[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 232 (Monday, December 3, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60218-60219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29881]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Impact Statement on 
Double-Crested Cormorant Management

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has prepared a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, which is available for public review. 
The DEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of several 
management alternatives for addressing problems associated with 
increasing double-crested cormorant populations. The analysis provided 
in the DEIS is intended to accomplish the following: inform the public 
of the proposed action and alternatives; address public comment 
received during the scoping period; and disclose the direct, indirect, 
and cumulative environmental effects of the proposed action and each of 
the alternatives. The Service invites the public to comment on the 
DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS must be received by January 15, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the DEIS should be mailed to Chief, 
Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203. Copies of 
the DEIS can also be downloaded from the Division of Migratory Bird 
Management Web site at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/cormorant/cormorant.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon Andrew, Chief, Division of 
Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. 
Fairfax Drive, MS634, Arlington, VA 22203; phone: 703/358-1714; fax: 
703/358-2272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 8, 1999, a notice was published 
in the Federal Register (64 FR 60826) announcing that the Service 
intended to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement `` to [address] 
impacts caused by population and range expansion of the double-crested 
cormorant in the contiguous United States.'' This announcement 
commenced a public scoping period that ended on June 20, 2000. Over 
1,400 public comments were received and were considered in the 
development of the DEIS, which is now being made available for public 
review. This notice is provided pursuant to Fish and Wildlife Service 
regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (40 CFR 1506.6).
    The DEIS evaluates six management alternatives to address 
biological and socioeconomic resource conflicts associated with 
cormorants: (1) No Action or a continuation of current cormorant 
management practices (Alternative A); (2) implement only non-lethal 
management techniques (Alternative B); (3) expand current cormorant 
damage management policies (Alternative C); (4) establish a new 
Depredation Order to address public resource conflicts (Alternative D) 
(PROPOSED ACTION); (5) reduce regional cormorant populations 
(Alternative E); and (6) establish frameworks for a cormorant hunting 
season (Alternative F). Our proposed action (Alternative D) modifies 
the existing Aquaculture Depredation Order and establishes a new Public 
Resource Depredation Order to allow public resource managers greater 
flexibility in dealing with cormorant conflicts while ensuring Federal 
oversight via reporting and monitoring requirements.
    You may mail or deliver comments to the Division of Migratory Bird 
Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 
634, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

[[Page 60219]]

Additionally, you may submit comments on the DEIS via the internet to: 
[email protected]. Please include your name and return address in 
your e-mail message, and submit your comments as an ASCII file. Do not 
use special characters or encryption. If you do not receive a 
confirmation from the system that we received your e-mail message, you 
can contact us directly at 703/358-1714.
    In order to be considered, submission of comments (written or 
electronic) must include your name and postal mailing address; we will 
not consider anonymous comments. All comments received, including names 
and addresses, will become part of the public record. The public may 
inspect comments during normal business hours in Room 634 `` Arlington 
Square Building, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia. Requests 
for such comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of 
Information Act and the Council on Environmental Quality's National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)]. Our practice 
is to make comments available for public review during regular business 
hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home 
address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by 
law. If a respondent wishes us to withhold his/her name and/or address, 
this must be stated prominently at the beginning of the comment.
    Several public hearings will be held throughout the country during 
the comment period to solicit further comments from the public. The 
dates and locations of these hearings are yet to be determined. A 
notice of public meetings with the locations, dates, and times will be 
published in the Federal Register.

Kevin R. Adams,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 01-29881 Filed 11-30-01; 8:45 am]
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