Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program" to Its Website for the July 23Rd Posting
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USDA \ f\lE COP1j iilillll United States Department of Agriculture ~ -- -·-JUL23 2011 Animal and July 16,2021 Plant Health Inspection Service Policy and Program Submitted electronically Development Hawai'i Office of Environmental Quality Control Environmental and Risk Analysis 235 South Beretania Street, Suite 702 Services Honolulu, Hawai · i 96813 Unit 149 4700 River Road Riverdale. MD SUBJECT: Request to post draft environmental assessment entitled "Wake Atoll Rat 20737 Eradication Program" - Hawai'i Office of Environmental Quality Control ATTN: Thomas Eisen Dear Mr. Eisen The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) is requesting that the Hawai'i Office of Environmental Quality Control post a draft environmental assessment (EA) entitled "Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program" to its website for the July 23rd posting. USDA APHIS wil I also post the draft EA to regulations.gov (Docket#: APHIS-2021-0045) to begin a 30-day public comment period. The public nd comment period for the draft EA will end on August 22 , 202 I. Once the 30-day public comment period is completed USDA APHIS will evaluate the public comments and determine ifa Finding of No Significant Impact (FONS!) is warranted. lfso, USDA APHIS will issue a final EA and FONS!. USDA APHIS will request posting of the final EA and FONS! with your agency and will also post the documents to regulations.gov to fulfill the requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Included with this submission is the following documentation: • Hawai'i Office of Environmental Quality Control Publication Form • A pdfcopy of the draft EA entitled "Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program" • Shapefile and KML file of Wake Atoll If you have any questions regarding this submission, please feel free to contact me by phone at (202) 316-3216, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Sincerely, Digitally signed by JAMES JAMES WARREN ~~=~~~21.01.16os,29:43 -05'00' Jim E. Warren, PhD Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental and Risk Analysis Services cc: J. Eisemann, USDA, APHIS, WS. Fort Collins. CO Page I of I NEPA Action EA/EIS Publication Form Project Name: Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program – Draft Environmental Assessment Island: Wake Atoll District: Not Applicable TMK: Not Applicable Permits: NPDES Applicant or Proposing Agency: Jim E. Warren PhD Environmental Protection Specialist/Environmental Toxicologist USDA – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service PPD - Environmental and Risk Analysis Services 1200 Cherry Brook Drive, Suite 100 Little Rock, AR 72211 Phone: 202 316 3216 Email: [email protected] Approving Agency: Jim E. Warren PhD Environmental Protection Specialist/Environmental Toxicologist USDA – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service PPD - Environmental and Risk Analysis Services 1200 Cherry Brook Drive, Suite 100 Little Rock, AR 72211 Phone: 202 316 3216 Email: [email protected] Consultant: Not Applicable Status: The 30-day public comment period will begin on July 23rd and end on August 22nd, 2021. Comments can be posted to regulations.gov (Docket #: APHIS-2021-0045) or they can be submitted to the above contact. Summary: The purpose of the proposed action is to eradicate the invasive Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) from Wake Atoll. The Pacific rat is an invasive species that poses a threat to human health and native flora and fauna. The proposed eradication project is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Service - Wildlife Services, US Air Force, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Island Conservation. The eradication program at Wake Atoll will consist of a primary eradication effort followed by post-eradication activities that will increase the likelihood of eradication of the Pacific rat. The primary tool for eradication will be rodenticide(s) applied using various aerial and ground-based application methods that are designed to increase the likelihood of a successful eradication and minimize the risk to human health and the environment. Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program Draft Environmental Assessment July 2021 Agency Contact: U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services U.S. Department of Agriculture 3375 Koapaka St. Suite H-42096819 Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program Draft Environmental Assessment Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Air Force U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Prepared by: USDA-APHIS July 2021 Non-Discrimination Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. 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Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at [email protected]. Persons With Disabilities Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish). Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). Mention of companies or commercial products in this report does not imply recommendation or endorsement by USDA over others not mentioned. USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of any product mentioned. Product names are mentioned to report factually on available data and to provide specific information. This publication reports research involving pesticides. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish and other wildlife—if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended label practices for the use and disposal of pesticides and pesticide containers. Draft Environmental Assessment Wake Atoll Rat Eradication Program Executive Summary Executive Summary Wake Atoll is a small coral island in the Pacific Ocean that lies approximately 2,200 miles (3,540 km) west of the Hawaiian Islands. Wake Atoll consists of three islands: Wake, Wilkes, and Peale. These three islands collectively form a V-shaped figure with a shallow lagoon that is open to the Pacific Ocean. The island is managed by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) with the installation’s day-to-day operations managed by a USAF Base Operations Support (BOS) contract. The shallow lagoon in the interior of the atoll and surrounding waters are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as a national wildlife refuge. The refuge is also part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) that is cooperatively managed by the USFWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Wake Atoll is a National Historic Landmark (NHL) due to its military significance during World War II. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Service (USDA-APHIS) Wildlife Services (WS) is proposing to eradicate the invasive Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) from Wake Atoll. The proposed eradication is a cooperative effort between USDA-APHIS WS, USAF, USFWS, and Island Conservation to plan and implement the proposed action. The proposed eradication of the Pacific rat on Wake Atoll is the second attempt to eradicate invasive rodents from the island. An initial attempt in 2012 successfully removed the Asian rat (Rattus tanezumi) from Wake Atoll, and the Pacific rat from Peale Island; however, the Pacific rat was not eradicated from Wake Island and Wilkes Island. Pacific rat populations have rebounded since the 2012 eradication attempt and pose a threat to human health, island infrastructure and natural resources on Wake Atoll. A post-eradication analysis identified data gaps and uncertainties that contributed to the failed rat eradication. Additional studies and project reviews were conducted to address data gaps and uncertainties