[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 51 (Wednesday, March 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6047]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: March 16, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Environmental Assessment on Reducing California Sea Lion
Predation on Wild Winter-Run Steelhead in the Lake Washington Ship
Canal
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of an Environmental
Assessment (EA) that was prepared jointly by NMFS and the Washington
State Department of Wildlife (WDW). The EA examines the environmental
consequences of using non-lethal measures to reduce predation by sea
lions on a depressed winter-run of wild steelhead in the Lake
Washington drainage system in Washington State. California sea lions
have consumed over 50 percent of the entire wild steelhead run in Lake
Washington in recent years reducing the spawning escapement by as much
as 60 to 70 percent. The proposed action is to implement several
complementary non-lethal measures to deter and remove California sea
lions from the area adjacent to the fish ladder below the Ballard Locks
where migrating wild steelhead are vulnerable to excessive sea lion
predation. Based on the information in the EA, NOAA has made a finding
of no significant impact and determined that an environmental impact
statement need not be prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations.
DATES: Comments on the EA must be submitted by March 22, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to J. Gary Smith, Acting Director, Northwest
Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. Copies of the
EA are available at this address or can be requested by mail.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Joe Scordino, 206-526-6140.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NEPA requires that federal agencies
conduct an environmental analysis of their actions to determine if the
actions may affect the environment. Accordingly, NMFS jointly prepared
with WDW an EA that explores the environmental consequences of
deterring California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from the
entrance to the Lake Washington Ship Canal fish ladder to protect a
winter-run of wild steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
The proposed action is to implement several complementary non-
lethal measures to deter and remove California sea lions from the area
adjacent to the fish ladder below the Ballard Locks where migrating
wild steelhead are vulnerable to excessive sea lion predation. The non-
lethal measures will be implemented on a phased approach starting with
use of an acoustical ``barrier'' downstream of the fish ladder to
prevent sea lion access to the area where steelhead are most vulnerable
to predation. The acoustic barrier will be implemented downstream of
the fish ladder in the Lake Washington Ship Canal by deploying an array
of underwater sound transducer equipment. These acoustic devices
operate sequentially at a sound pressure level intended to be
sufficiently high enough to elicit and maintain an avoidance response
by California sea lions attempting to enter the spillway/fish ladder
area to forage on steelhead. Additional non-lethal measures will be
applied to sea lions that penetrate the barrier or continue to prey on
steelhead in the Ship Canal beyond the effective range of the devices.
The additional measures include harassment and potential capture and
relocation to distant areas within their normal range such as their
breeding area in the Channel Islands off Southern California. The no
action alternative is not preferred because of the negative impacts it
will have on the wild steelhead run over the long term. Capture and
captive holding was considered but found to be not feasible due to lack
of holding facilities and the logistics/costs of constructing such
facilities. Lethal removal is not an option because of the lack of
clear legal authority under Section 109(h) of the Marine Protection
Act.
NOAA has evaluated the environmental consequences of the proposed
action and has concluded that it is unlikely to result in any
significant impacts on the human environment and therefore has made a
finding of no significant impact (FONSI). The EA and FONSI have been
prepared in accordance with NEPA and implementing regulations at 40 CFR
parts 1500 through 1508 and NOAA guidelines concerning implementation
of NEPA found in the NOAA Directives Manual; Chapter 2, Section 10,
``Environmental Review Procedures'' (49 FR 29644-29657; July 23, 1984).
In addition, in accordance with Washington State Environmental Policy
Act, WDW has made a final determination of non-significance pursuant to
Chapter 232-19 of the Washington Administrative Code.
Further details or a copy of the EA and FONSI may be obtained from
the address above.
Dated: March 4, 1994.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 94-6047 Filed 3-15-94; 8:45 am]
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