North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Washington, 8894-8895 [2015-03504]

Download as PDF emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES 8894 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices that the study is focused on gathering factual and relevant information to aid the Coast Guard in reducing the risk of marine casualties and increasing the efficiency of vessel traffic in the region. The study will assess whether the creation of a vessel routing system is advisable to increase the predictability of vessel movements, which may decrease the potential for collisions, oil spills, and other events that could threaten the marine environment. Based on comments received to date there is a general sense that a designated traffic route could improve traffic predictability thereby reducing marine casualties and oil spills; however, a few comments received did note that a designated traffic route (depending on location) could adversely impact subsistence hunting, marine mammals and other wildlife more so than widely dispersed vessel traffic. Therefore, the Coast Guard puts forth a potential twoway route as a starting point for analyzing where to put a vessel traffic route should one be deemed needed and beneficial to the region. The Coast Guard will analyze vessel traffic density, agency and stakeholder experience in vessel traffic management, navigation, ship handling, the effects of weather, impacts to subsistence hunting, impacts to marine mammals and other wildlife concerns into the decision making process of the study. We encourage you to participate in the study process by submitting comments in response to this notice. The expanded study area is described as an area bounded by a line connecting the following geographic positions: • 67°30′ N, 168°58′37″ W; • 67°30′ N, 167°30′ W; • 54°50′ N, 164°40′ W; • 54°03′ N, 166°25′ W; • 63°20′ N, 173°43′ W; thence following the Russian Federation/ United States maritime boundary line to the first geographical position. The proposed ship routing measures are described as follows: (1) A four nautical mile wide, twoway route extending from Unimak Pass in the Aleutian Islands that proceeds Northward through the Bering Sea and Bering Strait before terminating in the Chukchi Sea. (2) A four nautical mile wide, twoway route extending from a location North of the Western side of St. Lawrence Island and near the US/ Russian Federation maritime border, then proceeding Northeast to a junction with the first two way route located to the West of King Island. (3) A total of four precautionary areas, each circular and 8 nautical miles wide in diameter. Three of these VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Feb 18, 2015 Jkt 235001 precautionary areas will be located at the starting/ending points of the twoway routes, and the fourth will be located at the junction of the recommended two-way routes. See the ADDRESSES section for where to obtain a copy of the chart showing the exact location of the proposed route. Timeline, Study Area, and Process of this PARS: The Seventeenth Coast Guard District will conduct this PARS. The study will continue upon publication of this notice and may take 24 months to complete. We will publish the results of the PARS in the Federal Register. It is possible that the study may validate the status quo (no routing measures) and conclude that no changes are necessary. It is also possible that the study may recommend one or more changes to enhance navigational safety and the efficiency of vessel traffic management. The recommendations may lead to future rulemakings or appropriate international agreements. Schematic of proposed vessel routing system: A chart showing the Coast Guard’s proposed two-way route can be downloaded from https:// www.regulations.gov, type ‘‘USCG– 2014–0941’’ into the search bar and click search, next to the displayed search results click ‘‘Open Docket Folder’’, which will display all comments and documents associated with this docket. Dated: February 3, 2015. D.B. Abel, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Seventeenth Coast Guard District. [FR Doc. 2015–03332 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9110–04–P bear to the North Cascades ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its historical range. DATES: The FWS and NPS request that comments be submitted by March 23, 2015, or 15 days after the last public open house, whichever is later. Open houses will be announced in local media. For more information on submitting public comments, see How To Provide Comments, under Public Comment in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG; in the Office of the Superintendent, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360–854–7200, telephone); and in the Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, 510 Desmond Dr. SE., Suite 102, Lacey, WA 98503 (360–753–9440). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Shultz, Public Information Officer, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360–854– 7302, telephone), or Brent Lawrence, Public Affairs Specialist, FWS Pacific Regional Office, 911 NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97232 (503–231–6211). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) (NEPA), the National Park Service (NPS) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are jointly preparing a North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/EIS) to determine how to restore the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) to the North Cascades ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its historical range. Background DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service [NPS–ANRSS–17182; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000] North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Washington Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent. AGENCY: The National Park Service (NPS) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are jointly preparing a North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/EIS) to determine how to restore the grizzly SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Situated in the core of the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE), the North Cascades National Park Complex is surrounded by more than 2.6 million contiguous acres of federally designated wilderness, including protected lands and de facto wilderness in British Columbia, Canada. The United States portion of the NCE is contiguous with habitat north of the international border in British Columbia, Canada, but isolated from other grizzly bear populations in both the United States and Canada. Research indicates that this wilderness landscape is capable of supporting a self-sustaining grizzly bear population. However, there has only been one observation of a solitary bear during the past 10 years. Given the low number of grizzly bears, very slow reproductive rate, and other recovery constraints, grizzly bears in the NCE are E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM 19FEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices the most at-risk grizzly bear population in the United States today. The FWS recently reaffirmed (78 FR 70104, November 22, 2013) that the NCE grizzly bear warrants uplisting from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). However, a change in listing status remains precluded by lack of funding and the Service’s need to make listing determinations for other species not yet protected under the ESA. The main threat to grizzly bears in this recovery zone is a small population size, with resulting demographic and genetic risks. Natural recovery in the NCE is challenged by the absence of verified reproduction, as well as isolation from any contiguous population in British Columbia, Canada, and the United States. A nationwide Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan was finalized by the FWS in 1982, and updated in 1993. The NCE recovery plan chapter was finalized in 1997. Current recovery efforts in the United States are focused on limiting humancaused mortality, protecting habitat by emphasizing no net loss of core habitat, providing information and education efforts regarding grizzly bears and their habitat, and enhancing sanitation by enforcing proper garbage and food storage in bear habitat. Education programs continue to inform people about grizzly bear biology and techniques to avoid conflicts when living or recreating in bear habitat. emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement Draft Purpose, Need, and Objectives The NCE recovery plan chapter identifies four priority actions: (1) Develop a strategy for implementation of the NCE chapter; (2) develop an intensive ongoing educational program to provide information about grizzly bears and grizzly bear recovery to the public; (3) initiate the NEPA process; and (4) conduct an intensive research and monitoring effort to determine grizzly bear population size and distribution, habitat use, and home ranges in the NCE. In accordance with the NCE recovery plan chapter, the NPS and the FWS are initiating a NEPA planning process as joint lead agencies for grizzly bear restoration in the U.S. portion of the NCE. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Forest Service will serve as cooperating agencies. The following are the draft purpose, need, and objectives for the NCE Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/EIS: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Feb 18, 2015 Jkt 235001 Purpose Public Comment The purpose of this Plan/EIS is to determine how to restore the grizzly bear to the North Cascades ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its historical range. 8895 How To Provide Comments Need Since the NCE grizzly bears are at risk of local extinction, action is needed at this time to: • Avoid the permanent loss of grizzly bears in the NCE; • Contribute to the restoration of biodiversity of the ecosystem for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations of people; • Enhance the probability of longterm survival and conservation of grizzly bears within the lower 48 States and thereby contribute to overall grizzly bear recovery; and • Support the eventual removal of the grizzly bear from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Objectives The objectives of this Plan/EIS are to: • Restore a grizzly bear population as part of the natural and cultural heritage of the North Cascades. • Provide Pacific Northwest residents and visitors with the opportunity to again experience grizzly bears in their native habitat. • Seek to support Tribal cultural and spiritual values, as well as environmental and natural resource objectives related to the grizzly bear. • Expand outreach efforts to inform and involve the public and build understanding about grizzly bear recovery. Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives and Their Impacts As part of the planning and EIS process, the NPS and FWS will evaluate various approaches for the restoration of a grizzly bear population to the NCE. Preliminary alternatives to be considered in the Plan/EIS include the no action alternative (passive restoration) as well as active restoration alternatives, including moving grizzly bears from other U.S. and/or Canadian populations into the NCE as either threatened or experimental 10(j) populations under the ESA. The Plan/EIS will evaluate the effects of a range of alternatives, including potential impacts to: Rare or unusual vegetation, wildlife and habitat, soundscapes, wilderness (including a minimum requirements analysis), visitor use and experience, socioeconomics, human safety, and other resources. PO 00000 Frm 00053 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 9990 During the scoping period, public open houses will be held on both the east and west sides of the North Cascades Ecosystem to provide an opportunity for the public to share their comments and learn more about grizzly bear restoration. Details regarding the exact times and locations of these meetings will be announced on the project Web site (https:// parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG) and through local and regional media. The meetings will also be announced through email notification to individuals and organizations on the initial distribution list. Those wishing to be added to the project information distribution list should send an email request to NCE_grizzly@nps.gov. If you wish to comment on the purpose, need, objectives, potential alternatives, or on any other issues associated with development of the draft Plan/EIS, you may submit your comments by any one of several methods. You may comment online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG. You may also mail or hand deliver comments to the Superintendent, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, SedroWoolley, WA 98284. Written comments will also be accepted at the public open houses. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or by any method other than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. Public Availability of Comments 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 6, 2015. Robyn Thorson, Regional Director, Pacific Region, Fish and Wildlife Service. Dated: February 5, 2015. Christine S. Lehnertz, Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service. [FR Doc. 2015–03504 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4312–52–P E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM 19FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8894-8895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03504]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

National Park Service

[NPS-ANRSS-17182; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]


North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/
Environmental Impact Statement, Washington

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) and the Fish and Wildlife 
Service (FWS) are jointly preparing a North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly 
Bear Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/EIS) to 
determine how to restore the grizzly bear to the North Cascades 
ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its historical range.

DATES: The FWS and NPS request that comments be submitted by March 23, 
2015, or 15 days after the last public open house, whichever is later. 
Open houses will be announced in local media. For more information on 
submitting public comments, see How To Provide Comments, under Public 
Comment in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review online at 
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG; in the Office of the Superintendent, 
810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360-854-7200, telephone); 
and in the Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, 510 Desmond Dr. SE., 
Suite 102, Lacey, WA 98503 (360-753-9440).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Shultz, Public Information 
Officer, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 
20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360-854-7302, telephone), or Brent 
Lawrence, Public Affairs Specialist, FWS Pacific Regional Office, 911 
NE 11th Ave., Portland, OR 97232 (503-231-6211).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C) (NEPA), the National Park 
Service (NPS) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are jointly 
preparing a North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and 
Environmental Impact Statement (Plan/EIS) to determine how to restore 
the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) to the North Cascades 
ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its historical range.

Background

    Situated in the core of the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE), the 
North Cascades National Park Complex is surrounded by more than 2.6 
million contiguous acres of federally designated wilderness, including 
protected lands and de facto wilderness in British Columbia, Canada. 
The United States portion of the NCE is contiguous with habitat north 
of the international border in British Columbia, Canada, but isolated 
from other grizzly bear populations in both the United States and 
Canada.
    Research indicates that this wilderness landscape is capable of 
supporting a self-sustaining grizzly bear population. However, there 
has only been one observation of a solitary bear during the past 10 
years. Given the low number of grizzly bears, very slow reproductive 
rate, and other recovery constraints, grizzly bears in the NCE are

[[Page 8895]]

the most at-risk grizzly bear population in the United States today.
    The FWS recently reaffirmed (78 FR 70104, November 22, 2013) that 
the NCE grizzly bear warrants uplisting from threatened to endangered 
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
However, a change in listing status remains precluded by lack of 
funding and the Service's need to make listing determinations for other 
species not yet protected under the ESA. The main threat to grizzly 
bears in this recovery zone is a small population size, with resulting 
demographic and genetic risks. Natural recovery in the NCE is 
challenged by the absence of verified reproduction, as well as 
isolation from any contiguous population in British Columbia, Canada, 
and the United States.
    A nationwide Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan was finalized by the FWS in 
1982, and updated in 1993. The NCE recovery plan chapter was finalized 
in 1997. Current recovery efforts in the United States are focused on 
limiting human-caused mortality, protecting habitat by emphasizing no 
net loss of core habitat, providing information and education efforts 
regarding grizzly bears and their habitat, and enhancing sanitation by 
enforcing proper garbage and food storage in bear habitat. Education 
programs continue to inform people about grizzly bear biology and 
techniques to avoid conflicts when living or recreating in bear 
habitat.

Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement Draft Purpose, 
Need, and Objectives

    The NCE recovery plan chapter identifies four priority actions: (1) 
Develop a strategy for implementation of the NCE chapter; (2) develop 
an intensive ongoing educational program to provide information about 
grizzly bears and grizzly bear recovery to the public; (3) initiate the 
NEPA process; and (4) conduct an intensive research and monitoring 
effort to determine grizzly bear population size and distribution, 
habitat use, and home ranges in the NCE. In accordance with the NCE 
recovery plan chapter, the NPS and the FWS are initiating a NEPA 
planning process as joint lead agencies for grizzly bear restoration in 
the U.S. portion of the NCE. The Washington Department of Fish and 
Wildlife and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Forest Service will 
serve as cooperating agencies. The following are the draft purpose, 
need, and objectives for the NCE Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/EIS:

Purpose

    The purpose of this Plan/EIS is to determine how to restore the 
grizzly bear to the North Cascades ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its 
historical range.

Need

    Since the NCE grizzly bears are at risk of local extinction, action 
is needed at this time to:
     Avoid the permanent loss of grizzly bears in the NCE;
     Contribute to the restoration of biodiversity of the 
ecosystem for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future 
generations of people;
     Enhance the probability of long-term survival and 
conservation of grizzly bears within the lower 48 States and thereby 
contribute to overall grizzly bear recovery; and
     Support the eventual removal of the grizzly bear from the 
Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Objectives

    The objectives of this Plan/EIS are to:
     Restore a grizzly bear population as part of the natural 
and cultural heritage of the North Cascades.
     Provide Pacific Northwest residents and visitors with the 
opportunity to again experience grizzly bears in their native habitat.
     Seek to support Tribal cultural and spiritual values, as 
well as environmental and natural resource objectives related to the 
grizzly bear.
     Expand outreach efforts to inform and involve the public 
and build understanding about grizzly bear recovery.

Environmental Impact Statement Alternatives and Their Impacts

    As part of the planning and EIS process, the NPS and FWS will 
evaluate various approaches for the restoration of a grizzly bear 
population to the NCE. Preliminary alternatives to be considered in the 
Plan/EIS include the no action alternative (passive restoration) as 
well as active restoration alternatives, including moving grizzly bears 
from other U.S. and/or Canadian populations into the NCE as either 
threatened or experimental 10(j) populations under the ESA.
    The Plan/EIS will evaluate the effects of a range of alternatives, 
including potential impacts to: Rare or unusual vegetation, wildlife 
and habitat, soundscapes, wilderness (including a minimum requirements 
analysis), visitor use and experience, socioeconomics, human safety, 
and other resources.

Public Comment

How To Provide Comments

    During the scoping period, public open houses will be held on both 
the east and west sides of the North Cascades Ecosystem to provide an 
opportunity for the public to share their comments and learn more about 
grizzly bear restoration. Details regarding the exact times and 
locations of these meetings will be announced on the project Web site 
(https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG) and through local and regional 
media. The meetings will also be announced through email notification 
to individuals and organizations on the initial distribution list. 
Those wishing to be added to the project information distribution list 
should send an email request to NCE_grizzly@nps.gov.
    If you wish to comment on the purpose, need, objectives, potential 
alternatives, or on any other issues associated with development of the 
draft Plan/EIS, you may submit your comments by any one of several 
methods. You may comment online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEG. 
You may also mail or hand deliver comments to the Superintendent, North 
Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-
Woolley, WA 98284. Written comments will also be accepted at the public 
open houses. Comments will not be accepted by fax, email, or by any 
method other than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format 
(hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be 
accepted.

Public Availability of Comments

    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 6, 2015.
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, Pacific Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
    Dated: February 5, 2015.
Christine S. Lehnertz,
Regional Director, Pacific West Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-03504 Filed 2-18-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P

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