[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 142 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42826-42827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-16887]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Final Environmental Impact Statement/Mountain Lakes Fishery 
Management Plan; North Cascades National Park Service Complex; Chelan, 
Skagit and Whatcom Counties, WA; Notice of Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Sec.  102(c) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended), the National Park Service in 
cooperation with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife 
has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Mountain 
Lakes Fishery Management Plan. The FEIS identifies and evaluates 
proposed plan and three alternatives for management of non-native fish 
in the natural mountain lakes within North Cascades National Park 
Service Complex and the Stephen Mather Wilderness. Appropriate 
mitigation strategies are assessed, and an ``environmentally 
preferred'' alternative is also identified. When approved, the Mountain 
Lakes Fishery Management Plan (Plan) will govern all fishery management 
actions, including potential removal of self-sustaining populations of 
non-native fish and fish stocking.
    Background: The National Park Service (NPS) manages North Cascades 
National Park, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and Ross Lake 
National Recreation Area collectively as the North Cascades National 
Park Service Complex (hereafter referred to as ``North Cascades''). The 
rugged, wilderness landscape of North Cascades contains 245 natural 
mountain lakes which are naturally fishless due to impassable 
topographic barriers. Though naturally barren of fish, these lakes 
contain a rich array of native aquatic life including plankton, aquatic 
insects, frogs and salamanders. In the late 1800's, settlers began 
stocking lakes within the present-day boundaries of North Cascades with 
various species of non-native trout for food and recreation. By the 
20th century, fish stocking was routinely undertaken by the U.S. Forest 
Service, various counties, and individuals. Then in 1933, the state of 
Washington assumed responsibility for stocking mountain lakes to create 
and maintain a recreational fishery. After North Cascades was 
established in 1968, a conflict over fish stocking emerged between the 
NPS and Washington state. This conflict derived from fundamental policy 
differences: NPS policies prohibited stocking so as to protect native 
ecosystems and Wilderness, whereas Washington policies encouraged 
stocking to enhance recreational opportunities.
    Preferred Plan and Alternatives Considered: As the proposed 
Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan, Alternative B (agency-preferred 
alternative) would allow continued stocking of select lakes with a 
history of fish stocking. To minimize ecological risks, only trout that 
are native to the watershed or functionally sterile would be stocked at 
low densities. Self-sustaining populations of trout would be removed 
from all lakes (where feasible) using various methods including 
gillnets, electrofishing, spawning habitat exclusion, and antimycin, a 
potent yet ephemeral pesticide. Management actions would be monitored 
and evaluated to enable adaptive management and minimize impacts to 
biological integrity. Implementation of this Alternative would require 
clarification from Congress regarding fish stocking in North Cascades 
and the Stephen Mather Wilderness.
    The ``no action'' alternative (Alternative A) would continue 
fishery management according to the terms and conditions of the 1988 
Supplemental Agreement with the Washington Department of Fish and 
Wildlife (WDFW). This agreement provides for continued stocking of 
select lakes in North Cascades National Park. Implementation of this 
alternative would require clarification from Congress regarding fish 
stocking in the North Cascades and Stephen Mather Wilderness.
    Alternative C would include continued fish stocking in select lakes 
in Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake Chelan National 
Recreation Area; stocking would be discontinued in North Cascades 
National Park. Otherwise, the adaptive management framework for this 
alternative would be similar to Alternative B. Implementation of 
Alternative C would require clarification from Congress regarding 
continued fish stocking in the Stephen Mather Wilderness.
    Alternative D would discontinue fish stocking in all mountain lakes 
in North Cascades Complex. This alternative would implement a long-term 
goal of removing, wherever feasible, self-sustaining populations of 
non-native trout in up to 37 lakes using the removal methods described 
for Alternative B.
    Public Involvement: The public scoping phase formally began January 
16, 2003, with the NPS publication of a Notice of Intent to prepare an 
EIS for a high mountain lakes fishery management plan. Extensive local 
and regional publicity and distribution of public scoping brochures 
occurred during February-March 2003. In late March 2003, the four 
public scoping meetings were hosted in the surrounding communities of 
Sedro-Woolley, Wenatchee, Bellevue and Seattle. The NPS received 248 
comments during the public scoping phase; a public scoping report was 
prepared and posted on the project Web site (see below). The EPA's 
notice of filing of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register 
by the EPA on May 27, 2005; the park's notice of availability was 
published on May 31, 2005. The 90-day opportunity for public review and 
comment extended through August 26, 2005. Four public meetings were 
hosted in surrounding communities during the week of July 25-28, 2005. 
Ninety individuals and organizations provided 350 substantive comments 
both for and against continued stocking.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic copies of the final document will 
be available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/noca. Bound printed 
copies will be available for public review at the North Cascades 
Headquarters Office, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, Washington 
98284; and at the Seattle, Wenatchee, Chelan and Bellingham public 
libraries. For further information or to request copies of the 
document, contact Mr. Roy Zipp, Environmental Protection Specialist, 
810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284; (360) 854-7313.
    Decision Process: Following careful consideration of all public and 
agency

[[Page 42827]]

comments received on the Draft EIS/Plan, the NPS in cooperation with 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has completed the Final 
Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact 
Statement. Not sooner than 30 days after notice of release of the Final 
EIS is published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, a Record of Decision will be prepared by the NPS. As 
a delegated EIS, the official responsible for the final decision is the 
Regional Director, Pacific West Region; subsequently, the official 
responsible for implementation will be the Superintendent, North 
Cascades National Park Service Complex.

    Dated: March 5, 2008.
Patricia L. Neubacher,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific West Region.

    Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on July 18, 2008.
 [FR Doc. E8-16887 Filed 7-22-08; 8:45 am]
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