Final Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement/ Resources Management Plan for Improvement of Water Quality and Conservation of Rare Species and Their Habitats on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park; Availability

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

Final Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement/

Resources Management Plan for Improvement of Water Quality and

Conservation of Rare Species and Their Habitats on Santa Rosa Island,

Channel Islands National Park; Availability

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 (Pub. L. 91-190, as amended), the National Park

Service, Department of the Interior, has prepared an abbreviated Final

Supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Resources

Management Plan for improving water quality and conserving rare species

and their habitats on Santa Rosa Island. Upon completion of the current

conservation planning and impact analysis process, a new Record of

Decision will be prepared which will supersede the previous decision

concerning this stewardship initiative.

BACKGROUND: In August, 1995, the National Park Service (NPS) began

developing a resources management plan for Santa Rosa Island to address

impacts from ongoing commercial ranching and hunting on water quality,

riparian values, and rare plant species and their habitats. In May,

1996 the NPS completed and distributed a draft environmental impact

statement (Draft) for this plan; during a 125-day public review period,

the NPS received over 240 comments. The Draft was subsequently revised,

and a final environmental impact statement (Final) for the resources

management plan was released in April, 1997. In a Record of Decision

signed June 9, 1997, the NPS indicated the intent to implement the

Proposed Action, Alternative D, Revised Conservation Strategy.

Subsequently negotiations for revising the alternative ensued among

Vail & Vickers, the National Park and Conservation Foundation, and the

NPS. As a result, a draft supplement to the Final was prepared which

identified a new alternative, Alternative F, Negotiated Settlement.

Members of the public and interested agencies and organizations were

afforded an opportunity to comment during a 60-day public review period

from February 17 to April 17, 1998. Although many elements of the

negotiated Alternative F were similar to the previously selected

Alternative D, there were some differences.

New Proposed Action: Under Alternative F, Negotiated Settlement,

water quality and riparian values would be improved and rare plants and

their habitats would be conserved by rapid removal of cattle and phased

removal of deer and elk. With the exception of 12 head in Lobo Pasture,

all cattle would be removed by the end of 1998. Deer and elk would be

removed by the end of 2011, although they could be removed earlier if

necessary to achieve recovery goals for selected listed species and

their habitats. After an initial reduction in deer and elk, an adaptive

management program for deer and elk would be implemented. Under

adaptive management, deer and elk would be managed at levels allowing

rare species and their habitats to recover. Provided recovery goals

were met, Vail & Vickers would be permitted to conduct commercial deer

and elk hunting activities. After the adaptive management period, deer

and elk populations could be eliminated during a final phaseout period.

If for some reason an acceptable adaptive management program cannot be

developed, deer and elk populations will be reduced at a pre-determined

rate. Also, the NPS would implement road management actions to reduce

impacts to island streams, and would develop a comprehensive alien

plant management plan to address problems caused by alien species. The

NPS would develop monitoring programs for rare species, water quality,

and riparian recovery. Visitor access to Santa Rosa Island would be

increased beyond current levels.

Other Alternatives: Other alternatives subject to the supplemental

conservation planning and impact analysis process were the same as

identified and described in the Final. In addition to the above, these

include: Alternative A, No Action; Alternative B, Minimal Action;

Alternative C, Targeted Management Action; and Alternative E, Immediate

Removal of Ungulates.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The final supplement contains responses to

seven (7) respondents to the draft supplement (eight comments were

received). It also contains changes and clarifications which are minor

and few in number; information and analysis otherwise remains

essentially unchanged. As an abbreviated document, it must be combined

with the draft supplement and original Draft and Final EIS to comprise

a complete record. The no-action period for the final supplement will

extend for 30-days from EPA's notice of the filing of the document in

the Federal Register. Requests for information or copies of the

document should be directed to the Superintendent, Channel Islands

National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001, or by telephone

at (805) 658-5776. Copies will also be available at area libraries.

Dated: May 21, 1998.

Martha K. Leicester,

Acting Regional Director, Pacific West.

[FR Doc. 98-16375 Filed 6-18-98; 8:45 am]

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