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Managing Damage Caused by Mammal and Reptile Species in Puerto Rico

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Managing Damage Caused by Mammal and Reptile Species in Puerto Rico ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (FINAL) MANAGING DAMAGE CAUSED BY MAMMAL AND REPTILE SPECIES IN PUERTO RICO PREPARED BY: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE WILDLIFE SERVICES In consultation with: Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources APRIL 2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Wildlife are an important public resource that can provide economic, recreational, emotional, and esthetic benefits to many people. However, wildlife can cause damage to agricultural resources, natural resources, property, and threaten human safety. When people experience damage caused by wildlife or when wildlife threatens to cause damage, people may seek assistance from other entities. The United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services (WS) program is the lead federal agency responsible for managing conflicts between people and wildlife. Therefore, people experiencing damage or threats of damage associated with wildlife could seek assistance from WS. In Puerto Rico, WS has and continues to receive requests for assistance to reduce and prevent damage associated with several mammal and reptile species that are not native to the Commonwealth. In addition, WS could receive requests for assistance associated with several native bat species. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to incorporate environmental planning into federal agency actions and decision-making processes. Therefore, if WS provided assistance by conducting activities to manage damage caused by mammal and reptile species, those activities would be a federal action requiring compliance with the NEPA. The NEPA requires federal agencies to have available and fully consider detailed information regarding environmental effects of federal actions and to make information regarding environmental effects available to interested persons and agencies. To comply with the NEPA, WS prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to determine whether the potential environmental effects caused by several alternative approaches to managing mammalian and reptilian damage might be significant, requiring the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). WS developed this EA under the 1978 NEPA regulations and existing APHIS NEPA implementing procedures because WS initiated this EA prior to the NEPA revisions that went into effect on September 14, 2020. Chapter 1 of this EA discusses the need for action and the scope of analysis associated with requests for assistance that WS receives involving several mammal and reptile species in Puerto Rico. Chapter 2 identifies and discusses the issues that WS identified during the scoping process for this EA and through consultation with Commonwealth and federal agencies. Issues are concerns regarding potential effects that might occur from proposed activities. Federal agencies must consider such issues during the decision-making process required by the NEPA. Chapter 2 also discusses the alternative approaches that WS developed to meet the need for action and to address the issues identified during the scoping process. Issues of concern addressed in detail include: 1) effects on target mammal and reptile populations, 2) effects on nontarget species, including Threatened and Endangered species, 3) effects of management methods on human health and safety, and 4) humaneness and animal welfare concerns of methods. Alternative approaches evaluated to meet the need for action and to address the issues include: 1) continuing the current integrated methods approach to managing damage, 2) using an integrated methods approach using only nonlethal methods, 3) addressing requests for assistance through technical assistance only, and 4) no involvement by WS. Depending on the alternative approach, several methods would be available to manage damage caused by mammal and reptile species. Appendix B discusses the methods that WS could consider when responding to a request for assistance. Chapter 3 provides information needed for making informed decisions by comparing the environmental consequences of the four alternative approaches in comparison to determine the extent of actual or potential impacts on each of the issues. WS will use the analyses in this EA to help inform agency decision-makers on the significance of the environmental effects, which will aid the decision-makers with determining the need to prepare an EIS or concluding the EA process with a Finding of No Significant Impact. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ ii ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER 1: NEED FOR ACTION AND SCOPE OF ANALYSIS 1.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 NEED FOR ACTION ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Need to Resolve Damage to Agricultural Resources Caused by Target Species .................... 4 1.2.2 Need to Resolve Threats that Target Species Pose to Human Safety ..................................... 7 1.2.3 Need to Resolve Target Species Damage Occurring to Property ......................................... 12 1.2.4 Need to Resolve Target Species Damage Occurring to Natural Resources .......................... 15 1.3 NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT AND WS’ DECISION-MAKING ................ 17 1.3.1 Complying with the National Environmental Policy Act ..................................................... 18 1.3.2 Rationale for Preparing an EA Rather Than an EIS ............................................................. 18 1.3.3 Using this EA to Inform WS’ Decisions and the Decisions to be made ............................... 18 1.3.4 Public Involvement ............................................................................................................... 19 1.3.5 Period for which this EA is Valid ......................................................................................... 19 1.4 SCOPE OF ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................ 20 1.5 AGENCIES INVOLVED IN THIS EA AND THEIR ROLES AND AUTHORITIES ................ 21 1.5.1 United States Fish and Wildlife Service ............................................................................... 21 1.5.2 United States Environmental Protection Agency .................................................................. 21 1.5.3 Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of Puerto Rico ................................. 21 1.5.4 Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture ................................................................................ 22 1.5.5 Puerto Rico Department of Health ........................................................................................ 22 1.6 DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THIS EA ..................................................................................... 22 1.6.1 Final Environmental Impact Statement: Feral Swine Damage Management ....................... 22 1.6.2 Final Environmental Assessment: Managing Damage and Threats Associated With Invasive Patas and Rhesus Monkeys in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ............................................... 22 1.6.3 Final Environmental Assessment: Management of Feral and Free-ranging Cat Populations to Reduce Threats to Human Health and Safety and Impacts to Native Wildlife Species in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ...................................................................................................... 23 1.6.4 Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy of Puerto Rico .......................................... 23 1.6.5 Puerto Rico State Wildlife Action Plan ................................................................................ 23 1.6.6 Puerto Rico Gap Analysis Project ......................................................................................... 23 1.7 REGULATIONS THAT COULD APPLY TO WS’ ACTIVITIES .............................................. 24 1.7.1 Federal regulations that could apply to WS’ activities ......................................................... 24 1.7.2 Commonwealth regulations that could apply to WS’ activities ............................................ 26 CHAPTER 2: ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES 2.1 ISSUES USED TO DEVELOP THE ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES ..................................... 28 2.1.1 Issue 1 - Effects of Damage Management Activities on Populations of Target Species ...... 28 iii 2.1.2 Issue 2 - Effects on the Populations of Nontarget Wildlife, Including T&E Species ........... 29 2.1.3 Issue 3 - Effects of Damage Management Methods on Human Health and Safety .............. 29 2.1.4 Issue 4 - Humaneness and Animal Welfare Concerns of Methods ....................................... 29 2.2 COMMON ACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DAMAGE MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ...... 30 2.2.1 WS’ Co-managerial Approach to Making Decisions............................................................ 30 2.2.2 Availability of Methods to Manage Damage Caused by Target Species .............................. 31 2.2.3 Effectiveness of Methods to Address Damage and Threats of Damage ............................... 31 2.2.4 Research Methods and Information
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