U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Looks for Comments on Outline Sport Deer Hunting Project and Environmental Assessment for Mackay National Wildlife Refuge

A outline of the update of the Deer Hunting Project and Environmental Assessment for Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Currituck County, North Carolina and Virginia Beach, Virginia is accessible for a 31-day public review beginning March 6, 2007. The review period will end April 5, 2007.

The updated Hunting Project describes 2 alternatives for deer hunting on the refuge: (1) the no-action alternative would continue the hunting plan that is currently in place and (2) the suggested action open an additional 880 acres of hunting on the Virginia portion of the refuge Under the suggested action, the deer hunting plan would continue to allow deer hunting in the far northern portion of the refuge. Hunting would be carried out in accordance with Federal and state regulations and refuge-specific regulations.

Copies of the Project can be requested from the refuge or downloaded at http://www.fws.gov/mackayisland

Written comments, requests for the plan, or questions can be directed to Tim Cooper, Refuge Manager, at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge, P. O. Box 39, Knotts Island, North Carolina 27950; (252) 429-3100 X 26. Email comments can be provided to the following address: tim_cooper@fws.gov.

Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960. Currently, the refuge encompasses approximately 8,219 acres in Currituck Co., North Carolina and the city of Virginia Beach, VA. Besides deer hunting, the refuge also offers opportunities for fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, interpretation, and environmental education.

The U.S.F.W.S. 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 94 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses in excess of 542 National wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 Countrywide fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 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 governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid plan that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.