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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 12 / Thursday, January 21, 2021 / Notices
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES

room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call 202 7997039
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Kevin Christensen, Assistant State Director, Wildlife Services, APHIS, USDA, 6035 NE 78th CT. Suite 100, Portland, OR 97216; 503 8202751.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background On November 14, 2019, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service APHIS published in the Federal Register 84 FR 61868, Docket No.
APHIS20190076 a notice 1 informing the public of APHIS intent to prepare an environmental impact statement EIS analyzing alternatives for predator damage management PDM in Oregon.
We will continue to prepare the EIS
under the Council on Environmental Qualitys regulations in effect on the date of the notice of intents publication November 14, 2019 and APHIS
National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures 7 CFR part 372.
Predators provide many positive ecological, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. They may also be involved in conflicts with humans, including preying upon or harassing livestock;
damaging other agricultural resources and property; and threatening human health and safety. In limited instances, predation may impede wildlife management agency efforts to enhance populations of prey species, such as threatened or endangered species or ungulate populations. APHIS Wildlife Services APHISWS program evaluates and responds to requests for assistance with PDM from the public, private entities, other agencies, and Native American Tribes within the State of Oregon. APHISWS only becomes involved in PDM if it has received a request for assistance and has established appropriate agreements and authorizations with the landowners/
managers, applicable agency, or Tribal authorities. Over fiscal years 20152019, APHISWS responded to more than 6,700 requests per year for information or assistance in reducing conflicts with predators in Oregon.
APHISWS in Oregon currently uses an integrated approach to PDM. The approach involves access to the full range of legally available nonlethal and lethal PDM methods to reduce conflicts with coyote, black bear, striped skunk, raccoon, cougar mountain lion, red 1 To view the notice, go to https
www.regulations.gov/docket?D=APHIS-2019-0076.

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fox, bobcat, badger, Virginia opossum, gray fox, feral/free-ranging/hybrid dog, feral and free-ranging domestic cat, spotted skunk, weasel, and gray wolf.
APHISWS assistance may be in the form of advice, depredation investigations, information on sources of PDM materials, training, and loan of equipment technical assistance or hands-on assistance with implementing PDM methods operational assistance.
APHISWS applies methods in accordance with applicable Federal, State, Tribal, and local regulations.
APHISWS develops and annually renews work plans with land management agencies to address specific activities and restrictions required to safely conduct PDM on public lands in a manner consistent with applicable land management agency policies and resource management plans.
APHISWS gives preference to practical and effective nonlethal methods. In some cases, concurrent use of nonlethal and lethal methods or immediate use of lethal methods may be the most appropriate solution e.g., threats to human safety. APHISWS
may use or recommend the following methods to reduce damage: Changes to agricultural practices, capture and relocation, livestock guarding animals, habitat modification, exclusion, frightening devices, carcass disposal, human behavior modification e.g., trash management and not feeding wildlife, shooting from the ground or from aircraft, gas cartridges, snares, traps, and trained decoy and tracking dogs.
APHISWS is not proposing to use M
44s or Compound-1080 in Oregon.
APHISWS conducts its activities pursuant to the Acts of March 2, 1931
7 U.S.C. 83518352, as amended, and December 22, 1987 7 U.S.C. 8353, which established APHISWS authority to provide its services. APHISWS also coordinates its PDM activities in Oregon pursuant to memoranda of understanding with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interiors Bureau of Land Management BLM. APHISWS also conducts its activities in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws and regulations.
Proposed Action APHISWS is preparing an EIS to evaluate alternatives for agency involvement in managing damage and conflicts associated with predators in Oregon. APHISWS will serve as the lead Federal agency for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act NEPA, as amended 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.. The U.S. Forest Service and BLM
are cooperating agencies on the EIS.

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Once completed, the EIS will replace APHISWS existing environmental assessments on predator damage management and the separate environmental assessment on wolf damage management in Oregon.2
BLM intends to adopt the EIS and analysis to streamline and facilitate future site-specific NEPA analysis and implementation actions on BLMadministered lands for all BLM Oregon districts. The BLM in Oregon may authorize APHISWS in Oregon to perform certain wildlife damage control activities on BLM-administered lands in accordance with a separately issued BLM Record of Decision.
Scoping We encourage comments that will assist in further delineating the scope of alternatives, environmental impacts, and other issues of public concern.
Please also submit any scientific data, research, or studies that you believe are relevant to the analysis. Comments, information, and analyses provided should be as specific as possible to explain why the information is important to the analysis.
Alternatives The EIS will consider a range of reasonable alternatives. The EIS will include a no action alternative, which is defined as a continuation of the ongoing predator damage management practices described above, in accordance with the Council on Environmental Qualitys regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA 40 CFR parts 15001508. We are considering the following alternatives for comparative analysis in the EIS:
APHISWS in Oregon continues the current PDM activities as previously analyzed under NEPA;
APHISWS in Oregon continues the current PDM activities and includes additional wolf damage management activities aligned with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management authorities and with State rules and statutes identified in the 2019 Oregon Wolf Conservation and Management Plan;
APHISWS in Oregon conducts only non-lethal PDM activities;
APHISWS in Oregon conducts only non-lethal PDM activities, except 2 Environmental Assessments replaced by the EIS
will include Management of Black Bear Damage to Timber in Western Oregon 2003, Implementation of the Oregon Cougar Management Plan 2007, Wildlife Damage Management in Roseburg 1997, Wildlife Damage Management in Northwest District 1997, Wildlife Damage Management of the John Day ADC District in Eastern Oregon 1996, and Gray Wolf Damage Management in Oregon 2014.

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