[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 55548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22652]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Natural Resources Conservation Service

[Docket ID NRCS-2019-0015]


Adoption of Another Agency's Final Environmental Impact Statement 
To Implement the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program

AGENCY: Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of Availability for the Record of Decision (ROD).

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SUMMARY: NRCS announces the availability of the agency's Record of 
Decision (ROD) to adopt the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS), ``Feral Swine Damage Management: A National Approach EIS'', 
prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS), under the Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) adoption provisions of the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Martin Lowenfish, Branch Chief for 
Areawide Planning, Natural Resources Conservation Service, at 
[email protected] or (202) 690-4979. Persons with disabilities 
who require alternative means for communication should contact the USDA 
Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NRCS will adopt the FEIS titled, ``Feral 
Swine Damage Management; A National Approach EIS'', prepared by APHIS 
under the EIS adoption provisions of CEQ) regulations (40 CFR 1506.3). 
NRCS is taking this action to address the mandates in section 2408 of 
the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill, Pub. L. 115-
334) to provide financial assistance for a Feral Swine Eradication and 
Control Pilot Program in collaboration with APHIS. The purpose of the 
pilot program, as stated in the Act, is to respond to the threat feral 
swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal 
health. NRCS's actions under section 2408 of the 2018 Farm Bill are 
narrower than the scope of the larger APHIS effort defined in the FEIS 
and are limited to providing financial assistance specifically for 
outreach, training, equipment, and operations for feral swine trapping, 
consistent with APHIS technical standards. Subsequent actions, 
including disposal, are the responsibility of those carrying out the 
trapping activities, and must occur consistent with all associated 
Federal, State, and local laws. The details on the FEIS were provided 
in the published Notice of Intent to adopt FEIS dated on July 17, 2019 
(84 FR 34118) and associated Notice of Availability published by the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (84 FR 32168). Two comments were 
received in response to these notices. The first, submitted by the 
State Department of Land and Natural Resources, in support of the 
actions and methods defined in the FEIS and is appended to this NOA. 
The second, submitted by a private citizen indicating they disagreed 
with this use of Federal funding. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 
2018 left no discretion to the agency concerning this matter.
    The ROD is available by requesting a copy at the above address. 
Documentation developed during the agency's review of the FEIS is on 
file and may be reviewed by contacting Martin Lowenfish at the above 
number.
    No administrative action on implementation of the proposal will be 
taken until 30 days after the date of this publication in the Federal 
Register.

Kevin Norton,
Associate Chief, Natural Resources Conservation Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22652 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-16-P