[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:

<bullet> Provide for a limited gull egg harvest in the Park by tribal 
members of the Hoonah Indian Association (HIA)
<bullet> Not impair the biological sustainability of the Park's 
glaucous-winged gull population
<bullet> 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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