Notice2026-11956
Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Request for Information
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
June 15, 2026
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentFish and Wildlife Service
Abstract
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) seeks public comment on potential improvements to Part 610 of the Service Manual (Wilderness Stewardship), which provides policy direction for the review, planning, stewardship, and administration of wilderness areas managed by the Service. The Service is interested in receiving information and recommendations regarding whether updates, clarifications, or other revisions to existing wilderness stewardship policy may be appropriate. We invite comments from the public, and local, State, Tribal, U.S. Territories, and Federal agencies.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 114 (Monday, June 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 114 (Monday, June 15, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35993-35994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-11956]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-2575; FXRS12610900000-267-FF09R20000]
Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Request for
Information
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) seeks public
comment on potential improvements to Part 610 of the Service Manual
(Wilderness Stewardship), which provides policy direction for the
review, planning, stewardship, and administration of wilderness areas
managed by the Service. The Service is interested in receiving
information and recommendations regarding whether updates,
clarifications, or other revisions to existing wilderness stewardship
policy may be appropriate. We invite comments from the public, and
local, State, Tribal, U.S. Territories, and Federal agencies.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before August 14,
2026.
ADDRESSES: Comment submission: All submissions must include the docket
number FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-2575 for this document. You must submit
comments using one of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic submission: Federal eRulemaking Portal at:
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. In the Search box, enter FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-
2575, which is the docket number for this action. Then click the Search
button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by clicking on
``Comment.'' Please ensure that you have found the correct document
before submitting your comments.
<bullet> U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-2575, Policy and Regulations Branch, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church,
VA 22041-3803.
Comments submitted through any method not authorized in this
document, or sent to an address not listed here, will not be
considered. We will not accept comments via email, fax, or hand
delivery. We are not required to consider comments that are submitted
after the comment period ends or that are submitted via a method
outside of these instructions. Comments containing profanity,
vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate content will not be
considered.
We will post all comments at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. You may
request that we withhold personal identifying information from public
review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. See
Public Comments for more information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Kaczor, National Wilderness
Coordinator, Branch of Wildlife Resources, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#244a4d474f7b4f45475e4b56644253570a434b52"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8be5e2e8e0d4e0eae8f1e4f9cbedfcf8a5ece4fd">[email protected]</span></a>.
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:
Background
The Service seeks public comment on potential improvements to Part
610 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Manual (Wilderness
Stewardship), which provides policy direction for the review, planning,
stewardship, and administration of wilderness areas managed by the
Service. The Service is interested in receiving information and
recommendations regarding whether updates, clarifications, or other
revisions to existing wilderness stewardship policy may be appropriate.
The Part 610 Wilderness Stewardship Service Manual is non-binding, does
not establish legally binding rules, and is internal Service policy
intended only to improve the internal management of the Service.
Part 610 consists of the following five chapters:
<bullet> 610 FW 1: General Overview of Wilderness Stewardship
Policy, provides an overview and foundation for implementing the
Wilderness Act and the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration
Act of 1966, as amended;
<bullet> 610 FW 2: Wilderness Administration and Resource
Stewardship, provides specific direction and guidance on administration
of refuge wilderness, including stewardship of natural and cultural
resources, public uses, and fire;
<bullet> 610 FW 3: Wilderness Stewardship Planning, describes how
to develop wilderness stewardship plans;
<bullet> 610 FW 4: Wilderness Review and Evaluation, establishes
policy for conducting wilderness reviews and managing wilderness study
areas, recommended wilderness, and proposed wilderness; and
<bullet> 610 FW 5: Special Provisions for Alaska Wilderness,
describes the special provisions of the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act (Public Law 96-487) that we must consider together
with the policy in 610 FW 1-4 in administering National Wildlife Refuge
System wilderness areas in Alaska.
To view the current Manual chapters, visit <a href="https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/manuals/land-use-and-management-series/natural-and-cultural-resources-management-0">https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/manuals/land-use-and-management-series/natural-and-cultural-resources-management-0</a>.
Public Comments
We invite comments from the public, and local, State, Tribal, U.S.
Territories, and Federal agencies on the Service Manual chapters. All
comments must be received by the date specified above. If you submit a
comment at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, 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.
This request for public comment is entirely separate from the
opportunity to provide comments on Wilderness Administration and
Resource Stewardship; Managing Climbing Activities in Wilderness that
also published in this issue of the Federal
[[Page 35994]]
Register. If you wish to submit comments on the draft rock-climbing
guidance, please comment on Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618 at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Cynthia Martinez,
Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-11956 Filed 6-12-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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