[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71731-71732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29536]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Harvest
of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay National
Park and Preserve Legislative Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of the Record of Decision for the
Harvest of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by Huna Tlingit in Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve Legislative Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) announces the availability of
the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Legislative Environmental Impact
Statement (LEIS) on the Harvest of Glaucous-Winged Gull Eggs by Huna
Tlingit in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
The Record of Decision (ROD) documents the NPS determination that
harvest of glaucous-winged gull eggs could be authorized in Glacier Bay
National Park without impairing the biological sustainability of the
Park's glaucous-winged gull population or impacting other Park purposes
and values. Implementation of the decision would require promulgation
of public law and regulations, revising Title 36 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.
Section 4 of the Glacier Bay National Park Resource Management Act
of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-455) directed the NPS to ``* * * undertake a study
of sea gulls living within the park to assess whether sea gull eggs can
be collected on a limited basis without impairing the biological
sustainability of the sea gull population in the park.'' The
legislation also states that if the study determines collection could
occur without impairing the biological sustainability of the gull
population in the park, `` * * * the Secretary shall submit
recommendations for legislation * * *'' to the House and Senate
authorizing committees.
The ROD documents the NPS selection of Alternative 3 (Two Annual
Harvest Visits to Five Locations) based on consideration of the Park's
purposes and mission, NPS policies, resource information and values
analyzed in the Final Legislative Environmental Impact Statement
(FLEIS), and comments received throughout the LEIS process. The FLEIS
analysis determined this alternative would not adversely impact Park
purposes and resources. Disturbance to nesting gulls is expected to be
minimal. The FLEIS analysis concluded that these effects would be minor
and would not affect sustainability of gull populations in the Park.
The basis for the decision stems from Park objectives and purposes
and the need to respond to Section 4 of Public Law 106-455.
Specifically, the decision was based on the following objectives:
Provide for a limited gull egg harvest in the Park by tribal
members of the Hoonah Indian Association (HIA)
Not impair the biological sustainability of the Park's
glaucous-winged gull population
Protect Park resources and values
The ROD briefly discusses the background of the project, states the
decision and discusses its basis, identifies mitigating measures,
summarizes public involvement, describes other alternatives considered,
specifies the environmentally preferable alternative, provides a non-
impairment determination, and provides a conclusion.
ADDRESSES: The ROD can be found online at the NPS Planning, Environment
and Public Comment Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/index.cfm.
Copies of the ROD are available on request from: Wayne Howell, Glacier
Bay National Park and Preserve, Box 140, Gustavus, Alaska 99826.
Telephone: (907) 697-2662.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Howell, Glacier Bay National
Park and Preserve, Box 140, Gustavus, Alaska 99826. Telephone: (907)
697-2662.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NPS prepared an EIS, as required, under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and Council of
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508). A Notice of
Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement, published in the
Federal Register on September 18, 2006 (71 FR 54687), formally
initiated the NPS planning and EIS effort. A Draft EIS was issued on
December 19, 2008 (73 FR 77837) with a 77-day public comment period. A
Federal Register notice announcing the availability of the Final EIS
was published on May 26, 2010 (75 FR 29574), commencing the required
30-day no-action period (71 FR 3290). The Final EIS described and
analyzed the environmental impacts of two action alternatives and a no-
action alternative.
The ROD describes how the selected Alternative (Alternative 3--Two
Annual Harvest Visits to Five Locations) could be implemented upon
enactment of legislation to authorize the annual harvest of glaucous-
winged gull eggs at up to five designated locations in Glacier Bay
National Park on two separate dates by members of the Huna Indian
Association (HIA). Legislative proposals from the NPS are subject to
review by the Department of the Interior and the Executive Office of
the President before transmittal to Congress can be approved. Thus, a
legislative proposal is not included in the Record of Decision. If
legislation authorizing the annual harvest of glaucous-winged gull eggs
is enacted, each year the NPS and the HIA would prepare a harvest plan
to identify sites open to harvest based on annual monitoring and
harvest history. A first harvest visit could occur at each of the open
sites on or before the
[[Page 71732]]
5th day following onset of laying, as determined by NPS staff
monitoring a reference site. A second harvest at the same sites could
occur within nine days of the first harvest. If inclement weather,
logistics, or other issues prevented a first harvest visit within five
days of onset of laying, only one harvest would be allowed in that
year. No harvest visits would occur after June 15 of any year. The
harvest plan would include, at a minimum, vessel(s) to be used to
access harvest sites, tentative itinerary for harvest date(s), harvest
locations, and names of harvesters. Information in this plan would be
used to prepare any necessary Park permits including regulatory
exemptions to 36 CFR 13.1178.
Victor W. Knox,
Acting Regional Director, Alaska.
[FR Doc. 2010-29536 Filed 11-23-10; 8:45 am]
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