[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 45 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10431-10432]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5420]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Impact Statement on 
Resident Canada Goose 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 (Service) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which is available for 
public review. The DEIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of 
alternative strategies to reduce, manage, and control resident Canada 
goose populations in the continental United States and to reduce goose-
related damages. 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 actions 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 May 30, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the DEIS should be mailed to Chief, 
Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Department of the Interior, ms 634-ARLSQ, 1849 C Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20240. Comments on the DEIS should be sent to the above 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon Andrew, Chief, Division of 
Migratory Bird Management, or Ron Kokel (703) 358-1714.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 19, 1999, a notice was published 
in the Federal Register (64 FR 45269) announcing that the Service 
intended to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for resident 
Canada goose management. Comments were received and considered and are 
reflected in the

[[Page 10432]]

DEIS made available for comment through this notice. This notice is 
provided pursuant to Fish and Wildlife Service regulations for 
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (40 CFR 
1506.6).
    Several public hearings will be held throughout the country during 
the comment period to solicit oral 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.
    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.
    The DEIS evaluates alternative strategies to reduce, manage, and 
control resident Canada goose populations in the continental United 
States and to reduce goose-related damages. The objective of the DEIS 
is to provide a regulatory mechanism that would allow State and local 
agencies, other Federal agencies, and groups and individuals to respond 
to damage complaints or damages by resident Canada geese. The DEIS is a 
comprehensive programmatic plan intended to guide and direct resident 
Canada goose population growth and management activities in the 
conterminous United States. The DEIS analyzes seven management 
alternatives: (1) No Action (Alternative A); (2) Increase Use of 
Nonlethal Control and Management (excludes all permitted activities) 
(Alternative B); (3) Increase Use of Nonlethal Control and Management 
(continued permitting of those activities generally considered 
nonlethal) (Alternative C); (4) New Regulatory Options to Expand 
Hunting Methods and Opportunities (Alternative D); (5) Integrated 
Depredation Order Management (consisting of an Airport Depredation 
Order, a Nest and Egg Depredation Order, a Agricultural Depredation 
Order, and a Public Health Depredation Order) (Alternative E); (6) 
State Empowerment (PROPOSED ACTION) (Alternative F); and (7) General 
Depredation Order (Alternative G). Alternatives were analyzed with 
regard to their potential impacts on resident Canada geese, other 
wildlife species, natural resources, special status species, 
socioeconomics, historical resources, and cultural resources.
    Our proposed action (Alternative F) would establish a regulation 
authorizing State wildlife agencies (or their authorized agents) to 
conduct (or allow) management activities, including the take of birds, 
on resident Canada goose populations. Alternative F would authorize 
indirect and/or direct population control strategies such as aggressive 
harassment, nest and egg destruction, gosling and adult trapping and 
culling programs, expanded methods of take to increase hunter harvest, 
or other general population reduction strategies. The intent of 
Alternative F is to allow State wildlife management agencies sufficient 
flexibility, within predefined guidelines, to deal with problems caused 
by resident Canada geese within their respective States. Other 
guidelines under Alternative F would include criteria for such 
activities as special expanded harvest opportunities during the portion 
of the Migratory Bird Treaty closed period (August 1-31), airport, 
agricultural, and public health control, and the non-permitted take of 
nests and eggs.

    Dated: February 14, 2002.
Steve Williams,
Director.
[FR Doc. 02-5420 Filed 3-6-02; 8:45 am]
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