[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 120 (Monday, June 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35567-35568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14544]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS-IMR-YELL-15018;PPIMYELL82, PPMRSNR1Z.AM0000]
Remote Vaccination Program To Reduce the Prevalence of
Brucellosis in Yellowstone Bison, Record of Decision, Yellowstone
National Park, Wyoming
AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: The National Park Service announces the availability of the
Record of Decision for the Remote Vaccination Program to Reduce the
Prevalence of Brucellosis in Yellowstone Bison, Environmental Impact
Statement, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. On March 3, 2014, the
Regional Director, Intermountain Region approved the Record of Decision
for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). As soon as practicable,
the National Park Service will begin to implement the Preferred
Alternative contained in the Final EIS issued on January 24, 2014.
ADDRESSES: The Record of Decision will be available for public
inspection online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BisonRemoteVacc, and
at the Yellowstone Center for Resources, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone
National Park, Wyoming 82190, telephone (307) 344-2203.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Carpenter or Rick Wallen,
P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, telephone (307) 344-
2203, or by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Park Service (NPS) considered
three alternatives in the Final EIS: Alternative A--No Action;
Alternative B--Remote Delivery Vaccination for Young Bison Only; and
Alternative C--Remote Delivery Vaccination for Young Bison and Adult
Females. The NPS has identified Alternative A--No Action, as the
Preferred Alternative in the Final EIS and as the Selected Action in
the Record of Decision based on substantial uncertainties associated
with vaccine efficacy, delivery, duration of the vaccine-induced
protective immune response, diagnostics, bison behavior and evaluation
of public comments. Consistent with the 2000 Interagency Bison
Management Plan (IBMP), under the Selected Action the NPS will continue
hand-syringe vaccination of bison at capture facilities near the park
boundary and conduct monitoring and research on the relationship
between vaccine-induced immune responses and protection from clinical
disease (e.g., abortions). Also, selective culling of potentially
infectious bison based on age and diagnostic test results may be
continued at capture facilities to reduce the number of abortions that
maintain the disease. The NPS will continue the adaptive management
program, as described in the 2000 Record of Decision for the IBMP and
subsequent adaptive management adjustments, to learn more about the
disease brucellosis and answer uncertainties, as well as to develop or
improve suppression techniques that could be used to facilitate
effective outcomes, minimize adverse impacts, and lower operational
costs of efforts to reduce brucellosis prevalence in the future.
As part of the Selected Action, the NPS will also continue to work
with other federal and state agencies, American Indian tribes, academic
institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other interested
[[Page 35568]]
parties to develop holistic management approaches, monitoring, and
research projects that could be conducted to improve the adaptive
management decision process, and better vaccines, delivery methods, and
diagnostics for reducing the prevalence of brucellosis in bison and elk
and transmissions to cattle. The Record of Decision includes a
statement of the decision made, synopses of other alternatives
considered, the basis for the decision, a description of the
environmentally preferable alternative, a finding of no impairment of
park resources and values, a list on measures to minimize environmental
harm, and an overview of public involvement in the decision-making
process.
Dated: May 19, 2014.
Sue E. Masica,
Regional Director, Intermountain Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-14544 Filed 6-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-CB-P