Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; Washington; Forest Plan Amendment for Planning and Management of Domestic Sheep and Goat Grazing Within the Range of Bighorn Sheep, 22432-22434 [2019-10266]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 96 / Friday, May 17, 2019 / Notices
process, in line with current statutory
and regulatory requirements. FNS is
committed to the rulemaking process
and reciprocity between its programs.
This request for information reflects
the commitment of FNS to work with all
of our stakeholders, including State
administrators, sponsoring
organizations, center operators, food
service professionals, and other
advocates, to ensure that program
requirements are practicable and
effectively disseminated.
Please respond to any/all of the
questions listed below. In your
response, we request that you include
the following information, to the extent
applicable: your name, title, the name of
your organization, and your role in the
serious deficiency process.
1. Are determinations of serious
deficiency and resulting corrective
actions:
a. Reasonable and commensurate with
the severity of the non-compliance
issues they are intended to address?
b. Effective in achieving positive
outcomes, including timely and
permanent correction of noncompliance issues?
2. Is the serious deficiency process
consistently implemented? Explain.
a. Among States?
b. Within your State?
c. By sponsoring organizations within
your State?
3. Describe your decision-making
process as it relates to determinations of
serious deficiency.
a. How do you decide that a given
non-compliance issue or combination of
non-compliance issues rise to the level
of a serious deficiency?
b. What factors weigh most heavily?
c. Who is involved in the decisionmaking process?
4. What could be done to bring further
clarity and consistency to the
administrative review (appeal) process?
5. What would improve your
understanding of the serious deficiency
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process effectively?
a. Which definitions or operational
provisions related to the serious
deficiency process in 7 CFR 226 need
additional clarification?
b. What areas of training would be
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c. What types of technical assistance
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FNS appreciates your thoughtful and
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Your feedback is essential to helping
FNS to ensure that our nutrition
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can strive to improve operations and
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and all American taxpayers.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:05 May 16, 2019
Jkt 247001
Dated: May 13, 2019.
Brandon Lipps,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern
Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[FR Doc. 2019–10308 Filed 5–16–19; 8:45 am]
Purpose and Need for Action
Bighorn sheep are designated by the
USDA Forest Service Region 6 as a
sensitive species. The sensitive species
designation indicates there is concern
for the long-term viability and/or
conservation status of bighorn sheep on
National Forest System (NFS) lands in
the region (Forest Service Manual
2670.5). Forest Service Manual (FSM)
sections 2670.32 and 2672.1 provide
Agency direction to avoid or minimize
impacts to designated sensitive species.
Although native to the Cascade
foothills, bighorn sheep currently
occupy only a fraction of their historic
range. Bighorn sheep were extirpated in
the state of Washington by 1935.
Subsequent reintroduction of bighorn
sheep has resulted in multiple herds
within the state, including several that
occur within the OWNF and which
overlap with current domestic sheep
and goat grazing allotments.
Scientific research supports a
relationship between disease in bighorn
sheep and contact with domestic sheep
or goats when these species are in close
proximity (Lawrence et al. 2010; Besser
et al. 2014). Although there is limited
knowledge of transmission dynamics
(Garde et al. 2005), there is a long
documented history across Canada and
the United States of large-scale, rapid,
all-age die-offs resulting in partial to
complete removal of bighorn sheep
herds, many of which are attributed to
domestic animal contact (Shackleton
1999; Monello et al. 2001; Schommer
and Woolever 2001; Rudolph et al.
2003).
Report language in the 2016
Consolidated Appropriations Act
provided the following direction:
‘‘Bighorn Sheep Conservation—In order
to ensure the Nation does not lose its
domestic sheep industry or Bighorn
sheep conservation legacy, the Forest
Service and the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) shall implement a
variety of solutions, including the
following directives: The agencies are
directed to complete risk of contact
analyses using appropriate data sources,
such as from the Western Association of
Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and to share
the findings with the public; the Forest
Service is expected to engage the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to
ensure the best scientific understanding
of where disease transmission occurs
and the degree of that risk and to assist
the Forest Service with identifying all
allotments that are suitable for sheep
grazing; the Forest Service and Bureau
BILLING CODE 3410–30–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest;
Washington; Forest Plan Amendment
for Planning and Management of
Domestic Sheep and Goat Grazing
Within the Range of Bighorn Sheep
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service,
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
(OWNF), proposes to amend the Land
and Resource Management Plans (Forest
Plans) for the OWNF to provide forest
plan direction for managing domestic
sheep and goat grazing within the range
of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to
better provide for forest-wide bighorn
sheep viability in the context of range
management. This notice advises the
public that the OWNF is gathering
information necessary to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to evaluate the effects of changing or
adding plan components.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope
of the analysis must be received by July
1, 2019. The Draft EIS is expected in
January 2020 and the Final EIS is
expected July 2020.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to:
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest,
Domestic Sheep Grazing EIS, 215
Melody Lane, Wenatchee, Washington
98801. Comments may also be sent via
facsimile to 509–664–9280 or submitted
in person during regular business hours
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Pacific
Time, Monday through Friday, at the
address listed above. Comments may
also be submitted online at: https://
www.fs.usda.gov/project/
?project=53257.
SUMMARY:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Darren Goodding, Forest Environmental
Coordinator, Okanogan-Wenatchee
National Forest via email at
darrenbgoodding@fs.fed.us or via phone
at (509) 664–9232, between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday
through Friday.
Individuals who use
telecommunication devices for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 96 / Friday, May 17, 2019 / Notices
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of Land Management are also directed to
identify and implement actions to
resolve issues on allotments with a high
risk of disease transmission, including,
if agreeable to the directly affected
stakeholders, the relocation of domestic
sheep to allotments with a low risk,
pending any site-specific environmental
analysis. The 2012 planning regulations
adopt a complementary ecosystem and
species-specific approach to
maintaining the diversity of plant and
animal communities and the persistence
of native species in the plan area.’’ The
2019 Department of Interior
appropriations bill reaffirmed this 2016
direction, stating, ‘‘Bighorn Sheep.—
The Committees direct the Forest
Service to continue the quantitative,
science-based analyses of the risk of
disease transmission between domestic
and bighorn sheep required in the fiscal
year 2016 explanatory statement.’’
Analysis conducted using the Bighorn
Sheep Risk of Contact Tool (v2),
developed by O’Brien et al. (2014) and
the Forest Service/BLM Bighorn Sheep
Working Group (2015), has shown that
there is a potential for bighorn sheep to
enter grazing allotments where domestic
sheep and goat grazing currently exists
or could occur under current
management frameworks. Diseaserelated mortality has been identified as
a factor that may adversely impact the
population viability of bighorn sheep on
the OWNF. Providing spatial and/or
temporal separation of domestic sheep
and goats from bighorn sheep is a
management option used to reduce the
risk of contact to an acceptable level. It
is within the ability of the OWNF to
establish new Forest Plan direction that
would guide management to minimize
the risk of contact among bighorn sheep
and domestic sheep and goat grazing
allotments.
Proposed Action
The OWNF proposes to amend the
Forest Plan for the Okanogan National
Forest and the Forest Plan for the
Wenatchee National Forest to provide
species-specific Forest Plan direction for
managing domestic sheep and goat
grazing within the range of bighorn
sheep (Ovis canadensis) to better
provide for Forest-wide bighorn sheep
viability in the context of range
management. While the OWNF is
managed as one administrative unit,
Forest Plans were completed separately
for the Wenatchee National Forest and
the Okanogan National Forest prior to
the units being administratively
combined, and these original plans were
written prior to the Regional Forester
identifying bighorn sheep as a sensitive
species. The proposed plan amendment
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Jkt 247001
would apply to each of the plans as a
forest-wide amendment and would add
plan components to the Forest Plans as
needed to support management of
domestic sheep and goat grazing while
mitigating high risk of contact with
bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). High
risk is currently defined by the Bighorn
Sheep Risk of Contact Tool (v.2) but
plan direction would allow for updated
versions of this model. This analysis
would consider other potential factors
for making a determination of high risk
at both the Forest wide and local levels.
Factors may include local topography,
spatial or temporal separation, or other
herd characteristics or range
management actions.
Current mitigation measures that are
being used to reduce risk of contact
between domestic sheep and bighorn
sheep include: Requiring experienced
sheepherders on allotments located near
bighorn sheep habitat; conducting full
counts of domestic sheep when trailing
and regularly during general grazing;
trucking in water if needed to reduce
straying; and reporting of stray or
missing domestic sheep and any wild
sheep and domestic sheep interactions.
When proposing a Forest Plan
amendment, the 2012 Planning Rule (36
CFR 219), as amended, requires the
responsible official to provide in the
initial notice ‘‘which substantive
requirements of §§ 219. 8 through
219.11 are likely to be directly related
to the amendment (§ 219.13(b)(5)) . . .’’
Whether a rule provision is likely to be
directly related to an amendment is
determined by the purpose for and the
effects of the amendment, and informed
by the best available scientific
information, scoping, effects analysis,
monitoring data or other rationale.
Based on the proposed amendment and
requirement of the planning rule, the
following substantive requirements of
the 36 CFR 219 planning regulations
would likely be directly related to the
proposed amendment: 219.8(a)(1)(ii)
Contributions of the plan area to
ecological conditions within the broader
landscape influenced by the plan area;
219.8(b)(1) Social, cultural, and
economic conditions relevant to the area
influenced by the plan; 219.9(a)(2)(i)
Key characteristics associated with
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem types;
and 219.10(a)(7) Reasonably foreseeable
risks to ecological, social, and economic
sustainability.
Existing allotment management plans
and the associated environmental
analyses would be revised subsequent to
the proposed Forest Plan amendments
being adopted in order to evaluate sitespecific conditions relative to risk of
contact and ability to mitigate risk.
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Possible Alternatives
A no-action alternative, which
represents no change and serves as the
baseline for the comparison among the
action alternatives, will be analyzed in
addition to the proposed action.
Comments we receive in response to
this Notice of Intent may identify
additional alternatives.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The USDA Forest Service, OWNF is
the lead agency for the proposed action
and compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The
OWNF has identified two agencies with
special expertise with respect to the
proposed action that would serve as
cooperating agencies.
The USDA ARS has special expertise
in animal diseases that would inform
the Forest’s management decisions. The
ARS would help provide the best
available scientific information on the
transmission of pathogens between
domestic sheep and/or goats and
bighorn sheep, the risk that
transmission would result in disease in
bighorn sheep and their herds, and
potential strategies to address
transmission.
The Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) has special
expertise in the management of wildlife,
including bighorn sheep within the
State of Washington. The WDFW is
asked to provide information regarding
the current status of the bighorn sheep
populations that may be affected by the
proposed action and has been invited to
participate in development of this
environmental analysis by providing
information and expertise in regard to
the State’s wildlife management
program as a cooperating agency.
Responsible Official
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Supervisor.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will decide
whether to approve the proposed
amendment of the OWNF Forest Plans
to establish new plan components for
domestic sheep and goat grazing on NFS
lands within the range of the bighorn
sheep.
Scoping Process
This Notice of Intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EIS. The OWNF will
invite the public to participate in a
series of informational, virtual open
houses. These meetings will be posted
on the Forest’s website at https://
www.fs.usda.gov/main/okawen/
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 96 / Friday, May 17, 2019 / Notices
landmanagement/planning and will be
advertised in local newspaper of record.
It is important that reviewers provide
their comments at such times and in
such manner that they are useful to the
agency’s preparation of the EIS.
Therefore, comments should be
provided prior to the close of the
comment period and should clearly
articulate the reviewer’s concerns and/
or contentions.
Comments received in response to
this solicitation, including names and
addresses of those who comment, will
be part of the public record for this
proposed action. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and
considered; however, anonymous
comments will not provide the
respondent with eligiblity to participate
in subsequent administrative review or
judicial review. The proposed project is
an activity that includes a programmatic
plan amendment and is subject to 36
CFR 219 subparts A and B. The
publication date of the NOI in the
Federal Register is the exclusive means
for calculating the scoping period.
Those wishing to comment should not
rely upon dates or timeframe
information provided by any other
source. If the scoping period ends on a
Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday,
scoping comments will be accepted
until the end of the next Federal
working day.
Only individuals or entities (as
defined by 36 CFR 219.53) who submit
substantive formal comments (as
defined by 36 CFR 219.62) about this
plan amendment will be eligible to file
an objection. Other requirements to be
eligible to submit an objection are
defined by 36 CFR 219.54(c) and
include name, postal address, name of
the plan amendment, signature or other
verification of identity upon request,
and the identity of the individual or
entity who authored the comments.
Individual members of an entity must
submit their own individual comments
in order to have eligibility to object as
an individual. A timely submission will
be determined as outlined in 36 CFR
219.16(a)(2). It is the responsibility of
the sender to ensure timely receipt of
any comments submitted. Names and
contact information submitted with
comments will become part of the
public record and may be released
under the Freedom of Information Act.
Substantive formal comments are
those that are within the scope of the
proposal, are specific to the proposal,
have a direct relationship to the
proposal, and include supporting
reasons for the responsible official to
consider (36 CFR 219.62).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:05 May 16, 2019
Jkt 247001
Dated: March 28, 2019.
Allen Rowley,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National
Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019–10266 Filed 5–16–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Notice of Intent To Issue Forest Order
Closing the Mark Twain National
Forest, Missouri to Feral Swine
Hunting
Forest Service, USDA.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service is giving
notice of its intent to close the Mark
Twain National Forest to the hunting of
feral swine in advance of the public
comment period for the proposed
closure. At the end of the notice of
intent period, the Forest Service will
solicit public comments, as specified in
this notice, on the proposed forest order
that would prohibit hunting of feral
swine by the public on the Mark Twain
National Forest in support of
interagency efforts to eliminate feral
swine across all land ownership in the
State of Missouri.
DATES: Notice of intent of the closure is
being provided until May 24, 2019.
Beginning on May 24, 2019, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service, will solicit comments on the
proposed forest order for 60 days. The
solicitation for public comment will be
posted on https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/
mtnf/feralswine. The Mark Twain
National Forest also will hold a public
listening session on June 18, 2019, to
gather public feedback on the proposed
forest order.
ADDRESSES: The proposed forest order
and the justification for the forest order
are available on the Forest Service
websites https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/
mtnf/feralswine.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Amy Salveter, Public Services Staff
Officer, at 573–341–7466 or
Amy.Salveter@usda.gov.
Individuals who use TDD may call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–
877–8339, 24 hours a day, every day of
the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
I. Advance Notice and Public Comment
Procedures
Section 4103 of the John D. Dingell,
Jr. Conservation, Management, and
Recreation Act (Pub. L. 116–9) requires
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that the Secretary of Agriculture, acting
through the Chief of the Forest Service,
provide public notice and comment
before permanently or temporarily
closing any National Forest System land
to hunting, fishing, or recreational
shooting. Section 4103 applies to the
proposed forest order closing the Mark
Twain National Forest to hunting of
feral swine by the public. The public
notice and comment process in section
4103(b)(2) requires the Secretary to
publish a notice of intent, in the Federal
Register, of the proposed closure in
advance of the public comment period
for the closure. This notice meets the
requirement to publish a notice of intent
in the Federal Register in advance of
the public comment period.
Following the notice of intent, section
4103(b)(2) requires an opportunity for
public comment. Because the proposed
forest order would permanently close
the Mark Twain National Forest to
hunting of feral swine, the comment
period must be not less than 60 days.
Beginning on May 24, 2019, the Forest
Service will solicit comments on the
proposed forest order for 60 days. The
solicitation for public comment will be
posted on https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/
mtnf/feralswine.
Section 4103(b)(2) requires the
Secretary to respond to the comments
received on the proposed forest order,
explain how the Secretary resolved any
significant issues raised by the
comments, and show how the resolution
led to the closure. The Forest Service
will respond to comments on the
proposed forest order closing the Mark
Twain National Forest to hunting of
feral swine by revising its justification
for the forest order, as needed, and
posting the revised justification on
https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mtnf/
feralswine.
II. Background and Need for Forest
Order
Feral swine are a harmful and
destructive invasive species that are
well established in 47 Missouri
counties, the majority of which fall
within the Mark Twain National Forest.
The Mark Twain National Forest has
approximately 1.4 million acres that are
threatened by feral swine. Feral swine
are highly adaptable animals and
prolific breeders. They are social
animals that travel together in large
groups called sounders and have a home
range of about 1,000 acres.
The hunting of feral swine on the
Mark Twain National Forest interferes
with collaborative interagency efforts to
eliminate feral swine in Missouri.
Government trappers employed in these
efforts identify home ranges and find
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22432-22434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10266]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; Washington; Forest Plan
Amendment for Planning and Management of Domestic Sheep and Goat
Grazing Within the Range of Bighorn Sheep
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest
Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (OWNF), proposes to amend
the Land and Resource Management Plans (Forest Plans) for the OWNF to
provide forest plan direction for managing domestic sheep and goat
grazing within the range of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) to better
provide for forest-wide bighorn sheep viability in the context of range
management. This notice advises the public that the OWNF is gathering
information necessary to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to evaluate the effects of changing or adding plan components.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by July 1, 2019. The Draft EIS is expected in January 2020 and the
Final EIS is expected July 2020.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Okanogan-Wenatchee National
Forest, Domestic Sheep Grazing EIS, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee,
Washington 98801. Comments may also be sent via facsimile to 509-664-
9280 or submitted in person during regular business hours between 8:00
a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, at the address
listed above. Comments may also be submitted online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=53257.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darren Goodding, Forest Environmental
Coordinator, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest via email at
[email protected] or via phone at (509) 664-9232, between 8:00
a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD)
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
Bighorn sheep are designated by the USDA Forest Service Region 6 as
a sensitive species. The sensitive species designation indicates there
is concern for the long-term viability and/or conservation status of
bighorn sheep on National Forest System (NFS) lands in the region
(Forest Service Manual 2670.5). Forest Service Manual (FSM) sections
2670.32 and 2672.1 provide Agency direction to avoid or minimize
impacts to designated sensitive species.
Although native to the Cascade foothills, bighorn sheep currently
occupy only a fraction of their historic range. Bighorn sheep were
extirpated in the state of Washington by 1935. Subsequent
reintroduction of bighorn sheep has resulted in multiple herds within
the state, including several that occur within the OWNF and which
overlap with current domestic sheep and goat grazing allotments.
Scientific research supports a relationship between disease in
bighorn sheep and contact with domestic sheep or goats when these
species are in close proximity (Lawrence et al. 2010; Besser et al.
2014). Although there is limited knowledge of transmission dynamics
(Garde et al. 2005), there is a long documented history across Canada
and the United States of large-scale, rapid, all-age die-offs resulting
in partial to complete removal of bighorn sheep herds, many of which
are attributed to domestic animal contact (Shackleton 1999; Monello et
al. 2001; Schommer and Woolever 2001; Rudolph et al. 2003).
Report language in the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act
provided the following direction: ``Bighorn Sheep Conservation--In
order to ensure the Nation does not lose its domestic sheep industry or
Bighorn sheep conservation legacy, the Forest Service and the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) shall implement a variety of solutions, including
the following directives: The agencies are directed to complete risk of
contact analyses using appropriate data sources, such as from the
Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and to share the
findings with the public; the Forest Service is expected to engage the
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) to ensure the best scientific
understanding of where disease transmission occurs and the degree of
that risk and to assist the Forest Service with identifying all
allotments that are suitable for sheep grazing; the Forest Service and
Bureau
[[Page 22433]]
of Land Management are also directed to identify and implement actions
to resolve issues on allotments with a high risk of disease
transmission, including, if agreeable to the directly affected
stakeholders, the relocation of domestic sheep to allotments with a low
risk, pending any site-specific environmental analysis. The 2012
planning regulations adopt a complementary ecosystem and species-
specific approach to maintaining the diversity of plant and animal
communities and the persistence of native species in the plan area.''
The 2019 Department of Interior appropriations bill reaffirmed this
2016 direction, stating, ``Bighorn Sheep.--The Committees direct the
Forest Service to continue the quantitative, science-based analyses of
the risk of disease transmission between domestic and bighorn sheep
required in the fiscal year 2016 explanatory statement.''
Analysis conducted using the Bighorn Sheep Risk of Contact Tool
(v2), developed by O'Brien et al. (2014) and the Forest Service/BLM
Bighorn Sheep Working Group (2015), has shown that there is a potential
for bighorn sheep to enter grazing allotments where domestic sheep and
goat grazing currently exists or could occur under current management
frameworks. Disease-related mortality has been identified as a factor
that may adversely impact the population viability of bighorn sheep on
the OWNF. Providing spatial and/or temporal separation of domestic
sheep and goats from bighorn sheep is a management option used to
reduce the risk of contact to an acceptable level. It is within the
ability of the OWNF to establish new Forest Plan direction that would
guide management to minimize the risk of contact among bighorn sheep
and domestic sheep and goat grazing allotments.
Proposed Action
The OWNF proposes to amend the Forest Plan for the Okanogan
National Forest and the Forest Plan for the Wenatchee National Forest
to provide species-specific Forest Plan direction for managing domestic
sheep and goat grazing within the range of bighorn sheep (Ovis
canadensis) to better provide for Forest-wide bighorn sheep viability
in the context of range management. While the OWNF is managed as one
administrative unit, Forest Plans were completed separately for the
Wenatchee National Forest and the Okanogan National Forest prior to the
units being administratively combined, and these original plans were
written prior to the Regional Forester identifying bighorn sheep as a
sensitive species. The proposed plan amendment would apply to each of
the plans as a forest-wide amendment and would add plan components to
the Forest Plans as needed to support management of domestic sheep and
goat grazing while mitigating high risk of contact with bighorn sheep
(Ovis canadensis). High risk is currently defined by the Bighorn Sheep
Risk of Contact Tool (v.2) but plan direction would allow for updated
versions of this model. This analysis would consider other potential
factors for making a determination of high risk at both the Forest wide
and local levels. Factors may include local topography, spatial or
temporal separation, or other herd characteristics or range management
actions.
Current mitigation measures that are being used to reduce risk of
contact between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep include: Requiring
experienced sheepherders on allotments located near bighorn sheep
habitat; conducting full counts of domestic sheep when trailing and
regularly during general grazing; trucking in water if needed to reduce
straying; and reporting of stray or missing domestic sheep and any wild
sheep and domestic sheep interactions.
When proposing a Forest Plan amendment, the 2012 Planning Rule (36
CFR 219), as amended, requires the responsible official to provide in
the initial notice ``which substantive requirements of Sec. Sec. 219.
8 through 219.11 are likely to be directly related to the amendment
(Sec. 219.13(b)(5)) . . .'' Whether a rule provision is likely to be
directly related to an amendment is determined by the purpose for and
the effects of the amendment, and informed by the best available
scientific information, scoping, effects analysis, monitoring data or
other rationale. Based on the proposed amendment and requirement of the
planning rule, the following substantive requirements of the 36 CFR 219
planning regulations would likely be directly related to the proposed
amendment: 219.8(a)(1)(ii) Contributions of the plan area to ecological
conditions within the broader landscape influenced by the plan area;
219.8(b)(1) Social, cultural, and economic conditions relevant to the
area influenced by the plan; 219.9(a)(2)(i) Key characteristics
associated with terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem types; and
219.10(a)(7) Reasonably foreseeable risks to ecological, social, and
economic sustainability.
Existing allotment management plans and the associated
environmental analyses would be revised subsequent to the proposed
Forest Plan amendments being adopted in order to evaluate site-specific
conditions relative to risk of contact and ability to mitigate risk.
Possible Alternatives
A no-action alternative, which represents no change and serves as
the baseline for the comparison among the action alternatives, will be
analyzed in addition to the proposed action. Comments we receive in
response to this Notice of Intent may identify additional alternatives.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The USDA Forest Service, OWNF is the lead agency for the proposed
action and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA). The OWNF has identified two agencies with special expertise
with respect to the proposed action that would serve as cooperating
agencies.
The USDA ARS has special expertise in animal diseases that would
inform the Forest's management decisions. The ARS would help provide
the best available scientific information on the transmission of
pathogens between domestic sheep and/or goats and bighorn sheep, the
risk that transmission would result in disease in bighorn sheep and
their herds, and potential strategies to address transmission.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has special
expertise in the management of wildlife, including bighorn sheep within
the State of Washington. The WDFW is asked to provide information
regarding the current status of the bighorn sheep populations that may
be affected by the proposed action and has been invited to participate
in development of this environmental analysis by providing information
and expertise in regard to the State's wildlife management program as a
cooperating agency.
Responsible Official
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Supervisor.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Responsible Official will decide whether to approve the
proposed amendment of the OWNF Forest Plans to establish new plan
components for domestic sheep and goat grazing on NFS lands within the
range of the bighorn sheep.
Scoping Process
This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EIS. The OWNF will invite the public to
participate in a series of informational, virtual open houses. These
meetings will be posted on the Forest's website at https://
www.fs.usda.gov/main/okawen/
[[Page 22434]]
landmanagement/planning and will be advertised in local newspaper of
record.
It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of
the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of
the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's
concerns and/or contentions.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide
the respondent with eligiblity to participate in subsequent
administrative review or judicial review. The proposed project is an
activity that includes a programmatic plan amendment and is subject to
36 CFR 219 subparts A and B. The publication date of the NOI in the
Federal Register is the exclusive means for calculating the scoping
period. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon dates or
timeframe information provided by any other source. If the scoping
period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, scoping comments
will be accepted until the end of the next Federal working day.
Only individuals or entities (as defined by 36 CFR 219.53) who
submit substantive formal comments (as defined by 36 CFR 219.62) about
this plan amendment will be eligible to file an objection. Other
requirements to be eligible to submit an objection are defined by 36
CFR 219.54(c) and include name, postal address, name of the plan
amendment, signature or other verification of identity upon request,
and the identity of the individual or entity who authored the comments.
Individual members of an entity must submit their own individual
comments in order to have eligibility to object as an individual. A
timely submission will be determined as outlined in 36 CFR
219.16(a)(2). It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure timely
receipt of any comments submitted. Names and contact information
submitted with comments will become part of the public record and may
be released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Substantive formal comments are those that are within the scope of
the proposal, are specific to the proposal, have a direct relationship
to the proposal, and include supporting reasons for the responsible
official to consider (36 CFR 219.62).
Dated: March 28, 2019.
Allen Rowley,
Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2019-10266 Filed 5-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
