Refuge-Specific Hunting and Fishing Regulations
2008-09 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations — Additions
On August 28, 2008, we published a final regulation for refuge-specific hunting and sport fishing. This rule (proposed on June 11, 2008) contained one new refuge hunting opening (Hamden Slough NWR in MN) and increases in activities at six other refuges (Agassiz in MN, Blackwater in MD, Whittlesey Creek in WI, and Bayou Cocodrie, Tensas River, and Upper Ouachita all in LA). These changes were first proposed during the 2006-07 season (when we published the proposed rule on July 24, 2006) but subsequently withdrawn from the final rule described in the next section below. This rule was effective on the publication date (August 28, 2008). You may view both the proposed and final rules at the following links:
Proposed rule: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12193.pdf
Final rule: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-20022.pdf
2008-09 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations
On June 11, 2008, we published another final regulation for refuge-specific hunting and sport fishing. This rule, delayed since the 2006-07 season (when we published the proposed rule on July 24, 2006) due to ongoing litigation, contains one refuge fishing opening (Cape May NWR in NJ) corrects administrative errors, makes other minor modifications to existing regulations in 50 CFR part 32 and updates the list of refuges in part 32 to include the addition of existing Wetland Management Districts. This rule was effective July 11, 2008.
Final rule: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12188.pdf
EA Example
Example of a revised environmental analysis (EA) incorporating a cumulative impact analysis (CIA) that includes all three hunting opportunities: Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota.
Many other examples of revised EAs incorporating CIAs can be found on Regional Refuge homepages.
For background and further information, here are links to both
the January 19, 2007 memo from Ken Stansell (82 KB PDF) to Regional Chiefs providing guidance on the CIA process, along with March 8, 2007 supplementary guidance (17 KB PDF).
Proposed 2006-2007 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations Published
The 2006-2007 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations published July 24, 2006 in the Federal Register. The document went on file on July 17 and the comment period closes on August 16, 2006.
The rule proposes adding hunting and/or fishing programs on two refuges in Minnesota and New Jersey for the 2006-2007 season. We also propose to expand hunting and fishing opportunities at six other refuges and correct the public record to clarify that hunting programs are open at four refuges in Montana (Black Coulee, Creedman Coulee, Hewitt Lake and Lake Thibadeau). The rule also notes that Holt Collier NWR in Mississippi was formerly part of the Yazoo Refuge Complex, where hunting has been permitted. The new fishing program is proposed for Cape May NWR in New Jersey where previously only hunting has been allowed.
The proposed rule also reflects that five Wetland Management Districts in Montana are open to all hunting and fishing activities (Benton Lake, Bowdoin, Charles M. Russell, Northeast Montana, and Northwest Montana).
Click here to access the proposed rule.
Please Note: An incorrect e-mail contact
address was published in the Federal Register. The correct
address to e-mail your comments is refugesystempolicycomments@fws.gov.
2005-2006 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Final Regulations Published
The final 2005-2006 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing regulations published in the Federal Register and was effective September 13,
2005 (70 FR 54146).
We added hunting and fishing programs on six national wildlife
refuges in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota,
and New Hampshire. We added the following wildlife refuges to
list of units open for hunting and/or fishing: Cahaba River in
Alabama, Stone Lakes in California, Stewart B. McKinney in Connecticut,
Assabet River in Massachusetts, Glacial Ridge in Minnesota, and
Silvio O. Conte in New Hampshire.
We also expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at seven wildlife
refuges. The expansions of existing national wildlife refuges
include: Sacramento River in California, Moosehorn in Maine, Great
Meadows and Oxbow in Massachusetts, Squaw Creek in Missouri, Wertheim
in New York, and Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbia White-tail
Deer in Washington.
We also published the announcement of existing opportunities on 12 wetland management districts: Big Stone and Minnesota Valley in Minnesota and Arrowwood, Audubon, Chase Lake, Crosby, J. Clark Salyer, Kulm, Lostwood, Long Lake, Tewaukon, and Valley City all in North Dakota.
You may link to this publication at:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-17792.pdf
A correction to the 2005-2006 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing final regulations was published and effective September 27, 2005 (70 FR 56376). This correction involved instructions to the GPO typesetters for adding or revising paragraphs in the regulatory text section of the final rule, typographical errors, and a section number error. To go directly to this correction, click on the following link:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-19073.pdf
2005-2006 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Proposed Regulations Published
We published the proposed 2005-2006 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing regulations in the Federal Register on July 12, 2005 (70 FR 40108). The rule went on public file July 6, 2005. The public comment period ends August 5, 2005. This rule proposes to add hunting and fishing programs on six national wildlife refuges in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
The following wildlife refuges are proposed to be added to list of units
open for hunting and/or fishing: Cahaba River in Alabama, Stone Lakes
in California, Stewart B. McKinney in Connecticut, Assabet River in Massachusetts,
Glacial Ridge in Minnesota, and Silvio O. Conte in New Hampshire. The
Service is also proposing to expand hunting and fishing opportunities
at seven wildlife refuges. The proposed expansions of existing national
wildlife refuges include: Sacramento River in California, Moosehorn in
Maine, Great Meadows and Oxbow in Massachusetts, Squaw Creek in Missouri,
Wertheim in New York, and Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbia
White-tailed Deer in Washington.
We are also publishing the announcement of existing opportunities on 12 wetland management districts: Big Stone and Minnesota Valley in Minnesota and Arrowwood, Audubon, Chase Lake, Crosby, J. Clark Salyer, Kulm, Lostwood, Long Lake, Tewaukon, and Valley City all in North Dakota. The proposed rule can be found at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-13165.pdf.
2004-2005 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Regulations Published
The Refuge System published the 2004-2005 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing final rule on September 8, 2004. The rule was effective August 31, 2004, upon public filing at the Federal Register. You may view the final rule at:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-19786.pdf. (125 page PDF)
On February 23, 2005 the Federal Register published corrections to the 2004 edition of 50 CFR parts 18-199. These were typographical errors made by the Federal Register when typesetting our 2004-2005 refuge-specific regulations last fall. The corrections impact the following refuges: San Pablo Bay NWR in California; St. Vincent NWR in Florida; Neal Smith NWR in Iowa; North Platte NWR in Nebraska; Blackbeard Island and Savannah NWRs in Georgia; Great Meadows and Parker River NWRs in Massachusetts; and Rappahannock River Valley NWR in Virginia. If you have any questions about these corrections, please contact Leslie Marler at (703) 358-2397. Please click on the following link to see the corrections:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-55501.pdf
2004-2005 Refuge-Specific Hunting and Sport Fishing Proposed Regulations
We published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on June 30, 2004. We propose to open 10 new refuges and wetland management districts (units) to the list of areas open for hunting and/or sport fishing and increase the activity available at 7 other units. We will also develop pertinent refuge-specific regulations for those activities and amend certain regulations on other units that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting and sport fishing for the 2004-2005 season. These new refuges include: Waccamaw (SC), Mountain Longleaf (AL), Red River (LA), and Cypress Creek (IL). We are adding these existing wetland management districts to the list of refuges open to all four activities: Huron, Lake Andes, Madison, Sand Lake, and Waubay (all in SD) and Devils Lake (ND). The comment period on the proposed rule closes July 30, 2004. We hope to publish the final rule by the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
The proposed rule can be found at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-13897.pdf.
Due to the large file
size (1.2 MB, 130 pages), we suggest that you download the file to your hard drive before printing or reading it.
Accessing the file will take several minutes, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. To download to your hard drive, right click on the link, and scroll the resulting pop-up menu to "Save Target" or "Save Target As." When the
file has downloaded, open it in Adobe Acrobat to read or print.
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If you have any questions, you may contact
us at:
RefugeSystemPolicyComments@fws.gov
or
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
National Wildlife Refuge System
Division of Conservation Planning and Policy
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 670
Arlington, Virginia 22203
(703) 358-2036
(703) 358-2154 (fax)
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