii wheeleri), 

Scaleshell mussel (Leptodea leptodon), 

and Winged mapleleaf mussel 

(Quadrula fragosa), along with a host of 

other imperiled freshwater species. 

Human-created stressors, along with 

climate change stressors, can negatively 

affect the biodiversity of freshwater 

ecosystems. These impacts are expected 

to alter the freshwater ecosystem 

utilized by USFWS trust resources and 

the human population. 

Wildlife Issues—Feral hog 

management and migratory birds. 

The presence of feral hogs (Sus scrofa) 

results in substantial damages to the 

natural resources on the refuge. The 

detrimental effects of free-ranging feral 

hogs can be found throughout the entire 

refuge, as population numbers have 

increased without a control mechanism. 

Feral hogs are highly adaptable, have 

high reproductive capabilities, and can 

be found in a wide range of habitat 

types. Feral hogs cause widespread 

impacts to the refuge habitat, compete 

with native wildlife species for food 

resources, and can transmit infectious 

diseases to humans, domestic livestock, 

and native wildlife species. 

Trust migratory bird species that the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is 

mandated to protect are under pressure 

and at risk from a number of stressors 

(e.g., habitat loss and degradation, 

development, pollution, and invasive 

species), in addition to climate change. 

Evidence suggests that climate change is 

affecting the distribution, abundance, 

and population dynamics of a wide 

range of migratory bird species (forest 

dwelling and waterfowl) that rely on a 

bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem 

to provide essential habitat for survival. 

Public Use Opportunities and 

Access—Enhancing Wildlife Dependent 

Recreation Opportunities. 

The bottomland hardwood forest 

protected by the Little River NWR 

provides the public with quality 

recreational opportunities to learn about 

and enjoy the ecological diversity and 

history of the refuge in a largely natural 

setting. Improving opportunities for 

wildlife-dependent recreational uses 

(six priority public uses) that are 

compatible with the purpose of the 

refuge will promote broader community 

support and understanding of the value 

and need for wildlife conservation and 

protection. 

Facilities—Public Contact Station. 

The refuge receives over 10,000 

visitors annually, and visitor use 

continues to rise as the public becomes 

more aware of the wide variety of 

wildlife-dependent recreational 

opportunities provided by the refuge. A 

public contact station is needed to 

provide facilities to enhance the 

public’s experience of nature and the 

great outdoors and to educate the public 

about the mission of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System and the role of 

Little River NWR in achieving it. 

Public Meetings 

We will give the public an 

opportunity to provide input at one or 

more public meetings. You may obtain 

the schedule from the planning team 

leader or project leader (see ADDRESSES). 

You may also send comments anytime 

during the planning process by mail, 

e-mail, or fax (see ADDRESSES). There 

will be additional opportunities to 

provide public input once we have 

prepared a draft CCP. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Dated: August 11, 2010. 

Joy E. Nicholopoulos, 

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 

Region 2. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22732 Filed 9–10–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–R–2010–N169; 80230–1265–0000– 

S3] 

Sonny Bono Salton Sea National 

Wildlife Refuge Complex (Sonny Bono 

Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge 

and Coachella Valley National Wildlife 

Refuge), Imperial and Riverside 

Counties, CA 

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 

prepare a Comprehensive Conservation 

Plan (CCP) and Environmental 

Assessment (EA) for the Sonny Bono 

Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge 

(NWR) Complex, which consists of the 

Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR located in 

Imperial County, California, and the 

Coachella Valley NWR located in 

Riverside County, California. We 

provide this notice in compliance with 

our CCP policy to advise other Federal 

and State agencies, Tribes, and the 

public of our intentions, and to obtain 

suggestions and information on the 

scope of issues to consider in the 

planning process. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments by 

November 12, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments or 

requests for more information by any of 

the following methods. 

E-mail: Victoria_Touchstone@fws.gov. 

Include ‘‘Sonny Bono Salton Sea CCP’’ 

in the subject line of the message. 

Fax: Attn: Victoria Touchstone, (760) 

930–0256. 

U.S. Mail: Victoria Touchstone, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, San Diego 

NWRC, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 

101, Carlsbad, CA 92011. 

In-Person Drop-off: You may drop off 

comments at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea 

NWR Office between 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 

please call (760) 348–5278 for 

directions. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Victoria Touchstone, Refuge Planner, at 

760–431–9440, extension 349, or Chris 

Schoneman, Project Leader, at 760–348– 

5278. Further information may also be 

found at http://www.fws.gov/saltonsea/. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we initiate our 

process for developing a CCP for the 

Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR Complex, 

including the Sonny Bono Salton Sea 

NWR in Imperial County, CA, and the 

Coachella Valley NWR in Riverside 

County, CA. This notice complies with 

our CCP policy to (1) Advise other 

Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and 

the public of our intention to conduct 

detailed planning on this refuge 

complex, and (2) obtain suggestions and 

information on the scope of issues to 

consider in the environmental 

document and during development of 

the CCP. 

mstockstill on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 176 / Monday, September 13, 2010 / Notices 55601 

Background 

The CCP Process 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd–668ee) (Administration Act), as 

amended by the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997, requires us to develop a CCP for 

each national wildlife refuge. The 

purpose for developing a CCP is to 

provide refuge managers with a 15-year 

plan 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 our policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation and photography, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation. We intend to review and 

update the CCP at least every 15 years 

in accordance with the Administration 

Act. 

Each unit of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System was established for 

specific purposes. We use these 

purposes as the foundation for 

developing and prioritizing the 

management goals and objectives for 

each refuge within the National Wildlife 

Refuge System mission, and to 

determine how the public can use each 

refuge. The planning process is a way 

for us and the public to evaluate 

management goals, objectives, and 

strategies that will ensure the best 

possible approach to wildlife, plant, and 

habitat conservation, while providing 

for wildlife-dependent recreation 

opportunities that are compatible with 

each refuge’s establishing purposes and 

the mission of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System. 

Our CCP process provides 

opportunities for participation by 

Tribal, State, and local governments; 

agencies; organizations; and the public. 

We will be contacting identified 

stakeholders and individuals at this 

time for initial input. If you would like 

to meet with planning staff or would 

like to receive periodic updates, please 

contact us (see ADDRESSES section). We 

anticipate holding public meetings for 

initial comments and when alternative 

management scenarios have been 

identified. At this time we encourage 

comments in the form of issues, 

concerns, ideas, and suggestions for the 

future management of the Sonny Bono 

Salton Sea NWR and the Coachella 

Valley NWR. 

We will conduct the environmental 

review of this project in accordance 

with the requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.); NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 

1500–1508); other appropriate Federal 

laws and regulations; and our policies 

and procedures for compliance with 

those laws and regulations. 

Sonny Bono Salton Sea National 

Wildlife Refuge Complex 

The Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR 

Complex consists of the Sonny Bono 

Salton Sea NWR and the Coachella 

Valley NWR. The Sonny Bono Salton 

Sea NWR was established as a 32,766- 

acre sanctuary and breeding ground for 

birds and other wildlife in 1930 

(Executive Order 5498). Additional 

leased lands have been added to the 

Refuge under the authorities of the 

Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 

U.S.C. 715d), ‘‘for use as an inviolate 

sanctuary, or for any other management 

propose, for migratory birds’’ and the 

Lea Act (16 U.S.C. 695), ‘‘for the 

management and control of migratory 

waterfowl, and other wildlife.’’ Today, 

with the original Refuge lands covered 

by the waters of the Salton Sea, 

management activities are focused on 

about 2,000 acres of primarily leased 

land. Approximately 920 acres consist 

of managed wetlands that support 

resident and migratory birds, and 

another 940 acres are farmed to provide 

forage for wintering geese and other 

migratory birds. Existing public uses 

include wildlife observation, 

photography, interpretation, 

environmental education, waterfowl 

hunting, and scientific research. 

The Coachella Valley NWR was 

established in 1985 under the 

authorities of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1534), ‘‘to 

conserve (A) fish or wildlife which are 

listed as endangered species or 

threatened species or (B) plants.’’ The 

3,709-acre Refuge, which is part of the 

larger Coachella Valley Preserve, 

protects the federally listed endangered 

Coachella Valley milk-vetch (Astragalus 

lentiginosus var. coachellae) and 

threatened Coachella Valley fringe-toed 

lizard (Uma inornata), as well as other 

desert-dwelling species adapted to 

living in the sand dune habitat of the 

Coachella Valley. Access onto the 

Refuge is limited to a designated 

corridor for hiking and equestrian use. 

Scoping: Preliminary Issues, Concerns, 

and Opportunities 

We have identified preliminary 

issues, concerns, and opportunities for 

each Refuge that we may address in the 

CCP. Additional issues, concerns, and 

opportunities may be identified as a 

result of public scoping. For the Sonny 

Bono Salton Sea NWR, preliminary 

issues include: Increasing the 

productivity of existing managed 

wetlands to support migratory 

waterfowl; adapting to changing 

conditions associated with a shrinking 

Salton Sea (e.g., conversion of habitat 

types, dust management, degraded 

water quality); predation in seabird 

nesting areas; availability of adequate 

nesting habitat for seabirds, particularly 

gull-billed terns (Gelochelidon nilotica 

vanrossemi); and the effects of climate 

change on Refuge resources. 

For the Coachella Valley NWR, these 

issues include: Habitat and species 

management; control of invasive weedy 

species; effects of windblown sand on 

adjacent properties; public use; and 

impacts to Refuge resources as a result 

of illegal motorized vehicle activity. 

Public Meetings 

We will give the public an 

opportunity to provide input at a public 

meeting (or meetings) to be held in 

September 2010. You can obtain the 

schedule from the Refuge Planner or 

Project Leader (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). You may also 

submit comments or request a meeting 

during the planning process by mail, 

e-mail, or fax (see ADDRESSES). There 

will be additional opportunities to 

provide public input once we have 

prepared a draft CCP. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personal identifying information—may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Dated: August 19, 2010. 

Tom McCabe, 

Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, 

Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. 2010–22731 Filed 9–10–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

mstockstill on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with NOTICES