[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 108 (Monday, June 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36324-36325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-13184]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-MWR-ISRO-20587; PPMWMWROW3/PPMPSPD1Y.YM0000]


Amended Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement To Address the Presence of Wolves at Isle Royale National 
Park

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Amended Notice of Intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is amending its July 10, 2015, 
Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) and Management Plan for Moose, Wolves, and Vegetation for Isle 
Royale National Park, Michigan (Isle Royale). The NPS is revising the 
scope of the EIS to focus on the question of whether to bring wolves to 
Isle Royale in the near term, and if so, how to do so. This amended NOI 
describes a range of alternatives for bringing wolves to the Island.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347; 40 CFR parts 1500-1508; 43 CFR 
part 46.


DATES: The public scoping comment period will conclude 30 days 
following the date this NOI is published in the Federal Register. All 
comments must be postmarked or transmitted by this date.

ADDRESSES: Information, including a copy of the new public scoping 
brochure, is available for public review online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROwolves. Limited copies of the brochure will 
also be available at Isle Royale National Park, 800 East Lakeshore 
Drive, Houghton, Michigan and by request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent Phyllis Green, Isle 
Royale National Park, ISRO Wolves, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, 
Michigan 49931-1896, or by telephone at (906) 482-0984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Although wolves have not always been part of 
the Isle Royale ecosystem, they have been present for more than 65 
years, and have played a key role in the ecosystem, affecting the moose 
population and other species during that time. The average wolf 
population on the island over the past 65 years has been about 22, but 
there have been as many as 50 wolves on the Island and as few as three. 
Over the past five years the population has declined steeply, which has 
given rise to the need to determine whether the NPS should bring 
additional wolves to the island. There were three wolves documented on 
the Island as of March 2015 and only two wolves have been confirmed as 
of February 2016. At this time, natural recovery of the population is 
unlikely. The potential absence of wolves raises concerns about 
possible effects to Isle Royale's current ecosystem, including effects 
to both the moose population and Isle Royale's forest/vegetation 
communities.
    The NPS published a NOI to prepare an EIS and Management Plan for 
Moose, Wolves, and Vegetation for Isle Royale National Park on July 10, 
2015, (80 FR 39796), and held scoping meetings July 27-30, 2015. 
However, based on the public comments we received and additional 
internal deliberations, the NPS has determined that it will revise and 
narrow the scope of this EIS to focus on the question of whether to 
bring wolves to Isle Royale in the near term, and if so, how to do so.
    The revised purpose of the plan is to determine whether and how to 
bring wolves to Isle Royale to function as the apex predator in the 
near term within a changing and dynamic island ecosystem. The NPS will 
evaluate alternative approaches for bringing wolves to Isle Royale, as 
well as the alternative of not bringing wolves to Isle Royale (the no-
action alternative), which remains a viable option. Following this 
evaluation and additional input from you on the EIS, an alternative 
will be selected for implementation and documented in a record of 
decision. Based on the revised purpose statement, the NPS is now 
considering the following alternatives.
    Under Alternative A, the no-action alternative, the NPS would not 
intervene and would continue current management. Wolves may come and go 
through natural migration, although the current population of wolves 
may die out. Under Alternative B, the NPS would bring wolves to Isle 
Royale as a one-time event within a defined period of time (e.g., over 
a 36 month period) to increase the longevity of the wolf population on 
the island. This action would occur as soon as possible following a 
signed record of decision. Under Alternative C, the NPS would bring 
wolves to Isle Royale as often as needed in order to maintain a

[[Page 36325]]

population of wolves on the island for at least the next 20 years, 
which is the anticipated life of the plan. The wolf population range 
and number of breeding pairs to be maintained on the island would be 
determined based on best available science and professional judgement. 
This action would occur as soon as possible following a signed record 
of decision. Under Alternative D, the NPS would not take immediate 
action and would continue current management, allowing natural 
processes to continue. One or more resource indicators and thresholds 
would be developed to evaluate the condition of key resources, which 
could include moose or vegetation-based parameters. If a threshold is 
met, wolves would be brought to Isle Royale as a one-time event (per 
alternative B) or through multiple introductions (per alternative C). 
The NPS will not select an alternative for implementation until after a 
final EIS is completed.
    Given the revised scope of the EIS, actions to manage moose, such 
as culling or translocation of moose, as well as actions to manage 
vegetation, such as fire, direct restoration, or other tools, will not 
be considered in this EIS. After a decision is made regarding whether 
and how to bring wolves to Isle Royale, the NPS will monitor conditions 
on the island, and will initiate additional planning processes to 
address other aspects of the island ecosystem, such as the moose 
population and forest community, if such planning processes are deemed 
necessary.
    All comments received during the scoping period that was announced 
in the July 2015 NOI are available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROwolves and will be considered. If you would 
like to provide additional comments regarding the revised scope of the 
plan, you may do so through the following methods.
    The preferred method for submitting comments is on the NPS PEPC Web 
site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROwolves. You may also mail or 
hand-deliver your comments to Superintendent Phyllis Green, Isle Royale 
National Park, ISRO Wolves, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, 
Michigan 49931-1896. The NPS will consider all additional comments 
received or postmarked no later than 30-days from the date this NOI is 
published in the Federal Register. Comments submitted after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.
    Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or any other way than 
those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or 
electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. 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.

Cameron H. Sholly,
Regional Director, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-13184 Filed 6-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-MA-P