Meeting on Missouri River Conservation Efforts

Tuesday, Sept 17th,

Prairie Hills Audubon Society Meeting

Rapid City School Administration Building,

300 6th Street, Rapid City

Community room, (use SE entrance),

6:15 pm

Meeting on - Draft EIS & Land Protection Plan for Niobrara Confluence & Ponca Bluffs Conservation Areas of NE and SD.

      An effort is being made to protect habitat along the Missouri River at the Nebraska/SD border and is undertaken by National Park Service (NPS) and US Fish and Wildlife Service.  Speaker is Steve Thede, Acting Superintendent, Missouri National Recreational River, NPS and he will attend by Skype.  This federal effort will help protect piping plovers & interior least terns.

     Meet and greet at 6:15 with snacks, lecture at 6:30 pm.

   Sept 30th, 2013 is the comment deadline (as extended) for Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Land Protection Plan Niobrara Confluence and Ponca Bluffs Conservation Areas Nebraska and South Dakota

       This is a land protection plan for proposed conservation areas along the relatively wild section of the Missouri River between SD and Nebraska (in the SE edge of SD). This DEIS is related to protection of threatened and endangered bird species habitat along the River. The riparian woodlands and island complexes are important for approximately 25 year-round bird species and 115 species of migratory birds, including piping plovers, least terns, and bald eagles.

         There are 4 conservation alternatives, No Action, Minimal, Moderate and High Conservation Action.

Web links to download

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?parkID=151&projectID=40350

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/planning/lpp/ne/nbc_pcb/documents/nbc_pcb_lpp_deis_all.pdf

Links on time extension:

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/pressrel/2013/06172013_poncaNiobrara.html http://www.nebraska.tv/story/22593961/deadline-extended-for-public-comment-on-niobrara-ponca-bluffs-conservation-proposal

Comment or a request copies (hard copies or a CD-ROM) or more info. by any of the following methods:

Agency Web site:

        http://parkplanning.nps.gov/niob-ponca.

        Email:  niobrara_ponca@fws.gov.

        Mail: Nick Kaczor, USFWS, Division of Refuge Planning, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225.    In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Call (605) 665-0209, Missouri River National Recreational River Headquarters, 508 East 2nd Street, Yankton, SD 57078.

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