[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26809-26810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12066]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 111 / Monday, June 10, 2019 /
Notices
[[Page 26809]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0005]
Environmental Impact Statement for Predator Damage Management in
Idaho
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of proposed scope of study.
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SUMMARY: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service plans to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing alternatives
for predator damage management in Idaho. This notice proposes issues
and alternatives for consideration in the EIS and requests public
comments to further delineate the scope of the alternatives, the
environmental issues, and other issues of public concern to be
considered.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before July
10, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2019-0005.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Project Manager, Idaho Predator Damage Management EIS, USDA APHIS-
Wildlife Services, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building B, Mail Stop 3W9, Fort
Collins, CO 80526-8117.
Supporting documents and any comments received on this topic may be
viewed at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2019-0005 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: Mr. Kirk Gustad, Idaho Predator Damage
EIS Project Manager, USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, 2150 Centre Avenue,
Building B, Mail Stop 3W9, Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117; phone 970-494-
7214.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On March 4, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) published in the Federal Register (84 FR 7326, Docket No.
APHIS-2019-0005) a notice \1\ informing the public of APHIS' intent to
prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing alternatives
for predator damage management (PDM) in Idaho. Predators provide many
positive ecological, cultural, economic, and aesthetic benefits.
However, they may also be involved in conflicts with humans including
preying upon or harassing livestock; damaging other agricultural
resources and property; and threatening human health and safety. In
limited instances, predation may impede wildlife management agency
efforts to enhance populations of prey species such as threatened or
endangered species or ungulate populations. Over calendar years 2014-
2018, Wildlife Services (WS), a program within APHIS, responded to more
than 500 requests per year for information or assistance in reducing
conflicts with predators in Idaho. Requests for assistance may come
from the public, private entities, other agencies, and Native American
Tribes.
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\1\ To view the notice, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2019-0005.
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APHIS-WS in Idaho currently uses an integrated approach to PDM
involving access to the full range of legally available nonlethal and
lethal PDM methods to reduce conflicts with coyotes, gray wolves, black
bears, grizzly bears, mountain lions, bobcats, red foxes, striped
skunks, raccoons, badgers, feral and free-ranging dogs and cats,
western spotted skunks, mink, long-tailed weasels, short-tailed
weasels, common ravens, black-billed magpies, American crows, bald
eagles, and golden eagles. Assistance may be in the form of advice,
depredation investigations, information on sources of PDM materials,
training and loan of equipment (technical assistance), or hands-on
assistance with implementing PDM methods (operational assistance).
Methods are applied in accordance with applicable Federal, State,
Tribal, and local regulations. Work plans are developed and renewed
annually with land management agencies to address specific activities
and restrictions required to safely conduct PDM on public lands in a
manner consistent with applicable land management agency policies and
resource management plans.
Methods used or recommended for use by APHIS-WS may include changes
to agricultural practices, capture and relocation, livestock guarding
animals, habitat modification, exclusion, frightening devices, avian
repellents, carcass disposal, human behavior modification (e.g., trash
management and not feeding wildlife), shooting from the ground or from
aircraft, denning (only for coyote and fox damage management), gas
cartridges (only for coyote and fox damage management), snares, traps,
the avicide DRC-1339 (only for raven and magpie damage management), and
trained decoy and tracking dogs. Preference is given to practical and
effective nonlethal methods, but in some cases concurrent use of
nonlethal and lethal methods or immediate use of lethal methods may be
the most appropriate solution (e.g., threats to human safety).
APHIS-WS' authorization to provide this service was established by
Congress in the Acts of March 2, 1931 (7 U.S.C. 8351-8352), as amended,
and December 22, 1987 (7 U.S.C. 8353). APHIS-WS' PDM activities in
Idaho also are authorized and coordinated through memoranda of
understanding with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho State
Department of Agriculture, Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board, Idaho
State Animal Damage Control Board, Idaho Department of Lands, the U.S.
Forest Service, and the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of
Land Management. APHIS-WS' actions also must be conducted in accordance
with applicable Federal, State, and Tribal laws, regulations, species
management plans, and land management plans.
Proposed Action
APHIS-WS is preparing an EIS to evaluate alternatives for agency
[[Page 26810]]
involvement in managing damage and conflicts associated with predators
in Idaho. Once completed, the EIS will replace APHIS-WS' environmental
assessments on predator damage management in Southern Idaho, predator
damage management in Northern and Central Idaho, and gray wolf damage
management in Idaho.
Scoping
Please review the information in this notice and the supplemental
information in our supplement, ``Invitation for Public Involvement,''
which may be obtained from the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT and viewed on the Regulations.gov website or in our
reading room (see ADDRESSES above for a link to Regulations.gov and
information on the location and hours of the reading room). Comments
that will assist in further delineating the scope of alternatives, and
environmental impacts and other issues of public concern that should be
addressed in the analysis are encouraged. Please also submit any
scientific data, studies, or research that you feel is relevant to the
analysis.
Alternatives
The EIS will consider a range of reasonable alternatives that will
include a ``no action'' alternative, which can be defined as a
continuation of the ongoing management practices described above, in
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations for
implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) (7 CFR parts 1500-1508). Suggestions for other
alternatives that could be considered are listed below. Additional
recommendations for management alternatives to be advanced for detailed
analysis are welcome.
Current integrated PDM activities with PDM activities in
Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas limited to the protection of
human health and safety.
APHIS-WS uses and recommends only nonlethal PDM methods.
APHIS-WS only uses lethal PDM methods after it is
confirmed and recorded that reasonable nonlethal methods were employed
by APHIS-WS or the cooperator and were ineffective in resolving the
problem.
Current integrated PDM activities, with the exception that
APHIS-WS would not use toxicants for PDM.
Current integrated PDM activities, but PDM for the
protection of natural resources would be limited to protection of
species federally listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Option for the use of M-44s under any alternative that
allows for the use of toxicants for PDM. APHIS-WS currently does not
use this method in Idaho.
Issues for Detailed Consideration in the Analysis
In considering reasonable alternatives, the EIS will study the
effects of the project on environmental issues and other issues of
public concern identified as important for understanding the impacts of
PDM activities. APHIS-WS and the cooperating agencies have identified
the following issues for consideration in the EIS. The public is
encouraged to submit comments identifying other issues that should be
considered.
Impacts on State and regional predator populations;
Effects on nontarget animal populations including species
federally listed under the Endangered Species Act;
Impacts of the alternatives on predator-prey relationships
and ecosystem processes (e.g., trophic cascades);
Impacts on Special Management Areas, including Wilderness
and Wilderness Study Areas;
Humaneness and ethical perspectives regarding actions
proposed in the alternatives;
Effects on recreation and people's aesthetic enjoyment of
wildlife, including hunting and non-consumptive uses;
Impacts of the alternatives on Native American culture and
resource uses;
Economic costs and benefits of the proposed alternatives;
and
Risks and benefits to human and pet safety from PDM
activities.
After the comment period closes, APHIS-WS will review and consider
all comments received during the comment period and any other relevant
information in the development of the EIS. All comments received will
be available for public review as required and allowed by law. Upon
completion of the draft EIS, a notice announcing its availability and
an opportunity to comment will be published in the Federal Register.
The EIS will be prepared in accordance with: (1) NEPA, as amended
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); (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).
Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of June 2019.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-12066 Filed 6-7-19; 8:45 am]
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