April 2012 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Indiana Final White-Tailed Deer Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement April 2012 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FINAL WHITE-TAILED DEER MANAGEMENT PLAN/ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Lake, Porter, LaPorte Counties • Indiana This Final White-Tailed Deer Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement describes four alternatives for the management of deer at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, as well as the environment affected by the alternatives and the environmental consequences of implementing these alternatives. The purposes of this plan and environmental impact statement are as follows: Describe a scientifically based system of checks and balances, such as monitoring and active management, to ensure that the deer population at the national lakeshore does not preclude long-term conservation of sensitive plant and animal populations. Determine how to manage deer populations to prevent degradation of national lakeshore resources. Identify and share with neighboring citizens and local governments the best technical information and expertise on deer management. Identify and maintain a deer impact level that is in balance with other components of the ecosystem and other national lakeshore values. Facilitate public support, education, and appreciation for maintaining the integrity of that ecosystem. Because the local deer population threatens to become a dominant negative influence on ecosystem components within the national lakeshore, such as sensitive vegetation or other wildlife, the time for preventive action is now. Although national lakeshore staff conducts certain resource management actions to protect resources, such as sensitive plant species, no specific deer management plan exists, and the impact of an uncontrolled deer population on these resources would compromise the national lakeshore’s purpose of preserving the exceptional biodiversity found within its boundaries. Under alternative A (no action), current deer management actions—including limited fencing, limited use of repellents, and inventorying and monitoring efforts—would continue. No new deer management actions would be taken. Alternative B includes all actions described under alternative A, as well as incorporating nonlethal actions to reduce deer numbers in the national lakeshore. The additional actions would include constructing additional small-scale and new large-scale exclosures and using repellents more extensively in areas where fenced exclosures are not appropriate or feasible. Phasing in nonsurgical reproductive control of does would occur when a fertility control agent that supplies three to five years’ efficacy is federally approved and becomes available. Alternative C includes all actions described under alternative A and would also incorporate a direct reduction of the deer herd size, where appropriate, through sharpshooting and capture/euthanasia. Alternative D includes all actions described under alternative A, as well as a combination of specific lethal and nonlethal actions from alternatives B and C. These actions would include reducing the deer herd through sharpshooting, capture/euthanasia, and nonsurgical reproductive control of does, as described in alternative B, to maintain lower herd numbers over the long term. This document addresses the potential environmental consequences of the alternatives on vegetation, soils and water quality, white-tailed deer and deer habitat, other wildlife and wildlife habitat, sensitive and rare species, archeological resources, cultural landscapes, visitor use and experience, visitor and employee health and safety, soundscapes, socioeconomic conditions, and national lakeshore management and operations. Under alternative A, no action would be taken to reverse the expected long-term growth in the deer population, and damage to vegetation is likely. The analysis indicates that in the long term, impairment to vegetation, white-tailed deer, other wildlife and habitat, and sensitive and rare species could result if alternative A were to be implemented. Alternative D is the preferred alternative because it is most likely to protect the biological and physical environment by ensuring an immediate reduction in the deer herd that could be sustained with proven methods over the life of the plan. Alternative D is also the most effective way to protect, preserve, and enhance the natural processes within the national lakeshore to maintain a viable deer population, given that there would be little, if any, uncertainty about implementing the selected methods to maintain low deer numbers. An assessment of Alternative D showed that implementation of the preferred alternative would cause no impairment to natural, cultural, or other valued resources at the national lakeshore. A 30-day no-action period will follow release of this Final White-Tailed Deer Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement. Following the 30-day period, the alternative or actions constituting the approved plan will be documented in a record of decision that will be signed by the Regional Director of the Midwest Region. For further information, contact Randy Knutson, Wildlife Biologist, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 1100 N. Mineral Springs Rd., Porter, IN 46304; phone: 219-395-1550; [email protected]. SUMMARY PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION The purposes of this plan and environmental impact statement are as follows: Describe a scientifically based system of checks and balances, such as monitoring and active management, to ensure that the deer population at the national lakeshore does not preclude long-term conservation of sensitive plant and animal populations. Determine how to manage deer populations to prevent degradation of national lakeshore resources. Identify and share with neighboring citizens and local governments the best technical information and expertise on deer management. Identify and maintain a deer impact level that is in balance with other components of the ecosystem and other national lakeshore values. Facilitate public support, education, and appreciation for maintaining the integrity of that ecosystem. Because the local deer population at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore threatens to become a dominant negative influence on ecosystem components within the national lakeshore, such as sensitive vegetation or other wildlife, the time for preventive action, in the form of a deer management plan, is now. Although national lakeshore staff implements certain resource management actions to protect resources, such as sensitive plant species (see “Related Laws, Policies, Plans, and Constraints” in chapter 1 for a list of related plans), no specific deer management plan exists, and the impact of an uncontrolled deer population on these resources would compromise the national lakeshore’s purpose of preserving the exceptional biodiversity found within its boundaries. A deer management plan should address the effect of overabundant deer populations on the restoration and viability of sensitive plant communities within the national lakeshore, the effect of overabundant deer populations on sensitive animal species within the national lakeshore, and the overall health of the local deer herd. National Lakeshore Purpose The 1966 enabling legislation states that the national lakeshore “shall be permanently preserved in its present state, [and] no development or plan for the convenience of visitors shall be undertaken therein which would be incompatible with the preservation of the unique flora and fauna or the physiographic conditions now prevailing” (Public Law 89-761). Therefore, the purposes of the national lakeshore were designated as the following: Preserve, maintain, and restore the integrity and character of the natural resources and processes and protect cultural resource values. Provide educational, inspirational, and recreational opportunities compatible with preserving natural and cultural resource values. Inspire in the public an appreciation of and a sense of personal stewardship for national lakeshore resources. Interpret, encourage, and conduct scientific research in the tradition of pioneer investigators. iii National Lakeshore Significance The following statements of significance explain why the national lakeshore is important to natural and cultural heritage: The national lakeshore contains exceptional biological diversity and outstanding floral richness, resulting from the combination of complex geological processes and the convergence of several major North American life zones. The national lakeshore’s cultural resources represent the cultural evolution of northern Indiana from prehistoric times to the present day. The national lakeshore’s extensive reach of undeveloped dunes provides recreational, educational, and inspirational opportunities within a one-hour drive of a major metropolitan area. The national lakeshore offers outstanding opportunities for scientific research because of the diversity and complexity of its natural systems and provides a dynamic laboratory for early plant succession and faunal studies. The presence of heavy industry, long-standing transportation corridors, residential use areas, and natural areas at the national lakeshore offers an outstanding opportunity to show visitors how these elements interrelate. The dunes provide a striking physical and inspirational relief to the surrounding flat and highly