Notice of Intent To Prepare North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Washington, 68190-68192 [2022-24717]
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68190
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 218 / Monday, November 14, 2022 / Notices
this ICR, contact KC Craven by email at
kcraven@blm.gov, or by telephone at
(702) 515–5374. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind,
hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. You may
also view the ICR at https://
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we
invite the public and other Federal
agencies to comment on new, proposed,
revised and continuing collections of
information. This helps the BLM assess
impacts of its information collection
requirements and minimize the public’s
reporting burden. It also helps the
public understand BLM information
collection requirements and ensure
requested data are provided in the
desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60day public comment period soliciting
comments on this collection of
information was published on August
15, 2022 (87 FR 50118). No comments
were received.
As part of our continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again inviting the
public and other Federal agencies to
comment on the proposed ICR described
below. The BLM is especially interested
in public comment addressing the
following:
(1) Whether the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility.
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used.
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice are a matter of public record.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
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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.
Abstract: The BLM is required to
manage commercial, competitive and
organized group recreational uses of the
public lands, and individual use of
special areas. The BLM must assess,
evaluate and authorize (permit)
activities proposed to be conducted on
public land. The estimated annual
burden is estimated to increase by 308
hours (from 5,292 to 5,600). This
increase in burden hours results from
increasing the number of estimated
annual responses from 1,323 to 1,400.
The increase in the number of responses
is a result of increase demand for
recreation permits. This OMB Control
Number is currently scheduled to expire
on April 30, 2023. The BLM request that
OMB renew this OMB Control Number
for an additional three years.
Title of Collection: Permits for
Recreation on Public Lands (43 CFR part
2930).
OMB Control Number: 1004–0119.
Form Numbers: 2930–001—Special
Recreation Application.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Applicants for recreational use of public
lands managed by the BLM.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 1,400.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 1,400.
Estimated Completion Time per
Response: 4 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 5,600.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, a person is not
required to respond to a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB Control Number.
The authority for this action is the
PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Darrin King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022–24700 Filed 11–10–22; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Fish and Wildlife Service
[PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare North
Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear
Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact
Statement, Washington
National Park Service and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCIES:
The National Park Service
(NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) are jointly preparing an
environmental impact statement (EIS)
for the North Cascades Ecosystem
Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan to
determine how to restore the grizzly
bear to the North Cascades ecosystem
(NCE), a portion of its historical range.
As part of the planning and EIS process,
the NPS and the FWS will evaluate
various approaches for the restoration of
a grizzly bear population to the NCE.
Action is needed to restore grizzly bears
to the NCE because they are functionally
extirpated from the ecosystem, and
restoration there will contribute to
overall grizzly bear recovery.
DATES: All comments must be received
or postmarked by December 14, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Comment submission: To
submit comments for consideration in
development of the EIS, you may use
any one of the following methods:
• Agency website: https://
parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEGrizzly.
• U.S. mail: Office of the
Superintendent, 810 State Route 20,
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284; or
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office,
500 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA 98503.
Document availability: Information
regarding the public scoping process for
the EIS and virtual public meetings is
available for public review online at
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
NCEGrizzly; or, by appointment 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,
500 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA 98503
(360–753–9440, telephone).
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–
7200; nce_grizzly@nps.gov), or Andrew
LaValle, Public Affairs Specialist,
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office,
500 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA 98503
(nce_grizzly@nps.gov).
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 218 / Monday, November 14, 2022 / Notices
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; see 42
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the NPS and the
FWS are jointly preparing an NCE
Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and EIS.
The purpose of the Grizzly Bear
Restoration Plan is to determine how to
restore the grizzly bear to the NCE, a
portion of its historical range.
Action is needed at this time to:
• Restore grizzly bears to the NCE
because they are functionally extirpated
from the ecosystem.
• 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 of grizzly bears in the NCE
and thereby contribute to overall grizzly
bear recovery.
• Support the recovery of the grizzly
bear to the point where it can be
removed from the Federal List of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.
Preliminary Proposed Action and
Alternatives
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 EIS are described in
greater detail below.
Actions Common to All Action
Alternatives
All the action alternatives would seek
to restore a self-sustaining population
through the capture and release of
grizzly bears into the NCE. Each of the
action alternatives would involve
several of the same elements, including
a similar approach for the capture,
release, and monitoring of grizzly bears;
enhanced public education and
outreach; guidelines for management
actions to respond to human—grizzly
bear conflicts; improved sanitation on
public lands; additional releases of
grizzly bears to replace individuals lost
to mortality; access management; and
habitat management.
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No Action Alternative—Existing
Management
Under the no action alternative,
existing management practices would be
followed, and no new management
actions would be implemented. Existing
management actions would continue to
be focused on improved sanitation,
poaching control, motorized access
management, outreach and educational
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Jkt 259001
programs to provide information about
grizzly bears and grizzly bear recovery
to the public, and research and
monitoring to determine grizzly bear
presence, distribution, habitat, and
home ranges.
Proposed Action—Restoration as an
Experimental Population Under the ESA
Under the proposed action, the NPS
and the FWS would capture bears from
source populations in either interior
British Columbia or the Northern
Continental Divide Ecosystem.
Approximately 3 to 7 captured grizzly
bears would be released into the NCE
each year over roughly 5 to 10 years,
with a goal of establishing an initial
population of 25 grizzly bears. After the
initial population of 25 grizzly bears has
been reached, an adaptive management
phase would allow additional bears to
be released into the ecosystem over time
to address mortality, population and
demographic trends, genetic limitations,
and distribution or to adjust the
population’s sex ratio to improve
reproductive success. The proposed
action is expected to result in a
population of approximately 200 grizzly
bears within 60 to 100 years.
The proposed action would also
include a proposal to designate the
reintroduced grizzly bears in the NCE as
an experimental population under
section 10(j) of the U.S. Endangered
Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.). An experimental population is a
group of reintroduced plants or animals
that is geographically isolated from
other populations of the species.
Experimental populations must
contribute to a species’ recovery and
may include special protective
regulations under the ESA. Designation
of grizzly bears released into the NCE as
an experimental population would
allow the FWS to specify protective
regulations to provide greater
management flexibility (e.g., relocation
or removal) in the event of human—
grizzly bear conflict situations.
Other Potential Alternatives
Additional alternatives may be
analyzed in the EIS. Potential additional
alternatives include restoring the NCE
grizzly population without an
experimental population designation, as
well as varying the number and
frequency of grizzly bear releases into
the NCE to achieve the restoration goal
in a shorter or longer time period.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The proposed action is expected to
result in restoration of a grizzly bear
population in the NCE. Expected
impacts from implementation of grizzly
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68191
bear restoration actions include
potential environmental impacts on
wildlife and fish (including grizzly
bears), wilderness, visitor use and
recreational experience, public and
employee safety, socioeconomics, and
ethnographic resources.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The NPS and the FWS will comply
with the ESA for potential impacts to
threatened and endangered species. If a
decision is made to pursue rulemaking,
the FWS will lead the experimental
population rulemaking process. The
NPS and the FWS 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 title 36 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at
§ 800.2(d)(3). The information about
historic and cultural resources within
the area potentially affected by the
alternatives will assist the NPS and the
FWS in identifying and evaluating
impacts to such resources, and
consulting with affected Indian Tribes
and the State Historic Preservation
Officer(s).
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
• Agencies have 2 years from the date
of the issuance of the notice of intent to
the date a record of decision is signed
to complete an EIS (40 CFR 1501.10).
• The NPS and the FWS expect to
make the draft EIS available to the
public in the summer of 2023.
• After public review and comment,
the NPS and the FWS expect to make
the final EIS available to the public in
the spring of 2024.
• The NPS and the FWS would issue
a record of decision after the final EIS
in accordance with the applicable
timeframes under 40 CFR 1506.11.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the
scoping process, which guides the
development of the EIS. The NPS and
the FWS will host virtual public scoping
meetings. During the virtual public
scoping meetings, the NPS and the FWS
will present information pertinent to the
EIS 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 and the FWS will not
solicit oral comments at these virtual
public meetings, written comments may
be submitted at any time during the
scoping process. See ADDRESSES, above,
and Submitting Comments, below, for
more information. Details regarding the
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68192
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 218 / Monday, November 14, 2022 / Notices
exact dates and times of these virtual
public scoping meetings will be
announced on the project website
(https://parkplanning.nps.gov/
NCEGrizzly) and through local and
regional media. The virtual public
scoping meetings will also be
announced through email notification to
individuals and organizations, press
release, and social media.
The NPS and FWS will also seek to
engage directly with Tribes. Consistent
with Executive Order 13175, the NPS
and FWS welcome Tribal input and are
available to engage in meaningful
government-to-government consultation
with Tribes at their request.
The NPS and the FWS previously
proposed to restore grizzly bears to the
NCE and produced a draft EIS for public
review and comment in 2017 (82 FR
4416, January 13, 2017). Public
comments that were provided during
that prior EIS process will also inform
this new EIS and the development of
alternatives.
Reasonable Accommodations
Persons needing reasonable
accommodations to attend and
participate in the virtual public scoping
meetings should contact Denise Shultz
(NPS) or Andrew LaValle (FWS) using
one of the methods listed in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT as soon
as possible. To allow sufficient time to
process requests, please make contact
no later than 1 week before the desired
virtual public meeting.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Request for Identification of Potential
Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed
Action
The NPS and the FWS request
comments concerning the scope of the
analysis, identification of potential
alternatives, and information and
analyses relevant to the planning
process. The NPS and the FWS will
consider these comments in developing
the draft EIS. Specifically, the NPS and
the FWS are seeking information on:
• 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;
• Other possible reasonable
alternatives that the NPS and the FWS
should consider, including additional or
alternative avoidance, minimization,
and mitigation measures;
• Approaches for managing
reintroduced grizzly bears, particularly
in regard to potential conflicts with
human activities; and
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17:30 Nov 10, 2022
Jkt 259001
• Other information relevant to
grizzly bear restoration and its impacts
on the human environment.
Submitting Comments
If you wish to comment, you may
submit comments by one of the methods
listed above in ADDRESSES. 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 by the
close of the comment period and should
clearly articulate the submitter’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.
Decision Makers
The decision makers are the NPS
Regional Director for Interior Regions 8,
9, 10, and 12 and the FWS Regional
Director for the Pacific Region.
Frank Lands,
Regional Director, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10,
& 12, National Park Service.
Nanette Seto,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–24717 Filed 11–10–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312–52–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Inv. No. 337–TA–1340]
Certain Electronic Devices,
Semiconductor Devices, and
Components Thereof Institution of
Investigation
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that a
complaint was filed with the U.S.
International Trade Commission on
October 6, 2022, under section 337 of
the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, on
behalf of Bell Semiconductor, LLC of
SUMMARY:
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Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Supplements
to the complaint were filed on October
21 and 28, 2022. The complaint alleges
violations of section 337 based upon the
importation into the United States, the
sale for importation, and the sale within
the United States after importation of
certain electronic devices,
semiconductor devices, and
components thereof by reason of
infringement of certain claims of U.S.
Patent No. 7,231,626 (‘‘the ’626 Patent’’)
and U.S. Patent No. 7,260,803 (‘‘the ’803
Patent’’). The complaint further alleges
that an industry in the United States
exists as required by the applicable
Federal Statute.
The complainant requests that the
Commission institute an investigation
and, after the investigation, issue a
limited exclusion order and cease and
desist orders.
ADDRESSES: The complaint, except for
any confidential information contained
therein, may be viewed on the
Commission’s electronic docket (EDIS)
at https://edis.usitc.gov. For help
accessing EDIS, please email
EDIS3Help@usitc.gov. Hearing impaired
individuals are advisedthat information
on this matter can be obtained by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal on (202) 205–1810. Persons
with mobility impairments who will
need special assistance in gaining access
to the Commission should contact the
Office of the Secretary at (202) 205–
2000. General information concerning
the Commission may also be obtained
by accessing its internet server at
https://www.usitc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Pathenia M. Proctor, The Office of
Unfair Import Investigations, (202) 205–
2560.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: The authority for
institution of this investigation is
contained in section 337 of the Tariff
Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C.
1337, and in section 210.10 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and
Procedure, 19 CFR 210.10 (2022).
Scope of Investigation: Having
considered the complaint, the U.S.
International Trade Commission, on
November 7, 2022, ordered that—
(1) Pursuant to subsection (b) of
section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as
amended, an investigation be instituted
to determine whether there is a
violation of subsection (a)(1)(B) of
section 337 in the importation into the
United States, the sale for importation,
or the sale within the United States after
importation of certain products
identified in paragraph (2) by reason of
infringement of one or more of claims
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 218 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68190-68192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-24717]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Fish and Wildlife Service
[PPWONRADE2, PMP00EI05.YP0000]
Notice of Intent To Prepare North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear
Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Washington
AGENCIES: National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) are jointly preparing an environmental impact statement
(EIS) for the North Cascades Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan to
determine how to restore the grizzly bear to the North Cascades
ecosystem (NCE), a portion of its historical range. As part of the
planning and EIS process, the NPS and the FWS will evaluate various
approaches for the restoration of a grizzly bear population to the NCE.
Action is needed to restore grizzly bears to the NCE because they are
functionally extirpated from the ecosystem, and restoration there will
contribute to overall grizzly bear recovery.
DATES: All comments must be received or postmarked by December 14,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Comment submission: To submit comments for consideration in
development of the EIS, you may use any one of the following methods:
Agency website: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEGrizzly.
U.S. mail: Office of the Superintendent, 810 State Route
20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284; or Washington Fish and Wildlife Office,
500 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA 98503.
Document availability: Information regarding the public scoping
process for the EIS and virtual public meetings is available for public
review online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEGrizzly; or, by
appointment 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, 500 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA
98503 (360-753-9440, telephone).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Denise Shultz, Public Information
Officer, North Cascades National Park Service Complex, 810 State Route
20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 (360-854-7200; [email protected]), or
Andrew LaValle, Public Affairs Specialist, Washington Fish and Wildlife
Office, 500 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey, WA 98503 ([email protected]).
[[Page 68191]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; see 42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)), the NPS and the FWS are
jointly preparing an NCE Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan and EIS. The
purpose of the Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan is to determine how to
restore the grizzly bear to the NCE, a portion of its historical range.
Action is needed at this time to:
Restore grizzly bears to the NCE because they are
functionally extirpated from the ecosystem.
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 of grizzly
bears in the NCE and thereby contribute to overall grizzly bear
recovery.
Support the recovery of the grizzly bear to the point
where it can be removed from the Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife.
Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives
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
EIS are described in greater detail below.
Actions Common to All Action Alternatives
All the action alternatives would seek to restore a self-sustaining
population through the capture and release of grizzly bears into the
NCE. Each of the action alternatives would involve several of the same
elements, including a similar approach for the capture, release, and
monitoring of grizzly bears; enhanced public education and outreach;
guidelines for management actions to respond to human--grizzly bear
conflicts; improved sanitation on public lands; additional releases of
grizzly bears to replace individuals lost to mortality; access
management; and habitat management.
No Action Alternative--Existing Management
Under the no action alternative, existing management practices
would be followed, and no new management actions would be implemented.
Existing management actions would continue to be focused on improved
sanitation, poaching control, motorized access management, outreach and
educational programs to provide information about grizzly bears and
grizzly bear recovery to the public, and research and monitoring to
determine grizzly bear presence, distribution, habitat, and home
ranges.
Proposed Action--Restoration as an Experimental Population Under the
ESA
Under the proposed action, the NPS and the FWS would capture bears
from source populations in either interior British Columbia or the
Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Approximately 3 to 7 captured
grizzly bears would be released into the NCE each year over roughly 5
to 10 years, with a goal of establishing an initial population of 25
grizzly bears. After the initial population of 25 grizzly bears has
been reached, an adaptive management phase would allow additional bears
to be released into the ecosystem over time to address mortality,
population and demographic trends, genetic limitations, and
distribution or to adjust the population's sex ratio to improve
reproductive success. The proposed action is expected to result in a
population of approximately 200 grizzly bears within 60 to 100 years.
The proposed action would also include a proposal to designate the
reintroduced grizzly bears in the NCE as an experimental population
under section 10(j) of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.). An experimental population is a group of reintroduced
plants or animals that is geographically isolated from other
populations of the species. Experimental populations must contribute to
a species' recovery and may include special protective regulations
under the ESA. Designation of grizzly bears released into the NCE as an
experimental population would allow the FWS to specify protective
regulations to provide greater management flexibility (e.g., relocation
or removal) in the event of human--grizzly bear conflict situations.
Other Potential Alternatives
Additional alternatives may be analyzed in the EIS. Potential
additional alternatives include restoring the NCE grizzly population
without an experimental population designation, as well as varying the
number and frequency of grizzly bear releases into the NCE to achieve
the restoration goal in a shorter or longer time period.
Summary of Expected Impacts
The proposed action is expected to result in restoration of a
grizzly bear population in the NCE. Expected impacts from
implementation of grizzly bear restoration actions include potential
environmental impacts on wildlife and fish (including grizzly bears),
wilderness, visitor use and recreational experience, public and
employee safety, socioeconomics, and ethnographic resources.
Anticipated Permits and Authorizations
The NPS and the FWS will comply with the ESA for potential impacts
to threatened and endangered species. If a decision is made to pursue
rulemaking, the FWS will lead the experimental population rulemaking
process. The NPS and the FWS 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 title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Sec.
800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and cultural resources
within the area potentially affected by the alternatives will assist
the NPS and the FWS in identifying and evaluating impacts to such
resources, and consulting with affected Indian Tribes and the State
Historic Preservation Officer(s).
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Agencies have 2 years from the date of the issuance of the
notice of intent to the date a record of decision is signed to complete
an EIS (40 CFR 1501.10).
The NPS and the FWS expect to make the draft EIS available
to the public in the summer of 2023.
After public review and comment, the NPS and the FWS
expect to make the final EIS available to the public in the spring of
2024.
The NPS and the FWS would issue a record of decision after
the final EIS in accordance with the applicable timeframes under 40 CFR
1506.11.
Public Scoping Process
This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides
the development of the EIS. The NPS and the FWS will host virtual
public scoping meetings. During the virtual public scoping meetings,
the NPS and the FWS will present information pertinent to the EIS 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 and the FWS will not solicit oral comments at these virtual
public meetings, written comments may be submitted at any time during
the scoping process. See ADDRESSES, above, and Submitting Comments,
below, for more information. Details regarding the
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exact dates and times of these virtual public scoping meetings will be
announced on the project website (https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NCEGrizzly) and through local and regional media. The virtual public
scoping meetings will also be announced through email notification to
individuals and organizations, press release, and social media.
The NPS and FWS will also seek to engage directly with Tribes.
Consistent with Executive Order 13175, the NPS and FWS welcome Tribal
input and are available to engage in meaningful government-to-
government consultation with Tribes at their request.
The NPS and the FWS previously proposed to restore grizzly bears to
the NCE and produced a draft EIS for public review and comment in 2017
(82 FR 4416, January 13, 2017). Public comments that were provided
during that prior EIS process will also inform this new EIS and the
development of alternatives.
Reasonable Accommodations
Persons needing reasonable accommodations to attend and participate
in the virtual public scoping meetings should contact Denise Shultz
(NPS) or Andrew LaValle (FWS) using one of the methods listed in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT as soon as possible. To allow sufficient
time to process requests, please make contact no later than 1 week
before the desired virtual public meeting.
Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action
The NPS and the FWS request comments concerning the scope of the
analysis, identification of potential alternatives, and information and
analyses relevant to the planning process. The NPS and the FWS will
consider these comments in developing the draft EIS. Specifically, the
NPS and the FWS are seeking information on:
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;
Other possible reasonable alternatives that the NPS and
the FWS should consider, including additional or alternative avoidance,
minimization, and mitigation measures;
Approaches for managing reintroduced grizzly bears,
particularly in regard to potential conflicts with human activities;
and
Other information relevant to grizzly bear restoration and
its impacts on the human environment.
Submitting Comments
If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by one of the
methods listed above in ADDRESSES. 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 by the close of
the comment period and should clearly articulate the submitter'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.
Decision Makers
The decision makers are the NPS Regional Director for Interior
Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12 and the FWS Regional Director for the Pacific
Region.
Frank Lands,
Regional Director, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, & 12, National Park
Service.
Nanette Seto,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-24717 Filed 11-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-52-P
