[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 12 (Thursday, January 21, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6290-6292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01148]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2019-0076]


Environmental Impact Statement for Predator Damage Management in 
Oregon

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent for public scoping.

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SUMMARY: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is preparing an 
environmental impact statement analyzing alternatives for predator 
damage management in Oregon. This notice proposes issues and 
alternatives for consideration in the environmental impact statement 
and requests public comments to further delineate the scope of the 
alternatives, the environmental issues, and other issues of public 
concern to be considered. This notice also serves to inform the public 
that the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior's 
Bureau of Land Management have joined as cooperating agencies in the 
environmental impact statement process.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
February 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0076.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2019-0076, State Director--Oregon Predator Damage 
Management EIS, USDA APHIS-Wildlife Services, 6035 NE 78th CT. Suite 
100, Portland, OR 97216.
    Supporting documents and any comments received on this topic may be 
viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2019-0076 
or in our reading room, which is located in room 1620 of the USDA South 
Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. 
Normal reading

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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. Kevin Christensen, Assistant State 
Director, Wildlife Services, APHIS, USDA, 6035 NE 78th CT. Suite 100, 
Portland, OR 97216; (503) 820-2751.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On November 14, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) published in the Federal Register (84 FR 61868, Docket 
No. APHIS-2019-0076) a notice \1\ informing the public of APHIS' intent 
to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing 
alternatives for predator damage management (PDM) in Oregon. We will 
continue to prepare the EIS under the Council on Environmental 
Quality's regulations in effect on the date of the notice of intent's 
publication (November 14, 2019) and APHIS' National Environmental 
Policy Act Implementing Procedures (7 CFR part 372).
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    \1\ To view the notice, go to https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2019-0076.
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    Predators provide many positive ecological, cultural, and aesthetic 
benefits. 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. APHIS' Wildlife Services 
(APHIS-WS) program evaluates and responds to requests for assistance 
with PDM from the public, private entities, other agencies, and Native 
American Tribes within the State of Oregon. APHIS-WS only becomes 
involved in PDM if it has received a request for assistance and has 
established appropriate agreements and authorizations with the 
landowners/managers, applicable agency, or Tribal authorities. Over 
fiscal years 2015-2019, APHIS-WS responded to more than 6,700 requests 
per year for information or assistance in reducing conflicts with 
predators in Oregon.
    APHIS-WS in Oregon currently uses an integrated approach to PDM. 
The approach involves access to the full range of legally available 
nonlethal and lethal PDM methods to reduce conflicts with coyote, black 
bear, striped skunk, raccoon, cougar (mountain lion), red fox, bobcat, 
badger, Virginia opossum, gray fox, feral/free-ranging/hybrid dog, 
feral and free-ranging domestic cat, spotted skunk, weasel, and gray 
wolf. APHIS-WS 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). APHIS-WS applies 
methods in accordance with applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and local 
regulations. APHIS-WS develops and annually renews work plans 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.
    APHIS-WS gives preference to practical and effective nonlethal 
methods. 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 may use or recommend the 
following methods to reduce damage: Changes to agricultural practices, 
capture and relocation, livestock guarding animals, habitat 
modification, exclusion, frightening devices, carcass disposal, human 
behavior modification (e.g., trash management and not feeding 
wildlife), shooting from the ground or from aircraft, gas cartridges, 
snares, traps, and trained decoy and tracking dogs. APHIS-WS is not 
proposing to use M-44s or Compound-1080 in Oregon.
    APHIS-WS conducts its activities pursuant to the Acts of March 2, 
1931 (7 U.S.C. 8351-8352), as amended, and December 22, 1987 (7 U.S.C. 
8353), which established APHIS-WS' authority to provide its services. 
APHIS-WS also coordinates its PDM activities in Oregon pursuant to 
memoranda of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. 
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM). APHIS-WS 
also conducts its activities in accordance with applicable Federal and 
State laws and regulations.

Proposed Action

    APHIS-WS is preparing an EIS to evaluate alternatives for agency 
involvement in managing damage and conflicts associated with predators 
in Oregon. APHIS-WS will serve as the lead Federal agency for purposes 
of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.). The U.S. Forest Service and BLM are cooperating agencies 
on the EIS. Once completed, the EIS will replace APHIS-WS' existing 
environmental assessments on predator damage management and the 
separate environmental assessment on wolf damage management in 
Oregon.\2\
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    \2\ Environmental Assessments replaced by the EIS will include 
Management of Black Bear Damage to Timber in Western Oregon (2003), 
Implementation of the Oregon Cougar Management Plan (2007), Wildlife 
Damage Management in Roseburg (1997), Wildlife Damage Management in 
Northwest District (1997), Wildlife Damage Management of the John 
Day ADC District in Eastern Oregon (1996), and Gray Wolf Damage 
Management in Oregon (2014).
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    BLM intends to adopt the EIS and analysis to streamline and 
facilitate future site-specific NEPA analysis and implementation 
actions on BLM-administered lands for all BLM Oregon districts. The BLM 
in Oregon may authorize APHIS-WS in Oregon to perform certain wildlife 
damage control activities on BLM-administered lands in accordance with 
a separately issued BLM Record of Decision.

Scoping

    We encourage comments that will assist in further delineating the 
scope of alternatives, environmental impacts, and other issues of 
public concern. Please also submit any scientific data, research, or 
studies that you believe are relevant to the analysis. Comments, 
information, and analyses provided should be as specific as possible to 
explain why the information is important to the analysis.

Alternatives

    The EIS will consider a range of reasonable alternatives. The EIS 
will include a ``no action'' alternative, which is defined as a 
continuation of the ongoing predator damage management practices 
described above, in accordance with the Council on Environmental 
Quality's regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of 
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). We are considering the following 
alternatives for comparative analysis in the EIS:
     APHIS-WS in Oregon continues the current PDM activities as 
previously analyzed under NEPA;
     APHIS-WS in Oregon continues the current PDM activities 
and includes additional wolf damage management activities aligned with 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management authorities and with State 
rules and statutes identified in the 2019 Oregon Wolf Conservation and 
Management Plan;
     APHIS-WS in Oregon conducts only non-lethal PDM 
activities;
     APHIS-WS in Oregon conducts only non-lethal PDM 
activities, except

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in cases involving the protection of human/pet health and safety or 
protection of federally threatened or endangered species; or
     APHIS-WS in Oregon conducts no PDM activities in Oregon.
    We welcome additional recommendations for management alternatives.

Issues for Detailed Consideration in the Analysis

    In considering reasonable alternatives, the EIS will analyze the 
effects of APHIS-WS' PDM activities in Oregon on important 
environmental issues and other issues of public concern. APHIS-WS and 
the cooperating agencies have identified the following issues for 
consideration in the EIS:
     Impacts of intentional take on State and regional predator 
populations;
     Effects on nontarget animal populations, including species 
federally listed under the Endangered Species Act (61 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.);
     Impacts of the alternatives on predator-prey relationships 
and ecosystem processes (e.g., trophic cascades);
     Humaneness and ethical perspectives regarding PDM 
activities;
     Risks and benefits to human and pet safety from PDM 
activities;
     Impacts on Special Management Areas, including Wilderness 
and Wilderness Study Areas; and
     Sociocultural impacts, including impacts on values, 
hunting, non-consumptive uses, aesthetic impacts, Native American 
cultural uses, and economic effects.
    We encourage the public to submit comments identifying additional 
issues.
    After the comment period closes, APHIS-WS will review and consider 
all comments timely received 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, APHIS-WS will publish a notice announcing its availability 
and an opportunity to comment in the Federal Register and via the 
GovDelivery.com email registry. To receive notices regarding this 
project or other Wildlife Services NEPA projects, please register at 
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new.
    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) in effect at the time of the publication 
of our notice of intent (November 14, 2019); (3) USDA regulations 
implementing NEPA (7 CFR part 1b); and (4) APHIS' NEPA Implementing 
Procedures (7 CFR part 372).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 13th day of January 2021
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-01148 Filed 1-19-21; 8:45 am]
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