Final Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Strategies To Benefit Native Species by Reducing the Abundance of Lake Trout in Flathead Lake, Montana, 9916 [2014-03722]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Indian Affairs

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 9916]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-03722]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[AAK6006201 134A2100DD A0R3B3030.999900]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Strategies To 
Benefit Native Species by Reducing the Abundance of Lake Trout in 
Flathead Lake, Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai 
Tribes (CSKT) as a cooperating agency, intends to file a final 
environmental impact statement (FEIS) with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) for the CSKT proposed management action on Flathead Lake, 
Montana to benefit native trout by reducing the abundance of lake 
trout. The notice also announces that the FEIS is now available for 
public review.

DATES: Any decision on the proposed action will be issued on or after 
30 days from the date the EPA publishes its Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register. Any comments on the FEIS must arrive on or before 
that date.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand carry written comments to Les Evarts, CSKT 
Fisheries Program Manager, P.O. Box 278, Pablo, MT 59855. See 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for directions on submitting comments and the 
public availability of the FEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barry Hansen (406) 883-2888.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BIA and CSKT prepared the FEIS to 
address the potential environmental effects that increasing the harvest 
of lake trout in Flathead Lake would have on the biology, fishing 
opportunity and economy of the area.
    The proposed project aims to increase harvest of lake trout beyond 
the status quo level by authorizing the use of additional harvest 
tools, including bounties, trapnetting and gillnetting to achieve the 
goals of the Flathead Lake and River Fisheries Co-Management Plan.
    Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include biological 
resources (lake trout, bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, lake 
whitefish, yellow perch, Mysis and algae); fishing opportunity; and 
fishing economy. Alternative A is the No Action alternative or status 
quo, and includes general harvest and fishing contests to achieve a 
reduction in lake trout abundance. The action alternatives increase the 
harvest tools to include bounties, commercial fishing, trapnetting and 
gillnetting, and set specific harvest targets. Alternative B identifies 
a 25 percent reduction of Age 8 and greater lake trout with a harvest 
target of 84,000 fish, Alternative C identifies a 50 percent reduction 
of Age 8 and greater lake trout with a harvest target of 113,000 fish, 
and Alternative D identifies a 75 percent reduction of Age 8 and 
greater lake trout with a harvest target of 143,000 fish,
    The BIA and CSKT have afforded other government agencies and the 
public extensive opportunity to participate in the preparation of this 
EIS. The CSKT held three public scoping meetings in April 2010 in the 
Polson, Kalispell and Missoula to initiate an Environmental Assessment 
(EA). During development of the EA, the decision was made to shift to 
an EIS and a Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS for the proposed 
action was published in the Federal Register on June 5, 2012 (77 FR 
33230). The Notice of Availability for the draft EIS was published in 
the Federal Register on June 21, 2013 (78 FR 37568). The draft EIS was 
available for public comment from June 21, 2013 to August 5, 2013. The 
CSKT held a public hearing on the draft EIS on August 1, 2013, in 
Pablo, Montana.
    Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS is 
available for public review at the Tribal Fisheries Office, 408 6th 
Ave. East, Polson, Montana, and an electronic version of the FEIS can 
also be viewed at the following Web sites: https://www.mackdays.com and 
at www.flatheadlakeeis.net.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption, ``FEIS Comments, Strategies to Benefit 
native Species by reducing the Abundance of Lake Trout, Flathead Lake, 
Montana.'' on the first page of your written comments and submit 
comments to the CSKT address listed above in the ADDRESSES section of 
this notice.
    To obtain a compact disk copy of the FEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing or by voicemail to Cindy Benson, at the address 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice, or at the telephone 
number listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 
notice.
    Public Comment Availability: Comments, including the names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
CSKT mailing address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular 
business hours, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, except 
holidays. 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.

    Authority: This notice is published in accordance with the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq.) 
and the Department of the Interior regulations (43 CFR part 46) 
implementing the procedural requirements of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371 et 
seq.), and is accordance with the exercise of authority delegated to 
the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by part 209 of the 
Departmental Manual.

    Dated: February 4, 2014.
Kevin K Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-03722 Filed 2-20-14; 8:45 am]
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