[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22432-22434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10266]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; Washington; Forest Plan 
Amendment for Planning and Management of Domestic Sheep and Goat 
Grazing Within the Range of Bighorn Sheep

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest 
Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF), proposes to amend 
the Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans) for the OWNF to 
provide forest plan direction for managing domestic sheep and goat 
grazing within the range of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to better 
provide for forest-wide bighorn sheep viability in the context of range 
management. This notice advises the public that the OWNF is gathering 
information necessary to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) to evaluate the effects of changing or adding plan components.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by July 1, 2019. The Draft EIS is expected in January 2020 and the 
Final EIS is expected July 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Okanogan-Wenatchee National 
Forest, Domestic Sheep Grazing EIS, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, 
Washington 98801. Comments may also be sent via facsimile to 509-664-
9280 or submitted in person during regular business hours between 8:00 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, at the address 
listed above. Comments may also be submitted online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53257.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darren Goodding, Forest Environmental 
Coordinator, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest via email at 
[email protected] or via phone at (509) 664-9232, between 8:00 
a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    Bighorn sheep are designated by the USDA Forest Service Region 6 as 
a sensitive species. The sensitive species designation indicates there 
is concern for the long-term viability and/or conservation status of 
bighorn sheep on National Forest System (NFS) lands in the region 
(Forest Service Manual 2670.5). Forest Service Manual (FSM) sections 
2670.32 and 2672.1 provide Agency direction to avoid or minimize 
impacts to designated sensitive species.
    Although native to the Cascade foothills, bighorn sheep currently 
occupy only a fraction of their historic range. Bighorn sheep were 
extirpated in the state of Washington by 1935. Subsequent 
reintroduction of bighorn sheep has resulted in multiple herds within 
the state, including several that occur within the OWNF and which 
overlap with current domestic sheep and goat grazing allotments.
    Scientific research supports a relationship between disease in 
bighorn sheep and contact with domestic sheep or goats when these 
species are in close proximity (Lawrence et al. 2010; Besser et al. 
2014). Although there is limited knowledge of transmission dynamics 
(Garde et al. 2005), there is a long documented history across Canada 
and the United States of large-scale, rapid, all-age die-offs resulting 
in partial to complete removal of bighorn sheep herds, many of which 
are attributed to domestic animal contact (Shackleton 1999; Monello et 
al. 2001; Schommer and Woolever 2001; Rudolph et al. 2003).
    Report language in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act 
provided the following direction: ``Bighorn Sheep Conservation--In 
order to ensure the Nation does not lose its domestic sheep industry or 
Bighorn sheep conservation legacy, the Forest Service and the Bureau of 
Land Management (BLM) shall implement a variety of solutions, including 
the following directives: The agencies are directed to complete risk of 
contact analyses using appropriate data sources, such as from the 
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and to share the 
findings with the public; the Forest Service is expected to engage the 
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to ensure the best scientific 
understanding of where disease transmission occurs and the degree of 
that risk and to assist the Forest Service with identifying all 
allotments that are suitable for sheep grazing; the Forest Service and 
Bureau

[[Page 22433]]

of Land Management are also directed to identify and implement actions 
to resolve issues on allotments with a high risk of disease 
transmission, including, if agreeable to the directly affected 
stakeholders, the relocation of domestic sheep to allotments with a low 
risk, pending any site-specific environmental analysis. The 2012 
planning regulations adopt a complementary ecosystem and species-
specific approach to maintaining the diversity of plant and animal 
communities and the persistence of native species in the plan area.'' 
The 2019 Department of Interior appropriations bill reaffirmed this 
2016 direction, stating, ``Bighorn Sheep.--The Committees direct the 
Forest Service to continue the quantitative, science-based analyses of 
the risk of disease transmission between domestic and bighorn sheep 
required in the fiscal year 2016 explanatory statement.''
    Analysis conducted using the Bighorn Sheep Risk of Contact Tool 
(v2), developed by O'Brien et al. (2014) and the Forest Service/BLM 
Bighorn Sheep Working Group (2015), has shown that there is a potential 
for bighorn sheep to enter grazing allotments where domestic sheep and 
goat grazing currently exists or could occur under current management 
frameworks. Disease-related mortality has been identified as a factor 
that may adversely impact the population viability of bighorn sheep on 
the OWNF. Providing spatial and/or temporal separation of domestic 
sheep and goats from bighorn sheep is a management option used to 
reduce the risk of contact to an acceptable level. It is within the 
ability of the OWNF to establish new Forest Plan direction that would 
guide management to minimize the risk of contact among bighorn sheep 
and domestic sheep and goat grazing allotments.

Proposed Action

    The OWNF proposes to amend the Forest Plan for the Okanogan 
National Forest and the Forest Plan for the Wenatchee National Forest 
to provide species-specific Forest Plan direction for managing domestic 
sheep and goat grazing within the range of bighorn sheep (Ovis 
canadensis) to better provide for Forest-wide bighorn sheep viability 
in the context of range management. While the OWNF is managed as one 
administrative unit, Forest Plans were completed separately for the 
Wenatchee National Forest and the Okanogan National Forest prior to the 
units being administratively combined, and these original plans were 
written prior to the Regional Forester identifying bighorn sheep as a 
sensitive species. The proposed plan amendment would apply to each of 
the plans as a forest-wide amendment and would add plan components to 
the Forest Plans as needed to support management of domestic sheep and 
goat grazing while mitigating high risk of contact with bighorn sheep 
(Ovis canadensis). High risk is currently defined by the Bighorn Sheep 
Risk of Contact Tool (v.2) but plan direction would allow for updated 
versions of this model. This analysis would consider other potential 
factors for making a determination of high risk at both the Forest wide 
and local levels. Factors may include local topography, spatial or 
temporal separation, or other herd characteristics or range management 
actions.
    Current mitigation measures that are being used to reduce risk of 
contact between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep include: Requiring 
experienced sheepherders on allotments located near bighorn sheep 
habitat; conducting full counts of domestic sheep when trailing and 
regularly during general grazing; trucking in water if needed to reduce 
straying; and reporting of stray or missing domestic sheep and any wild 
sheep and domestic sheep interactions.
    When proposing a Forest Plan amendment, the 2012 Planning Rule (36 
CFR 219), as amended, requires the responsible official to provide in 
the initial notice ``which substantive requirements of Sec. Sec.  219. 
8 through 219.11 are likely to be directly related to the amendment 
(Sec.  219.13(b)(5)) . . .'' Whether a rule provision is likely to be 
directly related to an amendment is determined by the purpose for and 
the effects of the amendment, and informed by the best available 
scientific information, scoping, effects analysis, monitoring data or 
other rationale. Based on the proposed amendment and requirement of the 
planning rule, the following substantive requirements of the 36 CFR 219 
planning regulations would likely be directly related to the proposed 
amendment: 219.8(a)(1)(ii) Contributions of the plan area to ecological 
conditions within the broader landscape influenced by the plan area; 
219.8(b)(1) Social, cultural, and economic conditions relevant to the 
area influenced by the plan; 219.9(a)(2)(i) Key characteristics 
associated with terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem types; and 
219.10(a)(7) Reasonably foreseeable risks to ecological, social, and 
economic sustainability.
    Existing allotment management plans and the associated 
environmental analyses would be revised subsequent to the proposed 
Forest Plan amendments being adopted in order to evaluate site-specific 
conditions relative to risk of contact and ability to mitigate risk.

Possible Alternatives

    A no-action alternative, which represents no change and serves as 
the baseline for the comparison among the action alternatives, will be 
analyzed in addition to the proposed action. Comments we receive in 
response to this Notice of Intent may identify additional alternatives.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The USDA Forest Service, OWNF is the lead agency for the proposed 
action and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA). The OWNF has identified two agencies with special expertise 
with respect to the proposed action that would serve as cooperating 
agencies.
    The USDA ARS has special expertise in animal diseases that would 
inform the Forest's management decisions. The ARS would help provide 
the best available scientific information on the transmission of 
pathogens between domestic sheep and/or goats and bighorn sheep, the 
risk that transmission would result in disease in bighorn sheep and 
their herds, and potential strategies to address transmission.
    The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has special 
expertise in the management of wildlife, including bighorn sheep within 
the State of Washington. The WDFW is asked to provide information 
regarding the current status of the bighorn sheep populations that may 
be affected by the proposed action and has been invited to participate 
in development of this environmental analysis by providing information 
and expertise in regard to the State's wildlife management program as a 
cooperating agency.

Responsible Official

    Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide whether to approve the 
proposed amendment of the OWNF Forest Plans to establish new plan 
components for domestic sheep and goat grazing on NFS lands within the 
range of the bighorn sheep.

Scoping Process

    This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS. The OWNF will invite the public to 
participate in a series of informational, virtual open houses. These 
meetings will be posted on the Forest's website at https://
www.fs.usda.gov/main/okawen/

[[Page 22434]]

landmanagement/planning and will be advertised in local newspaper of 
record.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of 
the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's 
concerns and/or contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with eligiblity to participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review. The proposed project is an 
activity that includes a programmatic plan amendment and is subject to 
36 CFR 219 subparts A and B. The publication date of the NOI in the 
Federal Register is the exclusive means for calculating the scoping 
period. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon dates or 
timeframe information provided by any other source. If the scoping 
period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, scoping comments 
will be accepted until the end of the next Federal working day.
    Only individuals or entities (as defined by 36 CFR 219.53) who 
submit substantive formal comments (as defined by 36 CFR 219.62) about 
this plan amendment will be eligible to file an objection. Other 
requirements to be eligible to submit an objection are defined by 36 
CFR 219.54(c) and include name, postal address, name of the plan 
amendment, signature or other verification of identity upon request, 
and the identity of the individual or entity who authored the comments. 
Individual members of an entity must submit their own individual 
comments in order to have eligibility to object as an individual. A 
timely submission will be determined as outlined in 36 CFR 
219.16(a)(2). It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure timely 
receipt of any comments submitted. Names and contact information 
submitted with comments will become part of the public record and may 
be released under the Freedom of Information Act.
    Substantive formal comments are those that are within the scope of 
the proposal, are specific to the proposal, have a direct relationship 
to the proposal, and include supporting reasons for the responsible 
official to consider (36 CFR 219.62).

    Dated: March 28, 2019.
Allen Rowley,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019-10266 Filed 5-16-19; 8:45 am]
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