[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 245 (Friday, December 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 104201-104202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30442]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2024-0136; FF09R81000.FVRS80810900000.XXX]
Green River National Wildlife Refuge, KY; Establishment of
Hunting Permit Fees
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce our intent to
establish and implement amenity fees at Green River National Wildlife
Refuge (Refuge), located in Kentucky, as authorized by the Federal
Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA). We intend to implement
hunting permit fees. Under FLREA provisions, the refuge will identify
and post the fees. Unless we publish a notice in the Federal Register
withdrawing this action, we will implement the fees on the date shown
in the DATES section. We invite comments on our intended action from
the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.
DATES: We must receive any written comments on or before March 20,
2025. For more information, see Public Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION. Unless we publish a notice in the Federal Register
withdrawing this action, we will implement the amenity fees on July 1,
2025.
ADDRESSES: Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments, you may
do so in writing by one of the following methods:
Online: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2024-
0136.
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2024-0136; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Johnson, by telephone at 270-
527-5770 or via email at [email protected]. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
Established in November 2019, Green River National Wildlife Refuge
(refuge) is located in Henderson, Kentucky, near the confluence of the
Ohio and Green Rivers, an area known for bottomland hardwood forest.
This important habitat helps support migrating waterfowl, songbirds,
fish, and other wildlife.
Intent To Implement Amenity Fees
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce our intent to
implement amenity fees at the refuge, as authorized by the Federal
Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801-6814; FLREA). We
intend to
[[Page 104202]]
implement hunting permit fees. Under FLREA provisions, the refuge will
identify and post the specific hunting fees. Unless we publish a notice
in the Federal Register withdrawing this action, we will implement the
fees on the date in the DATES section.
Hunting Permit Fees
Under section 3 of the FLREA, we will implement the hunting permit
fees in table 1.
Table 1--Annual Hunting Permit Fees; Green River National Wildlife
Refuge
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Hunter type Permit fee
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Adult (16-64 years of age)................ $20.00
Youth (under 16 years of age)............. Free
Youth--Quota Hunt......................... 10.00
Veteran................................... 10.00
Adult over 65 years of age................ 10.00
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The implementation of these fees will provide the refuge with funds
to offset expenses related to managing the hunt program, other visitor
services, law enforcement salaries, and expansion and improvements of
visitor amenities. It is our policy to allow only activities that are
appropriate and compatible with the refuge's purposes.
Background
In accordance with regulations governing the National Wildlife
Refuge System (50 CFR part 25, subpart E) a refuge may implement fees
and other reasonable charges for public recreational use of lands
administered by that refuge. When considering fees, a refuge is
required by our regulations to evaluate the following:
The direct and indirect cost to the Government;
The benefits to the permit holder;
The public policy or interest served;
The comparable fees charged by non-Federal public
agencies; and
The economic and administrative feasibility of fee
collection.
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), allows National Wildlife Refuges to provide
wildlife-dependent recreation to visitors, but these laws require
refuges to manage for the conservation of fish, wildlife, and habitat
for current as well as future generations of Americans. To fulfill
these obligations, Green River National Wildlife Refuge plans to use
collected fees to defray costs associated with visitor amenities.
Public Comments
Submitting Comments
Please make your comments as specific as possible and explain the
basis for them. In addition, please include sufficient information with
your comments to allow us to authenticate any scientific or commercial
data you reference or provide. Such information may lead to a final
decision that differs from this proposal.
Public Availability of Comments
If you submit a comment at https://www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment, including any personal identifying information, will be posted
on the website. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal
identifying information, such as your address, phone number, or email
address, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold
this information from public review; however, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so. Moreover, all submissions from organizations
or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in their entirety.
Next Steps
If public comments were to provide substantive reasons why we
should not implement the proposed hunting permit fee program at the
refuge, we would reevaluate our plan and publish a subsequent notice in
the Federal Register withdrawing this action. Otherwise, we will
implement the proposed fee program at the Green River National Wildlife
Refuge on the date specified in the DATES section of this document, and
the refuge will post fee amounts and expenditures on site.
Authority
Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801-6814).
Michael Oetker,
Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-30442 Filed 12-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P