Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Restoration of Native Species in High Elevation Aquatic Ecosystems Plan, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California, 60309-60311 [2013-23642]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• National Park Service

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60309-60311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23642]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-PWR-PWRO-13663; PPPWSEKIO0/PX.DSEKI1303.00.1]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Restoration of 
Native Species in High Elevation Aquatic Ecosystems Plan, Sequoia and 
Kings Canyon National Parks, California

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and 
consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the 
National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Restoration of Native Species in 
High Elevation

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Aquatic Ecosystems Plan (Restoration Plan/DEIS), Sequoia and Kings 
Canyon National Parks (SEKI or parks), California. The Restoration Plan 
is needed to provide long-term management direction to restore and 
conserve high elevation aquatic species and ecosystems in the parks. 
The NPS is considering expanding the current high elevation aquatic 
ecosystem restoration program within SEKI to encompass additional sites 
and incorporate alternative treatment methods.
    The Restoration Plan/DEIS identifies and evaluates the 
environmental impacts of four alternatives: the no action alternative; 
and three action alternatives including a preferred alternative. The 
Final Restoration Plan/Final EIS would be implemented over a period of 
25 to 35 years, with an internal evaluation of management effectiveness 
scheduled every 5 to 10 years. The NPS is inviting public review of the 
document to solicit feedback on the proposed alternatives and to hear 
ideas and concerns for consideration in the Final EIS.

DATES: All written comments must be postmarked or transmitted not later 
than 60 days from the date of publication in the Federal Register of 
the Environmental Protection Agency's notice of filing and release of 
the Draft EIS. Upon confirmation of this date, SEKI will notify all 
entities on the project mailing list, and announcements about the 
public review period will be provided on the project Web site https://parkplanning.nps.gov/seki and distributed via local and regional press 
media.

ADDRESSES: The Restoration Plan/DEIS is available in electronic format 
online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/seki and written comments may be 
submitted directly to this Web site. Written comments may also be 
submitted by mail, hand delivered, or faxed to: Superintendent, Sequoia 
and Kings Canyon National Parks, Attn: Aquatic Ecosystems Plan, 47050 
Generals Highway, Three Rivers, CA 93271, Fax: 559-565-4202. Email 
comments 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 would be 
able to do so. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, are made available for public inspection 
in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the SEKI Office of 
Environmental Compliance and Planning at (559) 565-3102 to speak with 
an individual.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this Restoration Plan/DEIS is 
to guide management actions by the NPS to restore and conserve native 
species diversity and ecological function to selected high elevation 
aquatic ecosystems that have been adversely impacted by human 
activities, and to increase the resistance and resilience of these 
species and ecosystems to human induced environmental modifications 
such as nonnative fish, disease, and unprecedented climate change. The 
overall goal of the Restoration Plan/DEIS is to restore clusters of 
water bodies to a fishless state in strategic locations across SEKI to 
create high elevation ecosystems having more favorable habitat 
conditions for the persistency of native species and ecosystem 
processes.
    Action is needed at this time: (1) Because nonnative fish have 
severely reduced native biological diversity and disrupted ecological 
function; (2) to prevent the extinction of two species of mountain 
yellow-legged frogs (Rana muscosa and Rana sierrae; MYLF) and to 
restore MYLF populations to many locations in the parks where they have 
gone extinct; (3) to enable the NPS to fulfill its mission and policy 
directives to conserve native animals, plants and processes found in 
SEKI's aquatic ecosystems; (4) because large scale restoration of more 
complex habitat (areas containing large lakes or clusters of many lakes 
with many and/or large connecting stream sections) is critical for 
native species and ecosystem recovery; (5) to increase the resistance 
and resilience of native high elevation aquatic species and ecosystems 
to human induced environmental change; and, (6) to restore and protect 
the natural qualities of wilderness character.
    The Restoration Plan/DEIS identifies and analyzes four 
alternatives: the no action (Alternative A); Prescription Treatment 
(Physical and Piscicide) Preceding Restoration (Alternative B, agency-
preferred alternative); Physical Treatment Preceding Restoration 
(Alternative C); and Piscicide Treatment Preceding Restoration 
(Alternative D).
    Alternative A (no action): This alternative describes current 
management of high elevation aquatic ecosystems in SEKI and provides a 
baseline for comparison against the action alternatives. Under 
Alternative A, the existing high elevation aquatic ecosystem 
restoration effort for 26 water bodies would be completed (anticipated 
to conclude in 2016), maintained and monitored, but no new fish 
eradication activities would be initiated. After all treatments are 
completed, self-sustaining nonnative trout populations would continue 
to exist in 549 water bodies and hundreds of miles of stream.
    Alternatives B, C, and D (action alternatives) describe a range of 
reasonable and feasible approaches that either partially or fully meet 
the purpose and need for action and achieve the plan objectives. In 
addition, there are a number of activities described as common to all 
actions. These include development of criteria for the selection of 
basins for restoration; the development of criteria for selection of 
crew camp locations; ecosystem restoration and management, including 
protection and rebuilding extant population of MYLFs where 
opportunities still exist and reintroducing MYLFs to locations where 
populations have recently gone extinct; monitoring restoration work and 
ecosystem responses; continuing research; and fish disposal methods. 
The ``minimum tools'' necessary for accomplishing treatments in 
Wilderness are also identified.
    Under Alternative B, a prescription (detailed plan of action) for 
restoration would be developed for each proposed restoration area. 
Physical treatment (gill netting, electrofishing, disturbing redds and/
or temporarily covering redds with boulders) would be utilized. 
Piscicide treatment methods would be considered for water bodies 
determined infeasible for physical treatment. Based on current 
knowledge of the proposed fish eradication sites, physical treatment 
would be applied in 49 water bodies and 14 miles of streams in 15 
basins, and piscicide treatment would be applied in 38 water bodies and 
27 miles of streams in 11 basins. After all treatments are completed, 
self-sustaining nonnative trout populations would continue to exist in 
462 water bodies and hundreds of miles of stream.
    Under alternative C, only physical treatment methods would be used 
to eradicate nonnative fish by gill netting, electrofishing, disturbing 
and/or covering redds. Also, blasting rock to create vertical fish 
barriers in stream locations where natural barriers are inadequate to 
prevent fish movement

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may be considered. Physical treatment methods would be applied in 49 
water bodies and 14 miles of streams. After all treatments are 
completed, self-sustaining nonnative trout populations would continue 
to exist in 500 water bodies and hundreds of miles of stream.
    Alternative D emphasizes speed in recovering habitat because MYLF 
populations are declining rapidly. To achieve this, only piscicide 
treatment would be used for nonnative fish eradication. Properly 
applied, piscicides can eliminate fish from targeted water bodies in 1 
to 2 years, in contrast to physical treatment methods which can take up 
to 6 years for lakes and up to 10 years for streams. Based on current 
knowledge of the proposed fish eradication sites, piscicide treatment 
would be used for 87 water bodies, approximately 41 miles of streams, 
and connecting fish-containing habitat as necessary. After all 
treatments are completed, self-sustaining nonnative trout populations 
would continue to exist in 462 water bodies and hundreds of miles of 
stream.
    Decision Process: All comments received on the Restoration Plan/
DEIS will be duly considered in preparing the Final EIS. The Final EIS 
is expected to be available in late spring 2014. A Record of Decision 
would be prepared no sooner than 30 days after release of the Final 
EIS. Because this is a delegated EIS, the official responsible for 
approving the final Restoration Plan is the Regional Director, Pacific 
West Region, National Park Service; subsequently the official 
responsible for implementation of the approved Restoration Plan is the 
Superintendent, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

    Dated: July 31, 2013.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-23642 Filed 9-30-13; 8:45 am]
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