[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 120 (Friday, June 21, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37568-37569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-14691]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[DR.5C611.IA003213]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Strategies To 
Benefit Native Species by Reducing the Abundance of Lake Trout in 
Flathead Lake, Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as the lead Federal agency, 
with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead 
Reservation as a Cooperating Agency, intends to file a draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS) titled: Proposed Strategies to 
Benefit Native Species by Reducing the Abundance of Lake Trout in 
Flathead Lake, Montana. This notice also announces that the DEIS is now 
available for public review and that a public meeting will be held to 
solicit comments on the draft document.

DATES: The date and location of the public meeting will be published 15 
days prior to the meeting in the following local newspapers: The Lake 
County Leader, the Daily Interlake, the Flathead Beacon, the Valley 
Journal, the Missoulian, and on the following Web site: 
www.mackdays.com. Written comments on the DEIS must arrive 45 days 
after EPA publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, email, hand carry, or telefax written comments 
to Mr. Les Evarts, Fisheries Program Manager, Confederated Salish and 
Kootenai Tribes, P.O. Box 278, Pablo, Montana 59855; fax (406) 883-
2848; email [email protected]. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 
this notice for instructions on submitting comments and locations where 
the DEIS is available for review.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Hansen, Fisheries Program, 
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, P.O. Box 278, Pablo, Montana 
59855; telephone (406) 883-2888, ext. 7282; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS will assess the environmental 
consequences of BIA approval of a proposal to benefit native fish 
populations in the Flathead Basin by reducing non-native lake trout 
abundance in Flathead Lake. Direction to manage non-native fish 
populations to improve conditions for native fish species comes from 
the Flathead Lake and River Fisheries Co-Management Plan, Bull Trout 
Restoration Plan, Cutthroat Memorandum of Understanding and 
Conservation Agreement, and Flathead Subbasin Plan: Part III, and 
Flathead River Subbasin Management Plan.
    Stakeholders from the Flathead Basin comprise an interdisciplinary 
team that includes Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. 
Geological Survey, local fishing guides and anglers, Trout Unlimited, 
University of Montana, and Montana Department of Natural Resources and 
Conservation. The team has met since 2010 to draft issues, develop 
alternatives, and analyze impacts.
    The range of alternatives in the DEIS includes: No action (maintain 
the status quo of lake trout harvest from general harvest and fishing 
contests), reduce lake trout numbers to 25 percent of 2010 population 
levels, reduce lake trout numbers to 50 percent of 2010 population 
levels, and reduce lake trout numbers to 75 percent of 2010 population 
levels.
    Proposed alternatives would employ a combination of tools to 
achieve proposed lake trout reduction targets such as general harvest, 
fishing contests, bounties, and targeted gill and trap netting. 
Proposed action alternatives would be implemented indefinitely into the 
future to achieve and maintain lake trout population reductions. 
Proposed action alternatives would include implementation and 
effectiveness monitoring so that harvest strategies can be adapted to 
future conditions, and would employ a range of methods to minimize by-
catch mortality of non-target fish species. Annual lake trout harvest 
levels have been derived from an age-structured stochastic simulation 
model based on decades of local population data. Proposed annual 
harvests are 84,000 lake trout for 25 percent reduction, 112,000 lake 
trout for 50 percent reduction, and 143,000 lake trout for 75 percent 
reduction.
    Issues addressed in the DEIS include: (1) Biological resources 
(lake trout, bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, lake whitefish, 
yellow perch, and invertebrates including Mysis shrimp); (2) fishing 
opportunity; and (3) fishing economy. Also addressed are cultural 
resources, grizzly bears, environmental justice and Indian trust 
resources.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address and the caption ``DEIS Comments, Proposed Strategies to 
Benefit Native Species by Reducing the Abundance of Lake Trout in 
Flathead Lake, Montana.''
    Locations where the DEIS is Available for Review: The DEIS may be 
found on the following Web sites: www.mackdays.com under the DEIS Tab 
and www.flatheadlakeeis.net. Hard copies of the document will be 
available for viewing at the office of the Confederated Salish and 
Kootenai Tribes, Fisheries Program located at 418 6th Ave. E, Polson, 
Montana. Individual paper copies of the DEIS will be provided upon 
payment of applicable printing expenses for the number of copies 
requested. To obtain a compact disk of the DEIS please provide your

[[Page 37569]]

name and address in writing or by voice mail to Barry Hansen, Fisheries 
Program, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, P.O. Box 278, Pablo, 
Montana 59855; telephone (406) 883-2888, ext. 7282; email 
[email protected].
    Public Comment Availability: Before including your address, phone 
number, email 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 in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Authority:  This notice is published in accordance with section 
1503.1 of the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 
part 1500 et seq.) and the Department of the Interior Regulations 
(43 CFR part 46) implementing the procedural requirements of the 
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and in accordance with the exercise 
of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 
part 209 of the Department Manual.

    Dated: June 12, 2013.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-14691 Filed 6-20-13; 8:45 am]
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