Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Stafford, Kansas; Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Environmental Assessment

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of availability.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental assessment (EA) we prepared on the CCP for Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The final CCP describes how we intend to manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

ADDRESSES:

You will find the final CCP, the EA, and the FONSI on our planning Web site at http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairielplanning/ccp/ks/qvrlqvr.html. A limited number of hard copies are available. You may request one by any of the following methods:

Email: toni_grifjin@fivs.gov. Include “Quivira NWR” in the subject line of the message.

U.S. Mail: Toni Griffin, Planning Team Leader, Suite 300, 134 Union Boulevard, Lakewood, CO 80228.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Toni Griffin, (303) 236-4378 (phone); (303) 236-4792 (fax); or toni_grifjin@fivs.gov (email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, which we began by publishing a notice of intent in the Federal Register (75 FR 8394) on February 24, 2010. For more about the initial process and the history of this refuge, see that notice. We released the draft CCP and EA to the public, announcing and requesting comments in a notice of availability (78 FR 23778) on April 22, 2013.. The 40-day comment period ended on May 31, 2013. A summary of public comments and the agency responses is included in the final CCP.

Background

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) (Administration Act), requires us to develop a CCP for each national wildlife refuge. The purpose in developing a CCP is to provide refuge managers with a 15-year strategy for achieving refuge purposes and contributing toward the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), 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 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.

Each unit of the NWRS 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 NWRS 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 and objectives 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 NWRS.

Additional Information About the CCP,·EA, and FONSI

The final CCP includes detailed information about the planning process, refuge; management issues, and management alternative selected. The EA includes discussion of alternative refuge management options. The Service's selected alternative is reflected in the final CCP, and also in the FONSI.

The selected alternative for the refuge focuses on restoring native communities and promoting the potential natural range of conditions on Quivira National Wildlife Refuge that help focal resources or focal species and their respective habitats, and on increasing public use opportunities for hunting. We will increase our attention and understanding of the connectedness of habitats and the effectiveness of our management. To achieve this alternative, relatively minor changes will likely be required in our operations; inventory, monitoring programs, and research; staff; and infrastructure. A detailed description of objectives and actions included in this selected alternative is found in chapter 4 of the final CCP.