[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 245 (Friday, December 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77837-77838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30133]


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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

National Park Service


Draft Legislative Environmental Impact Statement on the Harvest 
of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by the Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay 
National Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Legislative Environmental 
Impact Statement on the Harvest of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by the 
Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay National Park.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service announces the availability of a 
Draft Legislative Environmental Impact Statement (LEIS) for the Harvest 
of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by the Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay 
National Park. The document describes and analyzes the environmental 
impacts of a preferred alternative and one additional action 
alternative for managing a limited harvest of glaucous-winged gull 
eggs. A no action alternative is also evaluated. This notice announces 
the public comment period, the locations of public hearings, and 
solicits comments on the draft LEIS.

DATES: Comments on the draft LEIS must be received no later than March 
6, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the draft LEIS should be submitted to 
Mary Beth Moss, Project Manager, Glacier Bay National Park and 
Preserve, PO Box 140, Gustavus, AK 99829.
    Submit comments electronically through the NPS Planning, 
Environment and Public comment system (PEPC) at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. The draft LEIS may be viewed and retrieved at 
this Web site as well. Hard copies of the draft LEIS are available by 
request from the aforementioned address. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
for the locations of public hearings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth Moss, Project Manager, 
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Telephone: 907 317-1270.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the draft LEIS is to analyze 
the effects of the limited collection of glaucous-winged gull eggs 
within Glacier Bay National Park by Hoonah Indian Association (HIA; the 
federally recognized government of the Huna Tlingit) tribal members if 
legislation authorizing collection were enacted. Glacier Bay is the 
traditional homeland of the Huna Tlingit. 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. 
Egg collection was curtailed in the 1960s. The Migratory Bird Treaty 
Act prohibited the harvest of gull eggs, and by statute and NPS 
regulations, harvest is precluded within park boundaries.
    In the late 1990s, at the behest of tribal leaders, the NPS agreed 
to explore ways to authorize this important cultural tradition. Section 
4 of the Glacier Bay National Park Resource Management Act of 2000 
(Pub. L. 106-455) requires the Secretary of Interior, in

[[Page 77838]]

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. Sea gull eggs 
cannot be collected absent legislation.
    NPS commissioned ethnographic and biological studies to inform the 
analysis included in this draft LEIS. The draft LEIS considers a 
reasonable range of alternatives based on project objectives, park 
resources and values, and public input that include:
    Alternative 1 (No Action): This alternative would not propose 
legislation to authorize the harvest of glaucous-winged gull eggs in 
Glacier Bay National Park. Glaucous-winged gulls would continue to 
breed in Glacier Bay without human disturbance.
    Alternative 2: This alternative would propose legislation to 
authorize harvest of glaucous-winged gull eggs at up to two designated 
locations on a single pre-selected date on or before June 9 of each 
year. Approximately 12 tribal members would have the opportunity to 
harvest eggs each year.
    Alternative 3 (NPS Preferred Alternative): Alternative 3 would 
propose legislation to authorize harvest of glaucous-winged gull eggs 
at several designated locations in Glacier Bay National Park on two 
separate dates. The first harvest would occur on or before June 9th; a 
second harvest at the same sites would occur within nine days of the 
first harvest. The logistics of vessel transportation would limit the 
number of sites that could be visited in a given day. Depending on 
weather and other conditions, as well as the sites selected, harvest 
would likely occur at three to four sites. Approximately 24 tribal 
members would have the opportunity to harvest eggs each year.
    Both action alternatives would propose legislation authorizing the 
management of harvest activities under the guidelines of a harvest 
management plan cooperatively developed by the NPS and the HIA. NPS 
would conduct monitoring activities to ensure that park resources and 
values were not impacted. The Superintendent would retain the authority 
to close gull colonies to harvest.
    Public hearings are scheduled in Alaska at the following locations: 
Anchorage, Juneau, Gustavus, and Hoonah, Alaska. The specific dates and 
times of the meetings and public hearings will be announced in local 
media.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment -including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will 
always make submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials 
of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in 
their entirety.

    Dated: October 17, 2008.
Sue E. Masica,
Regional Director, Alaska.
 [FR Doc. E8-30133 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]
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