Construction of the Gateway Center and interpretive trail was approved in December of 1999, and will commence at Steigerwald Lake NWR in the near future. Opportunities to provide similar public uses at Franz Lake NWR and Pierce NWR are limited by access across a busy railroad track. With any increase in human visitation, the potential for disturbance to wildlife and the incidence of trespass, vandalism, and littering is anticipated to increase. Comments received shall be used to identify issues and draft preliminary alternatives. Comments already received are on record and need not be resubmitted.
Statements become part of the official public record.
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. Additionally, public comment letters are not required to contain the commentator's name, address, or other identifying information. Such comments may be submitted anonymously to the Service. Public Meetings Two public scoping meetings will be held in September.