[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 220 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62213-62215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29790]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement To Evaluate Continued Sea Lamprey Control in Lake Champlain
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; New York State Department
of
[[Page 62214]]
Environmental Conservation; Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in cooperation with
the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife (VTDFW) and the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) announces its
intention to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
(SEIS) pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) of 1969, in accordance with the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508).
This SEIS will evaluate a proposal to continue sea lamprey control in
Lake Champlain, to maintain reduced levels of sea lamprey and achieve
further reductions. FWS invites other Federal agencies, states, Indian
tribes, local governments, and the general public to submit written
comments or suggestions concerning the scope of the issues to be
addressed, alternatives to be analyzed, and the environmental impacts
to be addressed in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (DSEIS). The public is invited to participate in scoping
activities by submitting written comments or attending one or more
public scoping hearings through which comments and suggestions will be
received. Oral and written comments will be considered equally in
preparation of the DSEIS. Those not desiring to submit comments or
suggestions at this time, but who would like to receive a copy of the
DSEIS for review, should send a request to Mr. Dave Tilton at the
address given below. A notice of public hearings with the locations,
dates, and times will be published in the Federal Register and in local
news media.
DATES: Written comments related to the scope and content of the DSEIS
should be submitted to FWS by February 4, 2000 to the address below.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and requests to be included on a mailing
list of persons interested in receiving the DSEIS should be sent to Mr.
Dave Tilton, Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lake
Champlain Office, 11 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452.
Alternatively, comments may be submitted electronically to the
following address: [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dave Tilton, Project Leader, USFWS
Lake Champlain Office, 111 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction, Vermont
05452, 802-951-6313, FAX: 802-951-6315. New York contact person is Mr.
Larry Nashett, Supervising Aquatic Biologist, New York Department of
Environmental Conservation, Region 5, P.O. Box 296, Ray Brook, New York
12977, 518-897-1333. Vermont contact person is Mr. Tim Hess, Director
of Fisheries, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, 103 South Main
Street, Waterbury, Vermont 05671, 802-241-3700.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Sea lamprey are primitive marine invaders to Lake Champlain. They
are parasitic fish that feed on the body fluids of other fish resulting
in reduced growth and often the death of host fish. A substantial body
of information collected on Lake Champlain indicates sea lamprey have a
profound negative impact upon the lake's fishery resources and have
suppressed efforts to establish new and historical sportfisheries. In
1990, the FWS, NYSDEC, and VTDFW initiated an eight-year experimental
sea lamprey control program for Lake Champlain. The experimental
program treated tributaries and deltas of Lake Champlain with the
chemical lampricides TFM and Bayer 73, which substantially reduced
larval sea lamprey numbers in treated waters. The program included
monitoring and assessment of the effects of sea lamprey reduction on
the characteristics of certain fish populations, the sport fishery and
the area's growth and economy. A set of thirty evaluation standards
were established. Overall, the experimental sea lamprey control program
met or exceeded the majority of the standards. In addition to this
evaluation, the cooperating agencies assessed the effects of the
program on nontarget organisms.
Two rounds of treatments were planned for each significantly
infested stream and delta. From 1990 through 1996 twenty-four TFM
treatments were conducted on fourteen Lake Champlain tributaries, and 9
Bayer 73 (5% granular) treatments were conducted on 5 deltas. A
cumulative total of approximately 141 miles and 1220 delta acres were
treated.
In summary, trap catches of spawning-phase sea lamprey declined by
80-90%; nest counts were reduced by 57%. Sixteen of twenty-two TFM
treatments reduced ammocoetes at index stations to less than 10% of
pre-treatment levels. 8 of the 9 Bayer treatments resulted in mean
mortality rates over 85% among caged ammocoetes. Relatively small
number of nontarget amphibian and fish species were killed. Adverse
effects on nontarget species were higher for Bayer treatments than TFM.
Native mussels, snails and some other macroinvertebrates were
significantly affected after the 1991 Bayer 73 treatments of the
Ausable and Little Ausable deltas in New York. However, they recovered
to pre-treatment levels within 4 years. American brook lamprey also
experienced substantial treatment-related mortality. Yet, the finding
of dead American brook lamprey in second-round treatments in each
stream where they were negatively affected during the first-round
suggested survival or immigration was adequate to maintain their
populations. Wounding rates on lake trout and landlocked Atlantic
salmon were reduced in the main lake basin, and catches of both species
increased. A significant increase in survival of 3-4 year lake trout
was noted; survival of older fish improved but did not change
significantly. Returns of Atlantic salmon to tributaries increased
significantly after treatment. Changes in wounding rates on brown and
rainbow trout could not be evaluated, but angler catches increased
since 1990. Catch per unit effort of rainbow smelt, the major forage
species for salmonids, decreased significantly at one of two sampling
stations in the main lake basin and in Malletts Bay, but not at other
locations; length-at-age also decreased at most sites. Evaluation of
angler responses to the program indicated a favorable 3.5:1 economic
benefit:cost ratio.
A Comprehensive Evaluation of an Eight Year Program of Sea Lamprey
Control in Lake Champlain provides a detailed description of the
results of the project. It is available on the FWS web-site at.
[www.fws.gov/r51cfwro/lamprey/lamprey.html.], or from any of the
contacts for further information listed above.
Decision To Be Made
The responsible officials in the FWS, NYSDEC, and VTDFW must decide
whether to continue sea lamprey control for Lake Champlain. In
addition, if sea lamprey control will continue, the agencies must also
consider the following:
(1) Should the following list be established as the long term
program objectives?
(a) Maintain reduced levels of sea lamprey on Main Lake and South
Lake portions of Lake Champlain and achieve further Main Lake-South
Lake reductions by targeting new areas where sea lamprey infestations
are found.
(b) Augment sea lamprey control activities in Mallets Bay and
Inland Sea
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areas of Lake Champlain and reduce sea lamprey population levels and
associated impacts there.
(c) Employ an integrated approach to continuing sea lamprey control
using lampricides and nonchemical means.
(2) What mitigation and monitoring measures are required for sound
resource management?
(3) Is sea lamprey control in the best interest for the resource
and citizens of the states of New York and Vermont?
The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision is
expected to be released by April, 2001. The Responsible Officials will
make a decision regarding this proposal after considering public
comments, and the environmental consequences displayed in the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, applicable laws,
regulations, and policies. The decision and supporting reason will be
documented in the Record of Decision.
Dated November 3, 1999.
Ronald E. Lambertson,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 99-29790 Filed 11-15-99; 8:45 am]
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