Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Bison Management Plan for Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, 4653-4656 [2022-01865]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 19 / Friday, January 28, 2022 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–IMR–YELL–33194; PPWONRADE2,
PMP00EI05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for a
Bison Management Plan for
Yellowstone National Park, Idaho,
Montana, Wyoming
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice of intent to prepare an
environmental impact statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The National Park Service is
preparing an Environmental Impact
Statement in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) for a Bison Management Plan
for Yellowstone National Park.
DATES: The National Park Service
requests comments concerning the
scope of the analysis, and identification
of potential alternatives, information,
and analyses relevant to the planning
process. All comments must be received
or postmarked by February 28, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Information will be
available for public review and
comment online at https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/
YellowstonebisonEIS. You may also
mail your written comments to the
Office of the Superintendent, P.O. Box
168, Yellowstone National Park, WY
82190–0168.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Morgan Warthin, Public Affairs
Specialist, Yellowstone National Park,
307–344–2010, morgan_warthin@
nps.gov. 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:
SUMMARY:
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Scope and Purpose and Need
The plan will focus on actions the
National Park Service (NPS) may take to
manage bison within Yellowstone
National Park (the park) and consolidate
various actions and environmental
compliance analyses conducted over the
past two decades into a contemporary
plan. Other tribal and governmental
agencies play important roles in bison
management outside of the park, and
the NPS intends to continue to work
cooperatively with these groups as
appropriate.
The purpose of the plan is to preserve
an ecologically sustainable population
of wild, migratory bison while
continuing to work with partners to
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address brucellosis transmission,
human safety, property damage, and
support tribal hunting outside of the
park.
Action is needed because new
information obtained since the approval
of the Interagency Bison Management
Plan (IBMP) in 2000 indicates some of
the premises regarding disease
transmission in the initial plan were
incorrect or changed over time. In
addition, there are fewer cattle near the
park and Federal and State disease
regulators have taken steps to lessen the
economic impacts of brucellosis
outbreaks in cattle. Since 2006, seven
tribes have hunted bison on national
forest lands adjacent to the park
pursuant to long-standing treaties with
the Federal Government.
Preliminary Alternatives Under
Consideration
The NPS’s proposed action is to
prepare and implement a new plan that
provides Yellowstone National Park
with tools to manage bison that reflect
the best available information and
current circumstances on the ground.
The alternatives have been developed
by taking into consideration
management actions that could occur on
lands outside the park in Montana. The
alternatives describe external actions
that could enhance management efforts
inside the park, while acknowledging
the NPS does not have jurisdiction or
control over actions beyond the park
boundary such as hunting, construction
of capture or quarantine facilities, or
tolerance for bison. Descriptions of
external actions is not an endorsement
or commitment from partners.
Actions Common to All Alternatives
Beginning in 2014, twenty-eight First
Nations and Tribes signed The Buffalo:
A Treaty of Cooperation, Renewal and
Restoration to restore buffalo to their
rightful place in the First Nations’ and
Tribes’ respective cultures and
territories. In 2016, these Buffalo
Nations provided the Secretary of the
Interior with a resolution supporting the
Bison Conservation and Transfer
Program (BCTP) in Yellowstone
National Park. In 2020, they also
conveyed their support for the
Department of the Interior’s Bison
Conservation Initiative and offered to
collaborate with the Department and
others through shared stewardship to
bring this vision into reality. The NPS
will continue to support the 2014
Buffalo Treaty and 2020 Bison
Conservation Initiative by engaging
Buffalo Nations associated with
Yellowstone bison to explore ways to
increase the efficiency and safety of
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4653
hunting outside the park and increase
the restoration of brucellosis-free bison
to tribal and public lands. Other Federal
and State IBMP partners would inform
this vision with the U.S. Forest Service
and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
participating in consultations about
hunting and the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and
Montana Department of Livestock
participating in consultations about the
BCTP.
Research by park scientists and
collaborators has determined there is
sufficient forage in the park to sustain
the numbers of bison described in the
preliminary alternatives. They used
state-of-the-art technology to analyze
satellite images and conservatively
estimate the amount of plant forage
produced in non-forested areas. They
determined that all the grazers
combined, including bison, elk,
pronghorn, mule deer, and bighorn
sheep, would not consume more than
half of the plant material produced
during most years. There is considerable
complexity around these estimates,
however, due to large variations in
weather and grass production from yearto-year. As a result, scientists will
continue to monitor and adapt these
estimates.
Adaptive management is a key
concept that would be incorporated into
all the preliminary alternatives. Under
adaptive management, biologists
establish desired conditions, evaluate
current conditions, identify undesired
trends, implement management actions,
monitor progress towards desired
conditions, and adjust actions to
improve progress. The NPS and other
Federal and State agencies and tribes
involved with the IBMP have used this
process to inform decision-making and
adjust bison management. The NPS
would continue to implement
monitoring and research to obtain
timely information and adjust
conservation and management
activities.
Operations plans would continue to
serve as the main mechanism for
describing, implementing, and adjusting
commitments and agreements for the
cooperative management of Yellowstone
bison across jurisdictions. Under each
alternative, managers from the NPS
would continue to meet with the other
Federal, State, and Tribal agencies to
coordinate bison management using the
existing framework and partnership
protocols for the IBMP. The NPS would
continue to prepare annual assessments
of the status of the bison population and
propose adjustments to adaptive
management and operations plans based
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on the selected alternative in the record
of decision resulting from this process.
When Yellowstone bison cross the
boundary of the park into surrounding
states, they are no longer under the
jurisdiction of the NPS. Instead, their
management is the prerogative of the
respective state and the U.S. Forest
Service on National Forest System
lands. The NPS would continue to work
with the State of Montana, Custer
Gallatin National Forest, and private
landowners to increase tolerance for
bison on suitable lands outside the park
where a low risk of brucellosis
transmission to cattle can be
maintained. In addition, the NPS would
continue to explore other activities with
partners to advance the purpose of this
plan, such as construction of additional
quarantine facilities, use of temporary
trapping facilities near the edge of
management (tolerance) areas, and
streamlining brucellosis testing
protocols and quarantine periods for the
BCTP.
Preliminary alternatives being
considered are as follows:
Alternative 1—No Action Alternative—
Current Management
The NPS would continue to manage
bison pursuant to the 2000 IBMP as
adaptively adjusted and implemented
through consensus decisions and annual
operations plans by the agencies
involved with bison management. Other
members of the IBMP include APHIS,
Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes of the Flathead Nation, U.S.
Forest Service (Custer Gallatin National
Forest), InterTribal Buffalo Council, Nez
Perce Tribe, and State of Montana
(Department of Livestock; Fish, Wildlife
& Parks). The NPS would maintain a
population range of bison similar to the
last two decades (3,500 to 5,000 after
calving).
IBMP managers have made consensus
decisions about population targets since
2013 that led to a bison population
averaging nearly 4,200 at the end of
winter and 5,000 animals after calving.
Managers agreed to these numbers
because of increased tolerance for bison
outside the park, balancing hunting
outside the park with capturing animals
for slaughter inside the park, developing
a transfer program to relocate bison to
tribes, and continued success limiting
bison-related conflicts outside the park.
The IBMP partners have 20 years of
experience managing bison at higher
numbers with no brucellosis
transmission to cattle and fewer
property and safety conflicts over time.
The larger numbers conserved also have
supported bison as a meaningful
component of the food web influencing
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energy and nutrient transfer throughout
the ecosystem, improved visitor
experience by providing an unparalleled
opportunity to view large herds of freeroaming bison, and ensured gene flow
and conservation of existing genetic
diversity.
Under this alternative, bison would be
allowed to exit the park into established
northern and western management
zones in Montana, and numbers and
distribution would be regulated by
captures for quarantine or shipment to
slaughter and public and tribal harvests
primarily on national forest lands near
the park boundary. The NPS, in
consultation with the tribes and
informed by other agencies, would
adaptively adjust removals and
population size based on assessments of
the status of the population and bison
movements in and outside the park.
Within the park, management of bison
such as capture, hazing, and quarantine
would generally occur near the
boundary. However, the NPS may haze
bison as necessary outside the park by
working with partners to reduce
conflicts with cattle, people, and
property. Hazing involves moving bison
away from an area where they are not
wanted such as developed areas,
highways, or private property using
people on foot, on horseback, or in
vehicles. Disease surveillance would
continue to be conducted on bison
placed in the BCTP and some bison
shipped to slaughter or harvested
outside the park.
Under this alternative, the NPS would
rely substantially on captures of
migrating bison at Stephens Creek
(inside the northern boundary of the
park) and shipments of bison to
slaughter to regulate numbers and
provide bison to tribes. If space is
available, some bison testing negative
for previous brucellosis exposure would
be placed in quarantine as part of the
BCTP to increase the number of live
brucellosis-free animals relocated to the
Fort Peck Indian Reservation in
northeastern Montana and eventually
other tribal lands. If space is not
available, these bison would be shipped
to slaughter. The NPS would continue
to work with APHIS and nongovernmental organizations to increase
capacity in the BCTP and lower the
number of transfer-eligible animals sent
to slaughter. These efforts would
include doubling the size of quarantine
pastures in and around Stephens Creek
and developing necessary water
infrastructure to support this expansion
as described in the Finding of No
Significant Impact for the park’s 2018
Environmental Assessment for Bison
Quarantine. The NPS would continue to
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coordinate captures at Stephens Creek
with tribal harvests outside the park to
reduce the effects of capture on harvest
opportunities and continue discussions
with the tribes and other agencies to
improve communication, safety, and
handling of bison carcasses.
Alternative 2—Enhance Restoration and
Tribal Engagement
Bison would be managed within a
population range of about 4,500 to 6,000
bison after calving with an emphasis on
using the BCTP and tribal hunting
outside the park to regulate bison
numbers. The NPS may use proactive
measures such as low stress hazing of
bison toward the park boundary to
increase tribal hunting opportunities
outside the park. The NPS would reduce
shipment to slaughter based on the
needs and requests of tribes. The upper
limit of the population range in this
alternative is somewhat higher than
current management under the IBMP
over the last decade (Alternative 1).
Bison would continue to exit the park
into established northern and western
management zones and management of
bison within the park would be like
Alternative 1 regarding criteria used for
removals, hazing, and disease
surveillance. The BCTP and hunt-trap
coordination would continue as in
Alternative 1. The NPS may collaborate
with interested partners to establish
additional quarantine facilities outside
the park. As the BCTP expands and
hunter harvests increase over a broader
area in Montana, the NPS would reduce
captures for shipments to slaughter.
Alternative 3—Food-Limited Carrying
Capacity
The NPS would rely on natural
selection, bison dispersal, and public
and tribal harvests in Montana as the
primary tools to regulate bison numbers,
which would likely range from 5,500 to
8,000 or more bison after calving.
Trapping for shipments to slaughter
would immediately cease. The NPS
would continue captures to maintain
the BCTP as in Alternatives 1 and 2.
Under this alternative, the NPS expects
a large increase in hunting opportunities
from increasing population size and the
elimination of captures for shipments to
slaughter. Substantially larger harvests
would have to occur outside the park for
this alternative to be effective, which
would require public and tribal hunters
to allow bison to distribute and hunt
them across a larger landscape. If bison
numbers approach the estimated foodlimited carrying capacity of the park
(>8,000 bison), the NPS would
reinstitute shipments to slaughter as
described for Alternatives 1 and 2. Large
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captures may occur more frequently as
bison numbers approach or exceed
carrying capacity. The NPS may haze
bison in Yellowstone National Park
when necessary to protect people and
property. Disease surveillance would be
conducted on some harvested bison.
Summary of Expected Impacts
Expected impacts within the park
boundary from implementation of NPS
bison management actions include:
Potential changes in population
structure and bison behavior from
hazing, culling, and hunting outside the
park; maintenance of the ecological role
provided by bison (engineering habitats,
redistributing nutrients, altering plant
growth patterns, improving biodiversity,
and providing meat for predators,
scavengers and decomposers); potential
impacts to human health and safety;
potential impacts on vegetation as a
result of bison grazing at various
population levels; and potential impacts
to the visitor experience due to closures
and bison management operations in
and around the capture and quarantine
facilities within the Park.
Expected impacts outside of the park
boundary from implementation of NPS
bison management actions include
potential changes in: Maintaining the
low risk of brucellosis spreading from
bison to cattle, of which there are no
documented cases since the IBMP was
implemented in 2000 due to existing
mitigation measures; the number of
bison available for tribal and public
hunting opportunities; the number of
conflicts between bison and cattle,
people, and property; and the number of
brucellosis-free bison available to be
sent to other appropriate lands.
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Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The NPS anticipates consulting with
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
for potential impacts to threatened and
endangered species. The NPS will
continue to participate in the IBMP
framework and work cooperatively with
its partners. the NPS will use and
coordinate the NEPA public scoping
process to help fulfill the public
involvement requirements under the
National Historic Preservation Act (54
U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3). The information about
historic and cultural resources within
the area potentially affected by the
alternatives will assist the NPS in
identifying and evaluating impacts to
such resources, and consulting with the
State Historic Preservation Officer on
the potential for adverse effects.
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Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
• Agencies have two years from the
date of the issuance of the notice of
intent to the date a record of decision
is signed to complete an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) (40 CFR
1501.10).
• The NPS expects to make the Draft
EIS available to the public in Fall 2022.
• After public review and comment,
the NPS expects to make the Final EIS
available to the public in Fall 2023.
• At least 30 days after the Final EIS
is available, the record of decision will
be completed in accordance with
applicable timeframes established in 40
CFR 1506.11.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EIS. The NPS will
host two virtual public scoping
meetings. During the virtual public
scoping meetings, the NPS will present
information pertinent to the EIS for the
Bison Management Plan and allow the
public to ask questions regarding the
scope of issues and alternatives that
should be considered when preparing
the EIS. While the NPS will not solicit
oral comments at these virtual public
meetings, written comments may be
submitted at any time during the
scoping process. See the ADDRESSES
section (above) and the Submitting
Comments section (below) for more
information. Details regarding the exact
dates and times of these virtual public
scoping meetings will be announced on
the project website (https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/
YellowstonebisonEIS) and through local
and regional media. The virtual public
scoping meetings will also be
announced through email notification,
press release, and social media to
individuals and organizations.
Reasonable Accommodations
Persons needing reasonable
accommodations to attend and
participate in the virtual public scoping
meetings should contact Yellowstone
National Park’s Office of Strategic
Communications, using one of the
methods listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section as soon as
possible. To allow sufficient time to
process requests, please make contact
no later than one week before the
desired virtual public meeting.
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4655
Request for Identification of Potential
Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Planning
Process
The NPS requests possible
alternatives, information, and analyses
from all interested parties. The NPS will
consider these comments in developing
the Draft EIS. Specifically, the NPS is
seeking:
1. Biological information, analyses,
and relevant data concerning bison and
other wildlife;
2. Potential effects that the
alternatives could have on other aspects
of the human environment, including
ecological, aesthetic, historic, cultural,
economic, social, environmental justice,
or health effects;
3. Other possible reasonable
alternatives that the NPS should
consider, including additional or
alternative avoidance, minimization,
and mitigation measures;
4. Other information relevant to the
Bison Management Plan and its impacts
on the human environment.
Submitting Comments
If you wish to comment, you may
submit comments by the methods listed
above in the ADDRESSES section.
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. Comments must be provided
prior to the close of the comment period
and should clearly articulate the
reviewer’s concerns and contentions.
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. Comments submitted
anonymously will be accepted and
considered.
Cooperating Agencies
• U.S. Forest Service, Custer Gallatin
National Forest
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service
• State of Montana (Montana
Department of Livestock, Montana
Fish, Wildlife & Parks)
• Nez Perce Tribe
• Intertribal Buffalo Council
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 19 / Friday, January 28, 2022 / Notices
• Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes
Yellowstone National Park has also
invited the following tribes with treaty
hunting rights to participate as
cooperating agencies (responses are
forthcoming): Blackfeet Tribe of the
Blackfeet Indian Reservation of
Montana, Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reservation, Crow Tribe
of Montana, Northern Arapaho Tribe of
the Wind River Reservation, ShoshoneBannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation, and the Yakama Nation.
Decision Maker
The Decision Maker is the NPS
Regional Director for Interior Regions 6,
7, and 8.
Termination of 2015 EIS Process
This notice also terminates the EIS for
a Management Plan for Yellowstonearea Bison initiated by the NPS on
March 16, 2015 (80 FR 13603–13604).
Authority: 42 U.S.C. et seq.
Michael Reynolds,
Regional Director, Interior Regions 6, 7, &
8.
[FR Doc. 2022–01865 Filed 1–27–22; 8:45 am]
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Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[OMB Control Number 1010–NEW; Docket
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Agency Information Collection
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Bureau of Ocean Energy
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ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
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SUMMARY:
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anna Atkinson by email at
anna.atkinson@boem.gov or by
telephone at 703–787–1025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, BOEM provides
the public and Federal agencies with an
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minimize the public’s reporting burden.
It also helps the public understand
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Abstract: Section 20 of the Outer
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(43 U.S.C. 1346) requires the Secretary
of the Interior to study any area or
region included in an oil, gas, or other
lease sale to gather information needed
for assessment and management of
impacts on the human, marine, and
coastal environments of the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS) and the affected
coastal areas. Additionally, subsequent
to the leasing and developing of any
OCS area, the Secretary may authorize
further environmental studies to gather
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identifying significant changes and
trends in the quality and productivity of
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experiments to identify the causes of
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This statutory authority is carried out
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BOEM must comply with a range of
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understand the network structure,
possible network influence on
outcomes, and people or organizations
that could be targeted or connected to
achieve better expected outcomes.
The survey will be administered
online. The survey will be sent to ESP
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 19 (Friday, January 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4653-4656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01865]
[[Page 4653]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-IMR-YELL-33194; PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
a Bison Management Plan for Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana,
Wyoming
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Park Service is preparing an Environmental Impact
Statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) for a Bison Management Plan for Yellowstone National Park.
DATES: The National Park Service requests comments concerning the scope
of the analysis, and identification of potential alternatives,
information, and analyses relevant to the planning process. All
comments must be received or postmarked by February 28, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Information will be available for public review and comment
online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/YellowstonebisonEIS. You may
also mail your written comments to the Office of the Superintendent,
P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Morgan Warthin, Public Affairs
Specialist, Yellowstone National Park, 307-344-2010,
[email protected]. 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:
Scope and Purpose and Need
The plan will focus on actions the National Park Service (NPS) may
take to manage bison within Yellowstone National Park (the park) and
consolidate various actions and environmental compliance analyses
conducted over the past two decades into a contemporary plan. Other
tribal and governmental agencies play important roles in bison
management outside of the park, and the NPS intends to continue to work
cooperatively with these groups as appropriate.
The purpose of the plan is to preserve an ecologically sustainable
population of wild, migratory bison while continuing to work with
partners to address brucellosis transmission, human safety, property
damage, and support tribal hunting outside of the park.
Action is needed because new information obtained since the
approval of the Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) in 2000
indicates some of the premises regarding disease transmission in the
initial plan were incorrect or changed over time. In addition, there
are fewer cattle near the park and Federal and State disease regulators
have taken steps to lessen the economic impacts of brucellosis
outbreaks in cattle. Since 2006, seven tribes have hunted bison on
national forest lands adjacent to the park pursuant to long-standing
treaties with the Federal Government.
Preliminary Alternatives Under Consideration
The NPS's proposed action is to prepare and implement a new plan
that provides Yellowstone National Park with tools to manage bison that
reflect the best available information and current circumstances on the
ground. The alternatives have been developed by taking into
consideration management actions that could occur on lands outside the
park in Montana. The alternatives describe external actions that could
enhance management efforts inside the park, while acknowledging the NPS
does not have jurisdiction or control over actions beyond the park
boundary such as hunting, construction of capture or quarantine
facilities, or tolerance for bison. Descriptions of external actions is
not an endorsement or commitment from partners.
Actions Common to All Alternatives
Beginning in 2014, twenty-eight First Nations and Tribes signed The
Buffalo: A Treaty of Cooperation, Renewal and Restoration to restore
buffalo to their rightful place in the First Nations' and Tribes'
respective cultures and territories. In 2016, these Buffalo Nations
provided the Secretary of the Interior with a resolution supporting the
Bison Conservation and Transfer Program (BCTP) in Yellowstone National
Park. In 2020, they also conveyed their support for the Department of
the Interior's Bison Conservation Initiative and offered to collaborate
with the Department and others through shared stewardship to bring this
vision into reality. The NPS will continue to support the 2014 Buffalo
Treaty and 2020 Bison Conservation Initiative by engaging Buffalo
Nations associated with Yellowstone bison to explore ways to increase
the efficiency and safety of hunting outside the park and increase the
restoration of brucellosis-free bison to tribal and public lands. Other
Federal and State IBMP partners would inform this vision with the U.S.
Forest Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks participating in
consultations about hunting and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) and Montana Department of Livestock participating in
consultations about the BCTP.
Research by park scientists and collaborators has determined there
is sufficient forage in the park to sustain the numbers of bison
described in the preliminary alternatives. They used state-of-the-art
technology to analyze satellite images and conservatively estimate the
amount of plant forage produced in non-forested areas. They determined
that all the grazers combined, including bison, elk, pronghorn, mule
deer, and bighorn sheep, would not consume more than half of the plant
material produced during most years. There is considerable complexity
around these estimates, however, due to large variations in weather and
grass production from year-to-year. As a result, scientists will
continue to monitor and adapt these estimates.
Adaptive management is a key concept that would be incorporated
into all the preliminary alternatives. Under adaptive management,
biologists establish desired conditions, evaluate current conditions,
identify undesired trends, implement management actions, monitor
progress towards desired conditions, and adjust actions to improve
progress. The NPS and other Federal and State agencies and tribes
involved with the IBMP have used this process to inform decision-making
and adjust bison management. The NPS would continue to implement
monitoring and research to obtain timely information and adjust
conservation and management activities.
Operations plans would continue to serve as the main mechanism for
describing, implementing, and adjusting commitments and agreements for
the cooperative management of Yellowstone bison across jurisdictions.
Under each alternative, managers from the NPS would continue to meet
with the other Federal, State, and Tribal agencies to coordinate bison
management using the existing framework and partnership protocols for
the IBMP. The NPS would continue to prepare annual assessments of the
status of the bison population and propose adjustments to adaptive
management and operations plans based
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on the selected alternative in the record of decision resulting from
this process.
When Yellowstone bison cross the boundary of the park into
surrounding states, they are no longer under the jurisdiction of the
NPS. Instead, their management is the prerogative of the respective
state and the U.S. Forest Service on National Forest System lands. The
NPS would continue to work with the State of Montana, Custer Gallatin
National Forest, and private landowners to increase tolerance for bison
on suitable lands outside the park where a low risk of brucellosis
transmission to cattle can be maintained. In addition, the NPS would
continue to explore other activities with partners to advance the
purpose of this plan, such as construction of additional quarantine
facilities, use of temporary trapping facilities near the edge of
management (tolerance) areas, and streamlining brucellosis testing
protocols and quarantine periods for the BCTP.
Preliminary alternatives being considered are as follows:
Alternative 1--No Action Alternative--Current Management
The NPS would continue to manage bison pursuant to the 2000 IBMP as
adaptively adjusted and implemented through consensus decisions and
annual operations plans by the agencies involved with bison management.
Other members of the IBMP include APHIS, Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, U.S. Forest Service (Custer
Gallatin National Forest), InterTribal Buffalo Council, Nez Perce
Tribe, and State of Montana (Department of Livestock; Fish, Wildlife &
Parks). The NPS would maintain a population range of bison similar to
the last two decades (3,500 to 5,000 after calving).
IBMP managers have made consensus decisions about population
targets since 2013 that led to a bison population averaging nearly
4,200 at the end of winter and 5,000 animals after calving. Managers
agreed to these numbers because of increased tolerance for bison
outside the park, balancing hunting outside the park with capturing
animals for slaughter inside the park, developing a transfer program to
relocate bison to tribes, and continued success limiting bison-related
conflicts outside the park. The IBMP partners have 20 years of
experience managing bison at higher numbers with no brucellosis
transmission to cattle and fewer property and safety conflicts over
time. The larger numbers conserved also have supported bison as a
meaningful component of the food web influencing energy and nutrient
transfer throughout the ecosystem, improved visitor experience by
providing an unparalleled opportunity to view large herds of free-
roaming bison, and ensured gene flow and conservation of existing
genetic diversity.
Under this alternative, bison would be allowed to exit the park
into established northern and western management zones in Montana, and
numbers and distribution would be regulated by captures for quarantine
or shipment to slaughter and public and tribal harvests primarily on
national forest lands near the park boundary. The NPS, in consultation
with the tribes and informed by other agencies, would adaptively adjust
removals and population size based on assessments of the status of the
population and bison movements in and outside the park. Within the
park, management of bison such as capture, hazing, and quarantine would
generally occur near the boundary. However, the NPS may haze bison as
necessary outside the park by working with partners to reduce conflicts
with cattle, people, and property. Hazing involves moving bison away
from an area where they are not wanted such as developed areas,
highways, or private property using people on foot, on horseback, or in
vehicles. Disease surveillance would continue to be conducted on bison
placed in the BCTP and some bison shipped to slaughter or harvested
outside the park.
Under this alternative, the NPS would rely substantially on
captures of migrating bison at Stephens Creek (inside the northern
boundary of the park) and shipments of bison to slaughter to regulate
numbers and provide bison to tribes. If space is available, some bison
testing negative for previous brucellosis exposure would be placed in
quarantine as part of the BCTP to increase the number of live
brucellosis-free animals relocated to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
in northeastern Montana and eventually other tribal lands. If space is
not available, these bison would be shipped to slaughter. The NPS would
continue to work with APHIS and non-governmental organizations to
increase capacity in the BCTP and lower the number of transfer-eligible
animals sent to slaughter. These efforts would include doubling the
size of quarantine pastures in and around Stephens Creek and developing
necessary water infrastructure to support this expansion as described
in the Finding of No Significant Impact for the park's 2018
Environmental Assessment for Bison Quarantine. The NPS would continue
to coordinate captures at Stephens Creek with tribal harvests outside
the park to reduce the effects of capture on harvest opportunities and
continue discussions with the tribes and other agencies to improve
communication, safety, and handling of bison carcasses.
Alternative 2--Enhance Restoration and Tribal Engagement
Bison would be managed within a population range of about 4,500 to
6,000 bison after calving with an emphasis on using the BCTP and tribal
hunting outside the park to regulate bison numbers. The NPS may use
proactive measures such as low stress hazing of bison toward the park
boundary to increase tribal hunting opportunities outside the park. The
NPS would reduce shipment to slaughter based on the needs and requests
of tribes. The upper limit of the population range in this alternative
is somewhat higher than current management under the IBMP over the last
decade (Alternative 1). Bison would continue to exit the park into
established northern and western management zones and management of
bison within the park would be like Alternative 1 regarding criteria
used for removals, hazing, and disease surveillance. The BCTP and hunt-
trap coordination would continue as in Alternative 1. The NPS may
collaborate with interested partners to establish additional quarantine
facilities outside the park. As the BCTP expands and hunter harvests
increase over a broader area in Montana, the NPS would reduce captures
for shipments to slaughter.
Alternative 3--Food-Limited Carrying Capacity
The NPS would rely on natural selection, bison dispersal, and
public and tribal harvests in Montana as the primary tools to regulate
bison numbers, which would likely range from 5,500 to 8,000 or more
bison after calving. Trapping for shipments to slaughter would
immediately cease. The NPS would continue captures to maintain the BCTP
as in Alternatives 1 and 2. Under this alternative, the NPS expects a
large increase in hunting opportunities from increasing population size
and the elimination of captures for shipments to slaughter.
Substantially larger harvests would have to occur outside the park for
this alternative to be effective, which would require public and tribal
hunters to allow bison to distribute and hunt them across a larger
landscape. If bison numbers approach the estimated food-limited
carrying capacity of the park (>8,000 bison), the NPS would reinstitute
shipments to slaughter as described for Alternatives 1 and 2. Large
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captures may occur more frequently as bison numbers approach or exceed
carrying capacity. The NPS may haze bison in Yellowstone National Park
when necessary to protect people and property. Disease surveillance
would be conducted on some harvested bison.
Summary of Expected Impacts
Expected impacts within the park boundary from implementation of
NPS bison management actions include: Potential changes in population
structure and bison behavior from hazing, culling, and hunting outside
the park; maintenance of the ecological role provided by bison
(engineering habitats, redistributing nutrients, altering plant growth
patterns, improving biodiversity, and providing meat for predators,
scavengers and decomposers); potential impacts to human health and
safety; potential impacts on vegetation as a result of bison grazing at
various population levels; and potential impacts to the visitor
experience due to closures and bison management operations in and
around the capture and quarantine facilities within the Park.
Expected impacts outside of the park boundary from implementation
of NPS bison management actions include potential changes in:
Maintaining the low risk of brucellosis spreading from bison to cattle,
of which there are no documented cases since the IBMP was implemented
in 2000 due to existing mitigation measures; the number of bison
available for tribal and public hunting opportunities; the number of
conflicts between bison and cattle, people, and property; and the
number of brucellosis-free bison available to be sent to other
appropriate lands.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The NPS anticipates consulting with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for potential
impacts to threatened and endangered species. The NPS will continue to
participate in the IBMP framework and work cooperatively with its
partners. the NPS will use and coordinate the NEPA public scoping
process to help fulfill the public involvement requirements under the
National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36
CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural resources
within the area potentially affected by the alternatives will assist
the NPS in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources, and
consulting with the State Historic Preservation Officer on the
potential for adverse effects.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Agencies have two years from the date of the issuance of
the notice of intent to the date a record of decision is signed to
complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (40 CFR 1501.10).
The NPS expects to make the Draft EIS available to the
public in Fall 2022.
After public review and comment, the NPS expects to make
the Final EIS available to the public in Fall 2023.
At least 30 days after the Final EIS is available, the
record of decision will be completed in accordance with applicable
timeframes established in 40 CFR 1506.11.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EIS. The NPS will host two virtual public
scoping meetings. During the virtual public scoping meetings, the NPS
will present information pertinent to the EIS for the Bison Management
Plan and allow the public to ask questions regarding the scope of
issues and alternatives that should be considered when preparing the
EIS. While the NPS will not solicit oral comments at these virtual
public meetings, written comments may be submitted at any time during
the scoping process. See the ADDRESSES section (above) and the
Submitting Comments section (below) for more information. Details
regarding the exact dates and times of these virtual public scoping
meetings will be announced on the project website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/YellowstonebisonEIS) and through local and
regional media. The virtual public scoping meetings will also be
announced through email notification, press release, and social media
to individuals and organizations.
Reasonable Accommodations
Persons needing reasonable accommodations to attend and participate
in the virtual public scoping meetings should contact Yellowstone
National Park's Office of Strategic Communications, using one of the
methods listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section as soon
as possible. To allow sufficient time to process requests, please make
contact no later than one week before the desired virtual public
meeting.
Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Planning Process
The NPS requests possible alternatives, information, and analyses
from all interested parties. The NPS will consider these comments in
developing the Draft EIS. Specifically, the NPS is seeking:
1. Biological information, analyses, and relevant data concerning
bison and other wildlife;
2. Potential effects that the alternatives could have on other
aspects of the human environment, including ecological, aesthetic,
historic, cultural, economic, social, environmental justice, or health
effects;
3. Other possible reasonable alternatives that the NPS should
consider, including additional or alternative avoidance, minimization,
and mitigation measures;
4. Other information relevant to the Bison Management Plan and its
impacts on the human environment.
Submitting Comments
If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by the methods
listed above in the ADDRESSES section. 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. Comments must be provided prior to the
close of the comment period and should clearly articulate the
reviewer's concerns and contentions.
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. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered.
Cooperating Agencies
U.S. Forest Service, Custer Gallatin National Forest
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
State of Montana (Montana Department of Livestock, Montana
Fish, Wildlife & Parks)
Nez Perce Tribe
Intertribal Buffalo Council
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Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Yellowstone National Park has also invited the following tribes
with treaty hunting rights to participate as cooperating agencies
(responses are forthcoming): Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian
Reservation of Montana, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation, Crow Tribe of Montana, Northern Arapaho Tribe of the Wind
River Reservation, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall
Reservation, and the Yakama Nation.
Decision Maker
The Decision Maker is the NPS Regional Director for Interior
Regions 6, 7, and 8.
Termination of 2015 EIS Process
This notice also terminates the EIS for a Management Plan for
Yellowstone-area Bison initiated by the NPS on March 16, 2015 (80 FR
13603-13604).
Authority: 42 U.S.C. et seq.
Michael Reynolds,
Regional Director, Interior Regions 6, 7, & 8.
[FR Doc. 2022-01865 Filed 1-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
