The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking for public comment on a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) released today that evaluates options for managing various populations of light geese in order to halt ongoing destruction of migratory bird habitat in arctic Canada.
A notice was published in the Federal Register on September 28 advising the public of the availability of the Services draft EIS, which will ultimately guide its long-range management strategy for overabundant light goose (greater and lesser snow and Ross goose) populations that migrate through and winter throughout much of the U.S. The Service expects to publish a proposed rule soon that if approved would implement the preferred action alternative identified in the draft EIS.
"This environmental impact statement, when finalized, will establish a national management strategy for light goose populations that will return them to sustainable levels and protect vital migratory bird breeding habitat in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Dozens of migratory bird species that winter in and migrate through the backyards, parks and wilds of the United States depend on this habitat, which is rapidly being destroyed by light goose populations that exceed the ability of the land to support them," said acting Service Director Marshall Jones. "We invite the public to comment on the alternatives analyzed in the draft EIS."
The draft EIS evaluates a range of alternatives in relation to their ability to reduce and stabilize light goose populations and prevent further degradation of habitats important to those geese and other migratory birds.
The Services proposed alternative seeks to manage light goose populations by increasing the harvest of light geese and modifying current habitat management programs. This increased harvest would be achieved by modifying existing hunting season regulations to permit the use of unplugged shotguns and electronic calls during light goose seasons after all other migratory bird seasons have closed, and by creating a new regulation to allow harvest outside of normal hunting seasons. The proposed alternative is similar to provisions currently in effect that were implemented by legislation in 1999 pending completion of the EIS. The proposed alternative would also allow states in the Atlantic Flyway to implement conservation measures to control the rapidly expanding population of greater snow geese. Other alternatives range from taking no additional action to the direct removal of large numbers of light geese on the birds breeding grounds in the arctic, using wildlife agency personnel or their agents.
Publication of the draft EIS opens a public comment period, during which the public may submit written comments on the draft. The Service will host a series of public meetings in states containing important snow and Ross goose migration and wintering habitat to gather additional public comments. Dates, locations and times of those meetings will be announced in a future public notice.
Increasing agricultural and refuge development along waterfowl flyways has improved the food supply available to light geese during their yearly migrations. As a result, population growth rates have exploded. The annual winter population index of mid-continent light geese has tripled in the past 30 years, from just over 800,000 birds in 1969 to a peak of 3.1 million birds in the winter of 1996-97. Recent poor breeding conditions and increased harvests due to existing conservation measures have contributed to small declines in the winter count to a current level of 2.34 million birds. However, the total number of birds on known breeding colonies in the central and eastern Arctic likely approaches 5.8 million birds in spring. The fragile tundra and salt marsh salt marsh
Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.
Learn more about salt marsh habitat in the vicinity of light goose breeding colonies cannot support populations of that size.
In addition to the problems caused by lesser snow and Ross goose populations, similar impacts are now being recorded from greater snow geese. The number of greater snow geese increased from 25,400 birds in 1965 to more than 837,000 birds in 2001. The rapidly expanding population has caused degradation of natural marsh habitats along migration areas in the St. Lawrence River valley. Farmers have also suffered extensive crop damage by geese in surrounding areas.
Over the past decade, researchers have documented increasing habitat loss and degradation on thousands of acres of salt marshes and freshwater wetlands in the Canadian arctic, especially in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Congregating in large numbers, light geese dig into the soil, consuming the roots of plants before they have sprouted. Grazing of aboveground portions of plants by geese further removes vegetative cover. Plant communities are increasingly unable to rebound from this intense grazing, grubbing and shoot-pulling, particularly given the short growing season in the Arctic. Removal of plant cover also results in an increase in evaporation rates, bringing additional salts to the surface and increasing the salinity of the soil. This increased salinity reduces and eventually eliminates the ability of salt marsh plants to grow in the soil, resulting in desertification, erosion and permanent loss of habitat.
In 1999, the Service allowed 24 midwestern and southern States to take conservation measures aimed at reducing the population of mid-continent light geese. The measures, which included allowing the use of unplugged shotguns and electronic calls during select portions of the regular hunting season, as well as a conservation order permitting harvest of light geese outside the traditional hunting season frameworks, were implemented in February 1999 but were subsequently challenged in court. The regulations were withdrawn in May 1999 to prevent further litigation.
After withdrawing the rules, the Service accelerated completion of a planned EIS process, holding scoping meetings in the fall of 1999. Congress became concerned that the length of the EIS process would leave the Service and State wildlife agencies without the ability to slow the widening extent of habitat destruction. Congress approved legislation signed into law in
November 1999 that reinstated the rules pending completion of the EIS, thus preventing a delay that would have compounded the habitat destruction problem. Those rules remain in effect pending completion of the EIS process.
The Service will accept public comment on the draft EIS through December 14. The draft EIS will soon be available on the internet at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov">. To obtain a hard copy of the EIS, write to the Chief, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, ms 634 ARLSQ, 1849 C St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.
Comments may be sent to the above address or via email to white_goose_eis@fws.gov">. For further information contact the Division of Migratory Bird Management, (703) 358-1714. Dates, locations and times of future hearings that will be held to discus the draft and gather public comments will be announced in a future Federal Register notice.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 535 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit our home page at http://www.fws.gov
