Moose-Wolf-Vegetation Management Plan/EIS National Park Service Isle Royale National Park | Michigan U.S. Department of the Interior Summer 2015 You’re invited!
Dear Friend of Isle Royale, Thank you for your continued interest in the moose and wolf populations at Isle Royale National Park (Isle Royale). This predator-prey relationship has been studied for decades, has garnered national and even international attention, and is of great interest to Native American bands of the area, park visitors, researchers, and many other organizations and community groups. The story of wolves on Isle Royale is compelling and ever changing. Their population has fluctuated over the past 65 plus years since they were first documented on the island, but has been in steep decline for the past five years. This past winter was no exception. Researchers from Michigan Technological University found three wolves on the island and documented one mortality. In addition, an ice bridge formed again this past winter for the second year in a row, and a pair of wolves crossed the ice bridge from their home range on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation and traveled about 14 miles to Isle Royale. The pair explored the island, but did not stay, returning to the mainland five days later. Furthermore, five out of the nine wolves present in 2014 are unaccounted Chickenbone Lake (Photo: D. Rosenbach) for. They may have survived, perished, or left the island during the 2015 ice bridge events. The moose population on the island has also fluctuated over time. Over the past few years the population has increased greatly for numerous reasons, including the fact that wolf predation rates have been low. The changes in these populations raise concern about the potential for impacts to park resources, including vegetation. As a result, the National Park Service (NPS) has published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register announcing the initiation of a Moose-Wolf-Vegetation Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (plan/EIS). The plan/EIS is meant to provide direction for the future management of the Isle Royale moose and wolf populations in light of the changes occurring on the island. Additional information about the scope of the plan/EIS is included in this newsletter, such as the purpose and need, environmental issues to be considered in the plan, and preliminary draft alternative concepts. I encourage you to review the information herein and participate in the scoping phase of this planning process by providing your feedback to the planning team. You can provide comments on our NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROmoosewolf A series of public open houses with identical format will be held later this summer and I invite you to attend one of them if you are able. We look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Phyllis A. Green, Superintendent Isle Royale National Park
Exact dates, times, and locations will be announced Locations of Public Scoping Meetings via press release and online at: • Grand Portage, Minnesota http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROmoosewolf
• Windigo, Isle Royale Each meeting will have an identical format and agenda. • Rock Harbor, Isle Royale The meetings will begin with a brief presentation followed by an open house, during which time staff from the • Houghton, Michigan National Park Service will be available to answer questions.
1 Background Information
Isle Royale National Park (Isle Royale) is an island natural processes, primarily wolves killing other wolves archipelago in the northwestern portion of Lake and starvation. Furthermore, genetic inbreeding, a Superior consisting almost entirely of designated natural process in small, isolated populations has led wilderness. Isle Royale exhibits a unique biogeography. to physical deformities and has likely resulted in low Organisms that live on islands have more dynamic productivity and survival. The future presence of wolves population trends and are more often subjected to on the island is in doubt unless new wolves emigrate or extinction events with colonization and immigration are introduced. occurrences depending on island size, distance to the Moose first arrived on Isle Royale in the early 1900s and mainland, length of isolation (time), chance events, their population has fluctuated dramatically over the past habitat suitability and human activity, to name a few century. Moose are known to have important effects on influencing factors. In other words, things come and island vegetation. For example, in the past the population go from islands; local extirpation is natural, as is has increased dramatically and then declined following establishment and re-establishment of new populations. severe over-browsing of island vegetation. This boom and Wolves are the only predator of moose on the island, bust cycle has occurred in both the presence and absence and they affect moose abundance and distribution of wolves; however, the magnitude of the fluctuation across the island. Wolves were first documented near is likely to increase without wolves. More recently, the Isle Royale in the 1940s when they were observed on moose population has again been on the rise and is the ice between the Sibley peninsula of Ontario and Isle currently estimated to be 1,250. Although the population Royale. It is largely accepted that wild wolves arrived is likely to increase in the short-term in the presence of on Isle Royale by crossing an ice bridge during winter a very low wolf population, it is unclear how sensitive between 1948 and 1950 and that they founded the Isle moose on Isle Royale will be to the changing climate. Royale population. However, the 1948-50 arrival of Heat stress and the availability of preferred vegetation are wolves was followed in 1951-52 by the release of four issues if temperatures continue to warm. Some mainland pen-raised wolves from the Detroit Zoo, two of which moose populations have been in decline and it is unclear were subsequently removed from the wild. Researchers if the moose on Isle Royale will follow this same trend in have raised questions regarding the contribution of the future. those that potentially persisted into the population. Vegetation at Isle Royale is also changing. The park lies Like many mainland wolf populations, the population within a temperate-boreal forest transition zone where at Isle Royale has fluctuated widely over time even temperate tree species are near their northern range limits though wolves have always been protected and never and boreal trees are near their southern range limits. hunted or subjected to control efforts. The long-term Recent warming favors temperate over boreal species and average wolf population on the island is 22. Wolf early signs suggest a shift from boreal to temperate species population variation on the island has been primarily in the region. Since moose favor some boreal tree species driven by the availability of older moose and calves, such as balsam fir for food in the winter, this change may which are most vulnerable to predation. The vast alter the available moose forage in the future. majority of wolf mortalities on Isle Royale are due to
Isle Royale Moose and Wolf Populations Over Time 2500 200
2000 160
1500 120 Moose
1000 80 Number of Moose Number of Wolves
500 Wolves 40
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1959 1964 1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2 Year (Raw Data from Vucetich and Peterson, MTU) Purpose and Need
WHY PREPARE A MOOSE-WOLF-VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN/EIS? Moose have important effects on island vegetation, including forest cover, and wolves are the only moose predator on the island. The moose-wolf-vegetation food web is tightly coupled. Given that the wolf population at Isle Royale is very low and their long- term survival on the island is in question, the moose population is likely to increase in the short term (5-10 years), which could result in impacts to vegetation and forest cover because of over-browsing.
Arctic disjunct species (Saxifraga tricuspidata) (NPS Photo)
Need: A plan is needed to address environmental impacts that could occur to the moose population and vegetation from the potential extirpation of wolves. Purpose: The Eastern Wolf (NPS Photo) purpose of the plan is to provide direction for managing the Isle Royale moose and wolf populations for at least the next 20 years in light of the dynamic changes occurring on the island.
Bull Moose (Photo: D. Rosenbach)
CHECK IT OUT ONLINE
Information on this project is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROmoosewolf From this site, you can follow the progress of this project, download project documents, find out about meetings, and provide comments at critical points.
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2 • Isle Royale National Park • Cultural Resources Management Plan Issues
An “issue” describes the relationship between actions and environmental resources (natural, cultural, and socioeconomic). Issues are usually problems that either the “no action” alternative (or current situation) has caused or that any of the proposed alternatives might cause, but they may be questions, concerns, problems, or other relationships, including beneficial ones.
With respect to moose, wolves, and vegetation management at Isle Royale National Park, the NPS has identified issues related to the following resources or values. • Moose and wolf populations
• Plants and woody vegetation, due to impacts from moose browsing
• Sensitive plant species, such as orchids, that are affected by forest changes
• Other wildlife species (e.g. beaver, hare, coyote, fox, ravens, and other bird species) affected by changes in natural habitat conditions
• Streams and hydrology, due to changing streamflow conditions Beaver Logging at Isle Royale (Photo: D. Rosenbach) • Wetlands, due to potential changes to wetland plant communities WILDERNESS • Visitor experience, due to changes in forest structure and populations of moose and wolves Ninety-nine percent of the land area of Isle Royale National Park was designated as • Wilderness character, due to the majority of the wilderness in 1976 and therefore the plan/ island’s land area being designated wilderness EIS will be developed in accordance with the and actions under consideration that could Wilderness Act of 1964 and agency wilderness affect the quality of wilderness character policy. A minimum requirements analysis will be conducted. • Challenges associated with access and a short operating season on a remote island
View from Mount Ojibway (Photo: D. Rosenbach)
5 Range of Preliminary Draft Alternative Concepts
As part of the planning process, various alternatives for the management of moose, wolves, and vegetation at Isle Royale will be evaluated. Preliminary draft alternative concepts being considered early in the process include the no-action alternative (continuation of current management) and multiple action alternatives that propose NPS intervention to manage moose, wolves, and vegetation in various ways. These preliminary concepts explore options for potentially perpetuating the role wolves play as natural predators, managing the moose population and resulting levels of herbivory, and directly managing vegetation. Under all of the alternative concepts, the park would continue to permit research efforts, as applicable, in accordance with law, regulation and policy. Furthermore, the NPS will consider an adaptive management framework, as appropriate, to address key uncertainties.
Alternative Concept A Current management would continue; the park would not actively manage (no-action alternative) vegetation or the moose and wolf populations
Alternative Concept B Reestablish wolves on the island by bringing in new wolves one time to mimic (introduce wolves once) a migration event; no moose management
Alternative Concept C Maintain populations of moose and wolves on the island, which could (maintain both species) include wolf reintroduction or augmentation
Alternative Concept D Reestablish wolves on the island by bringing in new wolves one time; reduce moose (introduce wolves once and density if/when the wolf population is no longer impacting the moose population reduce the moose population) and moose herbivory is having a demonstrated impact on park resources
No wolf reintroduction or augmentation; reduce moose density if/when the wolf Alternative Concept E population is no longer impacting the moose population and moose herbivory is (reduce moose population) having a demonstrated impact on park resources
Alternative Concept F No wolf reintroduction or augmentation; intensively manage moose population (intensively manage the to a low level; potential for direct vegetation restoration through seed gathering moose population) and planting on offshore islands
TOOLS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR MANAGING MOOSE DENSITY • Wolf augmentation (adding wolves to an existing population) • Wolf reintroduction (adding wolves after local wolf extirpation) • Translocation of live moose • Culling of moose Effective management of moose may require the use of motorized or mechanized equipment, such as helicopters. (NPS Photo)
6 How to Comment
When making public comments, please consider the following questions: Submit comments electronically at: 1. What other alternatives, alternative http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ISROmoosewolf elements, or management tools should be considered? 2. What issues should be considered when evaluating future management of moose, Submit written comments at an in- wolves, and vegetation at Isle Royale? person public meeting. 3. What type and intensity of management should the NPS consider given that Mail or hand deliver written approximately 99% of the land area of comments to: Isle Royale National Park is designated Isle Royale National Park wilderness? Attention: Moose-Wolf-Vegetation 4. What type and intensity of management Management Plan should the NPS consider in the face 800 East Lakeshore Drive of a changing climate? Houghton, Michigan 49931 5. What do you like and dislike about the preliminary alternatives? Please submit ALL comments no later than 30 days after the last scheduled public meeting.
Comments will not be accepted by fax, e-mail, or any other way than those specified above. Bulk comments in any format (hard copy or electronic) submitted on behalf of others will not be accepted. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
NEPA Process
PLAN/EIS ESTIMATED SCHEDULE The National Park Service is preparing this plan/EIS in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to analyze impacts to the human environment for any major federal action. Important steps in the NEPA process and an anticipated timeline are as follows:
Notice of Intent to Prepare a Moose-Wolf-Vegetation WE ARE June/July 2015 Management Plan/EIS (Public Scoping Period Begins) HERE
Summer 2015 Public Scoping Meetings 30 days after the last Public Scoping Comment Period Concludes public scoping meeting Fall 2015 Analyze comments and prepare Public Comment Analysis Report Fall 2015 – Fall 2016 Gather Data, Refine Alternatives, Analyze Impacts, and Prepare the Draft Plan/EIS Winter 2016/2017 Draft Plan/EIS Available for Public Review Summer/Fall 2017 Final Plan/EIS Released Fall/Winter 2017 Record of Decision
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