[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 5611]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01835]


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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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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 21 / Friday, January 31, 2020 / 
Notices  

[[Page 5611]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2016-0045]


Environmental Impact Statement; Rangeland Grasshopper and Mormon 
Cricket Suppression Program: Record of Decision

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public of the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service's record of decision for the final environmental 
impact statement titled Record of Decision for the Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Rangeland Grasshopper and Mormon 
Cricket Suppression Program.

DATES: An official of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-
Plant Protection and Quarantine signed the record of decision on 
December 2, 2019.

ADDRESSES: You may read the final environmental impact statement and 
record of decision in our reading room. The reading room 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. The record 
of decision, final environmental impact statement, and supporting 
information may also be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0045. To obtain copies of the documents, 
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

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, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road Unit 26, Riverdale, MD 
20737; [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: On September 1, 2016, we published in the 
Federal Register (81 FR 60338-60339) a notice of intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) \1\ to analyze the effects of a 
program to suppress populations of grasshoppers and Mormon cricket from 
17 States in the western United States. That notice identified three 
alternatives for examination in the EIS and requested public comments 
to help delineate the scope of the issues and alternatives to be 
analyzed. The public comment period for scoping ended on October 17, 
2016. We received 12 comments during the 45-day scoping period and 
considered these comments in the drafting of the EIS.
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    \1\ The notices, comments, draft and final EIS, record of 
decision, and supporting documents can be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2016-0045.
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    On January 30, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS) made the draft EIS available and invited public comment on it 
through March 18, 2019. We received 19 comments. Our responses to the 
comments are contained in an appendix to the final EIS. On November 1, 
2019, the Environmental Protection Agency published a notice of 
availability of the final EIS in the Federal Register (84 FR 58713). 
The review period for the final EIS ended on December 2, 2019.
    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.)) implementing regulations in 40 CFR 1506.10 require a 
minimum 30-day waiting period between the time a final EIS is published 
and the time an agency makes a decision on an action covered by the 
EIS. We did not receive any comments during the 30-day waiting period. 
APHIS has reviewed the final EIS and concluded that it fully analyzes 
the issues covered by the draft EIS and addresses the comments and 
suggestions submitted by commenters. This notice advises the public 
that the waiting period has elapsed, and APHIS has issued a record of 
decision (ROD) to implement the preferred alternative described in the 
final EIS.
    The ROD has been 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).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of January 2020.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-01835 Filed 1-30-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P