Intent To Prepare an Updated Bison and Elk Management Plan for the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming; Environmental Impact Statement, 50168-50170 [2023-16378]
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50168
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 146 / Tuesday, August 1, 2023 / Notices
TABLE 1—ESTIMATED PUBLIC BURDEN
Information collection
Number of
respondents
Frequency of
response
Responses
per annum
Burden hour
per response
Annual
burden hours
Hourly cost
per response *
Annual cost
NOFO Application ........
NOFO Certifications .....
100
100
1
1
100
100
10
1
1000
100
$38.92
38.92
$38,920
3,892
Total ......................
100
1
100
11
1100
38.92
42,812
* Given that the nature of the applicants is unknown at this time, HUD estimates the cost per response to average around OPMs supplied GS–
13 base pay level (locality pay not included). While NOFO applicants may vary in experience, pay, and possibly industry, HUD believes that the
average range of pay across the respondents will fall closely within the GS–13 pay range.
B. Solicitation of Public Comment
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
This notice is soliciting comments
from members of the public and affected
parties concerning the collection of
information described in Section A on
the following:
(1) Whether the proposed 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 the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected;
(4) Ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
who are to respond; including through
the use of appropriate automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses; and
(5) Ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
HUD encourages interested parties to
submit comment in response to these
questions.
Fish and Wildlife Service
C. Authority
Section 3507 of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C.
chapter 35.
Colette Pollard,
Department Reports Management Officer,
Office of Policy Development and Chief Data
Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023–16283 Filed 7–31–23; 8:45 am]
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[FWS–R6–NWRS–2023–0062; FF06R0ZS00–
FXRS12610600000–223]
Intent To Prepare an Updated Bison
and Elk Management Plan for the
National Elk Refuge in Wyoming;
Environmental Impact Statement
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; announcement
of public meetings; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), U.S. Department of
the Interior, intends to prepare an
updated Bison and Elk Management
Plan (BEMP) and environmental impact
statement (EIS) for the National Elk
Refuge (NER). The BEMP describes the
Service’s proposal for the management
of the Jackson bison and elk populations
within their respective jurisdictions
with the goal of ensuring sustainable
and healthy herds; an EIS will be
prepared pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to
evaluate the potential environmental
impacts of the BEMP. We invite input
from other Federal and State agencies,
Tribes, nongovernmental organizations,
private sector businesses, and members
of the public on the scope of the EIS,
alternatives to our proposed approaches
for the management of bison and elk on
the NER, and the pertinent issues that
we should address in the EIS.
DATES:
Comment submission: To ensure
consideration of written comments, they
must be received on or before August
31, 2023. Comments submitted online at
https://www.regulations.gov (see
ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59
p.m. eastern time on the closing date.
Public meetings: We will hold public
scoping meetings on August 21 and 22,
2023 in Jackson, Wyoming, and
Pinedale, Wyoming, respectively. In
addition, we will present a public
webinar on August 23, 2023. Additional
information regarding these scoping
SUMMARY:
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sessions, including the times and
venues, and other scoping materials will
be available on our website at https://
www.fws.gov/project/upcoming-bisonelk-management-plan. Persons wishing
to participate in the public scoping
meetings who need special
accommodations should contact Alice
Lee at fws-bemp@doimspp
.onmicrosoft.com by August 14, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comment submission: You
may submit written comments by one of
the following methods. Please do not
submit comments by both methods.
• Online: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments to
Docket No. FWS–R6–NWRS–2023–
0062.
• United States mail: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R6–
NWRS–2023–0062; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–
3803. Please note in your submission
that your comments are regarding the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bison
and Elk Management Plan.
We will post all information received
on https://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us
(see Availability of Comments below for
more information).
Public meetings: We will hold public
scoping meetings on August 21 and 22,
2023, in Jackson, Wyoming, and
Pinedale, Wyoming, respectively.
Additional information regarding these
scoping sessions, including the times
and venues, and other scoping materials
will be available on our website at
https://www.fws.gov/project/upcomingbison-elk-management-plan. In
addition, we will present a public
webinar on August 23, 2023.
Information regarding registration for
the webinar can be found at https://
www.fws.gov/project/upcoming-bisonelk-management-plan.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alice Lee, Conservation Planner, by
phone at 720–601–1821 or via email at
fws-bemp@doimspp.onmicrosoft.com.
Individuals in the United States who are
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 146 / Tuesday, August 1, 2023 / Notices
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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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The National Elk Refuge (NER) is
located north of Jackson, Wyoming and
is part of the southern portion of the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The
NER comprises approximately 24,700
acres. The Jackson bison and elk herds
make up one of the largest
concentrations of free-ranging ungulates
in North America. Currently, these
herds number about 450 bison and
10,600 elk. The herds migrate across
several jurisdictional boundaries,
including NER, Grand Teton National
Park, southern Yellowstone National
Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest,
Bureau of Land Management resource
areas, and State and private lands,
before they winter primarily on the
NER. Given the wide range of
authorities and interests, the Service has
used, and will continue to use, a
cooperative approach to management
planning involving all associated
Federal agencies and the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
In order to manage the Jackson bison
and elk herds on NER, the Service
worked closely with representatives
from the National Park Service, U.S.
Forest Service, the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service, the Bureau of
Land Management, and the WGFD to
develop a BEMP. The BEMP was
finalized in April 2007 after a 9-year
public process (June 6, 2007, 72 FR
31339). The 2007 BEMP outlined the
desired future conditions, management
goals, objectives, and strategies for
managing the Jackson bison and elk
herds on the NER and Grand Teton
National Park for 15 years. The BEMP
called for reducing the number of elk
wintering on the NER to 5,000 and
reducing the number of bison to 500.
One of the goals was a sustainable
population of elk and bison that are
healthy and able to adapt to changing
conditions in the environment and that
are at reduced risk from the adverse
effect of non-endemic disease.
Following the BEMP, a Step-down
Plan was finalized by the Service in
December 2019 consistent with the 2007
BEMP. This Step-down Plan provides
guidance to adaptively manage bison
and elk herds to meet the goals and
objectives outlined in the BEMP,
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specifically to reduce the number of elk
wintering on NER and subsequently
reduce reliance on supplemental
feeding. Reducing feed season length
has been the principal method of choice
to achieve this goal.
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
More than 15 years have elapsed since
the 2007 BEMP was finalized. In
addition, the 2019 Step-down Plan
reducing supplemental feeding on the
NER ends in December 2024. The
purpose and need of the updated BEMP
will be to address changed conditions
and newly available scientific
information for bison and elk
management, including supplemental
winter feeding, hunting, disease
management, and habitat conservation.
The BEMP will set updated desired
conditions, management goals,
objectives, and strategies to guide the
management of bison and elk on the
NER and work towards a goal of a
healthy sustainable population of bison
and elk on NER.
NEPA Analysis of Agency Actions
The National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321–4347)
requires Federal agencies to undertake
an assessment of the environmental
effects of any proposed action prior to
making a final decision and
implementing the decision. NEPA also
established the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ), which
issued regulations implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR
parts 1500–1508). The Service has
regulatory authority under the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration
Act to manage the NER. Establishing a
BEMP is a Federal action requiring
review under NEPA.
Consistent with CEQ guidance for
implementing NEPA, we intend to
complete an EIS to consider approaches
to manage bison and elk on the NER.
The EIS will address the potential
environmental impacts of a range of
reasonable alternatives. The potential
environmental impacts assessed in the
EIS would include the effects on bison
and elk from management measures;
effects on other environmental resources
such as federally listed species; cultural
and Tribal resources; potential
socioeconomic effects, including
impacts on economic activities such as
tourism, agriculture, and hunting; and
effects on a range of other resources
identified through internal and external
scoping. We will address our
compliance with other applicable
authorities in our NEPA review.
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50169
Responsibilities to Tribes
The Service has unique
responsibilities to Tribes, including
under the National Historic Preservation
Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.); the
American Indian Religious Freedom Act
(42 U.S.C. 1996); Native American
Grave Protection and Repatriation Act
(25 U.S.C. 3001); Religious Freedom
Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
2000bb et seq.); Joint Secretarial Order
3403, Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility
to Indian Tribes in the Stewardship of
Federal Lands and Waters (November
15, 2021); Secretarial Order 3206,
American Indian Tribal Rights, FederalTribal Trust Responsibilities, and the
ESA (June 5, 1997); Executive Order
13007, Indian Sacred Sites (61 FR
26771, May 29, 1996); and the agency’s
Native American Policies. We apply the
term ‘‘Tribal’’ or ‘‘Tribe(s)’’ generally to
federally recognized Tribes and Alaska
Native Tribal entities.
The Service will consult and
collaborate with Tribes on the proposals
set forth in this document. We will also
ensure that those Tribes wishing to
engage directly in the NEPA process
will have the opportunity to do so. As
part of this process, we will protect the
confidential nature of any consultations
and other communications we have
with Tribes, to the extent permitted by
the Freedom of Information Act and
other laws.
Potential Alternatives
We will be considering a range of
reasonable alternatives for management
of bison and elk on the NER that
potentially include management
measures such as winter feeding,
hunting, disease management, and
habitat conservation. These approaches
may be considered separately or in any
combination in the EIS.
Under the no-action alternative, the
Service would continue to manage bison
and elk on the NER based on the 2007
BEMP.
Scoping Process
In accordance with NEPA, we are
conducting a public scoping process to
invite input on the range of alternatives
and issues to be addressed during the
preparation of the EIS. Scoping is an
early and open process for determining
the scope of issues to be addressed and
identifying issues that should be
considered in selecting an alternative
for implementation. To that end, during
the scoping process, we are inviting
input from other interested government
agencies, Native American Tribes, the
scientific community, industry,
nongovernmental organizations,
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 146 / Tuesday, August 1, 2023 / Notices
members of the public, and other
interested parties. We solicit input on
the following issues:
1. The alternatives considered for
managing bison and elk on the NER.
2. Other alternatives, or combinations
of alternatives, that should be
considered with respect to managing
bison and elk on the NER.
3. Specific requirements for NEPA
analyses related to the proposed action
and alternatives.
4. Considerations for evaluating the
significance of impacts on bison and
other affected resources, such as other
listed or sensitive wildlife and plant
species, cultural resources, and
socioeconomic resources or activities.
5. Information and analyses regarding
other resources that may be affected by
the proposed action.
6. Considerations for evaluating the
interactions between affected natural
resources.
7. Considerations for evaluating the
impacts on species, locations, or other
resources of religious or cultural
significance for Tribes and impacts on
cultural values from the actions being
considered.
8. Considerations for evaluating
climate change effects on bison, elk, and
other affected resources.
9. Integrating the management of
bison and elk with existing guidance
and plans, such as the NER’s
Comprehensive Conservation Plan.
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Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
After the scoping period is completed,
the Service will develop a draft EIS. The
Service currently expects to issue the
Notice of Availability for the draft EIS
in August 2024 to begin a 45-day public
comment period. After the public
comment period ends, the Service will
review and respond to comments
received and will develop the final EIS.
The Service currently expects to make
the final EIS available to the public in
July 2025. A ROD will be completed no
sooner than 30 days after the final EIS
is released, in accordance with 40 CFR
1506.11.
Availability of Comments
If you submit information via https://
www.regulations.gov, your entire
submission—including any personal
identifying information—will be posted
on the website. If your submission is
made via a hardcopy that includes
personal identifying information, you
may request at the top of your document
that we withhold this information from
public review. However, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
We will post all hardcopy submissions
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on https://www.regulations.gov. All
submissions from organizations or
businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in
their entirety.
Matthew J. Hogan,
Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2023–16378 Filed 7–31–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
[Docket No. BOEM–2023–0034]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Assessment for
Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and
Site Assessment Activities on the
Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf
Offshore Delaware, Maryland, and
Virginia
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau
of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
intends to prepare an environmental
assessment (EA) to consider the
potential environmental impacts
associated with possible wind energyrelated leasing, site assessment, and site
characterization activities on the U.S.
Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
BOEM is seeking public input regarding
important environmental issues and the
identification of reasonable alternatives
that should be considered in the EA.
The environmental impacts of any
proposed wind energy projects will be
assessed after a lease is issued and
before BOEM decides whether or not to
approve any lessee’s project
construction and operations plan.
DATES: BOEM must receive your
comments no later than August 31,
2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
by either of the following methods:
• Through the regulations.gov web
portal: Navigate to https://
www.regulations.gov and search for
Docket No. BOEM–2023–0034 to submit
public comments and view supporting
and related materials available for this
notice. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ button
below the document link. Enter your
information and comment, then click
‘‘Submit Comment’’; or
SUMMARY:
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• By U.S. Postal Service or other
delivery service: Send your comments
and information to the following
address: Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Office of Renewable
Energy Programs, 45600 Woodland
Road, Mail Stop VAM–OREP, Sterling,
VA 20166.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jessica Stromberg, BOEM, Environment
Branch for Renewable Energy, 45600
Woodland Road, Mail Stop VAM–OREP,
Sterling, VA 20166, (703) 787–1730, or
jessica.stromberg@boem.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority: This notice of intent to
prepare an EA is published pursuant to
43 CFR 46.305.
Background: On November 16, 2022,
BOEM announced eight draft wind
energy areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Central
Atlantic OCS for public review and
comment. The draft WEAs are offshore
North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and
Delaware, covering approximately 1.7
million acres. Before finalizing the
WEAs, BOEM considered feedback from
government partners, ocean users, and
stakeholders in addition to potential
conflicts with a United States Coast
Guard safety fairway, commercial
fishing, Department of Defense
activities, a National Aeronautics and
Space Administration danger zone, and
marine habitat areas. On July 31, 2023,
BOEM announced the final WEAs,
which consist of the WEAs identified as
A–2, B–1, and C–1 offshore Delaware,
Maryland, and Virginia. Detailed
information about the WEAs can be
found on BOEM’s website at: https://
www.boem.gov/central-atlantic.
Proposed Action and Scope of Analysis
The EA’s proposed action is issuing
wind energy leases in the Central
Atlantic WEAs A–2, B–1, and C–1. The
EA will consider project easements and
grants for subsea cable corridors
associated with leasing. The EA also
will consider the potential
environmental impacts associated with
site characterization surveys (i.e.,
biological, archeological, geological, and
geophysical surveys and core samples)
and site assessment activities (i.e.,
installation of meteorological buoys),
that are expected to take place following
lease issuance. The EA’s proposed
action does not include the installation
of meteorological towers because
developers prefer meteorological buoys
to collect data. In addition to the noaction alternative, other alternatives
may be considered, such as exclusion of
certain areas.
BOEM has decided to prepare an EA
for this proposed action in order to
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 146 (Tuesday, August 1, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50168-50170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16378]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-NWRS-2023-0062; FF06R0ZS00-FXRS12610600000-223]
Intent To Prepare an Updated Bison and Elk Management Plan for
the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming; Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; announcement of public meetings; request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), U.S. Department
of the Interior, intends to prepare an updated Bison and Elk Management
Plan (BEMP) and environmental impact statement (EIS) for the National
Elk Refuge (NER). The BEMP describes the Service's proposal for the
management of the Jackson bison and elk populations within their
respective jurisdictions with the goal of ensuring sustainable and
healthy herds; an EIS will be prepared pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to evaluate the potential
environmental impacts of the BEMP. We invite input from other Federal
and State agencies, Tribes, nongovernmental organizations, private
sector businesses, and members of the public on the scope of the EIS,
alternatives to our proposed approaches for the management of bison and
elk on the NER, and the pertinent issues that we should address in the
EIS.
DATES:
Comment submission: To ensure consideration of written comments,
they must be received on or before August 31, 2023. Comments submitted
online at https://www.regulations.gov (see ADDRESSES) must be received
by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.
Public meetings: We will hold public scoping meetings on August 21
and 22, 2023 in Jackson, Wyoming, and Pinedale, Wyoming, respectively.
In addition, we will present a public webinar on August 23, 2023.
Additional information regarding these scoping sessions, including the
times and venues, and other scoping materials will be available on our
website at https://www.fws.gov/project/upcoming-bison-elk-management-plan. Persons wishing to participate in the public scoping meetings who
need special accommodations should contact Alice Lee at [email protected] by August 14, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Comment submission: You may submit written comments by one
of the following methods. Please do not submit comments by both
methods.
Online: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. FWS-R6-NWRS-2023-
0062.
United States mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-
R6-NWRS-2023-0062; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803. Please note in your
submission that your comments are regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service's Bison and Elk Management Plan.
We will post all information received on https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us (see Availability of Comments below
for more information).
Public meetings: We will hold public scoping meetings on August 21
and 22, 2023, in Jackson, Wyoming, and Pinedale, Wyoming, respectively.
Additional information regarding these scoping sessions, including the
times and venues, and other scoping materials will be available on our
website at https://www.fws.gov/project/upcoming-bison-elk-management-plan. In addition, we will present a public webinar on August 23, 2023.
Information regarding registration for the webinar can be found at
https://www.fws.gov/project/upcoming-bison-elk-management-plan.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alice Lee, Conservation Planner, by
phone at 720-601-1821 or via email at [email protected].
Individuals in the United States who are
[[Page 50169]]
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-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The National Elk Refuge (NER) is located north of Jackson, Wyoming
and is part of the southern portion of the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem. The NER comprises approximately 24,700 acres. The Jackson
bison and elk herds make up one of the largest concentrations of free-
ranging ungulates in North America. Currently, these herds number about
450 bison and 10,600 elk. The herds migrate across several
jurisdictional boundaries, including NER, Grand Teton National Park,
southern Yellowstone National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest,
Bureau of Land Management resource areas, and State and private lands,
before they winter primarily on the NER. Given the wide range of
authorities and interests, the Service has used, and will continue to
use, a cooperative approach to management planning involving all
associated Federal agencies and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
(WGFD).
In order to manage the Jackson bison and elk herds on NER, the
Service worked closely with representatives from the National Park
Service, U.S. Forest Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the WGFD to develop a BEMP.
The BEMP was finalized in April 2007 after a 9-year public process
(June 6, 2007, 72 FR 31339). The 2007 BEMP outlined the desired future
conditions, management goals, objectives, and strategies for managing
the Jackson bison and elk herds on the NER and Grand Teton National
Park for 15 years. The BEMP called for reducing the number of elk
wintering on the NER to 5,000 and reducing the number of bison to 500.
One of the goals was a sustainable population of elk and bison that are
healthy and able to adapt to changing conditions in the environment and
that are at reduced risk from the adverse effect of non-endemic
disease.
Following the BEMP, a Step-down Plan was finalized by the Service
in December 2019 consistent with the 2007 BEMP. This Step-down Plan
provides guidance to adaptively manage bison and elk herds to meet the
goals and objectives outlined in the BEMP, specifically to reduce the
number of elk wintering on NER and subsequently reduce reliance on
supplemental feeding. Reducing feed season length has been the
principal method of choice to achieve this goal.
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
More than 15 years have elapsed since the 2007 BEMP was finalized.
In addition, the 2019 Step-down Plan reducing supplemental feeding on
the NER ends in December 2024. The purpose and need of the updated BEMP
will be to address changed conditions and newly available scientific
information for bison and elk management, including supplemental winter
feeding, hunting, disease management, and habitat conservation. The
BEMP will set updated desired conditions, management goals, objectives,
and strategies to guide the management of bison and elk on the NER and
work towards a goal of a healthy sustainable population of bison and
elk on NER.
NEPA Analysis of Agency Actions
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347)
requires Federal agencies to undertake an assessment of the
environmental effects of any proposed action prior to making a final
decision and implementing the decision. NEPA also established the
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), which issued regulations
implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508). The Service has regulatory authority under the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act to manage the NER. Establishing a BEMP
is a Federal action requiring review under NEPA.
Consistent with CEQ guidance for implementing NEPA, we intend to
complete an EIS to consider approaches to manage bison and elk on the
NER. The EIS will address the potential environmental impacts of a
range of reasonable alternatives. The potential environmental impacts
assessed in the EIS would include the effects on bison and elk from
management measures; effects on other environmental resources such as
federally listed species; cultural and Tribal resources; potential
socioeconomic effects, including impacts on economic activities such as
tourism, agriculture, and hunting; and effects on a range of other
resources identified through internal and external scoping. We will
address our compliance with other applicable authorities in our NEPA
review.
Responsibilities to Tribes
The Service has unique responsibilities to Tribes, including under
the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.); the
American Indian Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996); Native American
Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001); Religious
Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.); Joint
Secretarial Order 3403, Fulfilling the Trust Responsibility to Indian
Tribes in the Stewardship of Federal Lands and Waters (November 15,
2021); Secretarial Order 3206, American Indian Tribal Rights, Federal-
Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the ESA (June 5, 1997); Executive
Order 13007, Indian Sacred Sites (61 FR 26771, May 29, 1996); and the
agency's Native American Policies. We apply the term ``Tribal'' or
``Tribe(s)'' generally to federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native
Tribal entities.
The Service will consult and collaborate with Tribes on the
proposals set forth in this document. We will also ensure that those
Tribes wishing to engage directly in the NEPA process will have the
opportunity to do so. As part of this process, we will protect the
confidential nature of any consultations and other communications we
have with Tribes, to the extent permitted by the Freedom of Information
Act and other laws.
Potential Alternatives
We will be considering a range of reasonable alternatives for
management of bison and elk on the NER that potentially include
management measures such as winter feeding, hunting, disease
management, and habitat conservation. These approaches may be
considered separately or in any combination in the EIS.
Under the no-action alternative, the Service would continue to
manage bison and elk on the NER based on the 2007 BEMP.
Scoping Process
In accordance with NEPA, we are conducting a public scoping process
to invite input on the range of alternatives and issues to be addressed
during the preparation of the EIS. Scoping is an early and open process
for determining the scope of issues to be addressed and identifying
issues that should be considered in selecting an alternative for
implementation. To that end, during the scoping process, we are
inviting input from other interested government agencies, Native
American Tribes, the scientific community, industry, nongovernmental
organizations,
[[Page 50170]]
members of the public, and other interested parties. We solicit input
on the following issues:
1. The alternatives considered for managing bison and elk on the
NER.
2. Other alternatives, or combinations of alternatives, that should
be considered with respect to managing bison and elk on the NER.
3. Specific requirements for NEPA analyses related to the proposed
action and alternatives.
4. Considerations for evaluating the significance of impacts on
bison and other affected resources, such as other listed or sensitive
wildlife and plant species, cultural resources, and socioeconomic
resources or activities.
5. Information and analyses regarding other resources that may be
affected by the proposed action.
6. Considerations for evaluating the interactions between affected
natural resources.
7. Considerations for evaluating the impacts on species, locations,
or other resources of religious or cultural significance for Tribes and
impacts on cultural values from the actions being considered.
8. Considerations for evaluating climate change effects on bison,
elk, and other affected resources.
9. Integrating the management of bison and elk with existing
guidance and plans, such as the NER's Comprehensive Conservation Plan.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
After the scoping period is completed, the Service will develop a
draft EIS. The Service currently expects to issue the Notice of
Availability for the draft EIS in August 2024 to begin a 45-day public
comment period. After the public comment period ends, the Service will
review and respond to comments received and will develop the final EIS.
The Service currently expects to make the final EIS available to the
public in July 2025. A ROD will be completed no sooner than 30 days
after the final EIS is released, in accordance with 40 CFR 1506.11.
Availability of Comments
If you submit information via https://www.regulations.gov, your
entire submission--including any personal identifying information--will
be posted on the website. If your submission is made via a hardcopy
that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the
top of your document that we withhold this information from public
review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We
will post all hardcopy submissions on https://www.regulations.gov. All
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their
entirety.
Matthew J. Hogan,
Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2023-16378 Filed 7-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
