[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 170 (Thursday, September 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60338-60339]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21082]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 170 / Thursday, September 1, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 60338]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0045]


Environmental Impact Statement; Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket 
Suppression Program

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public that the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service plans to prepare an environmental impact statement 
to analyze the effects of a program to suppress populations of 
grasshoppers and Mormon cricket from 17 States in the western United 
States. This notice identifies potential issues and alternatives that 
will be studied in the environmental impact statement, and requests 
public comments to further delineate the scope of the alternatives and 
environmental impacts and issues.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
October 17, 2016.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0045.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2016-0045, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-
0045 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions related to the 
Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Suppression Program, contact Mr. William 
D. Wesela, APHIS National Grasshopper and Mormon Cricket Program 
Manager, [email protected], (301) 851-2229. For questions 
related to the environmental impact statement, contact Dr. Jim Warren, 
Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental and Risk Analysis 
Services, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 149, Riverdale, MD 20737; 
[email protected]; (202) 316-3216.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: About 400 species of grasshoppers inhabit 
the 17 western States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, 
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, 
South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming) involved in the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS') cooperative 
grasshopper suppression program, but only a small percentage are 
considered pest species. APHIS assists Federal land management agencies 
and State, county, and local governments during rangeland pest 
outbreaks. Grasshoppers and Mormon crickets (hereafter referred to 
collectively as grasshoppers) feed on and damage grasses and other 
vegetation, including some adjacent crops.
    Rangeland in the western United States is a valuable agricultural 
resource for livestock production. Other economic benefits include 
energy production sites and recreation uses. Rangelands also provide 
numerous ecosystem benefits, such as protection of water and soil 
quality, nutrient cycling and serve as habitat for a variety of 
wildlife. Grasshoppers are natural components of this ecosystem; 
however, their populations can reach outbreak levels and cause serious 
economic losses to rangeland forage, especially when accompanied by a 
drought. A rapid and effective response is required when a grasshopper 
outbreak develops and threatens rangeland forage.
    Currently, APHIS conducts surveys for grasshopper populations on 
rangeland in the western United States, provides technical assistance 
on grasshopper management to land owners/managers, and cooperatively 
suppresses grasshoppers when direct intervention is requested by a 
Federal land management agency or a State agriculture department and 
deemed necessary.
    Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C 4321 et seq.), Federal agencies must 
examine the potential environmental effects of the proposed Federal 
actions and alternatives. As such, we intend to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to examine the environmental 
effects of control alternatives available to the agency, including a no 
action alternative. The EIS will be used for planning and 
decisionmaking and to inform the public about the environmental effects 
of APHIS' grasshopper suppression activities. It will also provide an 
overview of APHIS activities to which we can tier site-specific 
analyses and environmental assessments if new grasshopper infestations 
are discovered in the affected States.
    We are requesting public comment to help us identify or confirm 
potential alternatives and environmental issues that should be examined 
in the EIS, as well as comments that identify other issues that should 
be examined in the EIS.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with: (1) NEPA, (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).
    We have identified three alternatives for further examination in 
the EIS:
    No action. Under this alternative, APHIS would maintain the program 
that was described in the 2002 EIS and Record of Decision. APHIS may 
opt to provide technical assistance, but any suppression program would 
be implemented by a Federal land management agency, a State agriculture 
department, a local government, or a private group or individual.
    No suppression program. Under this alternative, APHIS would not 
fund or

[[Page 60339]]

participate in any program to suppress grasshopper infestations. APHIS 
may opt to provide technical assistance, but any suppression program 
would be implemented by a Federal land management agency, a State 
agriculture department, a local government, or a private group or 
individual.
    Insecticide applications at conventional rates or reduced agent 
area treatments. This alternative would update the information and 
technologies that were analyzed in the 2002 EIS. The insecticides 
available for use by APHIS include the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency-registered chemicals carbaryl, diflubenzuron, 
chlorantraniliprole, and malathion. Carbaryl and malathion are 
cholinesterase inhibitors which effects the nervous system. 
Diflubenzuron is an insect growth regulator. Chlorantraniliprole 
affects the nervous system by activating ryanodine receptors in 
insects. Only one insecticide would be used at a time, and would be 
applied at a rate that is normally or conventionally used for 
grasshopper suppression treatments, or could be applied as a reduced 
agent area treatment (RAATs). The RAATs strategy uses a reduced rate of 
insecticide from conventional levels by alternating treatment swaths in 
a spray block, reduced application rates, or both. The RAATs strategy 
suppresses grasshoppers within treated swaths, while conserving 
grasshopper predators and parasites in swaths that are not treated. An 
adaptive approach of either conventional rates or RAATs will allow the 
program to make site-specific suppression applications using a range of 
application rates to ensure adequate suppression.
    We have identified the following potential environmental impacts or 
issues for further examination in the EIS:
     Effects on wildlife, including consideration of migratory 
bird species and changes in native wildlife habitat and populations, 
and federally listed endangered and threatened species.
     Effects on soil, air, and water quality.
     Effects on human health and safety.
     Effects on cultural and historic resources.
     Effects on economic resources.
    All comments on this notice will be carefully considered in 
developing the final scope of the EIS. Upon completion of the draft 
EIS, a notice announcing its availability and an invitation to comment 
on it will be published in the Federal Register.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 26th day of August 2016.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-21082 Filed 8-31-16; 8:45 am]
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