[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 2110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-735]



[[Page 2110]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-112-2]


Vaccination of Wild Bison; Availability of an Environmental 
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments; reopening of 
comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for an environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact that we prepared 
relative to the subcutaneous vaccination of wild, free-ranging bison in 
the Greater Yellowstone Area with Strain RB51 vaccine to help prevent 
the spread of brucellosis. The environmental assessment documents our 
review and analysis of environmental impacts associated with the 
vaccination and provides a basis for our conclusion that vaccination of 
the bison will not have a significant impact on the quality of the 
human environment. This action will allow interested persons additional 
time to prepare and submit comments.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
January 20, 2004.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by postal mail/commercial delivery 
or by e-mail. If you use postal mail/commercial delivery, please send 
four copies of your comment (an original and three copies) to: Docket 
No. 03-112-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 
3C71, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state 
that your comment refers to Docket No. 03-112-1. If you use e-mail, 
address your comment to [email protected]. Your comment must 
be contained in the body of your message; do not send attached files. 
Please include your name and address in your message and ``Docket No. 
03-112-1'' on the subject line.
    To obtain copies of the environmental assessment and finding of no 
significant impact, contact the National Center for Animal Health 
Programs, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 43, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4923. The documents are also 
available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/es/vsdocs.html.
    You may also read the environmental assessment and finding of no 
significant impact, and any comments we receive on those documents, in 
our reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Arnold Gertonson, Yellowstone 
Brucellosis Coordinator, National Center for Animal Health Programs, 
VS, APHIS, Building B MSC 3E13, 2150 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 
80526-8117; (970) 494-7363.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 5, 2003, we published in the Federal Register (68 FR 
68020-68021, Docket No. 03-112-1) a notice that the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had completed an environmental 
assessment (EA) that examines the potential environmental effects of 
APHIS's involvement in a program to be initiated by the Montana 
Department of Livestock to vaccinate certain bison against brucellosis 
with Strain RB51 vaccine. The animals to be vaccinated are wild, free-
ranging bison calves and non-pregnant yearlings that leave Yellowstone 
National Park and migrate onto State, private, or other Federal lands. 
Our review and analysis are documented in detail in an EA entitled 
``Subcutaneous Vaccination of Wild, Free-Ranging Bison in the Greater 
Yellowstone Area; Environmental Assessment (November 2003).'' Based on 
that EA, APHIS has determined that subcutaneous vaccination of wild, 
free-ranging bison of the Greater Yellowstone Area with Strain RB51 
vaccine will not significantly impact human health or the environment. 
That determination is set forth in a document titled ``Finding of No 
Significant Impact for Subcutaneous Vaccination of Wild, Free-Ranging 
Bison in the Greater Yellowstone Area; Environmental Assessment 
(November 2003).''
    Comments on the EA and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) 
were required to be received on or before January 5, 2004. To provide 
for the submission of comments for an additional 15 days beyond that 
date, we are reopening the comment period on the EA and FONSI until 
January 20, 2004. This action will allow interested persons additional 
time to prepare and submit comments. We will also consider all comments 
received between January 6, 2004 (the day after the close of the 
original comment period) and the date of this notice.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of January, 2004.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 04-735 Filed 1-13-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P