TRNWR Requests Comments on Environmental Assessment for Expanding Hunts

LIBERTY, December 21, 2010 - Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge Requests Comments on Environmental Assessment for Expanding Hunts

The Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge in Liberty County is analyzing the environmental impacts associated with offering additional units for hunting of big game (deer and hog) and upland game (squirrel and rabbit). The refuge has published a draft environmental assessment, draft hunt plan, and draft compatibility determination and welcomes comments. Deadline for public comments is January 21, 2011.

The draft is available on the web at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/txrefuges.html. Click on the Trinity River website. You also may obtain a copy by calling the refuge at 936-336-9786.

The refuge’s preference is to offer hunting on three additional units for deer, feral hogs, squirrels and rabbits. The new units total 3,150 acres. When added to the current 4,800 acres hunted, this brings a refuge total to nearly 8,000 acres, which is a little less than one-third the total size of the refuge.

Please send written comments to Refuge Manager, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, PO Box 10015, Liberty, TX 77575 or email them to stuart_marcus@fws.gov.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 553 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

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