[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 115 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14596]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 16, 1994]
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Part II
Department of the Interior
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Bureau of Indian Affairs
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Environmental Impact Statement, Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux
Reservations, SD; Notice
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Livestock Grazing
and Prairie Dog Management for the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux
Reservations in South Dakota
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) is available for public review and that public
hearings will be held regarding this document. This proposal is for the
development of a plan to manage prairie dogs and livestock grazing on
the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Reservations.
DATES: Two public hearings on the DEIS will be held. The first hearing
will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. The second
hearing will be held on Thursday, July 21, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. Written
comments should be received on or before August 22, 1994, at the
address listed below.
ADDRESSES: Comments and participation at the public hearing are
invited. Written comments should be directed to Mr. Donald Whitener,
Acting Area Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Aberdeen Area Office,
115 4th Avenue, SE, Aberdeen, South Dakota, 57401, Phone: (605) 226-
7343, Fax: (605) 226-7446. The first public hearing will be held
Wednesday, July 20, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. at the Rosebud Sioux Tribal
Council Chambers, Rosebud, South Dakota, 57570. The second public
hearing will be held Thursday, July 21, 1994, at 7:00 p.m. at the
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council Chambers, Eagle Butte, South
Dakota, 57625.
Copies of the DEIS and/or Summary of the DEIS have been sent to all
agencies and individuals who participated in the scoping process and to
all others who have already requested copies of the document. Persons
wishing copies of this DEIS should immediately contact Ken Parr at the
address below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Parr, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Aberdeen Area Office, 115 4th Avenue SE, Aberdeen, South Dakota, 57401,
Phone: (605) 226-7621, Fax: (605) 226-7358.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: This DEIS includes two proposals, one for
each reservation. The proposals are for developing grazing management
systems and for implementing varying levels of prairie dog poisoning on
trust lands within the reservations. The proposals are intended to
maintain or improve range condition to appropriate levels to sustain
reservation carrying capacities for livestock grazing. This notice is
required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Regulations
(40 CFR part 1503) to obtain comments on the DEIS from agencies and the
public.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Department of the Interior, in
cooperation with the Rosebud and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, has
prepared a DEIS on the proposed management of prairie dogs and
livestock grazing on trust lands on the Rosebud and Cheyenne River
Sioux Reservations. The alternatives for each reservation include
varying levels of prairie dog poisoning and grazing management systems.
The purpose and need for these actions is to maintain or improve
range condition to meet tribal objectives to sustain reservation
carrying capacities for livestock grazing and, therefore, increase
tribal income. The Tribal Councils feel that some grazing lands are
degraded and many perceive that prairie dogs compete with livestock for
forage, causing economic losses to the tribes and tribal members.
The preferred alternative (Alternative 3) for the Rosebud
Reservation would implement extensive range improvements and conduct
chemical treatment of prairie dogs on all trust lands outside the
7,400-acre Corn Creek Management Area (CCMA, located on the western
boundary of the reservation). This alternative would meet tribal
grazing objectives and maintain the untreated CCMA for ecosystem
biodiversity. Other alternatives considered were: continuing current
grazing management program with no prairie dog treatment; implementing
extensive range improvements and treating prairie dogs on all trust
lands, with follow-up treatment for at least 90 percent control; and
implementing extensive range improvements and treating prairie dogs on
all trust lands once, with follow-up treatments only on trust lands
outside the CCMA.
The preferred alternative for the Cheyenne River Reservation is the
Prairie Management Plan (Alternative 2) developed by the Tribe in May
1992. The plan proposes extensive range improvements with prairie dog
treatment conducted only under limited circumstances, such as in
cemeteries and on powwow grounds. This alternative would meet tribal
grazing objectives and maintain ecosystem biodiversity. Other
alternatives considered were: continuing the current grazing management
program with no prairie dog treatment on trust lands; implementing
extensive range improvements on trust lands, conducting no prairie dog
treatment within the 10,000 acre prairie dog complex along the Morcau
River, conducting prairie dog treatment on varying proportion of the
remaining trust lands (25 percent treatment to 100 percent treatment);
and conducting treatment of prairie dogs on 50 percent of all trust
lands, including those within the prairie dog complex along the Morcau
River.
Agencies and individuals are urged to provide comments on this DEIS
as soon as possible. All comments received by the dates given above
will be considered in preparation of the final EIS. Comments made at
the public hearings will not be considered comments on the DEIS unless
they are submitted in writing.
This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500 through 1508)
implementing the procedural requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); Department of
the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-7); and the Bureau of Indian Affairs
guidelines (30 BIAM Supplements 1, 2, and 3.)
Dated: June 9, 1994.
John W. Tippiconnic,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-14596 Filed 6-15-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P
