[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22434-22435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10311]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Notice of Intent To Issue Forest Order Closing the Mark Twain 
National Forest, Missouri to Feral Swine Hunting

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service is giving 
notice of its intent to close the Mark Twain National Forest to the 
hunting of feral swine in advance of the public comment period for the 
proposed closure. At the end of the notice of intent period, the Forest 
Service will solicit public comments, as specified in this notice, on 
the proposed forest order that would prohibit hunting of feral swine by 
the public on the Mark Twain National Forest in support of interagency 
efforts to eliminate feral swine across all land ownership in the State 
of Missouri.

DATES: Notice of intent of the closure is being provided until May 24, 
2019. Beginning on May 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Forest Service, will solicit comments on the proposed forest order for 
60 days. The solicitation for public comment will be posted on http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mtnf/feralswine. The Mark Twain National Forest 
also will hold a public listening session on June 18, 2019, to gather 
public feedback on the proposed forest order.

ADDRESSES: The proposed forest order and the justification for the 
forest order are available on the Forest Service websites http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mtnf/feralswine.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Salveter, Public Services Staff 
Officer, at 573-341-7466 or [email protected].
    Individuals who use TDD may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 
1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including 
holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Advance Notice and Public Comment Procedures

    Section 4103 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, 
and Recreation Act (Pub. L. 116-9) requires that the Secretary of 
Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, provide 
public notice and comment before permanently or temporarily closing any 
National Forest System land to hunting, fishing, or recreational 
shooting. Section 4103 applies to the proposed forest order closing the 
Mark Twain National Forest to hunting of feral swine by the public. The 
public notice and comment process in section 4103(b)(2) requires the 
Secretary to publish a notice of intent, in the Federal Register, of 
the proposed closure in advance of the public comment period for the 
closure. This notice meets the requirement to publish a notice of 
intent in the Federal Register in advance of the public comment period.
    Following the notice of intent, section 4103(b)(2) requires an 
opportunity for public comment. Because the proposed forest order would 
permanently close the Mark Twain National Forest to hunting of feral 
swine, the comment period must be not less than 60 days. Beginning on 
May 24, 2019, the Forest Service will solicit comments on the proposed 
forest order for 60 days. The solicitation for public comment will be 
posted on http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mtnf/feralswine.
    Section 4103(b)(2) requires the Secretary to respond to the 
comments received on the proposed forest order, explain how the 
Secretary resolved any significant issues raised by the comments, and 
show how the resolution led to the closure. The Forest Service will 
respond to comments on the proposed forest order closing the Mark Twain 
National Forest to hunting of feral swine by revising its justification 
for the forest order, as needed, and posting the revised justification 
on http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mtnf/feralswine.

II. Background and Need for Forest Order

    Feral swine are a harmful and destructive invasive species that are 
well established in 47 Missouri counties, the majority of which fall 
within the Mark Twain National Forest. The Mark Twain National Forest 
has approximately 1.4 million acres that are threatened by feral swine. 
Feral swine are highly adaptable animals and prolific breeders. They 
are social animals that travel together in large groups called sounders 
and have a home range of about 1,000 acres.
    The hunting of feral swine on the Mark Twain National Forest 
interferes with collaborative interagency efforts to eliminate feral 
swine in Missouri. Government trappers employed in these efforts 
identify home ranges and find

[[Page 22435]]

the best spot in that range to catch the entire sounder all at the same 
time. Shooting at one or two swine or pursuing them with dogs will 
cause the sounder (the entire group) to scatter, which makes trapping 
the sounder all at the same time more difficult.
    The Mark Twain National Forest Supervisor is proposing to issue a 
forest order prohibiting the hunting of feral swine on the Forest. 
Issuance of the forest order would respond to a request from the 
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to make policies consistent 
across all lands in Missouri to halt the spread and resulting 
environmental damage caused by feral swine. The State of Missouri feral 
swine eradication program bans all taking, pursuing or releasing of 
feral swine on lands owned, leased, or managed by the state. The 
proposed closure order would align the management of National Forest 
System lands with the eradication efforts of MDC and other federal 
agencies, including USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 
The proposed forest order and the justification for the forest order 
are available on the Forest Service websites http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mtnf/feralswine.

    Dated: May 13, 2019.
Frank R. Beum,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019-10311 Filed 5-16-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P