80_FR_8931 80 FR 8898 - Notice of Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan for Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

80 FR 8898 - Notice of Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan for Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 33 (February 19, 2015)

Page Range8898-8898
FR Document2015-03505

The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan at Shenandoah National Park. A Notice of Intent to Prepare the EIS was published in the Federal Register at 78 FR 13376 on February 27, 2013. Instead, the NPS has prepared an environmental assessment to amend its approved Chronic Wasting Disease Detection and Assessment Plan to include chronic wasting disease management actions.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2015) 
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 33 (Thursday, February 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 8898]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03505]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-NER-SHEN-16985; PXPD203503C002]


Notice of Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for a 
Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan for Shenandoah National Park, 
Virginia

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Terminate preparation of an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) is terminating the preparation 
of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed Chronic 
Wasting Disease Management Plan at Shenandoah National Park. A Notice 
of Intent to Prepare the EIS was published in the Federal Register at 
78 FR 13376 on February 27, 2013. Instead, the NPS has prepared an 
environmental assessment to amend its approved Chronic Wasting Disease 
Detection and Assessment Plan to include chronic wasting disease 
management actions.

ADDRESSES: The environmental assessment can be viewed at the NPS 
Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/cwdplanamendment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Northup, Superintendent, 
Shenandoah National Park, 3655 U.S. Hwy 211 East, Luray, VA 22835.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In October 2013, the NPS approved a Chronic 
Wasting Disease Detection and Assessment Plan for the purpose of 
detecting the presence, and assessing the prevalence, of chronic 
wasting disease (CWD) within the boundaries of Shenandoah National Park 
(the park). The CWD Detection and Assessment Plan was evaluated in an 
environmental assessment (EA) that was released for public review in 
July 2012. Concurrent with the detection and assessment plan, the NPS 
initiated an EIS for long-term management of CWD within the park. The 
CWD management plan/EIS process focused on reducing deer density in 
specific areas as the most effective tool for managing CWD in the park. 
However, the results of scoping and preliminary analysis showed that 
the impacts of reducing deer density in specific areas for CWD 
management would not be substantially different than the impacts of the 
approved detection and assessment actions that were previously analyzed 
in the 2012 EA because the CWD Detection and Assessment Plan allows for 
the lethal removal of up to 300 deer for the purposes of detection and 
assessment, and specifies the same high deer density areas as proposed 
for managing CWD. The main differences are that density reductions may 
be done more frequently than lethal removals for detection or 
assessment, and there may be situations in which density reductions 
would be carried out concurrently with detection and assessment 
actions, which may increase the number of lethal removals but not to a 
level that changes the impacts or warrants analysis in an EIS. 
Therefore, the NPS determined that, rather than preparing a separate 
CWD management plan, the most efficient way to manage CWD would be to 
expand the range of management tools in the CWD Detection and 
Assessment Plan to include CWD response actions for the purpose of 
reducing the likelihood of establishment, and slowing the progression, 
of CWD within the park. The NPS further determined that an EA was the 
appropriate level of environmental review necessary to evaluate any 
differences in environmental impacts as a result of amending the 
approved CWD Detection and Assessment Plan to include CWD response 
actions.

    Dated: February 12, 2015.
Michael A. Caldwell,
Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-03505 Filed 2-18-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-WV-P

8898 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 33 / Thursday, February 19, 2015 / Notices T. 29 S., R. 11 W., accepted February 5, 2015 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Assessment Plan allows for the lethal T. 38 S., R. 3 E., accepted February 5, 2015 removal of up to 300 deer for the National Park Service purposes of detection and assessment, Washington [NPS–NER–SHEN–16985; and specifies the same high deer density T. 34 N., R. 44 E., accepted February 5, 2015 areas as proposed for managing CWD. PXPD203503C002] ADDRESSES: A copy of the plats may be The main differences are that density obtained from the Public Room at the Notice of Termination of the reductions may be done more frequently Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Environmental Impact Statement for a than lethal removals for detection or State Office, 1220 SW. 3rd Avenue, Chronic Wasting Disease Management assessment, and there may be situations Portland, Oregon 97204, upon required Plan for Shenandoah National Park, in which density reductions would be Virginia carried out concurrently with detection payment. and assessment actions, which may FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. increase the number of lethal removals Hensley, (503) 808–6132, Branch of ACTION:Terminate preparation of an but not to a level that changes the Geographic Sciences, Bureau of Land environmental impact statement. impacts or warrants analysis in an EIS. Management, 1220 SW. 3rd Avenue, Therefore, the NPS determined that, SUMMARY: The National Park Service rather than preparing a separate CWD Portland, Oregon 97204. Persons who (NPS) is terminating the preparation of use a telecommunications device for the management plan, the most efficient an environmental impact statement way to manage CWD would be to deaf (TDD) may call the Federal (EIS) for a proposed Chronic Wasting Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– expand the range of management tools Disease Management Plan at in the CWD Detection and Assessment 800–877–8339 to contact the above Shenandoah National Park. A Notice of individual during normal business Plan to include CWD response actions Intent to Prepare the EIS was published for the purpose of reducing the hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a in the Federal Register at 78 FR 13376 likelihood of establishment, and day, 7 days a week, to leave a message on February 27, 2013. Instead, the NPS slowing the progression, of CWD within or question with the above individual. has prepared an environmental the park. The NPS further determined You will receive a reply during normal assessment to amend its approved that an EA was the appropriate level of business hours. Chronic Wasting Disease Detection and environmental review necessary to Assessment Plan to include chronic evaluate any differences in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A person wasting disease management actions. environmental impacts as a result of or party who wishes to protest against ADDRESSES: The environmental amending the approved CWD Detection this survey must file a written notice with the Oregon State Director, Bureau assessment can be viewed at the NPS and Assessment Plan to include CWD Planning, Environment and Public response actions. of Land Management, stating that they Comment (PEPC) Web site at: http:// wish to protest. A statement of reasons Dated: February 12, 2015. parkplanning.nps.gov/ for a protest may be filed with the notice cwdplanamendment. Michael A. Caldwell, of protest and must be filed with the Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Oregon State Director within thirty days FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Park Service. after the protest is filed. If a protest Northup, Superintendent, Shenandoah [FR Doc. 2015–03505 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] against the survey is received prior to National Park, 3655 U.S. Hwy 211 East, BILLING CODE 4310–WV–P the date of official filing, the filing will Luray, VA 22835. be stayed pending consideration of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In October protest. A plat will not be officially filed 2013, the NPS approved a Chronic DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR until the day after all protests have been Wasting Disease Detection and Assessment Plan for the purpose of Office of Surface Mining Reclamation dismissed or otherwise resolved. Before and Enforcement including your address, phone number, detecting the presence, and assessing email address, or other personal the prevalence, of chronic wasting [S1D1S SS08011000 SX066A000 67F disease (CWD) within the boundaries of 134S180110; S2D2S SS08011000 SX066A00 identifying information in your Shenandoah National Park (the park). 33F 13xs501520] comment, you should be aware that The CWD Detection and Assessment your entire comment—including your Plan was evaluated in an environmental Notice of Proposed Information personal identifying information—may assessment (EA) that was released for Collection; Request for Comments for be made publicly available at any time. public review in July 2012. Concurrent 1029–0129 While you can ask us in your comment with the detection and assessment plan, AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining to withhold your personal identifying the NPS initiated an EIS for long-term Reclamation and Enforcement, Interior. information from public review, we management of CWD within the park. ACTION: Notice and request for cannot guarantee that we will be able to The CWD management plan/EIS process comments. do so. focused on reducing deer density in Timothy J. Moore, specific areas as the most effective tool SUMMARY: In compliance with the for managing CWD in the park. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Acting Chief Cadastral Surveyor of Oregon/ However, the results of scoping and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation Washington. emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with NOTICES preliminary analysis showed that the and Enforcement (OSMRE) is [FR Doc. 2015–03423 Filed 2–18–15; 8:45 am] impacts of reducing deer density in announcing its intention to request BILLING CODE 4310–33–P specific areas for CWD management approval for the collection of would not be substantially different information for OSMRE’s call for than the impacts of the approved nominations for its Excellence in detection and assessment actions that Surface Coal Mining Reclamation were previously analyzed in the 2012 Awards and Abandoned Mine Land EA because the CWD Detection and Reclamation Awards. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:58 Feb 18, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\19FEN1.SGM 19FEN1


Document Created: 2018-02-16 11:12:23
Document Modified: 2018-02-16 11:12:23
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionTerminate preparation of an environmental impact statement.
ContactJim Northup, Superintendent, Shenandoah National Park, 3655 U.S. Hwy 211 East, Luray, VA 22835.
FR Citation80 FR 8898 
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