DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Reopening of Comment Period: Draft Policy on National
Wildlife
Refuge System: Mission, Goals, and Purposes (Notice);
Draft Appropriate
Refuge Uses Policy Pursuant to the National Wildlife
Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997 (Notice); Draft
Wildlife-Dependent Recreational
Uses Policy Pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement
Act of 1997 (Notice); and Draft Wilderness Stewardship
Policy Pursuant
to the Wilderness Act of 1964 (Notice)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice; further reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period on the
Federal Register
notice dated January 16, 2001, that invites the public
to comment on
the following draft policies: National Wildlife Refuge
System: Mission,
Goals, and Purposes; Appropriate Refuge Uses Policy
Pursuant to the
National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of
1997; Wildlife-
Dependent Recreational Uses Policy Pursuant to the
National Wildlife
Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997; and Wilderness
Stewardship
Policy Pursuant to the Wilderness Act of 1964.

DATES: Submit comments by or before June 14, 2001.
Note that you must
resubmit comments sent to us between April 19, 2001
and before May 15,
2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in the following ways: in
writing to Acting
Chief, Division of Conservation Planning and Policy,
National Wildlife
Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N.
Fairfax Drive,
Room 670, Arlington, Virginia 22203; by FAX to (703)
358-2248; or by
e:mail to one of the following addresses:

Mission_And _Goals_ Policy_Comments@fws.gov;
Appropriate_Uses_Policy_ Comments@fws.gov;
Wildlife_ Dependent_Recreational
_Uses_Policy_Comments@fws.gov; or
Wilderness_Policy_Comments@fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Stieglitz,
Acting Chief,
Division of Conservation Planning and Policy, National
Wildlife Refuge
System (703) 358-1744.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In a Federal Register
notice dated January
16, 2001 (66 FR 3668) we published draft policies for:
National
Wildlife Refuge System: Mission, Goals, and Purposes;
Appropriate
Refuge Uses Policy Pursuant to the National Wildlife
Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997; Wildlife-Dependent
Recreational Uses Policy
Pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of
1997; and Wilderness Stewardship Policy Pursuant to
the Wilderness Act
of 1964. These policies, affecting management and use
of the National
Wildlife Refuge System, represent the culmination of
our initial policy
development in response to the landmark National
Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997.
In a subsequent Federal Register notice dated
March 15, 2001 (66 FR
15136) we extended the comment period until April 19,
2001 to ensure
that the public had an adequate opportunity to review
and comment on
our draft policy.
To allow for continued discussion with the States
on these
policies, we are reopening the comment period for an
additional 30
days.

Dated: April 30, 2001.
Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 01-12215 Filed 5-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U

Forwarding to my club members & the board I moderate!