[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 204 (Thursday, October 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64008-64009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26834]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2015-0157; FXIA16710900000-156-FF09A300000]


Draft Environmental Assessment; Dallas Zoo Management; Dallas, 
Texas

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, make available the 
draft environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy 
Act regarding a permit application submitted by Dallas Zoo Management, 
on behalf of the Dallas Zoo, Sedgwick County Zoo, and Omaha's Henry 
Doorly Zoo. The three zoos are requesting authorization under the 
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 
and Flora to import 18 live African elephants from Swaziland.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received or 
postmarked on or before November 23, 2015. Comments submitted 
electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) 
must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Any 
comments that we receive after the closing date may not be considered.

ADDRESSES: 

Availability of Documents

    Internet: You may obtain copies of the draft environmental 
assessment and related documents by going to the Federal e-Rulemaking 
Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-HQ-IA-
2015-0157, which is the docket number for this notice. Click the ``Open 
Docket Folder'' link.
    In-Person: Copies of the draft environmental assessment are also 
available for public inspection and review at the following location, 
by appointment and written request only, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority, 5275 Leesburg 
Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.
    Comment submission: You may submit written comments on the draft 
environmental assessment by one of the following methods:
    Internet: Go to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-HQ-IA-2015-0157, 
which is the docket number for this notice. Click the ``Open Docket 
Folder'' link. Click

[[Page 64009]]

the ``Open Docket Folder'' link. Click ``Comment Now!'' to comment.
    U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-
HQ-IA-2015-0157; Division of Policy, Performance, and Management 
Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: BPHC; 
Falls Church, VA 22041-3803. We request that you send comments by only 
one of the methods described above. All information received will be 
posted on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will 
post any personal information you provide us (see the Public 
Availability of Comments section for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Van Norman, Chief, Branch of 
Permits, Division of Management Authority, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS-IA, 
Falls Church, VA 22041; or by phone at (703) 358-2350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We make available the draft environmental 
assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) for an application submitted by Dallas 
Zoo Management for a permit to import 18 live African elephants from 
Swaziland. If the importation is authorized, and the elephants are 
imported, the elephants will be housed at the Dallas Zoo, Dallas, 
Texas; Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita, Kansas; and Omaha's Henry Doorly 
Zoo, Omaha, Nebraska. The requested permit, if granted, would authorize 
the importation, under the Convention on International Trade in 
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (27 U.S.T. 1087) of 
3 adult females, 3 subadult males, and 12 subadult females. CITES is an 
international treaty designed to regulate international trade in 
certain animal and plant species that are affected by trade and are 
now, or potentially may become, threatened with extinction. These 
species are listed in the Appendices to CITES, which are available on 
the CITES Secretariat's Web site at http://www.cites.org. African 
elephants in Swaziland are listed in CITES Appendix I. The Service's 
regulations implementing CITES are found at 50 CFR part 23.
    The African elephant is also classified as threatened under the 
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), with a rule 
under Section 4(d) of the ESA 50 CFR 17.40(e). To import African 
elephants into the United States, ESA and CITES requirements must be 
met. Pursuant to the ESA 4(d) rule for the African elephant (50 CFR 
17.40(e)(3)(i)), live elephants may be imported if all requirements 
under Service regulations at 50 CFR part 13 (general permitting) and 50 
CFR part 23 (CITES) are met.
    Issuance of a CITES import permit is categorically excluded under 
Department of the Interior internal agency policy and procedures from 
requiring completion of an EA under NEPA (Departmental Manual Part 516, 
Chapter 8.5(C)(1)). However, we have decided to prepare a draft EA in 
this case to help ensure that we have conducted a thorough review of 
all relevant factors and potential impacts on the quality of the human 
environment as envisioned under NEPA.
    The draft EA considers the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects 
of the importation of 18 live elephants from Swaziland, including the 
measures that would be implemented to minimize and mitigate the impacts 
of the importation and housing of these animals.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is the issuance of a CITES permit by the 
Service for the importation of 18 African elephants from Swaziland. The 
elephants are currently housed in an enclosure at the Mkhaya Game 
Reserve, Swaziland. The elephants were removed from Mkhaya Game Reserve 
and Hlane National Park, Swaziland, due to overpopulation of elephants 
within the two protected areas and the negative impact the elephants 
were having on the vegetation and other wildlife species. Big Game 
Parks (BPG), the delegated authority responsible for implementation of 
Swaziland's Game Act of 1953, has determined that the number of 
elephants in the two protected areas must be reduced. Further, the 
reduction in the number of elephants within each of the protected areas 
will facilitate BGP's efforts to increase the population of black 
rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), a critically endangered species, within 
the two protected areas.

 Alternatives

    We are also considering two alternatives to the proposed action:
    1. No Action--No CITES import permit would be issued. According to 
the applicant and BGP, the 18 elephants will not be returned to the two 
protected areas. Instead, if importation is not authorized, BGP has 
stated that they have no option but to cull the animals.
    2. Issue a CITES import permit for a reduced number of elephants--
This alternative is similar to the Proposed Action, in that the Service 
would issue an import permit, but the number of elephants authorized 
for import would be reduced. This could result in some elephants being 
imported into the United States and housed at one or more of the three 
zoos. However, according to the applicant and BGP, the elephants that 
are not imported into the United States would be culled.

Public Availability of Comments

    Written comments that we receive become part of the public record 
associated with this action. 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 may request in your comment that we withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will not consider anonymous 
comments. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
disclosure in their entirety.

Authority

    We provide this notice under NEPA and its implementing regulations 
(40 CFR 1506.6).

Brenda Tapia,
Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch of Permits, Division of 
Management Authority.
[FR Doc. 2015-26834 Filed 10-21-15; 8:45 am]
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