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Notice of Availability Draft Environmental Impact Statement and White-Tailed Deer Management Plan; Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

PDF Version (2 pp, 46K, About PDF)

[Federal Register: July 10, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 131)]
[Notices]
[Page 33276-33277]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10jy09-73]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service

Notice of Availability Draft Environmental Impact Statement and
White-Tailed Deer Management Plan; Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC

AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement and White-Tailed Deer Management Plan for Rock Creek Park,
Washington, DC.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42
U.S.C. 4332(2)(C), the National Park Service announces the availability
of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and White-tailed Deer
Management Plan for Rock Creek Park, Washington, District of Columbia.
The White-tailed Deer Management Plan will support long-term
protection, preservation, and restoration of native vegetation and
other natural and cultural resources in Rock Creek Park. The DEIS
describes four management alternatives, including the No Action
Alternative (continue existing management) and three Action
Alternatives, one of which is identified as the preferred alternative.

DATES: A Notice of Intent (NOI) was published in the Federal Register
on September 20, 2006 (71 FR 182). A 60-day comment period was begun
when the NOI was published. Public scoping meetings were held at the
Rock Creek Park Nature Center November 1-2, 2006. Responses to public
comment are addressed in the DEIS. The NPS will accept public comments
on the DEIS until September 8, 2009. In addition, public meetings will
be conducted at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center. Details on these
public meetings will be available in local newspapers, on the NPS Web
site http://www.nps.gov/rocr, or by contacting staff at Rock Creek Park
by telephone at (202) 895-6000.

ADDRESSES: The DEIS and White-tailed Deer Management Plan will be
available for public review on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public
Comment (PEPC) Web site at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/rocr by
selecting the link ``Deer Management Plan for Rock Creek Park.'' Bound
copies of the DEIS and White-tailed Deer Management Plan will also be
available at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road, NW.,
Washington, DC; at Rock Creek Park Headquarters, 3545 Williamsburg
Lane, NW., Washington, DC; and at public libraries adjacent to Rock
Creek Park.

[[Page 33277]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrienne A. Coleman, Superintendent,
Rock Creek Park, 3545 Williamsburg Lane, NW., Washington, DC 20008,
(202) 895-6000.
    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. Although 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. We will make all submissions from organizations,
businesses, or individuals identifying themselves as representatives or
officials of organizations or businesses, available for public
inspection in their entirety.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS evaluates four alternatives for
managing white-tailed deer in the park. The document describes and
analyzes the environmental impacts of the No-Action Alternative and
three Action Alternatives. When approved, the plan will guide deer
management actions in Rock Creek Park over the next 15 years.
    Alternative A (No Action) would continue the existing deer
management actions and policies of monitoring vegetation, deer density
and relative numbers, using limited protection fencing and deer
repellents to protect rare plants in natural areas and small areas in
landscaped and cultural areas, data management, continuing current
educational and interpretive measures, as well as inter-jurisdictional
communication; no new deer management actions would be implemented.
    Alternative B would include all actions described under Alternative
A, but would incorporate several non-lethal actions to protect forest
seedlings, promote forest regeneration, and gradually reduce the deer
numbers in the park. Additional actions under Alternative B would
include large-scale exclosures (fencing) and reproductive control of
does via sterilization and immunocontraceptives when feasible.
    Alternative C would include all actions described under Alternative
A, but would also incorporate two lethal deer management actions to
reduce the herd size. Additional actions under Alternative C would
include reduction of the deer herd by either sharpshooting or capture
and euthanasia of individual deer. Capture and euthanasia of individual
deer would be an approach used in limited circumstances where
sharpshooting may not be appropriate.
    Alternative D (the NPS Preferred Alternative) would include all
actions described under Alternative A, but would also include a
combination of certain additional lethal and non-lethal actions from
Alternatives B and C to reduce deer herd numbers. The lethal actions
would include both sharpshooting and capture/euthanasia and would be
taken initially to quickly reduce the deer herd numbers. Population
maintenance would be conducted via reproductive control methods if
these are available and feasible. Sharpshooting would be used as a
default option for maintenance if reproductive control methods would
prove to be unavailable and infeasible. Alternative D would fully meet
the plan objectives and has more certainty of success than the other
alternatives analyzed. The relatively rapid reduction in both deer
density and browsing pressure on native plant communities and species
of special concern would provide beneficial impacts to the natural and
cultural resources of the park.

    Dated: May 1, 2009.
Margaret O'Dell,
Regional Director, National Capital Region.
[FR Doc. E9-16328 Filed 7-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-34-P

 
 

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