[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 10 (Friday, January 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2480-2481]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-806]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2009-0087]


Wildlife Services; Availability of an Environmental Assessment 
and Finding of No Significant Impact

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we have prepared an 
environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact relative 
to oral rabies vaccination programs in several States. The 
environmental assessment made available by this notice analyzes the 
further expansion of the oral rabies vaccination program to include the 
States of New Mexico and Arizona, which is necessary to effectively 
combat the gray fox variant of the rabies virus. The environmental 
assessment provides a basis for our conclusion that the expansion of 
the oral rabies vaccination program will not have a significant impact 
on the quality of the human environment. Based on its finding of no 
significant impact, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has 
determined that an environmental impact statement need not be prepared.

ADDRESSES: To obtain copies of the environmental assessment and finding 
of no significant impact, contact Mr. Kevin Williams, Operational 
Support Staff, WS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 87, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1234; phone (301) 734-4937, fax (301) 734-5157, or email: 
([email protected]). The environmental assessment and 
finding or no significant impact are also posted on the APHIS Web site 
at (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/regulations/ws/ws_nepa_environmental_documents.shtml).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Dennis Slate, Rabies Program 
Coordinator, Wildlife Services, APHIS, 59 Chenell Drive, Suite 7, 
Concord, NH 03301; (603) 223-9623.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wildlife Services (WS) program in the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) cooperates with 
Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private individuals 
to research and implement the best methods of managing conflicts 
between wildlife and human health and safety, agriculture, property, 
and natural resources. Wildlife-borne diseases that can affect domestic 
animals and humans are among the types of conflicts that APHIS-WS 
addresses. Wildlife is the dominant reservoir of rabies in the United 
States.
    On November 24, 2009, we published a notice\1\ in the Federal 
Register (74 FR 61319-61321, Docket No. APHIS-2009-0087) in which we 
made available, for review and comment, a proposed environmental 
assessment that analyzed the further expansion of the oral rabies 
vaccination program to include the States of New Mexico and Arizona, 
which is necessary to effectively combat the gray fox variant of the 
rabies virus. In that notice, we stated that the new environmental 
assessment is intended to facilitate planning and interagency 
coordination in the event of rabies outbreaks, help streamline program 
management, and clearly communicate to the public the actions involved 
in the oral rabies vaccination program.
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    \1\To view the notice, environmental assessment, finding of no 
significant impact, and comments, go to (http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?main=DocketDetail&d=APHIS-2009-0087).
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    We solicited comments on the proposed environmental assessment for 
30 days ending on December 24, 2009. We received 102 comments by that 
date. The comments, which were almost entirely supportive of the 
vaccination program, are addressed in an attachment to the finding of 
no significant impact.
    In this document, we are advising the public of our finding of no 
significant impact regarding the further expansion

[[Page 2481]]

of the oral rabies vaccination program to include the States of New 
Mexico and Arizona. The finding, which is based on the environmental 
assessment, reflects our determination that this expansion of the oral 
rabies vaccination program will not have a significant impact on the 
quality of the human environment.
    The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
may be viewed on the Regulations.gov Web site (see footnote 1). Copies 
are also available from the individual listed under ADDRESSES and may 
be viewed in our reading room at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th 
Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing to 
inspect copies are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to 
facilitate entry into the reading room. In addition, copies may be 
obtained by calling or writing to the individual listed under 
ADDRESSES.
    The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
have been prepared in accordance with: (1) The National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), (2) 
regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality for implementing 
the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), (3) USDA 
regulations implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b), and (4) APHIS' NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
    Done in Washington, DC, this 12\th\ day of January 2010.

Kevin Shea
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-806 Filed 1-14-10; 8:45 am]
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