[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 115 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14596]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]


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Part II





Department of the Interior





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Bureau of Indian Affairs



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Environmental Impact Statement, Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux 
Reservations, SD; Notice
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Livestock Grazing 
and Prairie Dog Management for the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux 
Reservations in South Dakota

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (DEIS) is available for public review and that public 
hearings will be held regarding this document. This proposal is for the 
development of a plan to manage prairie dogs and livestock grazing on 
the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Reservations.

DATES: Two public hearings on the DEIS will be held. The first hearing 
will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. The second 
hearing will be held on Thursday, July 21, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. Written 
comments should be received on or before August 22, 1994, at the 
address listed below.

ADDRESSES: Comments and participation at the public hearing are 
invited. Written comments should be directed to Mr. Donald Whitener, 
Acting Area Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Aberdeen Area Office, 
115 4th Avenue, SE, Aberdeen, South Dakota, 57401, Phone: (605) 226-
7343, Fax: (605) 226-7446. The first public hearing will be held 
Wednesday, July 20, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. at the Rosebud Sioux Tribal 
Council Chambers, Rosebud, South Dakota, 57570. The second public 
hearing will be held Thursday, July 21, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. at the 
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council Chambers, Eagle Butte, South 
Dakota, 57625.
    Copies of the DEIS and/or Summary of the DEIS have been sent to all 
agencies and individuals who participated in the scoping process and to 
all others who have already requested copies of the document. Persons 
wishing copies of this DEIS should immediately contact Ken Parr at the 
address below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Parr, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Aberdeen Area Office, 115 4th Avenue SE, Aberdeen, South Dakota, 57401, 
Phone: (605) 226-7621, Fax: (605) 226-7358.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: This DEIS includes two proposals, one for 
each reservation. The proposals are for developing grazing management 
systems and for implementing varying levels of prairie dog poisoning on 
trust lands within the reservations. The proposals are intended to 
maintain or improve range condition to appropriate levels to sustain 
reservation carrying capacities for livestock grazing. This notice is 
required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations 
(40 CFR part 1503) to obtain comments on the DEIS from agencies and the 
public.
    The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Department of the Interior, in 
cooperation with the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, has 
prepared a DEIS on the proposed management of prairie dogs and 
livestock grazing on trust lands on the Rosebud and Cheyenne River 
Sioux Reservations. The alternatives for each reservation include 
varying levels of prairie dog poisoning and grazing management systems.
    The purpose and need for these actions is to maintain or improve 
range condition to meet tribal objectives to sustain reservation 
carrying capacities for livestock grazing and, therefore, increase 
tribal income. The Tribal Councils feel that some grazing lands are 
degraded and many perceive that prairie dogs compete with livestock for 
forage, causing economic losses to the tribes and tribal members.
    The preferred alternative (Alternative 3) for the Rosebud 
Reservation would implement extensive range improvements and conduct 
chemical treatment of prairie dogs on all trust lands outside the 
7,400-acre Corn Creek Management Area (CCMA, located on the western 
boundary of the reservation). This alternative would meet tribal 
grazing objectives and maintain the untreated CCMA for ecosystem 
biodiversity. Other alternatives considered were: continuing current 
grazing management program with no prairie dog treatment; implementing 
extensive range improvements and treating prairie dogs on all trust 
lands, with follow-up treatment for at least 90 percent control; and 
implementing extensive range improvements and treating prairie dogs on 
all trust lands once, with follow-up treatments only on trust lands 
outside the CCMA.
    The preferred alternative for the Cheyenne River Reservation is the 
Prairie Management Plan (Alternative 2) developed by the Tribe in May 
1992. The plan proposes extensive range improvements with prairie dog 
treatment conducted only under limited circumstances, such as in 
cemeteries and on powwow grounds. This alternative would meet tribal 
grazing objectives and maintain ecosystem biodiversity. Other 
alternatives considered were: continuing the current grazing management 
program with no prairie dog treatment on trust lands; implementing 
extensive range improvements on trust lands, conducting no prairie dog 
treatment within the 10,000 acre prairie dog complex along the Morcau 
River, conducting prairie dog treatment on varying proportion of the 
remaining trust lands (25 percent treatment to 100 percent treatment); 
and conducting treatment of prairie dogs on 50 percent of all trust 
lands, including those within the prairie dog complex along the Morcau 
River.
    Agencies and individuals are urged to provide comments on this DEIS 
as soon as possible. All comments received by the dates given above 
will be considered in preparation of the final EIS. Comments made at 
the public hearings will not be considered comments on the DEIS unless 
they are submitted in writing.
    This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500 through 1508) 
implementing the procedural requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); Department of 
the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-7); and the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
guidelines (30 BIAM Supplements 1, 2, and 3.)

    Dated: June 9, 1994.
John W. Tippiconnic,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14596 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P