28270 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 113 / Monday, June 15, 2009 / Notices 

(1) Whether or not the collection of 

information is necessary, including 

whether or not the information will 

have practical utility; 

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the 

burden for this collection of 

information; 

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and 

(4) Ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on 

respondents. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. 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 OMB in your comment to 

withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that it will be done. 

Dated: June 9, 2009 

Hope Grey, 

Information Collection Clearance Officer, 

Fish and Wildlife Service. 

FR Doc. E9–14036 Filed 6–12–09; 8:45 am 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–S 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R1–R–2009–N0093]; [1265–0000– 

10137–S3] 

Oregon Islands, Three Arch Rocks, 

and Cape Meares National Wildlife 

Refuges, Lincoln County, OR 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability: draft 

comprehensive conservation plan, draft 

wilderness stewardship plan, and 

environmental assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of our draft comprehensive 

conservation plan and environmental 

assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for the Cape 

Meares, Oregon Islands, and Three Arch 

Rocks National Wildlife Refuges 

(Refuges), and a draft wilderness 

stewardship plan (Draft WSP) for the 

Oregon Islands and Three Arch Rocks 

Refuges (collectively Draft CCP/WSP/ 

EA). The Draft CCP/WSP/EA is available 

for public review and comment. It 

describes our proposal for managing the 

Refuges for the next 15 years. The 

Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge 

Complex office, located in Newport, 

Oregon, manages the Refuges, which are 

scattered along the Oregon coast in 

Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Lane, Coos, 

and Curry Counties. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

need to receive your written comments 

by July 15, 2009. See ADDRESSES for 

delivery options. 

ADDRESSES: Address comments on the 

Draft CCP/WSP/EA to: Roy Lowe, 

Project Leader, Oregon Coast National 

Wildlife Refuge Complex, 2127 SE 

Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 

97365–5258; fax (541) 867–4551; or email FW1PlanningComments@fws.gov. 

Please use ‘‘Oregon Islands CCP’’ in the 

subject. Additional information 

concerning the Refuges can be found on 

the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/ 

oregoncoast/. For more information on 

reviewing documents, see ‘‘Public 

Availability of Documents’’ and ‘‘Public 

Comments’’ under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy 

Lowe, Project Leader, (541) 867–4550. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The CCP Process 

The Draft CCP/WSP/EA was prepared 

pursuant to 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; the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969, (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.) (NEPA); and the Service’s 

Wilderness Stewardship Policy (610 FW 

3). The Administration Act requires us 

to develop a CCP for each national 

wildlife refuge. The purpose of 

developing a CCP is to provide refuge 

managers 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 Service policies. In 

addition to outlining broad management 

direction for conserving wildlife and 

habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

hunting, fishing, wildlife observation 

and photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. We will 

review and update the CCP at least 

every 15 years in accordance with the 

Administration Act. 

Public Involvement 

We began the public scoping phase of 

the planning process for the Draft CCP/ 

WSP/EA by publishing a Notice of 

Intent in the Federal Register on 

October 26, 2006 (71 FR 62605), 

announcing our intention to complete a 

CCP/WSP/EA for the Refuges and 

inviting public comments. A list of 

public involvement efforts we have 

completed to date follow. 

• In October 2006, we distributed 

Planning Update 1 to our project 

mailing list and public outlets located 

near one or more Refuges. In it, we 

announced the initiation of the planning 

process, invited the public to a series of 

public open house meetings, provided 

background information on the Refuges, 

and requested public comments on 

Refuge management issues. 

• Between November 1 and 15, 2006, 

we held five public open house 

meetings in communities along the 

Oregon coast, to meet the public and 

obtain comments on refuge management 

issues. The public meetings were 

announced through local media via 

press releases, on the Refuge Complex 

Web site, and in Planning Update 1. 

• In March 2007, we distributed 

Planning Update 2, which included a 

summary of the public open house 

meetings and the public comments we 

obtained at the meetings and through 

other means, a planning schedule, and 

draft vision statements for the Refuges. 

Overview of the Refuges 

Cape Meares Refuge is located on 

Oregon’s Pacific Coast between 

Tillamook Bay and Netarts Bay. It is 

comprised of two separate units 

consisting of vertical coastal cliffs, rock 

outcroppings, and rolling headlands 

with old-growth forest dominated by 

Sitka spruce and western hemlock. This 

small Refuge protects one of the last 

stands of old-growth coastal forest in 

Oregon. The vertical sea cliffs around 

the headland support nesting seabird 

populations including tufted puffins, 

common murres, pigeon guillemots, 

pelagic cormorants, and others. 

Peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs, and 

bald eagles forage on the headland. 

The Oregon Islands Refuge includes 

1,854 rocks, reefs and islands, and two 

headland units, and spans 320 miles of 

the Oregon Coast. With the exception of 

the two headlands and Tillamook Rock, 

all of the Refuge’s rocks, reefs, and 

islands are included in the Oregon 

Islands Wilderness. Most of Oregon’s 

estimated 1.2 million nesting seabirds 

are found on this Refuge. A large 

percentage of Oregon’s seal and sea lion 

(pinnipeds) populations use the Refuge 

for haulout and/or pupping, including 

more than 5,000 harbor seals, 4,000 

California sea lions, 4,000 threatened 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 113 / Monday, June 15, 2009 / Notices 28271 

Steller sea lions, and 100 northern 

elephant seals. 

The Three Arch Rocks Refuge is 

located a half-mile west of the town of 

Oceanside in Tillamook County, 

Oregon. The Refuge is comprised of 9 

rocks and islands with a total land area 

of 15 acres, and supports one of the 

largest seabird breeding colonies— 

mainly tufted puffins and common 

murre—in Oregon. It is also the only 

breeding site for the threatened Steller 

sea lion on the north coast of Oregon. 

The Refuge is a designated wilderness 

area known as Three Arch Rocks 

Wilderness. 

Draft Alternatives We Are Considering 

We identified and evaluated two 

alternatives for managing the Refuges 

for the next 15 years. Alternative 1 is the 

No Action Alternative, and Alternative 

2 is the Preferred Alternative, which is 

a collaborative approach to protection 

and management of refuge lands. Draft 

compatibility determinations for public 

uses are available for review with the 

Draft CCP/WSP/EA. Brief descriptions 

of the alternatives follow. 

Alternative 1 

This alternative assumes no change 

from current Refuge management 

programs. We would continue to protect 

and maintain habitat for priority 

species, including seabirds and 

pinnipeds. Efforts to prevent wildlife 

disturbance on rocks, reefs, and islands 

would continue, including prohibiting 

public access, posting educational and 

regulatory signs, and deploying buoys 

annually, to delineate the seasonal 500- 

foot watercraft exclusion buffer zone 

around Three Arch Rocks Refuge. 

Habitat management would consist 

primarily of monitoring and treating 

invasive plant infestations as funding 

allows. We would continue to conduct 

regularly scheduled aerial, boat, and 

land surveys of nesting seabirds. 

Existing public uses, including wildlife 

observation and photography, would 

continue at current levels. We would 

continue to partner with Oregon Parks 

and Recreation Department (OPRD) to 

provide quality wildlife viewing 

opportunities at Cape Meares Refuge 

and other parks adjacent to rocks, reefs, 

and islands within Oregon Islands and 

Three Arch Rocks Refuges. 

Alternative 2 

Under the Preferred Alternative, a 

collaborative approach to protection and 

management of the Refuges’ rock, reef, 

island, and old-growth habitats would 

be emphasized over the current staffdirected approach. We would develop a 

Geographic Information System (GIS) 

based inventory and monitoring 

program for pinnipeds, seabirds and 

other migratory birds, terrestrial 

mammals, reptiles, amphibians, 

invertebrates, and plant species, and 

invasive species would be monitored 

and aggressively treated. 

Partners would be actively sought to 

collaborate on research, design, and 

implementation of studies that would 

directly contribute toward maintaining 

or restoring the biological integrity, 

diversity, and environmental health of 

the Refuges. We would establish formal 

agreements with coastal resource 

management agencies to cooperate on 

strategies to protect wildlife. 

New partnerships would also be 

established with public and private 

entities to develop interpretive panels 

and new wildlife viewing opportunities. 

The Refuges’ Volunteer Interpreter 

Program would be expanded to include 

priority sites with heavy visitation and 

prime wildlife viewing opportunities. 

We would also develop a quality 

environmental education program 

focusing on the Refuges’ wildlife. 

Public Availability of Documents 

We encourage you to stay involved in 

the CCP planning process by reviewing 

and commenting on the proposals we 

have developed in the Draft CCP/WSP/ 

EA. 

Copies of the Draft CCP/WSP/EA on 

compact disk are available upon request 

from the Refuge Complex at phone 

number (541) 867–4550. Copies may be 

reviewed at the Oregon Coast National 

Wildlife Refuge Complex, 2127 SE 

Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR. 

The Draft CCP/WSP/EA is also available 

for viewing and downloading on the 

Internet at http://www.fws.gov/ 

oregoncoast/. Printed copies will be 

available for review at the following 

libraries. 

• Chetco Community Public Library, 

405 Alder St., Brookings, OR 97415, 

• Bandon Public Library, 1204 11th 

St. SW., Bandon, OR 97411, 

• Newport Public Library, 35 NW Nye 

St., Newport, OR 97365, 

• Driftwood Public Library, 801 SW 

Hwy 101 #201, Lincoln City, OR 97367, 

• Tillamook County Library, 1716 3rd 

St., Tillamook, OR 97141, and 

• Seaside Public Library, 1131 

Broadway, Seaside, OR 97138. 

Public Comments 

Public comments are requested, 

considered, and incorporated 

throughout the planning process. 

Comments on the Draft CCP/WSP/EA 

will be analyzed by the Service and 

addressed in final planning documents. 

All comments received from individuals 

become part of the official public record 

and may be released. Requests for such 

comments will be handled in 

accordance with the Freedom of 

Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), NEPA 

regulations, and Service and 

Department of the Interior policies and 

procedures. 

Dated: May 11, 2009. 

David J. Wesley, 

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon. 

[FR Doc. E9–13564 Filed 6–12–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–R–2009–N0070; 80230–1265– 

0000–53] 

Modoc National Wildlife Refuge, 

Modoc County, CA 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability: draft 

comprehensive conservation plan and 

environmental assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of a draft comprehensive 

conservation plan (CCP) and 

environmental assessment (EA) for 

Modoc National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) 

for public review and comment. In these 

documents, we describe alternatives, 

including our preferred alternative, to 

manage this refuge for the 15 years 

following approval of the final CCP. 

Draft compatibility determinations for 

several public uses are also available for 

review and public comment in the Draft 

CCP/EA. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments by 

July 30, 2009. We will announce 

upcoming public meeting in local news 

media. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

or requests for copies or more 

information by any of the following 

methods. You may request hard copies 

or a CD–ROM of the documents. 

E-mail: Jackie_Ferrier@fws.gov. 

Include ‘‘Modoc NWR Draft CCP and 

EA’’ in the subject line of the message. 

Fax: Attn: Jackie Ferrier, Refuge 

Planner, (530) 934–7814. 

U.S. Mail: Sacramento NWR Complex, 

752 County Road 99W, Willows, CA 

95988. 

In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or 

Pickup: Call (530) 233–3572 to make an 

appointment (necessary for view/pickup 

only) during regular business hours at 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES