[Federal Register: March 20, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 53)]
[Notices]
[Page 11965-11966]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr20mr09-80]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-2009-N0051; 1112-0000-80221-F2]
Paiute Cutthroat Trout Restoration Project Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior (Lead Agency); Forest
Service, Agriculture (Cooperating Agency).
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of the Paiute Cutthroat
Trout Restoration Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for public review and comment. We,
the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), along with the USDA Forest
Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (Cooperating Agency), and the
California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG, California Environmental
Quality Act lead agency) (collectively, the Agencies), are proposing to
restore Paiute cutthroat trout to their historical range within the
Silver King Creek watershed, Alpine County, California. To accomplish
this, the Agencies must first eradicate the non-native and hybrid trout
which currently occupy the habitat.
DATES: Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. on May 4, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Robert D. Williams,
Field Supervisor, Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite 234, Reno, Nevada
89502; fax number (775) 861-6301 (for further information and
instructions on the reviewing and commenting process, see Public
Comments section below).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chad Mellison, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite 234, Reno, Nevada 89502;
telephone (775) 861-6300.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
Individuals wishing copies of this draft EIS/EIR should contact the
Service by telephone (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Copies of
the subject document are also available for public inspection during
regular business hours at the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT), and may be downloaded from the Nevada
Fish and Wildlife Office Web site at: http://www.fws.gov/nevada/.
Background Information
The Paiute cutthroat trout was listed as endangered by the Service
under the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 (32 FR 4001,
March 11, 1967) and reclassified to threatened under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (40 FR 29863, July 16, 1975). Silver King Creek,
from Llewellyn Falls downstream to Silver King Canyon, and its
associated tributaries in Alpine County, California, comprise the
native historical range of the Paiute cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus
clarkii seleniris) (Service 2004).
[[Page 11966]]
The fish now present in the Silver King Creek watershed between
Llewellyn Falls and Silver King Canyon are a genetic mixture of
introduced rainbow trout (O. mykiss), Lahontan cutthroat trout (O. c.
henshawi), golden trout (O. aquabonita ssp.), and Paiute cutthroat
trout. Hybridization with non-native trout species is the primary
threat to Paiute cutthroat trout within its historical range (Service
2004). Fishery restoration efforts involving Paiute cutthroat trout
span from 1950 to the present and include prior removals of non-native
and hybridized fish, as well as establishing and maintaining introduced
populations of genetically-pure (unhybridized) Paiute cutthroat trout.
Populations of Paiute cutthroat trout have been established in several
California streams outside the Silver King Creek watershed including
the North Fork of Cottonwood Creek and Cabin Creek in the Inyo National
Forest (Mono County), Sharktooth Creek (Fresno County), and Stairway
Creek (Madera County) on the Sierra National Forest.
Genetically pure Paiute cutthroat trout are currently found in
Silver King Creek upstream of Llewellyn Falls, where a previously-
introduced population was restored by CDFG in the early 1990's, and in
other tributaries where populations have been established within the
watershed (e.g., Four Mile Creek, Fly Valley Creek, Coyote Creek and
Corral Valley Creek).
The project would implement the first and second recovery actions
listed in the Paiute Cutthroat Trout Revised Recovery Plan (Service
2004) which lists actions to restore, recover, and ultimately delist
the species. The objective of the proposed project is to return Paiute
cutthroat trout back to its historical range and establish them as the
only salmonid fish species in Silver King Creek to prevent
hybridization with other trout. This is an important and necessary step
in preventing Paiute cutthroat trout from going extinct and also in
conserving the species and restoring it to a level that would allow it
to be removed from the Federal threatened species list. Under current
conditions, easy public access between stream reaches downstream and
upstream of Llewellyn Falls may result in a future unauthorized
transplant of non-native and/or hybridized fish to areas above the
falls.
Under the proposed project, the Agencies would: (1) Use chemical
treatment (rotenone) to eradicate non-native trout from Silver King
Creek and its tributaries between Llewellyn Falls and Silver King
Canyon, as well as Tamarack Lake at the headwaters of Tamarack Lake
Creek, a tributary of Silver King Creek (if fish are present); (2)
Neutralize the rotenone downstream of Silver King Canyon to the 30-
minute travel time mark near the confluence with Snodgrass Creek using
potassium permanganate; and (3) Restock the project area with pure
Paiute cutthroat trout from established donor streams in the upper
Silver King Creek watershed (i.e., Fly Valley, Four Mile, Silver King
Creek, or possibly Coyote Creek).
The proposed stocking of pure Paiute cutthroat trout will expand
the current population size and distribution downstream from Llewellyn
Falls to a series of six impassible fish barriers in Silver King Canyon
and associated tributaries. These barriers, the two highest being 8 and
10 feet high, would prevent any reinvasion of non-native trout from
areas downstream of the project area and greatly reduce the likelihood
of and impacts from any future illegal non-native species introduction.
By expanding the populations and range of the species, the project
would also increase the probability of long-term viability and reduce
threats from genetic bottlenecking and stochastic events.
The proposed project also includes pre-treatment removal of fish by
seeking California Fish and Game Commission approval for an increased
daily bag limit (harvest) that would allow anglers increased access to
fishing in the project area in an attempt to reduce existing non-native
trout populations; pre-treatment biological surveys and monitoring for
amphibians and benthic macroinvertebrates; placement of signs to inform
the public; water quality monitoring (during and post treatment); and
post-treatment biological monitoring. The Agencies would apply rotenone
to the project area in the summers of 2009 and 2010 (and 2011 if
needed). Additional treatments would be scheduled as necessary to
ensure complete removal of non-native trout from the project area.
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
The proposed project triggers the need for compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Accordingly, the Service has
prepared a draft EIS/EIR that evaluates the impacts of the proposed
project (Alternative 2) and also evaluates the impacts of a reasonable
range of alternatives.
The draft EIS/EIR analyzes two alternatives in addition to the
proposed project described above. The Service has identified the
proposed project as the Preferred Alternative. Additional alternatives
are described below.
Alternative 1-No Action Alternative: Under the No Action
Alternative, the Service would not implement the proposed action.
Instead, current stream and fishery management practices would continue
into the foreseeable future. This alternative would include the
continued protection of pure (unhybridized) Paiute cutthroat trout
populations in Upper Fish Valley by maintaining restriction of
recreational fishing on a small portion Silver King Creek downstream of
Llewellyn Falls.
Alternative 3--Combined Physical Removal Alternative: This non-
chemical alternative would include a combination of electrofishing,
gill netting, seining, detonation cord, and other physical methods to
treat Silver King Creek and its tributaries, springs, and Tamarack Lake
(if fish are present). Because this alternative could have low
efficiency in the rocky stream environment, it would be implemented
over multiple years (i.e., until no fish are found using physical
removal techniques).
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the draft EIS/EIR you may submit your
comments to the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this
document. 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 may
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 Service will evaluate the application, associate documents, and
comments submitted to them to prepare a final EIS/EIR. Project
implementation will be made no sooner than 30 days after the
publication of the final EIS/EIR and completion of the Record of
Decision.
This notice is provided pursuant to implementing regulations for
NEPA (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: March 10, 2009.
Margaret Kolar,
Acting Deputy Regional Director, Region 8, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. E9-6098 Filed 3-19-09; 8:45 am]
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