[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 9, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1643-1644]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-245]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan With Goose Management
Strategies
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
for the Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan With Goose Management
Strategies.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with Sec. 102(2)(C) of the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.), the National Park
Service (NPS) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Anacostia Park Wetlands Management Plan with Goose Management
Strategies (EIS).
The current Proposed Action is a modification of the original
proposal to prepare an Environmental Assessment. Based on comments
received during internal scoping (February 2007), agency scoping (March
2007) and public scoping (June-August 2007) for the Anacostia Park
Wetlands Restoration Plan with Goose Management Strategies Plan/
Environmental Assessment (EA), the NPS recognizes that wetland
management actions could result in some significant impacts to the
park's resources.
This notice serves as an announcement of an additional 30-day
public comment period. Comments submitted to the park or through
Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) during the public
scoping period (June 25-August 10, 2007) and at the public meetings
(July 17 and 18, 2007) for the EA will be considered as part of the
planning process for the current proposed action and do not need to be
resubmitted. The intent of this notice is to obtain suggestions and
additional information on the scope of issues to be addressed in the
EIS.
DATES: NPS is soliciting further public input into this planning
process until February 8, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through the Planning, Environment
and Public Comment (PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/anac
or they may be submitted by mail to: Superintendent, National Capital
Parks East, RE: Wetlands Restoration Plan/EIS, 1900 Anacostia Dr., SE.,
Washington, DC 20020.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.
The NPS considers public participation and input as an integral
part in the planning and environmental impact analysis process guiding
preparation of the EIS. As mentioned above, comments submitted during
the public scoping process for the EA do not need to be resubmitted,
but additional input is welcome.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Syphax, Supervisory Resources
Management Specialist, National Capital Parks-East, RE: Wetlands
Restoration Plan/EIS, at 1900 Anacostia Drive, SE., Washington, DC
20020, by e-mail at [email protected], or by telephone at (202)
690-5160.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this action is to develop and
implement a wetlands management plan that facilitates the protection of
natural wetland functions within Anacostia Park. Action is needed at
this time to address the protection of natural wetland functions within
wetlands in Anacostia Park. A plan is considered necessary to identify
wetland restoration strategies that address factors affecting current
and future restoration activities.
The Anacostia River was historically flanked with nearly 2,500
acres of tidal marsh. However, in the early 20th century the Army Corps
of Engineers was charged with a major ``reclamation'' effort designed
to improve navigation by channeling and containing the river within a
stone seawall. Tidal flats and wetlands were also drained and filled to
help rid the area of mosquito-borne diseases.
Public and government interest in restoring wetlands in the
Anacostia River Watershed grew in the 1980s and the National Park
Service began working with others to restore nearly 100 acres of tidal
marsh.
Over the past decade an increasing number of Canada geese have been
observed in Anacostia Park. Normally a migratory species, these
``resident'' geese are the descendents of individuals that were
captured and prevented from migrating in order to attract more of their
kind. As a result, their offspring never migrated either. The abundance
of
[[Page 1644]]
food and lack of predators in urban areas have fostered a rapidly
growing population of these non-migratory Canada geese.
In recent years, invasive exotic plant species have also increased,
and restored wetlands have proven to be especially vulnerable to these.
Construction methods, soil elevations, and hydrologic regimes have also
proven to be critical to the success or failure of these efforts.
Through scoping efforts, several draft objectives were outlined for
the EIS:
General--Ensure actions are consistent with the laws, policies and
regulations that guide the National Park Service.
Habitat and Vegetation--Restore, protect, and maintain wetlands for
native fish and wildlife populations; maintain native wetlands
vegetation and manage the encroachment of invasive and exotic plant
species; and restore, protect, and maintain wetland functions.
Wildlife--Manage the resident Canada goose population to allow for
the restoration and protection of park resources.
Visitor Experience--Enhance visitor experience by restoring,
maintaining, protecting, and interpreting wetlands; and enhance public
understanding of the value of wetland restoration and issues associated
with the management of resident Canada geese.
Park Operations--Consider and plan for impacts of wetland
restoration efforts and resident Canada goose management response
activities on current park operations, including budget, workload, and
visitor experience.
Cooperation and Coordination--Cooperate and coordinate with the
District of Columbia, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other
governmental agencies as well as other stakeholders in implementing a
wetlands management plan and goose management strategy.
Preliminary scoping also identified several factors relevant to the
success of wetland restoration efforts in Anacostia Park, including:
resident Canada goose herbivory, erosion and sedimentation, hydrologic
regimes, wetland vegetation planting methods, urbanization effects and
invasive and exotic plant species.
Some preliminary solutions have been proposed that will be
evaluated as part of the planning process. To address resident Canada
goose management, the following suggestions have been proposed for
evaluation: Habitat alteration, visual deterrents or repellants, egg
addling to control reproduction, and lethal controls such as capture
and euthanasia or sharpshooting. To respond to erosion and
sedimentation, proposed actions include: the use of bio logs to
stabilize wetlands, vegetation evaluation, and soft and hard armoring.
Suggestions for tackling issues surrounding hydrologic regimes and
wetland vegetation are: Address surface elevation of wetland areas by
planting vegetation appropriate to elevation, and provide conditions
allowing wetlands to establish naturally without revegetation efforts.
To address the effects of urbanization on the wetlands, suggestions
include: Planting high uptake plants, using volunteers to remove trash,
and mitigating outfall impacts. Lastly, to address the impacts of
invasive and exotic plants potential actions include: Mapping and
surveying invasive and exotic plant species in wetland areas,
mechanical removal, chemical control (EPA approved herbicides), and
biocontrols such as insects. The scope of the EIS includes the restored
freshwater emergent tidal marshes in Anacostia Park. Potential areas
for future restoration efforts will be identified in the EIS, but not
analyzed in detail.
Dated: December 21, 2007.
Joseph M. Lawler,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. E8-245 Filed 1-8-08; 8:45 am]
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