92d Congress, 2d Session ------House Document No. 92-357C ']/ b ^
ADDITIONS TO THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TRANSMITTING
PROPOSALS FOR SIXTEEN ADDITIONS TO THE NA- TIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM, PUR- SUANT TO 16 USC 1132, TOGETHER WITH THE EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATUS OF THE NATIONAL WILDERNESS PRESERVATION SYSTEM, PURSUANT TO 6 USC 1136
PART 14
CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
SEPTEMBER 21, 1972. —Referred to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs and ordered to be printed with illustrations
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1972 THE WHITE HOUSE
WAS H I N GTO N
September 21, 1972
Dear Mr. Speaker:
Pursuant to the Wilderness Act of September 3, 1964, I am pleased to transmit herewith proposals for sixteen additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System.
As described in the Wilderness Message that I am sending to the Congress today, these proposed new wilderness areas cover a total of nearly 3. 5 million primeval acres.
Two other possibilities considered by the Secretary of the Interior in his review of roadless areas of 5, 000 acres or more -- White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, and Padre Island National Seashore, Texas -- were found to be unsuitable for inclusion in the Wilderness System. I concur in this finding and in the sixteen favorable recommendations of the Secretary of the Interior, all of which are transmitted herewith.
Concurrent with the wilderness proposals, I am also trans- mitting the Eighth Annual Report on the Status of the National Wilderness Preservation System which covers calendar year 1971.
Sincerely,
Honorable Carl Albert Speaker of the House United States House of Representatives Washington, B.C. 20515 United States Department of the Interior
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, B.C. 20240
September 14, 1972 Dear Mr. President:
It is with pleasure that I recommend the establishment of Chase Lake Wilderness within the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge as a unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Section 3(c) of the Wilderness Act (approved September 3, 1964; ?8 Stat. 890, 892; 16 U.S.C. 1132 (c)), directs the Secretary of the Interior to review roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more in the national parks, monuments, other units of the National Park System, wildlife refuges and game ranges, and report to the President his recommendation as to the suitability of each such area for preser- vation as wilderness. In defining areas suitable for wilderness the Act also includes roadless areas and islands within the National Wildlife Refuge System that are of sufficient size to make practical its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition. The Act further directs the President to advise the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of his recommendation with respect to the designation of each such area as wilderness. A recommendation of the President for designation as wilderness shall become effective only if so provided by an Act of Congress.
Based upon a recent review of such a roadless area within the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, we recommend that U,155 acres be designated as wilderness. The 230 acres of refuge excluded from wilderness consideration are separated from the remainder of the refuge by a 90-foot high steel tower transmission line, which we believe to be incompatible with the wilderness concept.
Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located 35 miles west of Jamestown, North Dakota. The area proposed for wilderness desig- nation includes Chase Lake, two islands therein, and surrounding acreage. Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is host to the largest colony of white pelicans in the.world. Other birds of interest which nest in abundance on the refuge include double- crested cormorants, California gulls, ring-billed bulls and several species of waterfowl. A fine variety of other prairie nesting bird species are present, along with mammals such as badger, coyote, white-tailed jackrabbit, and white-tailed deer. The area lies on the eastern edge of the Missouri Plateau in a unique belt of glacial moraine called the Coteau which dates from the Cretaceous Age of 120 million years ago. The prairie is abruptly rolling with depressions between the hills, called potholes, which are famous for waterfowl production. The area is of great interest to scientists and nature lovers. This proposal presents a rare opportunity to set aside a unique piece of natural prairie habitat with a multitude of wildlife inhabitants. The results of the study indicate it would be a valuable addition to the variety of habitat types which are preserved in the National Wilderness Preservation System. In accordance with the requirements of the Wilderness Act, notice of a public hearing of the wilderness proposal was issuad by the Department. All interested local, State, and Federal agencies and officials were notified of the hearing, which was held in Jamestown, North Dakota. The communications presented at the hearings by private parties and the above agencies and officials are summarized in the enclosed synopsis. A complete record has been compiled for the proposal, including written statements and oral testimony received in response to our announcement of public hearings. This record is, of course, available for inspection. On the basis of our review, I believe that the roadless area identified herein in Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is suitable for designation as wilderness. Enclosed is a draft bill which, if enacted, would incorporate this area into the National Wilderness Preservation System. A draft environmental impact statement, as required by section 102 (2) (C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, is enclosed.
Respectfully yours,
cretary of the Interior The President The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Enclosures A BILL
To designate certain lands in the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Stutsman County, North Dakota, as wilderness.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in accordance with section 3(c) of the Wilderness Act of September 3>
196k, (78 Stat. 890, 892; 16 U.S.C. 1132(c)), certain lands in the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota, which comprise about four thousand one hundred and fifty-five acres and which are depicted on a map entitled "Chase Lake Wilderness - Proposed" and dated September 1971, are hereby designated wilderness. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the offices of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of the
Interior. SEC. 2. As soon as practicable after this Act takes effect, a map of the wilderness area and a description of its boundaries shall be filed with the Interior and Insular Affairs Committees of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and such map and description shall have the same force and effect as if included in this Act: Provided, however, That correction of clerical and typographical errors in such legal description and map may be made. SEC. 3. The area designated by this Act as wilderness shall be known as the "Chase Lake Wilderness" and shall be administered by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Wilderness Act governing areas designated 'by that Act as wilderness areas, except that any reference in such provisions to the effective date of the Wilderness Act shall be deemed to be a reference to the effective date of this Act, and any reference to the Secretary of Agriculture shall be deemed to be a reference to the Secretary of the Interior. SYNOPSIS OK
CHASE LAKH WII,UKI;:iKS3 PROPOSAL A. BACKGROUND
The Chr.se Lake Wilderness Proposal compriser, '(,155 acres of the '1,385
acre Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The 230 acres of refuse ex-
cluded fro::i Wilderness consideration are separated from the remainder
of the refuse by a 90 foot high steel tower transmission line which is
incompatible in a wilderness. »
The rcfuje vas established by Executive Order 932 in 1908 primarily for
the protection of white pelicans which had been reduced by shooting
from thousands to only 50 birds. In order to better protect the wild- • life end improve waterfowl habitat, additional lands were acquired in
the late 1950's which now provide a margin of prairie between the Chase
Lake shoreline and the boundary of the refuge. Other birds of interest
vhich nest in abundance on the refuse include double-crested cormorants ,
California nulls, ring-billed gulls and several species of waterfowl. A
fine variety of other prairie nesting bird species are present along with ^ marmals such as badger, coyote, white-tailed jackrabbit, white-tailed
deer, and many more. .
Chase Lake NVJR is located 8 miles north of Crystal Springs which is 35
miles west of Ja.rn.ostown, North Dakota. -.
• Public use include photography, bird watching and big garr.e hunting.
These uses will be monitored to assure no over use or access will occur
during the nesting season or when disturbance could be detrimental
factor to the wildlife.
83-795 O - 72 - pt. 14-2 No structures ore present though a small old dike contains a fresh water
marsh and an old prairie trails rins the southern half of the lake.
The early history of the .area records the buttles between the Sioux In- dians and General Sibley's troops following the Sioux uprising in Minn-
esota during 1062-63- A battle was foucht near Chase Lake vhere old trench fortifications are still visible in the adjacent prairies.
B. DESCRIPTION
The refuse lies in that part of the Missouri Plateau known as the Coteau. This glacial drift area is hilly and pock-narked with many depressions
and overlays a bedrock of Pierre Shale from the Cretaceans Age of 120 million years ago. The depressions, called potholes, resulted from the melting of large blocks of ice which broke away from the receding
glacier. ,
The thin layer or rich prairie top-soil quickly changes to a grayish- brown heavier soil as depth increases. Snail glacial boulders and gravel
are soon exposed by erosion vhen the soil is tilled.
Approximately 50f' of the area is water, h5f» is native and ta:r.e grass and
the remainder is brush, consisting of buck brush and sone choke cherry.
Past farming experiences have shown this rolling country is best suited to grassland economy, and r.uch land of this type has been seeded back to • grass to prevent erosion and to provide forage. The Public Hearing w«s held as announced on April 7, 1971 in the Otter- * tail Povcr Company Coirjsmnity Room, in Jamestown, llorth Dakota beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Hearing was called to order by Hearing Officer, Elmer * Nitschke, Field Solicitor, Department of Interior, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mr. John Langenbach, Assistant Regional Director, Bureau of Sport Fisher- ies and Wildlife, Minneapolis, Minnesota, presented the Bureau's state- ment. Fifty-tvo people attended the- meeting excluding Bureau personnel involved in holding the hearing. Several questions vere asked of the Bureau's Wilderness Representative, Lester H. Dundas, as the meeting conducted at 9:1>0 p.m.
All persons making statements at the hearing and all communications re- ceived prior to the hearing vere in favor of the proposal. A total of 170 letters and a petition of 131 names vere received concerning the • r proposal. All except one vas in favor. The lone letter in opposition vas received from the U.S. Forest Servive in Washington, D.C. It ap- peared that the difference between refuge and forest vilderness vere not clearly understood by the correspondent. See Public Hearing Anal- ysis attached.
COMMU?.rTCAT.IO:jS_F:-:p:! ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIALS
All comrmnications from elected officials vere in support of the pro- posal.
CO::-'.U;.-ICATIO::S_FROM STATE A;:D LOCAL OFFICIALS, STATS, DEPART:-'.EMT & AGENCIES
All comunic.itions received under this hearing vere in favor including
Russell Stu?.rt, Conmr.sionsr of Ga-ne & Fish Department, North Dakota. All of the cormunications received from organizations including the Wilderness Society, Sierra, Club rind Izaak Walton League verc in favor, «
COMMUNICATIOIiS FROM CITIZKMS
All communications received from citizens favored the proposal. xc LAKE WILDERNESS ,-^£ LAKE NATIOiJAL WILDLIFE RtWGE NORTH DAKOTA
I (PRELIMINARY-SUBJECT TO CHANGE) LEGEND ^rC? WILDUiHESS BOUNDARY O —'O"-O POWER LINE EXCLUDED FROM WILDERNESS AREAS Proposed Recorr-iendations
The Wilderness Study, Public Hearing and correspondence are in agreement that the Chase- Lake Wilderness Proposal should be presented to Congress with the Bureau's recormc-.ndation that the proposal be approved for inclu- sion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
It is important to note that at the public hearing several people pointed out that fire is an important part of the ecology of the native prairie type of wilderness which is the object of the preservation efforts. In- asmuch as the cultivation and grazing of lands surrounding the refuge negate the opportunity for natural prairie fires to burn over the proposal, it is very important that controlled burning be included as a part of manage- ment. This will oncoura^ci and perpetuate the native grasses and forbes which are fire oriented and reduce the weeds and tame grasses which have persisted from the old cultivation days.
The use of fire is necessary to maintain and enhance, the natural habitat ' t upon which rests the prime objectives of the refuge. The Wilderness Society both in Washington, D.C. and in Denver have been contacted on this matter and agree on the need of fire.
The neighboring public has been observing the refuge and the yearly accumula- tion of fuel. They are afraid of fire hazards and burn some of their own land rcgulary. A properly managed fire operation, would have the approval of our neighbors. Fire could be controlled at the refuge boundary and along section line ronds. If lands suitable for waterfowl production adjacent to Chase Lake Refuge
become available, acquisition should be considered to enlarge this area which will enhance our efforts to preserve this type. COST AND DATA
1. Wilderness Study
Planner per diem $ 75.00 Travel (air) 125.00 (car) Time 10 days 600.00
Refuge 65.00 Travel 20.00 $885.00
2. Analysizing information
Planner $2,400.00 Sec. ^800.00 $3,200.00
3. Brochure
Art and Layout $1,125.00 Planner 2,400.00 ' Sec 400.00 Photos 45.00 $3,970.00
4. Public Hearing (Time) t Planner $ 600.00 Sec. 800.00 Hear Officer 150.00 Refuge Pers 180.00 Bureau Rep. 160.00 Travel per diem Planner per diem 100.00 Travel (air) 190.00 (car) $2,180.00 Hearing Officer Travel $ 65.00 Hearing Officer per diem 60.00 Bureau Rep. 70.00 (car) 100.00 (air) . 65.00 $ 380.00
6. Court Reporter fee 395.00
7. Materials and Supplies 55.00
8. Printing Brochure 793.00
9. Total . $11,858.00
83-105 O - 12 - pt. 14-3 DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
PROPOSED
CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS AREA, NORTH DAKOTA
Prepared by: BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. January 1972 SUMMARY SHEET DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
PROPOSED CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS AREA, NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE
1. TYPE OF ACTION: Legislative. 2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION INDICATING WHAT STATES AND COUNTIES PARTICULARLY AFFECTED: Proposal^recominends that 4.155 acres of the Chase Lake National Wi 1_dlife_JRefuge_,_ located in the^ Stutsman County, North Dakota^ _be_ rlesj gnated as wi Iderness within the NationaT3iTlclerri'ess PreseTyatj_on System. 3. SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: No immediate or long^-range environmental change would occur on the area as a result of the proposed action. 4. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED: Leave the area under existing management within the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. 5. FEDERAL AGENCIES FROM WHICH COMMENTS HAVE BEEN REQUESTED: Department of Agriculture Environmental Protection Agency Department of the Interior Bureau of Recreation Geological Survey National Park Service Bureau of Mines 6. DATE STATEMENT FORWARDED TO COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY TO THE PUBLIC SENT TO FEDERAL REGISTER: DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT PROPOSED CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS AREA, NORTH DAKOTA
I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, U. S. Department of the Interior, proposes that 4,155 acres of the 4,385-acre Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota, be designated as wilderness within the National Wilderness Preservation System. The refuge is located in the Coteau country near the eastern edge of the Missouri Plateau. This area is commonly referred to as the "Pothole Country". The Coteau is a terminal moraine deposited by the Wisconsin Glacier about 10,000 years ago and lies east of the Missouri River in a belt extending from eastern South Dakota northwesterly across North Dakota into Saskatchewan, Canada. Its location at the mid-point of the western edge of Stutsman County is 8 miles directly north of Crystal Springs, which is on Interstate 1-94 between Jamestown and Bismarck, North Dakota. (See Exhibit A.)
The Wilderness Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-577; Stat 890-96) directed the study of every roadless area of 5,000 acres or more and every roadless island within the National Wildlife Refuge System to determine the suitability or nonsuitability of each such area for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. In fulfilling this respon- sibility, a full and comprehensive study has been made of the entire refuge. Results of that study indicate that 4,155 acres meet the requirements of the wilderness act. ihis environmental impact statement examines the proposed action in accordance with the National Environ- mental Policy Act of 1969.
Designation of wilderness areas is within and supplemental to the purposes for which national wildlife refuges are established and administered. The net environmental result, should the proposal be implemented, will be congressional classification of federally owned lands for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such a manner that will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilder- ness. The Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which is essentially wilderness in character, will continue to be administered by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife consistent with the purposes for which the area was established, and to preserve its wilderness character.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is managed from nearby Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge at Edmunds, North Dakota. The refuge was established in August 1908 by Executive Order No. 932 to reserve a breeding ground for native birds.
The Chase Lake Wilderness Proposal consists of 4,155 acres, which is 230 acres less than the entire refuge. The exclusion of 230 acres was deemed necessary because the Bureau of Reclamation's 90 foot high power transmission line separated, aesthetically, the southern 230 acres from the rest of the refuge. The highline, which crosses section 32 diagonally, was erected in 1961. The lake is 2,053 acres in size and is entirely within the proposed wilderness area boundary.
An old unimproved prairie trail circles the lake except on the north side. This trail follows the highland and was used by the early settlers, hunters and a few farmers until it was closed to the public travel after the land was acquired by the Bureau. It is driveable with motor vehicle about 6 months of the year. The closest improved road to the area is located a half mile from the NW corner.
Prior to 1935 a dike, 660 feet long, was constructed in sections 28 and 33 and forms a marsh with 66 acres of fresh water. This marsh has considerable vegetation and is used by nesting waterfowl. No other developments are known on the area.
The refuge is situated in a belt of North Dakota described as subarid. It has extreme temperatures of a maximum 118°F and a minimum of -42°F. Rainfall averages 19" and snowfall averages 42", which supports tree life only in the river valleys or in small scattered spots near water. Chase Lake Refuge has few trees of consequence, but buck brush is found in some coulees along with small thickets of chokecherry.
The area lies on the eastern edge of the Missouri Plateau in a section sprinkled with enclosed depressions. This higher belt of moraine is known as the Coteau and runs southward into South Dakota. The bedrock is Pierre Shale from the Cretaceous Age of 120 million years ago and is overlaid with glacial drift. Because of the short growing season, pitted landscape, and soil condition, the refuge is not considered suitable for agricultural use.
Chase Lake is part of a pitted outwash plain of the Dakota Lobe of the last glacier. The depressions in this formation result from the melting of isolated blocks of ice. This rolling, pitted landscape with light precipitation lends itself best to a grassland ecology. The prairie soil is dark near the surface, turning to grayish-brown clay as the depth increases.
Chase Lake is the largest natural lake in the county. Very little vegetation grows in the lake which has a high alkaline content. When the water level is low, alkali salts 6" deep are found along the old shoreline. The lake usually contains two islands, but during years of low water, a third island appears. The other islands also grow in size as the lake level recedes.
This rolling country has been used under farming-grazing type of agriculture with the more rolling and pothole pocked areas most widely used for grazing and haying. Cultivation was tried on the light gravelly soil, but usually ended in failure. The old fields have been seeded into brome grass. These areas within the refuge are planned for restoration to natural prairie species. Stutsman County (population 23,550) contains 1,342,000 acres of which 93 percent is considered farm land.
Though no specific study of the area was made by the Bureau of Mines or Geological Survey, both agencies advised that they know of no com- mercial mineral potential. However, they reported an assumed oil and gas potential based on previous drill tests 10 miles on either side of the refuge. Test borings have probably delineated all major gas and oil fields in North Dakota and additional exploration is not likely in the Chase Lake area.
The wilderness proposal unit consists of the following types of habitat: Chase Lake 2,053 acres Native grassland 931 acres Tame grassland 842 acres Wetlands 205 acres Brush 120 acres Low meadow 4 acres 4,155 acres All vegetation types, except the Tame grassland, are approaching climax.
Wildlife of several kinds exist on the refuge though the area is most widely known for its colony of white pelicans which nest on the islands in Chase Lake. The pelican colony is the largest in the world, numbering between 12,000-18,000 birds. Recent counts record over 4,000 nests and an average increment to the flock of over one bird per nest. Subadults number from 4,000-8,000 birds. Population records of wildlife using the refuge are poor, but early accounts report that the pelicans were numerous before the turn of the century. They were shot for sport by the early settlers. After the area was set aside as a national wildlife refuge, the pelican numbers increased. Judging by the estimated numbers of pelican nests, the population has fluctuated considerably during the years. Low water levels tend to disburse the pelicans over many other areas. Pelican banding on Chase Lake has been done largely by Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gammel of Kenmare, North Dakota, for many years with the assistance of refuge personnel. Double-crested cormorants also nest on the islands in large numbers with the pelicans. As many as 500 nests and 1,200 young cormorants were recorded in 1967.
A few minor nesting areas are known to exist off the refuge, but their production does not begin to approach that of Chase Lake. Birds nesting on Chase Lake feed off the area in less alkaline waters where fish and other food species are found, and non-nesting birds or subadults are found scattered throughout the area.
Canada geese used the area for nesting in the past, but no nesting by this species has been observed here since 1916. Ducks, geese, and swans continue to use the area during migration. A count in October 1968 showed 250 Canada geese, 250 whistling swans, and 6,000 ducks. Among the ducks found were 500 canvasbacks, 100 redhead, 600
83-795 O - 72 - pt. 14 - - r^or-cks. >t"8i- -'cv?.-: :•''— sr>e;''££ -sv "C f-e refupe irc"«u;e sardH-" cranes, i-'-'le fr-'ac^e's r-'r'ts anc *-'•<•.-c; no js rsn'Xs are Know, to rest :n tne are?..
Snsrp-tai 1 ec crojss are conrc.n, and in 195$. " r\-.~es were etsei'vea on dancing grounds. zr!rQ-i!ec White-tailed deer are common and at times as many as 50 have been counted at one tine on this snail area. Most of the smaller mammals common to the general area are found on the refuge including: meadow mice, ground squirrel, white-tailed jackrabbit, skunk, badger, mink, fox, and coyote. Because of the high alkalinity of the water, there is no fishery resource. Previous developments include a dike which holds the water in the southeastern marsh, an old patrol roadway circling the southern two- thirds of the land, and a utility highline crossing section 32 on the south side of the refuge. Planned developments include the restoration of the old cultivated fields into prairie. This will be done by seeding native grasses and forbs. The few minor developments present on Chase Lake will be permitted to revogetate naturally and will not be used in the future except as administratively necessary. Since the developments, except for the powerline, are many years old they have already begun to blend into the landscape as grasses cover the dike and tend to obscure the road. Old fields have been seeded with tame grasses which, given time, will revert to native grasses. Some hand seeding of native grass seed may hasten the return of prairie grasses. The powerline forms a short portion of the wilderness area boundary and can be seen from the area and probably has a minor visual impact on potential users of the area. Management activities will be directed toward the maintenance of natural prairie types. In order to achieve a natural prairie condi- tion, it may be necessary to hand seed some of the natural plants and grasses to speed up restoration of the old cultivated fields. It will be necessary to continue a program of controlled burning to restore and maintain natural prairie grasses and forbs. Also, con- trolled burning contributes to wildlife protection in that the supply of vegetative fuels are not permitted to build up. Burning will only approximate natural conditions that existed before modern man built roads and began cultivating the prairies. Lightning fires periodically spread over the prairies and were a significant factor in maintenance of the grassland community. Since it is essential that the productive grasslands be maintained, fire will have to be used and should have no adverse effect on the environment. Continuation of the white pelican banding program is considered an essential research project but it will be conducted without use of motorized equipment. The restriction on use of vehicles in the banding program are not felt to have an adverse effect on the wilderness proposal. Chase Lake is off the beaten track in a section of the midwest which is not heavily populated. The refuge resembles the surrounding country in general contour and does not generate unusual interest locally. In the future, the refuge area will be one of the very few natural prairie areas remaining. Public use is low, currently estimated at 500 visits annually. It is doubtful there will be a significant increase because of the designation of the area as wilder- ness though more and more people will find this area interesting. The area is of considerable interest to scientists, naturalists, and bird- watchers. If Chase Lake is designated as wilderness, it will be one of only two proposed by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife on refuges in North Dakota. The other is Lostwood Refuge located about 150 miles northwest of Chase Lake. To our knowledge, no other prairie habitat is proposed for wilderness by other agencies in North Dakota. Public hunting of deer is permitted on the refuge in accordance with North Dakota State laws and regulations. No migratory bird huntfng is allowed. The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation provided the following information on areas of natural environment within a 50-mile radius of Chase Lake, Acreage 1. Florence Lake National Wildlife Refuge 1,888 2. Bunker Lake Game Management Area 161 3. Arena Game Management Area ., 800 4. Wells County Game Management Area 640 5. Horsehead Lake Game Management Area 437 6. Rusten Slough Game Management Area 160 7. Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge 10,930 8. Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge 22,310 9. Long Lake Game Management Area 320 10. SIade National Wildlife Refuge 3,000 11. Dawson Game Management Area 2,958 Many of these areas are State Game Management Areas which may have either improvements or agricultural practices existing or planned. Several are larger national wildlife refuges where developments and cropping for wildlife is practiced to a moderate extent. These units are included to portray the location of areas which may complement this proposal. See attached map marked Exhibit B. Refuge Effects on the Local Economy Most of the acreage of the refuge is contained within Chase Lake itself; therefore, there are no activities such as grazing or farming which generate economic returns to the local area. Revenue sharing to Stutsman County is approximately $400 per annum. The county's monetary return from the refuge is based on 3/4 of 1 percent of the land value, in accordance with the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act. The area surrounding the proposed wilderness is essentially a small ranching-large grain farming economy. There are no major changes in the general off-refuge land use pattern foreseeable at this time. Irrigation is not considered a realistic possibility. No other developments, existing or planned, threatened the proposed wilderness III. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION There would be no immediate or long-range change in condition of the environment as a result of this proposal. Present management on the area proposed as wilderness stresses those values that wilderness designation would preserve. Wilderness designations would provide legislative assurance that natural ecological processes will continue and the area's natural, wildlife, educational, and research values will be preserved. The pelican nesting colony which is the most important and unique wildlife asset of the area will be given even greater protection by wilderness designation. Vehicle use will be restricted but will have a very minor effect on the overall management of the area. Pelican banding will require additional time but the program will continue. Public use will not 'be affected since private vehicles are not permitted on the refuge at the present time and hunters must walk into the area. Fire is an integral part of the natural ecology of the area and controlled burning will be used to maintain the prairie habitat. Wilderness designation will not prevent its use. The Chase Lake Wilderness Proposal involves only 4,155 acres, and any oil or gas deposits under the area could be reached by slant drilling from off the area without adverse effect on the surface habitat. Farming could not be undertaken if the area is designated wilderness. This is of little consequence since no portion of Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is farmed at the present time and uplands surrounding the lake are rocky and at best only marginal agricultural land. Preservation of wilderness conditions is not expected to result in any undesirable response by wildlife populations, such as disease or over- population. Should problems of this nature arise, there is sufficient latitude in wilderness management to cope with them and prolonged environmental damage would not be sustained. Maintenance of the dike impounding the marsh in Sections 28 and 33 will not be possible under wilderness designation. The dike is covered with vegetation and has not needed maintenance since it was constructed in the mid-thirties and future maintenance is not anticipated. The power!ine that forms a portion of the wilderness boundary will have a insignificant esthetic impact. IV. UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE IMPACTS Wilderness designation is designed to protect and preserve natural environmental qualities and no significant adverse environmental effects are anticipated. The Secretary has the authority to take such measures as may be neces- sary to control fires, insects, and diseases when such conditions in a wilderness area threaten health and safety and public or private property outside the wilderness area. V. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION The only meaningful alternative to the proposal is to continue managing the area as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Wilderness designation will result in no significant change in present management. Without wilderness, management would be unchanged and refuge objectives would continue to be met on the area. The legislative protection and approval, connotated by wilderness designa- tion would, however, be lost,and non-conforming uses could be approved by the Secretary of the Interior. It is considered that the Bureau would be evading its responsibilities under the Wilderness Act should this proposal not be made. VI. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL SHORT-TERM USE OF MAN'S ENVIRONMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY The short-term use of the proposed wilderness area will be in essence, non-use, and signs of man's presence will be permitted to gradually disappear. Thus, the area will be permitted to revert to a vegetative type similar to that present before man arrived on the scene. The long-term productivity will be enhanced and by no means harmed by wilderness designation. There will be no deterioration of the environ- ment as major land uses will essentially be no use at all. Scientific and recreational uses of the area will be restricted to those who are physically capable of participating in activities on undeveloped wilderness areas. The area will remain open to wildlife photography, observation, hunting, nature study, and research. Wilder- ness designation will remain protected from possible industrial and residential development, pollution, and be preserved for public use as other areas disappear. VII. IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS There would be no irreversible or irretrievable commitments of the area's resources as a result of this proposal. Congress could, at some later date, determine that the national interest would better be served by declassification of all or a portion of the area. VIII. CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION WITH OTHERS A. Consultation and Coordination in the Development of the Proposal and in the Preparation of the Draft Environmental Statement A public hearing on the wilderness proposal was held in the Community Room of the Ottertail Power Company, Jamestown, North Dakota, at 7:30 p.m., April 7, 1971. A complete record was compiled, including written statements and oral testimonies received at the hearing. All persons making statements at the hearing and all communications received prior to the hearing were in favor of the proposal. A total of 170 letters and a petition of 131 names were received concerning the proposal. All except one was in favor. The lone letter of opposition was received from the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C. B. Coordination in the Review of_ the Draft Environmental Statement This statement has not been released for public review, but has been circulated to the following Federal agencies for review and comment: Department of Agriculture Environmental Protection Agency Department of the Interior Bureau of Recreation Geological Survey National Park Service Bureau of Mines CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL (PRELIMINARY-SUBJECT TO CHANGE* __-,_„_ WILDERNESS BOUNDARY POWER LINE EXCLUDED FROM WILDERNESS AREAS .7 *'«*• CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE STUTSMAN COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA Mr VOXMH Chase :.,.. P - PUBLIC AREAS WITH NATURAL ENVIRONMENT of more than 100 acr^a WITHIN '".0 MTT.'CS I^OIKS OF CHASE JAKE F?OPCS\L - I JAMESTOWN Chase Lake Wilderness Proposal North Dakota PREFACE The Wilderness Act of September 3, 1964 (Public Law 88-577) requires that the Secretary of the Interior review every roadless area of five thousand contiguous acres or more and every roadless island, regardless of size, within the National Wildlife Refuge System within ten years after the effective date of the Act, and report to the President of the United States his recommendation as to the suitability or nonsuitability of each such area or island for preservation as wilderness. A recommendation of the President for designation as wilderness will not become effective unless provided by an Act of Congress. In defining wilderness, the Act also included areas of less than 5,000 acres that are of sufficient size to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition. Sections 4(a) and (b) of the Wilderness Act provide that: (1) the Act is to be within the supplemental to the purposes for which National Wildlife Refuges are established and (2) Wilderness areas shall be administered so as to preserve their wilderness character and shall be devoted to the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, educational, conservation, and historical use, insofar as primary refuge purposes permit. Wilderness designation does not remove or alter an area's status as a National Wildlife Refuge. This brochure describes a national wildlife refuge that has been studied by the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife at the direction of the Secretary of the Interior to determine its potential for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM The Refuge System is a National network of lands and waters managed and safeguarded for preservation and enhancement of the human benefits associated with wildlife and their environments. It presently consists of over 320 units, embracing nearly 30 million acres in 46 States. About 90 refuges containing 25 million acres in over 30 States qualify for study under the Wilderness Act. United States Department of the Interior IN REPLY REFER TO: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE Federal Building, Fort Snelling Twin Cities, Minnesota 55111 CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Jamestown, North Dakota April 7, 1971 i.adies and Gentlemen: I am John Langenbach, Assistant Regional Director of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. It is with great pleasure tnat I welcome you to this hearing on the Chase Lake Wilderness Proposal witnin the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. AS background, I should like to point out that the Wilderness Act of 1964 directed the Secretary of the Interior to review all roadless areas of 5,000 acres or if less that are of sufficient size to make practicable its preservation in an unimpared condition and every roadless island with the National Wildlife Refuge System to determine their suitabil- ity as wilderness. Furtner, regulations of the Secretary of the Interior published on February 22, 19bb, require this Bureau to review those areas qualifying for study under the Wilderness Act that are: (a) reasonably compact; (b) undeveloped; (c) possessing general characteristics of wilderness; and (d) without im- proved roads suitable for public travel by conventional automobile. The National Wildlife Refuge System consists of over 320 units containing over 30 million acres. Units of the system are found on lands reaching from the shores of the Arctic Ocean to islands of the Central Pacific Ocean and from the Florida Keys to Maine. There is one or more national wildlife refuge in every one of the 17 major Life Zones of North America. Therefore, the ecology of each national wildlife refuge differs from any other refuge, although some are similar. Because of these ecological differences, management objectives of individual refuges are often quite different. It has been determined that aoout 90 national wildlife refuges, containing over 25 million acres, located in over 30 states qualify for study as wilderness. As you can see, the wilderness review program in the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, of which this proposal is a part, encompasses a wide spectrum of lands within national wildlife refuges in the country. Only through careful study and analysis can a proper determination be made regarding whether a national wildlife refuge, or a portion of a national wildlife refuge, qualifies for consideration by the Secretary of the Interior as wilderness. We are presenting the results of our study of Chase Lake Wilderness Proposal for your consideration today. You have a copy of the brochure which summarizes the study we have made of this proposal. Copies of the complete study report are available for your scrutiny after the hearing here on the first table. We ask you to please leave them in the hearing room after you have finished with them, because the number of copies is very limited. A copy of my statement is also available, if you do not already have a copy, for your information and use. Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located 8 miles north of Crystal Springs, in Stutsman County about 35 miles west of Jamestown, North Dakota. The Wilderness Proposal consists of U,155 acres of the 4,385 acre refuge. The 230 acres not included in the wilderness proposal are separated esthetically from the rest of the refuge by a steel tower transmission line which transects the southwest corner. Though tnere are no other proposed wilderness areas in public ownership in the vicinity, there are 11 federal and state areas of over 100 acres within a 50-mile radius. On each of these areas, a portion is devoted to native habitat which will compliment this area. The area is closely associated with American history and the settling of the west. General Sibley and the Sioux did battle near the refuge during the Indian Uprising of 1862-63- When the Northern Pacific Railroad reached Stutsman County in 1873» it brought a fresh flood of immigrants, mostly German-Russian, who built the historic pioneer houses and barns of sod. Early settlers placed no economic value on pelicans and took up the custom of shooting them on the wing with rifles for Sunday afternoon sport. The thousands of birds were reduced to 50 before President Teddy Roosevelt set aside Chase Lake for a bird refuge by public re- quest in 1908. An old prairie trail, which was occasionally used for refuge patrol and census work, encircles the lower two-thirds of the refuge. No economic uses are made of tne area. In addition to the important white pelican colony, which is the largest in the world, double-crested cormorants, ring-billed gulls and Califor- nia gulls are also very common. From 100 to 200 pairs of waterfowl use the area for nesting, and during migration the variety and numbers are much greater including swans, Canada geese, and sandhill cranes. Though sharp-tailed grouse are the most common, pheasants, and Hungarian partridge are also found here. White-tailed deer, ground squirrels, Jack rabbits and mink are among the other common residents. Many years ago a low dike was constructed to impound a fresh water marsh, jtfo other developments are present and the dike has long since blended into the surroundings. Management will strive to maintain a native prairie. Chase Lake is located in a tninly populated portion of the midwest. Though the area has not attracted great numbers of people in the past, it is likely it will attract more and more people in the future. Tnough the Chase Lake Proposal is relatively small, it has the unusual wild- life qualities and aspects of natural prairie that make it an attractive propect for a Wilderness Area. The native prairie is a part of the unique Coteau area which deserves preservation for future generations. Our proposed recommendation to the Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Wasnington, D. C., will be that the Chase Lake Wilderness Pro- posal be included in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Bureau here concludes its presentation in behalf of the proposal, and thanks you for your attention. United States Department of the Interior IN REPLY REFER TO: FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE Federal Building, Fori Snelling (RF) Twin Cities. Minnesota 55111 PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURES CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Jamestown, North Dakota April 7, 1971 Ladies and Gentlemen: The hearing officer is Elmer Nitzschke, Field Solicitor, Twin Cities, Minnesota who has been assigned by the Secretary of the Interior to conduct this public hearing. Most of you undoubtedly filled out an attendance card as you entered the door; if you have not done so, we would like to ask that you complete one. The information on these cards will be used by the hearing officer to help him conduct this hearing. The hearing officer will call on all those who indicate on this card that they wish to be heard or recognized. If anyone wishing to make an oral statement has to leave early, please indicate this on the card so that the hearing officer can arrange for you to testify. As indicated in the Notice of Public Hearing, this hearing is being held to obtain information relating to the desirability of establishing a unit of the National Wilder- ness Preservation System within the Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge. In arrang- ing for this hearing, notices were sent to the United States Senators and Congressmen, the Governor of the State of North Dakota and other elected officials. Replies which have been received from them will be read later and incorporated into the transcript of this hearing. Notices were also sent to Federal and State agencies and organiz- ations and individuals known to be interested in the matter. You have been provided a copy of the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife statement outlining the proposal. It is suggested that you read this statement as soon as possible. It should answer most of your questions. When you are called upon for your statement, please come forward to the microphone, state your name and organization you represent, or if you are speaking as an individ- ual, please make this clear. All written statements will become a part of the official record whether they are filed with the hearing officer, read in the open meeting, or orally summarized. In the interest of conserving time, you are requested to file lengthy statements for the record and summarize them orally at this hearing. Please keep in mind that it is the official transcrip, containing all written statements, as well as oral presentations, that will be used for review by the Department of the Interior and later by the Congress in their consideration of this study. Statements will not be made under oath, and since this is not an adversary proceeding, there will be no cross-examination. This meeting will be conducted strictly for the purpose of recording the position of the organization you represent, or your personal view. Debates between individ- uals and officials of the Government or private organizations will be ruled out of order. Please direct any inquiries to the hearing officer who will rule as to whether the questions is pertinent to the study for which this hearing has been called, keeping in mind that the purpose of this hearing is to compile an official record of public opinion with respect to the merits of this wilderness proposal, as directed by the Wilderness Act of September 3, 1964, Public Law 88-577. Neither is it the duty of the public hearing officer to reach any conclusions nor make any decision regarding the wilderness proposal. After this public hearing, a thorough review will be made of this wilderness pro- posal, but this is not the last opportunity for public expression. The record of this public hearing and all other information on the proposal will be reviewed by the Secretary of the Interior who will transmit his recommendations regarding the proposal to the President. The President will transmit his recommendations to the Congress. After appropriate consideration, which will include hearings, the Congress will accept, reject or modify the proposal as a unit of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The hearing will be in session from 7:30 p.m. until all interested parties have had an opportunity to express their views. Please note that the official record of the public hearing will be kept open through May 22, 1971 for those who wish to submit statements or modifications of previous statements for inclusion in the record. Send such statements to the Regional Director, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wild- life, Federal Building, Fort Snelling, Twin Cities, Minnesota 55111. The Department of the Interior welcomes your views at any time, but in order to be included in the official record, your views should be in the offices of the Regional Director at the above address by May 22, 1971. Thank you for attending. Acting Regional Director CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE NORTH DAKOTA IPRELIMINARY-SUBJECT TO CHAWOE) C^-v^L, , WILDERNESS BOUNDARY 51^1 POWER LINE EXCLUDED FROM WILDERNESS AREAS FISHER September,1970 The refuge is administered from Arrowwood CHASE National Wildlife Refuge at Edmunds, North Dakota which is 27 miles east and 16 miles north of Chase Lake. LAKE HISTORY The recent past of this area is steeped in INTRODUCTION American history. General Sibley, during his campaign to punish the Sioux Indians after Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge contains the uprising at New Dim, Minnesota in 1862, 4,385 acres and is located 8 miles north of engaged the Indians in battle near Chase Lake. Crystal Springs in Stutsman County, North Old ditch fortifications are still visible in the Dakota. It was established by President Teddy surrounding prairie. Roosevelt under Executive Order 932 in 1908. Recently additional lands were The early settlers, German-Russian included under authority of the Migratory immigrants, homesteaded the area and built Bird Conservation Act to better protect sod houses and barns to subsist during the wildlife and waterfowl production habitat. harsh prairie winters. White pelicans and double-crested cormorants The beauty of flight These early settlers shot the white pelicans, DESCRIPTION which were of no economic value, for Sunday afternoon sport. Eventually this practice reduced these birds from thousands to only 50. The refuge lies in that part of the Missouri Plateau known as the Coteau, which is a By 1906 concerned people were requesting a glacial drift area overlying bedrock of Pierre bird refuge to protect the birds and their Shale from the Cretaceous Age of 120 million breeding grounds. years ago. Slate-colored junco and Sharp-tailed grouse The wilderness proposal, which contains The prairie soil is dark and rich at the surface 4,155 acres, is characteristic of the general but changes to grayish-brown, heavier soil as area. The many closed depressions are part of the depth increases. the pitted outwash plain of a receded glacier. The depressions, called potholes, resulted This rolling country, with its light topsoil, is from the melting of isolated blocks of ice. best suited to a grassland economy. The rolling terrain packed with potholes lends Cultivation was attempted in the past with itself to grazing better than to other poor results, and therefore much of the agricultural uses. agricultural land has been seeded back to grass to prevent erosion and provide forage. Weather conditions are severe with extremes in temperature ranging from 118 in summer to -42 in winter. Rainfall is less than 29" and Approximately 50% of the area is water, 45% snow averages 42" annually. Winds blow is native and tame grass and the remainder is continually. marsh and brush. CHASE LAKE WILDERNESS PROPOSAL CHASE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE STUTSMAN COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA . WOODWORTH DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANT MEDINA JAMESTOWN (37 miles) '////////, A,.. E.dudKl Wiaernext Proposol- February. 1971 WHITE PELICAN RING BILLED GULL White-tailed deer fawn An old dry weather vehicle trail, which is the nesting species but double-crested closed to public travel, circles the southern cormorants, ring-billed gulls and California two-thirds of the refuge. gulls are also abundant. A Bureau of Reclamation transmission line The white pelican colony, located within the separates the southwest 230 acres of the proposed wilderness area, is the largest in the refuge from the wilderness proposal. world. Because of the dense population of birds on the refuge, they must range out for many miles in search of food for themselves RESOURCES and their families. Wildlife is extremely numerous on the refuge. One to two hundred pair of ducks nest and The white pelican is the most significant of rear their young on the refuge. Canada geese nested there many years ago, but no goose mice, ground squirrels, white-tailed jack nesting has been recorded since 1916. rabbits, skunk, badger, mink, red fox and coyote are common residents. Sandhill cranes, Canada geese, whistling swans and many species of ducks use this area Sharp-tailed grouse are found commonly, and during migration. White-tailed deer and a pheasants and Hungarian partridge use the variety of small mammals including meadow area to a lesser extent. White-tailed jack rabbit DEVELOPMENTS SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS The only planned development is the restoration of old cultivated fields through Chase Lake is off the "beaten track" in a re-establishing native grasses by hand seeding. section of the Midwest which is not heavily populated. It is doubtful there will be a MANAGEMENT significant change in the low rate of public use in the near future. Management will strive to perpetuate the native prairie by permitting the natural forces to operate unmolested. Prairie, Chase Lake and old trail V '3L. *^- Pelican home in the prairie country PUBLIC USES INSPECTION Public uses include photography, bird Anyone interested in this proposal is watching and big game hunting. encouraged to inspect the area by contacting the Refuge Manager, Arrowwood Nationa\ CONCLUSION Wildlife Refuge, Edmunds, North Dakota where additional information may be This proposal presents a unique piece of obtained or the Regional Director, Bureau of prairie habitat with a multitude of wildlife Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, Federal Building, inhabitants. The results of the study indicate Fort Snelling, Twin Cities, Minnesota 55111. it would be a valuable addition to the variety of habitat types which are preserved in the National Wilderness System. Photo credit - cover, 2, 3, 11, by Ed Bry. As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has basic responsibilities for water, fish, wildlife, mineral, land, park, and recreational resources. Indian and Territorial affairs are other major concerns of the America's "Department of Natural Resources." The Department works to assure the wisest choice in managing all our resources so each will make its full contribution to a better United States — now and in the future. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR FISH AND WILbLIFE SERVICE BUREAU OF SPORT FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE o