TFM. March 15. 2001. Lake Champlain: availabiilty of DEIS to evaluate continued sea lamprey control. Federal Register.

FLUORIDE ACTION NETWORK PESTICIDE PROJECT
TFM. March 15, 2001. Lake Champlain: availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) To Evaluate Continued Sea Lamprey Control in Lake Champlain. Federal Register.
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-IMPACT/2001/March/Day-15/i6437.htm
[Federal Register: March 15, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 51)]
[Notices]
[Page 15135-15136]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr01-91]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement (DSEIS) To Evaluate Continued Sea Lamprey Control in Lake
Champlain

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior (Lead Agency); New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Vermont Department
of Fish and Wildlife (Cooperating Agencies).

ACTION: Notice of availability for public comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of a DSEIS on a
proposal to continue sea lamprey control in Lake Champlain. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in cooperation with the Vermont
Department of Fish and Wildlife (VTDFW) and the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) prepared a DSEIS to
evaluate the proposal to continue sea lamprey control in Lake
Champlain, to maintain reduced levels of sea lamprey and achieve
further reductions. The DSEIS has been prepared pursuant to section
102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, in
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for
implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 to 1508). USFWS invites other
Federal agencies, States, Indian tribes, local governments, and the
general public to submit comments on the document. All comments
received, including the names and addresses, will become part of the
administrative record and may be made available to the public.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before April 30, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the DSEIS should be addressed to
Mr. Dave Tilton, Project Leader, USFWS Lake Champlain Office, 11
Lincoln St., Essex Junction, Vermont 05452. Written comments may also
be sent by facsimile to 802-872-9704. Alternatively, comments may be
submitted electronically to the following address--dave_tilton@fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dave Tilton, Project Leader, USFWS
Lake Champlain Office, 11 Lincoln St., Essex Junction, Vermont 05452,
802-872-0629, Ext. 12, FAX 802-872-9704. New York contact person is Mr.
Lawrence Nashett, Supervising Aquatic Biologist, New York Department of
Environmental Conservation, Region 5, PO Box 296, Ray Brook, New York
12977, 518-897-1333. Vermont contact person is Mr. Brian Chipman,
District Fisheries Biologist, Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife,
111 West Street, Essex Junction, Vermont 05452, 802-878-1564.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Sea lamprey are primitive marine invaders to Lake Champlain. They
are parasitic fish that feed on the body fluids of other fish resulting
in reduced growth and often the death of host fish. A substantial body
of information collected on Lake Champlain indicates sea lamprey have a
profound negative impact upon the lake's fishery resources and have
suppressed efforts to establish new and historical sportfisheries. In
1990, the USFWS, NYSDEC, and VTDFW initiated an 8-year experimental sea
lamprey control program for Lake Champlain. The experimental program
treated tributaries and deltas of Lake Champlain with the chemical
lampricides TFM and Bayluscide, which substantially reduced larval sea
lamprey numbers in treated waters. The program included monitoring and
assessment of the effects of sea lamprey reduction on the
characteristics of certain fish populations, the sport fishery and the
area's growth and economy. A set of 30 evaluation standards were
established. Overall, the experimental sea lamprey control program met
or exceeded the majority of the standards. In addition to this
evaluation, the cooperating agencies assessed the effects of the
program on nontarget organisms.
    Two rounds of treatments were planned for each significantly
infested stream and delta. From 1990 through

[[Page 15136]]

1996, 24 TFM treatments were conducted on 14 Lake Champlain
tributaries, and 9 Bayluscide (5 percent granular) treatments were
conducted on 5 deltas. A cumulative total of approximately 141 stream
miles and 1220 delta acres were treated. In summary, trap catches of
spawning-phase sea lamprey declined by 80 to 90 percent; nest counts
were reduced by 57 percent. Sixteen of 22 TFM treatments reduced
ammocoetes at index stations to less than 10 percent of pre-treatment
levels. Eight of the nine Bayluscide treatments resulted in mean
mortality rates over 85 percent among caged ammocoetes. Relatively
small numbers of nontarget amphibian and fish species were killed.
Adverse effects on nontarget species were higher for Bayluscide
treatments than TFM. Native mussels, snails and some other
macroinvertebrates were significantly affected after the 1991 Bayer 73
treatments of the Ausable and Little Ausable deltas in New York.
However, they recovered to pre-treatment levels within 4 years.
American brook lamprey also experienced substantial treatment-related
mortality. Yet, the finding of dead American brook lamprey in second-
round treatments in each stream where they were negatively affected
during the first round suggested their populations persisted. Wounding
rates on lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon were reduced in the
main lake basin, and catches of both species increased. A significant
increase in survival of age 3 to 4 lake trout was noted; survival of
older fish improved but did not change significantly. Returns of
Atlantic salmon to tributaries increased significantly after treatment.
Changes in wounding rates on brown and rainbow trout could not be
evaluated, but angler catches have increased since 1990. Catch per unit
of effort of rainbow smelt, the major forage species for salmonids,
decreased significantly at one of two sampling stations in the main
lake basin and in Malletts Bay, but not at other locations; length-at-
age also decreased at most sites. Evaluation of angler and general
public responses to the program indicated a favorable, 3.5:1 economic
benefit:cost ratio.
    A Comprehensive Evaluation of an Eight Year Program of Sea Lamprey
Control in Lake Champlain provides a detailed description of the
results of the project. It is available on the USFWS web-site at,
[www.fws.gov/r5lcfwro/lamprey/lamprey.html.], or from any of the
contacts for further information listed above.

Decision To Be Made

    The responsible officials in the USFWS, NYSDEC, and VTDFW must
decide whether to continue sea lamprey control for Lake Champlain. In
addition, if sea lamprey control will continue, the agencies must also
consider the following:
    (1) Should the following list be established as the long term
program objectives?
    (a) Achieve and maintain lamprey wounding rates at or below 25
wounds per 100 lake trout, ideally 10 wounds per 100 lake trout; 15
wounds per 100 landlocked salmon, ideally 5 wounds per 100 landlocked
salmon, and; 2 wounds per 100 walleye, ideally 0 wounds per 100
walleye.
    (b) Attain target wounding rates within 5 years of full
implementation of the Proposed Action. Full implementation is defined
as application of optimal sea lamprey control strategies on tributaries
identified in Proposed Action.
    (c) Employ an integrated approach to continuing sea lamprey control
using lampricides and nonchemical means.
    (2) What mitigation and monitoring measures are required for sound
resource management?
    (3) Is sea lamprey control in the best interest for the resource
and citizens of the States of New York and Vermont?
    The Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Record of
Decision is expected to be released by August 2001. The Responsible
Officials will make a decision regarding this proposal after
considering public comments, and the environmental consequences
displayed in the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement,
applicable laws, regulations, and policies. The decision and supporting
reason will be documented in the Record of Decision.

    Dated: February 23, 2001.
Richard O. Bennett,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 01-6437 Filed 3-14-01; 8:45 am]
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