Untitled Document

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Reintroduction
Great Basin National Park
Baker, Nevada

I. Purpose & Need

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and accompanying GRBA General Management Plan (GMP), approved in 1993, made the decision to reintroduce BCT into selected park streams. This document is tiered to the final GMP EIS and focuses on the selection of stream for a reintroduction effort. Great Basin National Park (GRBA) proposes to complete and implement a Fisheries Management Plan for east-side drainages of the park. The management plan emphasis will focus on the reintroduction of native Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (BCT), as well as to continue to allow recreational fishing of nonnative salmonids. BCT are considered a native species to the east-side drainages of GRBA. Hybridization and competition with nonnative salmonids and man induced habitat changes has led to the complete extirpation of BCT from their historic park waters. The BCT is the subject of political concern as demonstrated by two petitions submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for listing under the Endangered Species Act. GRBA has the opportunity to provide over 24% of the stream miles needed for recovery in Nevada. The FWS and GRBA are developing a Conservation Agreement based upon this plan of action to preclude the need to list BCT under the Endangered Species Act.

II. Alternatives Considered

An Environmental Analysis was conducted from the fall of 1998 through the summer of 1999 and an Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared. Alternatives identified and analyzed during the assessment process were:

1) No action.

2) The reintroduction of Bonneville Cutthroat trout into approximately 18 miles of historic but vacant stream habitat within GRBA and 3 miles of stream habitat on adjacent public lands administered by the Humboldt National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management, while continuing to manage all other streams within the historic range for nonnative salmonid recreational fisheries

3) Reintroduction of Bonneville Cutthroat trout in Strawberry Creek as proposed in Haskins, R.L. 1987, Bonneville cutthroat trout species management plan, Nevada Department of Wildlife

4) The reintroduction of Bonneville Cutthroat trout into all 30 miles of historic but vacant stream habitat within GRBA.

III. Public Review & Availability

The availability notices of the EA were mailed to those individuals in the GRBA NEPA mailing. No responses were received from the initial scoping process. Those requesting an EA were asked for comments and concerns for the 30-day public comment period. The public was given from June 18 until August 1, 1999 to request the EA and issue responses. A total of six people responded with written comments and two verbal responses were received. Those comments were:

Prefers Alternative 2 – 2 comments

Prefers Alternative 4 –3 comments

Prefers Alternative 2 with modifications, including dropping Snake Creek for renovation and reintroduction’s, questions use of streamside incubators, fish barriers and recreational fisheries regulations and limits. – 1 comment

EA needs to clearly address entire streams located on public lands. – 1 comment

Recommends the use of only antimycin A. – 1 comment

In addition, on August 31, 1999, at a meeting with consulting tribes at GRBA, the tribes expressed concerns with the waste of fish during renovation treatments and suggested to make use of fish in streams targeted for renovation through legal harvest or capture and relocation. GRBA is not in the position of developing fishing regulations but is currently working with the Nevada Division of Wildlife to address their concerns.

None of the responses raises issues or concerns not already addresses in the EA, and none substantively affected the outcome of the environmental analysis, prescribed mitigation measures or the alternatives developed.

IV. Summary of Mitigation

Mitigation Matrix

Issue/Resource	Mitigation Measures	Responsible Party
Issue 1. EFFECTS ON NATIVE WILDLIFE	Survey selected stream ecosystems proposed for BCT reintroduction to document baseline conditions. Search for vulnerable native aquatic species that might be impacted by reintroduction efforts. Develop mitigation measures to minimize or eliminate these potential adverse effects. Conduct a comparative analysis that assesses the effects to target and nontarget aquatic resources of rotenone and antimycin A by using both chemicals in different streams. Rotenone will be used in Strawberry Creek and antimycin A in Mill Creek. Apply adaptive management to minimize impacts based upon findings. Just prior to chemical renovation treatments, collect and hold macroinvertebrates in a suitable tank to allow persistence. Release several days post treatment to facilitate system recovery. This will help restore these components of the aquatic system sooner than natural recovery. Just prior to chemical renovation treatments, collect and hold native fish (e.g., mottled sculpin) in a suitable tank to allow persistence. Release several days post-treatment to facilitate system recovery. Nonnative salmonids affected by stream renovation treatments would be collected, as best possible, and buried off site. This will minimize or eliminate the potential effects of any nonaquatic wildlife ingesting treated fish.	Park Biologist Park Biologist Park Biologist Park Biologist Park Biologist
Issue 3. EFFECTS ON THREATENED, ENDANGERED, AND SENSITIVE SPECIES	Just prior to chemical renovation treatments, collect and hold macroinvertebrates in a suitable tank to allow persistence. Release several days post treatment to facilitate system recovery. This will help restore these components of the aquatic system sooner than natural recovery. Nonnative salmonids affected by stream renovation treatments would be collected, as best possible, and buried off site. This will minimize or eliminate the potential effects of any nonaquatic wildlife ingesting treated fish. Schedule treatments after fall bird migration and before spring return if possible.	Park Biologist Park Biologist Park Biologist
Issue 4. EFFECTS ON WATER QUALITY AND USES	All treatments will include potassium permanganate drip stations to detoxify the Piscicides below treatment areas on streams with domestic water uses. This will immediately neutralize the piscicides below the treatment areas. Nonnative salmonids affected by stream renovation treatments would be collected, as best possible, and buried off site. This will minimize the number of decomposing fish within the stream system. To inform visitors, signs will be placed at clearly visible sites at the park boundary along those streams treated. Signs will describe the project, warn of water consumption and specify where potable water is available in the park. A copy of the sign will be placed in a clearly visible site in the park’s visitor center. Interpretative staff will be well informed so as to answer any questions that arise. Negotiate with the private landowners on Mill Creek to time renovation treatments during periods of residence vacancy or develop an agreement to supply them with potable water.	Park Biologist Park Biologist Park Biologist Park Biologist

V. Determination

Based upon the environmental assessment, the comments received from the public review and the ability of the mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate adverse impacts, the National Park Service has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action and will not have a significant effect on the human environment. There are neither cumulative effects, nor any indirect effects or connected actions. The FWS, through informal consultation, concurs that implementation of the preferred alternative will assist in the recovery of the BCT prior to any formal ESA listing. Therefore, alternative 2 will be implemented and an environmental impact statement will not be prepared.

Recommended by:

Signatures of Rebecca Mills (GRBA superitendant) and

John Reynolds (Regional Director)

Bonneville cutthroat trout project
Bonneville cutthroat trout reintroduciton Environmental Assessment