Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Management Plan for Moose, Wolves, and Vegetation, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, 39796-39797 [2015-16851]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 2015 / Notices
address listed under ADDRESSES. The
public may review documents and other
information applicants have sent in
support of the application unless our
allowing viewing would violate the
Privacy Act or Freedom of Information
Act. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
II. Background
To help us carry out our conservation
responsibilities for affected species, and
in consideration of section 10(a)(1)(A) of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), along
with Executive Order 13576,
‘‘Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and
Accountable Government,’’ and the
President’s Memorandum for the Heads
of Executive Departments and Agencies
of January 21, 2009—Transparency and
Open Government (74 FR 4685; January
26, 2009), which call on all Federal
agencies to promote openness and
transparency in Government by
disclosing information to the public, we
invite public comment on these permit
applications before final action is taken.
III. Permit Applications
Endangered Species
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Applicant: Lionshare Farm Zoological,
LLC, Greenwich, CT; PRT–60662B
The applicant requests a permit to
import one female and one male cheetah
(Acinonyx jubatus jubatus) for the
purpose of enhancement of the survival
of the species. This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: San Diego Zoo Global, San
Diego, CA; PRT–70167B
The applicant requests a permit to
biological samples from any endangered
or threatened species for the purpose of
scientific research, including but not
limited to, phylogenetic, reproductive
physiology, disease transmission, and
applied animal ecology. This
notification covers activities to be
conducted by the applicant over a 5year period.
Applicant: Frank Buck Zoo, Gainesville,
TX; PRT–06588B
The applicant requests a renewal and
amendment to their captive-bred
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:51 Jul 09, 2015
Jkt 235001
wildlife registration under 50 CFR
17.21(g) for the following species to
enhance species propagation or
survival: For Renewal: ring-tailed lemur
(Lemur catta), black and white ruffed
lemur (Varecia variegata), red ruffed
lemur (Varecia rubra), cotton-top
tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), lar gibbon
(Hylobates lar), clouded leopard
(Neofelis nebulosa), Galapagos tortoise
(Chelonoidis nigra), and radiated
tortoise (Astrochelys radiata). For
Amendment to Add: Jackass penguin
(Spheniscus demersus). This
notification covers activities to be
conducted by the applicant over a 5year period.
Applicant: Antonin Dvorak,
Williamsville, NY; PRT–050667
The applicant requests a renewal of
their captive-bred wildlife registration
under 50 CFR 17.21(g) for the following
species to enhance species propagation
or survival: radiated tortoise
(Astrochelys radiata). This notification
covers activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Jerry Motta, Bushnell, FL;
PRT–28014A
The applicant requests a captive-bred
wildlife registration under 50 CFR
17.21(g) for the following species to
enhance species propagation or
survival: For Renewal: African slendersnouted crocodile (Crocodylus
cataphractus), Cuban crocodile
(Crocodylus rhombifer), Nile crocodile
(Crocodylus niloticus), Morelet’s
crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii),
saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus
porosus), Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus
siamensis), African dwarf crocodile
(Osteolaemus tetraspis), Yacare caiman
(Caiman yacare), common caiman
(Caiman crocodilus crocodilus), Cuban
ground iguana (Cyclura nubila), Grand
Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi),
Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra),
and radiated tortoise (Astrochelys
radiata). This notification covers
activities to be conducted by the
applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Hurricane Aviaries, Inc.
Loxahatchee, FL; PRT–48384B
The applicant requests a captive-bred
wildlife registration under 50 CFR
17.21(g) for Golden parakeet (Guarouba
guarouba) to enhance species
propagation or survival. This
notification covers activities to be
conducted by the applicant over a 5year period.
Multiple Applicants
The following applicants each request
a permit to import the sport-hunted
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
trophy of one male bontebok
(Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled
from a captive herd maintained under
the management program of the
Republic of South Africa, for the
purpose of enhancement of the survival
of the species.
Applicant: Monty Davis, Cypress, TX;
PRT–68842B
Applicant: Kyle Witwer, Fort Wayne, IN;
PRT–69019B
Brenda Tapia,
Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch
of Permits, Division of Management
Authority.
[FR Doc. 2015–16834 Filed 7–9–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–MWR–CUVA–17694; PPMWMWROW2/
PMP00UP05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement and
Management Plan for Moose, Wolves,
and Vegetation, Isle Royale National
Park, Michigan
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Park Service
(NPS) announces that we are preparing
an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a plan to determine how to
manage the Isle Royale moose
population in light of the dynamic
changes occurring on the island, in
particular the declining wolf
population.
SUMMARY:
The public comment period will
begin on the date this Notice of Intent
is published in the Federal Register.
The comment period will close 30 days
after the last scheduled public meeting
and all comments must be postmarked
or transmitted by this date.
ADDRESSES: Information, including a
copy of the public scoping brochure,
will be available for public review
online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
ISRO. Limited copies of the brochure
will also be available at Isle Royale
National Park, 800 East Lakeshore Drive,
Houghton, Michigan and by request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Superintendent Phyllis Green, or Chief
of Natural Resources Paul Brown, Isle
Royale National Park, Wolf-MooseVegetation Management Plan, 800 East
Lakeshore Drive, Houghton, Michigan
49931–1896, or by telephone at (906)
482–0984.
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\10JYN1.SGM
10JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 132 / Friday, July 10, 2015 / Notices
Isle
Royale is an island archipelago in the
northwestern portion of Lake Superior.
Organisms that live on islands have
dynamic populations and are subject to
immigration and extinction events.
Local extirpation is natural and
expected, as is establishment and reestablishment of new populations.
Wolves were first documented on Isle
Royale through identification of tracks
in 1949–50 and by 1957 the island
supported an estimated 25 wolves. The
first systematic research on Isle Royale
wolves was conducted in the 1950s and
has continued largely unabated. The
research on the ‘‘Wolves of Isle Royale’’
is now world-renowned. Like many
mainland wolf populations, the island
population has fluctuated widely over
this time, though on Isle Royale they
have always been protected and never
hunted or subjected to control efforts.
Population variation on the island is
related to inherent dynamic wolf
ecology, island biogeography, and
presence of disease in the wolf
population. Wolves on Isle Royale have
recently declined and the primary cause
is thought to be genetic inbreeding
leading to low productivity. With
currently less than 10 individual wolves
on the island, scientists differ on what
will happen to the population in the
short-term (25 years). Many believe that
their persistence is doubtful unless new
wolves emigrate or are introduced to the
island.
The moose population on Isle Royale
(which arrived on the island in the early
1900s) has fluctuated dramatically (500
to several thousand) over the past
century. Moose have important effects
on island vegetation including forest
cover and wolves are the only moose
predator on the island.
The park lies within a temperateboreal forest transition zone where
temperate tree species are at or near
their northern range limits and boreal
trees are near their southern range
limits. Recent trends suggest the
beginning of a shift from boreal to
temperate vegetation. The relatively
short-lived boreal paper birch and
aspen, which established widely on
lands disturbed by European settlement
activities, are reaching the end of their
natural lifespans and rapid successional
changes in favor of more shade-tolerant
tree species are underway. Successional
trends on the island indicate that recent
conditions favored temperate hardwood
species, which expanded and replaced
boreal trees. Since moose favor some
boreal tree species such as balsam fir for
food, this succession may alter the
available moose forage in the future.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:07 Jul 09, 2015
Jkt 235001
The wolf-moose-vegetation food web
is tightly coupled. Since the wolf
population at Isle Royale is very low
and local extirpation of wolves is
possible in the near future (e.g. only one
gender remains on the island; the pack
has been non-reproductive for three to
five years; or there are no remaining
wolves), the moose population is likely
to continue to increase, resulting in
impacts to vegetation and forest cover
from moose herbivory.
A plan is needed to address
environmental impacts that could occur
to the moose population and vegetation
from the potential extirpation of wolves.
The purpose of the plan is to provide
direction for managing the Isle Royale
moose and wolf populations for at least
the next 20 years in light of the dynamic
changes occurring on the island.
In this context, we must determine
allowable types of change. Specifically,
we need to decide whether to intervene
with a declined or extirpated wolf
population in order to perpetuate the
role wolves play with regard to the
moose population through predation
and spatial distribution (wolf
management actions); whether to
directly intervene with an increased
moose population (moose management
actions); and whether to intervene to
manage vegetation to mitigate impacts
from moose herbivory as temperate
species replace the historical boreal
forest (vegetation management actions).
For each of these decisions, we must
determine the type and extent of
intervention appropriate in a designated
wilderness given a changing climate.
While specific alternatives have not yet
been developed, options available
include: (1) not actively managing
moose, wolves, or vegetation; (2)
managing moose abundance and
distribution; (3) managing wolf
abundance by supplementing the
current wolf population or introducing
wolves following extirpation; and (4)
managing vegetation through the use of
fire, direct restoration, or other tools.
Interested individuals, organizations,
and agencies are encouraged to provide
written comments regarding the scope
of issues to be addressed in the EIS,
alternative approaches to managing
wolves, moose, or vegetation on Isle
Royale, and other concerns regarding
this conservation planning and
environmental impact analysis process.
Within the comment period, we intend
to hold public scoping meetings on the
EIS in the vicinity of the park, including
Houghton, Michigan. Specific dates,
times and locations of the public
scoping meetings will be made available
via a press release to local media, a
public scoping brochure to be mailed or
PO 00000
Frm 00053
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39797
emailed to interested parties and on the
NPS’s Planning, Environment and
Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISRO. The
NPS will provide additional
opportunities for the public to offer
written comments upon publication and
release of the draft plan/EIS.
If you wish to comment during the
public comment period, you may use
any one of several methods. The
preferred method for submitting
comments is at the PEPC Web site
address given above. You may also mail
or hand-deliver your comments to the
Superintendent or the Chief of Natural
Resources at the address given above.
Written comments will also be accepted
during scheduled public meetings.
Comments will not be accepted by fax,
email, or any other way than those
specified above. Bulk comments in any
format (hard copy or electronic)
submitted on behalf of others will not be
accepted. Before including your
address, phone number, email address,
or other personal identifying
information in your comment, you
should be aware that your entire
comment—including your personal
identifying information—may be made
publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to
withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Dated: February 13, 2015.
Patricia S. Trap,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region.
This document was received at the Office
of the Federal Register on Monday, July 06,
2015.
[FR Doc. 2015–16851 Filed 7–9–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MA–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[RR02800000, 15XR0687ND,
RX.18527914.2050100]
Notice of Availability of the Bay Delta
Conservation Plan/California WaterFix
Partially Recirculated Draft
Environmental Impact Report/
Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement and Announcement
of Public Meetings
Bureau of Reclamation,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice announces the
availability of the Bay Delta
Conservation Plan/California WaterFix
Partially Recirculated Draft
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\10JYN1.SGM
10JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 132 (Friday, July 10, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39796-39797]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-16851]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-MWR-CUVA-17694; PPMWMWROW2/PMP00UP05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Management Plan for Moose, Wolves, and Vegetation, Isle Royale National
Park, Michigan
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces that we are
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a plan to
determine how to manage the Isle Royale moose population in light of
the dynamic changes occurring on the island, in particular the
declining wolf population.
DATES: The public comment period will begin on the date this Notice of
Intent is published in the Federal Register. The comment period will
close 30 days after the last scheduled public meeting and all comments
must be postmarked or transmitted by this date.
ADDRESSES: Information, including a copy of the public scoping
brochure, will be available for public review online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISRO. Limited copies of the brochure will also be
available at Isle Royale National Park, 800 East Lakeshore Drive,
Houghton, Michigan and by request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent Phyllis Green, or Chief
of Natural Resources Paul Brown, Isle Royale National Park, Wolf-Moose-
Vegetation Management Plan, 800 East Lakeshore Drive, Houghton,
Michigan 49931-1896, or by telephone at (906) 482-0984.
[[Page 39797]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Isle Royale is an island archipelago in the
northwestern portion of Lake Superior. Organisms that live on islands
have dynamic populations and are subject to immigration and extinction
events. Local extirpation is natural and expected, as is establishment
and re-establishment of new populations.
Wolves were first documented on Isle Royale through identification
of tracks in 1949-50 and by 1957 the island supported an estimated 25
wolves. The first systematic research on Isle Royale wolves was
conducted in the 1950s and has continued largely unabated. The research
on the ``Wolves of Isle Royale'' is now world-renowned. Like many
mainland wolf populations, the island population has fluctuated widely
over this time, though on Isle Royale they have always been protected
and never hunted or subjected to control efforts. Population variation
on the island is related to inherent dynamic wolf ecology, island
biogeography, and presence of disease in the wolf population. Wolves on
Isle Royale have recently declined and the primary cause is thought to
be genetic inbreeding leading to low productivity. With currently less
than 10 individual wolves on the island, scientists differ on what will
happen to the population in the short-term (25 years). Many believe
that their persistence is doubtful unless new wolves emigrate or are
introduced to the island.
The moose population on Isle Royale (which arrived on the island in
the early 1900s) has fluctuated dramatically (500 to several thousand)
over the past century. Moose have important effects on island
vegetation including forest cover and wolves are the only moose
predator on the island.
The park lies within a temperate-boreal forest transition zone
where temperate tree species are at or near their northern range limits
and boreal trees are near their southern range limits. Recent trends
suggest the beginning of a shift from boreal to temperate vegetation.
The relatively short-lived boreal paper birch and aspen, which
established widely on lands disturbed by European settlement
activities, are reaching the end of their natural lifespans and rapid
successional changes in favor of more shade-tolerant tree species are
underway. Successional trends on the island indicate that recent
conditions favored temperate hardwood species, which expanded and
replaced boreal trees. Since moose favor some boreal tree species such
as balsam fir for food, this succession may alter the available moose
forage in the future.
The wolf-moose-vegetation food web is tightly coupled. Since the
wolf population at Isle Royale is very low and local extirpation of
wolves is possible in the near future (e.g. only one gender remains on
the island; the pack has been non-reproductive for three to five years;
or there are no remaining wolves), the moose population is likely to
continue to increase, resulting in impacts to vegetation and forest
cover from moose herbivory.
A plan is needed to address environmental impacts that could occur
to the moose population and vegetation from the potential extirpation
of wolves. The purpose of the plan is to provide direction for managing
the Isle Royale moose and wolf populations for at least the next 20
years in light of the dynamic changes occurring on the island.
In this context, we must determine allowable types of change.
Specifically, we need to decide whether to intervene with a declined or
extirpated wolf population in order to perpetuate the role wolves play
with regard to the moose population through predation and spatial
distribution (wolf management actions); whether to directly intervene
with an increased moose population (moose management actions); and
whether to intervene to manage vegetation to mitigate impacts from
moose herbivory as temperate species replace the historical boreal
forest (vegetation management actions). For each of these decisions, we
must determine the type and extent of intervention appropriate in a
designated wilderness given a changing climate. While specific
alternatives have not yet been developed, options available include:
(1) not actively managing moose, wolves, or vegetation; (2) managing
moose abundance and distribution; (3) managing wolf abundance by
supplementing the current wolf population or introducing wolves
following extirpation; and (4) managing vegetation through the use of
fire, direct restoration, or other tools.
Interested individuals, organizations, and agencies are encouraged
to provide written comments regarding the scope of issues to be
addressed in the EIS, alternative approaches to managing wolves, moose,
or vegetation on Isle Royale, and other concerns regarding this
conservation planning and environmental impact analysis process. Within
the comment period, we intend to hold public scoping meetings on the
EIS in the vicinity of the park, including Houghton, Michigan. Specific
dates, times and locations of the public scoping meetings will be made
available via a press release to local media, a public scoping brochure
to be mailed or emailed to interested parties and on the NPS's
Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISRO. The NPS will provide additional
opportunities for the public to offer written comments upon publication
and release of the draft plan/EIS.
If you wish to comment during the public comment period, you may
use any one of several methods. The preferred method for submitting
comments is at the PEPC Web site address given above. You may also mail
or hand-deliver your comments to the Superintendent or the Chief of
Natural Resources at the address given above. Written comments will
also be accepted during scheduled public meetings. Comments will not be
accepted by fax, email, or any other way than those specified above.
Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on
behalf of others will not be accepted. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Dated: February 13, 2015.
Patricia S. Trap,
Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region.
This document was received at the Office of the Federal Register
on Monday, July 06, 2015.
[FR Doc. 2015-16851 Filed 7-9-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MA-P
