Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Request for Information

Wilderness Administration and Resource Stewardship; Request for Information

DATES:

We must receive your written comments on or before August 14, 2026.

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:

• 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;

• 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;

• 610 FW 3: Wilderness Stewardship Planning, describes how to develop wilderness stewardship plans;

• 610 FW 4: Wilderness Review and Evaluation, establishes policy for conducting wilderness reviews and managing wilderness study areas, recommended wilderness, and proposed wilderness; and

• 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 https://www.fws.gov/policy-library/manuals/land-use-and-management-series/natural-and-cultural-resources-management-0.

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 https://www.regulations.gov, 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 Register . If you wish to submit comments on the draft rock-climbing guidance, please comment on Docket No. FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1618 at https://www.regulations.gov.