82_FR_14279 82 FR 14228 - Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge, Plymouth, MA; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment

82 FR 14228 - Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge, Plymouth, MA; Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 51 (March 17, 2017)

Page Range14228-14229
FR Document2017-05369

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. Massasoit NWR is located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and is administered by staff at Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex based in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The draft CCP and EA describes two alternatives for managing Massasoit NWR for the next 15 years. Alternative B is identified as the Service-preferred alternative. Also available for public review and comment are the draft compatibility determinations, which are included as appendix B in the draft CCP and EA.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 51 (Friday, March 17, 2017) 
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 51 (Friday, March 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14228-14229]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05369]



[[Page 14228]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R5-R-2016-N217; BAC-4333-99]


Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge, Plymouth, MA; Draft 
Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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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 Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge 
(NWR) for public review and comment. Massasoit NWR is located in 
Plymouth, Massachusetts, and is administered by staff at Eastern 
Massachusetts NWR Complex based in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The draft 
CCP and EA describes two alternatives for managing Massasoit NWR for 
the next 15 years. Alternative B is identified as the Service-preferred 
alternative. Also available for public review and comment are the draft 
compatibility determinations, which are included as appendix B in the 
draft CCP and EA.

DATES: To ensure consideration of your written comments, please send 
them by May 16, 2017. We will also hold a public meeting. We will 
announce the meeting and other opportunities for public input in local 
news media, via our project mailing list, and on the refuge planning 
Web site: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Massasoit/what_we_do/conservation.html.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, request copies of the document, or 
obtain more information on the plan by any of the following methods.
    Email: [email protected]. Please include ``Massasoit CCP'' 
in the subject line of the message.
    U.S. Mail: Elizabeth Herland, Project Leader, Eastern Massachusetts 
NWR Complex, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.
    Fax: Attention: Elizabeth Herland, 978-443-2898.
    In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call Elizabeth Herland, 
Project Leader, Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, at 978-579-4026, 
during regular business hours to make an appointment to view the 
document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Herland, Project Leader, 
Eastern Massachusetts NWR; mailing address: 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, 
MA 01776; 978-579-4026 (phone); 978-443-2898 (fax); 
[email protected] (email) (please put ``Massasoit NWR'' in the 
subject line).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    With this notice, we continue the CCP process for Massasoit NWR. We 
published our original notice of intent to prepare a CCP in the Federal 
Register on January 10, 2012 (77 FR 1503).
    The 209-acre Massasoit NWR is located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 
and is comprised of three parcels: Crooked Pond (184 acres), Island 
Pond (15 acres), and Hoyts Pond (10 acres). The refuge was established 
in 1983 primarily to conserve the federally endangered northern red-
bellied cooter (cooter). In addition, the refuge protects other 
wildlife and plant species, including rare moths and other native 
pollinators, migratory songbirds, and small mammals. Habitats on the 
refuge include pine-oak upland forest with varying understory types, 
and coastal plain ponds and associated shoreline and upland habitats.
    The refuge is currently closed to all public uses. It has not been 
open to the public since its establishment due to both staffing 
limitations and the presence of the cooter that is sensitive to 
disturbance. Exceptions have been made for occasional interpretive and 
environmental education programs under a special use permit (SUP), or 
via special staff-led programs.

Background

    The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (16 
U.S.C. 668dd-668ee) (Refuge 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 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 Refuge Administration Act.

Public Outreach

    In April 2012, we distributed a planning newsletter to inform 
stakeholders about the planning process and asked recipients to contact 
us about issues or concerns they would like us to address. We also 
posted the newsletter on our Web site and published news releases in 
local newspapers. We held stakeholder and public scoping meetings in 
early April 2012, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. These meetings helped 
refine the partner and public concerns to be address in the planning 
process. Throughout the planning process, refuge staff have conducted 
additional outreach via participation in community meetings and events, 
other public forums, and meetings with the Massachusetts Division of 
Fisheries and Wildlife. We have considered and evaluated all of the 
comments we received and address them in various ways in the two 
alternatives presented in the draft CCP and EA.

CCP Alternatives We Are Considering

    We developed and evaluated two management alternatives in the draft 
CCP and EA. A full description of each alternative is in the draft 
plan. Both alternatives include measures to continue conducting 
biological and ecological research and investigations on cooters, as 
well as continue active habitat management to benefit the cooters and 
other species of concern.
    There are other actions that differ among the alternatives. Below, 
we provide summaries of the two alternatives, highlighting the 
differences.

Alternative A (Current Management)

    Alternative A is the ``no action'' alternative required by the 
National Environmental Policy Act. Alternative A defines our current 
management activities, including those planned, funded, or underway, 
and serves as the baseline against which to compare alternative B. 
Under alternative A, we would continue to contribute to rangewide 
cooter population recovery goals by protecting existing pond and 
shoreline habitat on the refuge from human disturbance, creating and 
maintaining high quality nesting habitat, and increasing nest success 
and hatchling survival. Our work with the cooter recovery team and 
species experts would continue to refine our understanding of species 
habitat requirements and the factors limiting survival and 
reproduction. We would continue to manage mixed pine-oak forest and 
other upland habitats to

[[Page 14229]]

reduce hazardous fuel loading through mechanical clearing and 
prescribed fire. We would also continue to allow limited environmental 
education and interpretation programs under a SUP, or led by refuge 
staff.

Alternative B (Increased Ecosystem Monitoring, Partnerships, and Public 
Use; Service-Preferred Alternative)

    Alternative B is the Service-preferred alternative. It combines the 
actions we believe would best achieve the refuge's purposes, vision, 
and goals and respond to public issues. Alternative B represents an 
extension and progression of all areas of current refuge management, 
including additional biological work, increased visitor services 
opportunities, and enhanced outreach to local communities. Alternative 
B places a greater emphasis on the importance of the refuge in a larger 
landscape context. This alternative would expand habitat management and 
monitoring for cooter and other species on additional refuge-owned 
parcels, and would include the use of prescribed burning to increase 
the structure and species composition of upland habitats to benefit 
wildlife resources of concern.
    Alternative B would pursue the Service's administrative 
requirements to evaluate potential hunting opportunities on the Crooked 
Pond parcel. Wildlife observation, photography, interpretation, and 
environmental education would be allowed on special occasions when led 
by refuge staff or partners working under a SUP. These activities would 
allow visitors to gain a better understanding of the unique natural 
resources the refuge protects and encourage visitors to become better 
stewards and advocates for resource conservation.
    Under alternative B, refuge staff would increase outreach to the 
local community to raise the refuge's visibility and promote the 
relevancy of the refuge and the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex to 
conservation in southeast Massachusetts.

Next Steps

    After this comment period ends, we will analyze the comments and 
address them in the form of a final CCP and, if appropriate, finding of 
no significant impact.

Public Availability of Documents

    In addition to any methods listed in ADDRESSES, you can view or 
obtain documents from the agency Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Massasoit/what_we_do/conservation.html.

Submitting Comments

    We consider comments substantive if they:
     Question, with reasonable basis, the accuracy of the 
information in the document.
     Question, with reasonable basis, the adequacy of the EA.
     Present reasonable alternatives other than those presented 
in the EA.
     Provide new or additional information relevant to the EA.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comments, 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: March 13, 2017.
Wendi Weber,
Regional Director, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-05369 Filed 3-16-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

14228 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 51 / Friday, March 17, 2017 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MA 01776; 978–579–4026 (phone); 978– Public Outreach 443–2898 (fax); northeastplanning@ In April 2012, we distributed a Fish and Wildlife Service fws.gov (email) (please put ‘‘Massasoit planning newsletter to inform [FWS–R5–R–2016–N217; BAC–4333–99] NWR’’ in the subject line). stakeholders about the planning process SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: and asked recipients to contact us about Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge, issues or concerns they would like us to Plymouth, MA; Draft Comprehensive Introduction address. We also posted the newsletter Conservation Plan and Environmental With this notice, we continue the CCP on our Web site and published news Assessment process for Massasoit NWR. We releases in local newspapers. We held published our original notice of intent stakeholder and public scoping AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, to prepare a CCP in the Federal Register meetings in early April 2012, in Interior. on January 10, 2012 (77 FR 1503). Plymouth, Massachusetts. These ACTION: Notice of availability; request The 209-acre Massasoit NWR is meetings helped refine the partner and for comments. located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, public concerns to be address in the SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and and is comprised of three parcels: planning process. Throughout the Wildlife Service (Service), announce the Crooked Pond (184 acres), Island Pond planning process, refuge staff have availability of a draft comprehensive (15 acres), and Hoyts Pond (10 acres). conducted additional outreach via conservation plan (CCP) and The refuge was established in 1983 participation in community meetings environmental assessment (EA) for primarily to conserve the federally and events, other public forums, and Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge endangered northern red-bellied cooter meetings with the Massachusetts (NWR) for public review and comment. (cooter). In addition, the refuge protects Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. We Massasoit NWR is located in Plymouth, other wildlife and plant species, have considered and evaluated all of the Massachusetts, and is administered by including rare moths and other native comments we received and address staff at Eastern Massachusetts NWR pollinators, migratory songbirds, and them in various ways in the two Complex based in Sudbury, small mammals. Habitats on the refuge alternatives presented in the draft CCP Massachusetts. The draft CCP and EA include pine-oak upland forest with and EA. describes two alternatives for managing varying understory types, and coastal plain ponds and associated shoreline CCP Alternatives We Are Considering Massasoit NWR for the next 15 years. Alternative B is identified as the and upland habitats. We developed and evaluated two Service-preferred alternative. Also The refuge is currently closed to all management alternatives in the draft available for public review and public uses. It has not been open to the CCP and EA. A full description of each comment are the draft compatibility public since its establishment due to alternative is in the draft plan. Both determinations, which are included as both staffing limitations and the alternatives include measures to appendix B in the draft CCP and EA. presence of the cooter that is sensitive continue conducting biological and to disturbance. Exceptions have been ecological research and investigations DATES: To ensure consideration of your made for occasional interpretive and on cooters, as well as continue active written comments, please send them by environmental education programs habitat management to benefit the May 16, 2017. We will also hold a under a special use permit (SUP), or via cooters and other species of concern. public meeting. We will announce the special staff-led programs. There are other actions that differ meeting and other opportunities for among the alternatives. Below, we public input in local news media, via Background provide summaries of the two our project mailing list, and on the The National Wildlife Refuge System alternatives, highlighting the refuge planning Web site: http:// Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. differences. www.fws.gov/refuge/Massasoit/what_ 668dd–668ee) (Refuge Administration we_do/conservation.html. Act), as amended by the National Alternative A (Current Management) ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Alternative A is the ‘‘no action’’ request copies of the document, or Act of 1997, requires us to develop a alternative required by the National obtain more information on the plan by CCP for each national wildlife refuge. Environmental Policy Act. Alternative A any of the following methods. The purpose for developing a CCP is to defines our current management Email: northeastplanning@fws.gov. provide refuge managers with a 15-year activities, including those planned, Please include ‘‘Massasoit CCP’’ in the plan for achieving refuge purposes and funded, or underway, and serves as the subject line of the message. contributing toward the mission of the baseline against which to compare U.S. Mail: Elizabeth Herland, Project National Wildlife Refuge System, alternative B. Under alternative A, we Leader, Eastern Massachusetts NWR consistent with sound principles of fish would continue to contribute to Complex, 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, and wildlife management conservation, rangewide cooter population recovery MA 01776. legal mandates, and our policies. In goals by protecting existing pond and Fax: Attention: Elizabeth Herland, addition to outlining broad management shoreline habitat on the refuge from 978–443–2898. direction on conserving wildlife and human disturbance, creating and In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or their habitats, CCPs identify wildlife- maintaining high quality nesting Pickup: Call Elizabeth Herland, Project dependent recreational opportunities habitat, and increasing nest success and asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Leader, Eastern Massachusetts NWR available to the public, including hatchling survival. Our work with the Complex, at 978–579–4026, during opportunities for hunting, fishing, cooter recovery team and species regular business hours to make an wildlife observation and photography, experts would continue to refine our appointment to view the document. and environmental education and understanding of species habitat FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: interpretation. We will review and requirements and the factors limiting Elizabeth Herland, Project Leader, update the CCP at least every 15 years, survival and reproduction. We would Eastern Massachusetts NWR; mailing in accordance with the Refuge continue to manage mixed pine-oak address: 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, Administration Act. forest and other upland habitats to VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:02 Mar 16, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM 17MRN1

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 51 / Friday, March 17, 2017 / Notices 14229 reduce hazardous fuel loading through Submitting Comments North, Great Falls, MT 59401, (406) mechanical clearing and prescribed fire. We consider comments substantive if 791–7794, malbers@blm.gov. Persons We would also continue to allow they: who use a telecommunications device limited environmental education and • Question, with reasonable basis, the for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal interpretation programs under a SUP, or accuracy of the information in the Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–677–8339 led by refuge staff. document. to contact the above individual during Alternative B (Increased Ecosystem • Question, with reasonable basis, the normal business hours. The FRS is Monitoring, Partnerships, and Public adequacy of the EA. available 24 hours a day, seven days a Use; Service-Preferred Alternative) • Present reasonable alternatives week to leave a message or question other than those presented in the EA. with the above individual. You will Alternative B is the Service-preferred • Provide new or additional alternative. It combines the actions we receive a reply during normal business information relevant to the EA. hours. believe would best achieve the refuge’s purposes, vision, and goals and respond Public Availability of Comments SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 15- to public issues. Alternative B Before including your address, phone member council advises the Secretary of represents an extension and progression number, email address, or other the Interior, through the BLM, on a of all areas of current refuge personal identifying information in your variety of management issues associated management, including additional comments, you should be aware that with public land management in biological work, increased visitor your entire comment—including your Montana. During these meetings, the services opportunities, and enhanced personal identifying information—may RAC is scheduled to participate in, outreach to local communities. be made publicly available at any time. discuss, and act upon these topics or Alternative B places a greater emphasis While you can ask us in your comment activities. All RAC meetings are open to on the importance of the refuge in a to withhold your personal identifying larger landscape context. This the public. information from public review, we alternative would expand habitat cannot guarantee that we will be able to Agenda items for the March 29–30, management and monitoring for cooter do so. 2017, sessions include, but are not and other species on additional refuge- limited to: An update on Dated: March 13, 2017. owned parcels, and would include the implementation of the existing Sweet Wendi Weber, use of prescribed burning to increase the Grass Hills mineral withdrawal; an structure and species composition of Regional Director, Northeast Region. update on the American Prairie Reserve upland habitats to benefit wildlife [FR Doc. 2017–05369 Filed 3–16–17; 8:45 am] bison conversion proposal; information resources of concern. BILLING CODE 4333–15–P on BLM travel management planning; Alternative B would pursue the HiLine precipitation; a briefing on the Service’s administrative requirements to proposed Sandy Coal Boat Ramp; evaluate potential hunting opportunities DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR regular business items such as planning on the Crooked Pond parcel. Wildlife the next meeting’s agenda; and. a field observation, photography, Bureau of Land Management trip to a sage grouse lek. interpretation, and environmental [LLMTM00000.L111100000.XP0000 education would be allowed on special 17XL1109AF MO#4500082502] The RAC meeting will also have time occasions when led by refuge staff or allocated for oral public comments. partners working under a SUP. These Notice of Public Meeting; Central Depending on the number of persons activities would allow visitors to gain a Montana Resource Advisory Council wishing to comment and time available, better understanding of the unique AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, the time for individual oral comments natural resources the refuge protects and Interior. may be limited. encourage visitors to become better ACTION: Notice. Before including your address, phone stewards and advocates for resource number, email address, or other conservation. SUMMARY: In accordance with the personal identifying information in your Under alternative B, refuge staff Federal Land Policy and Management comments, please be aware that your would increase outreach to the local Act and the Federal Advisory entire comment, including your community to raise the refuge’s Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. visibility and promote the relevancy of personal identifying information, may Department of the Interior, Bureau of the refuge and the Eastern be made publicly available at any time. Land Management (BLM) Central Massachusetts NWR Complex to While you can ask us in your comment Montana Resource Advisory Council conservation in southeast to withhold your personal identifying (RAC) will meet as indicated below. Massachusetts. information from public review, we DATES: The Central Montana RAC cannot guarantee that we will be able to Next Steps meeting will be held on March 29 and do so. 30, 2017, in Glasgow, Montana. The After this comment period ends, we Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4–2. meeting on March 29, 2017, will be held will analyze the comments and address from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., with a 30-minute them in the form of a final CCP and, if Rick Hotaling, public comment period at 12:30 p.m. asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES appropriate, finding of no significant Acting Associate State Director, BLM RAC members will take a field trip on impact. Montana/Dakotas. March 30, 2017. Public Availability of Documents [FR Doc. 2017–05386 Filed 3–16–17; 8:45 am] ADDRESSES: The meetings will be in the Cottonwood Inn Conference Room, BILLING CODE 4310–DN–P In addition to any methods listed in ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain 54250 U.S. Hwy. 2, Glasgow, MT 59230. documents from the agency Web site at: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Massasoit/ Mark Albers, North Central Montana what_we_do/conservation.html. District Manager, 1220 38th Street VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:02 Mar 16, 2017 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM 17MRN1


Document Created: 2017-03-17 02:48:57
Document Modified: 2017-03-17 02:48:57
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of availability; request for comments.
DatesTo ensure consideration of your written comments, please send them by May 16, 2017. We will also hold a public meeting. We will announce the meeting and other opportunities for public input in local news media, via our project mailing list, and on the refuge planning Web site: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Massasoit/what_we_do/ conservation.html.
ContactElizabeth Herland, Project Leader,
FR Citation82 FR 14228 
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