[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 180 (Monday, September 18, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 54687]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7716]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service


Legislative Environmental Impact Statement on Gull Egg Harvest by 
the Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay National Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Legislative Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing a Legislative 
Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) on the potential harvest of gull 
eggs by the Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay National Park. The purpose of 
the LEIS is to respond to Section 4 of the Glacier Bay National Park 
Resource Management Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-455) which requires the 
Secretary of Interior, in consultation with local residents, to assess 
whether sea gull eggs can be collected in the park on a limited basis 
without impairing the biological sustainability of the gull population 
in the park. The Act further requires that if the study determines that 
the limited collection of sea gull eggs can occur without impairing the 
biological sustainability of the gull population in the park, the 
Secretary shall submit recommendations for legislation to Congress.
    The proposed action alternative will include harvesting glaucous-
winged gull (Larus glaucescens) eggs by tribal members of the Hoonah 
Indian Association (HIA) under a traditional harvest strategy 
cooperatively produced by NPS and HIA The traditional harvest strategy 
would outline the methods by which eggs could be harvested, harvest 
limits, and monitoring actions that would be implemented to ensure that 
park purposes and values would remain unimpaired. A second alternative 
will consider more limited egg harvest opportunities. A no action 
alternative, which would continue to preclude egg harvest throughout 
the park will also be included in the LEIS.
    Scoping: The National Park Service seeks input from interested 
groups, organizations, individuals and government agencies. Written and 
verbal scoping comments are being solicited. Further information on 
this LEIS process is available by contacting the National Park Service 
at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names, home addresses, 
home phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, available for 
public review. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their names and/or home addresses, etc., but if you wish us to consider 
withholding this information you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationale 
for withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that 
disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. 
Unsupported assertions will not meet this burden. In the absence of 
exceptional, documentable circumstances, this information will be 
released. We will always make submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available 
for public inspection in their entirety.
    The LEIS is being prepared in accordance with the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4331 et seq.) and its implementing regulations at 40 CFR part 1500 and 
the process for proposals for legislation (40 CFR 1506.8).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this project should be received 
on or before November 17, 2006. The draft LEIS is projected to be 
available in early 2007. Submit electronic comments to http://parkplanning.nps.gov. Written comments may be mailed to the address 
provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Moss, Project Manager, 
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 140, Gustavus, AK 
99826. Telephone (907) 945-3545 x31, Fax (907) 945-3703.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Glacier Bay National Park is the traditional 
homeland of the Huna Tlingit people. The Huna Tlingit harvested eggs at 
gull rookeries in Glacier Bay, including the large nesting site on 
South Marble Island, prior to the park being established in 1925. Until 
recently, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibited the harvest of gull 
eggs, and by statute and NPS regulations, harvest is still precluded 
within park boundaries. Legislation is necessary to authorize the 
collection of sea gull eggs in the park, and regulations would need to 
be promulgated to implement the gull egg collection program in 
accordance with the provisions of Section 4 of Pub. L. 106-455.

    Dated: August 9, 2006.
Victor Knox,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 06-7716 Filed 9-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-HX-M