Arizona Game and Fish Department Sport Fish Stocking Program Final Environmental Assessment August 2011 Prepared by EcoPlan Associates, Inc., for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department SUMMARY OF CHANGES INCORPORATED INTO FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT To simplify review of this Final Environmental Assessment (EA), the following paragraphs describe how the Final EA has changed compared with the public review Draft EA. After review of public and agency comments received on the Draft EA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program and Arizona Ecological Services Office and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) chose to modify the Proposed Action. The changes incorporated into this Final EA reflect these modifications, provide corrections to the document where warranted, and add clarification as requested in public and agency comments. The modified Proposed Action has been identified by the FWS as the “Selected Alternative.” The modifications to the Proposed Action as described in the Final EA (Chapter 3) include the removal of one previously proposed stocking site (Fagen Tank) and the elimination and/or substitution of some species proposed for stocking at some sites. The following table identifies these modifications for those stocking sites affected. Based on the modifications, the total number of sites proposed for sport fish stocking would be 166 sites (compared with 167 sites in the Draft EA). A complete listing of the stocking sites and the species proposed with the Proposed Action is provided in Table E (Appendix A). These modifications to the Proposed Action and the associated analyses are reflected throughout the Final EA. No modifications were made to the other alternatives. Modifications to Proposed Action Stocking Site Draft EA Final EA Fagen Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear No species proposed; stocking site (Santa Cruz River– sunfish eliminated from Proposed Action Middle Santa Cruz) Green Valley Lake Species proposed: rainbow trout, channel Species proposed: rainbow trout; stocking (Verde River– catfish of channel catfish eliminated Lower Verde River Complex) Kinnikinick Species proposed: rainbow trout, brown Species proposed: rainbow trout, brown (Little Colorado trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic River–Diablo grayling, channel catfish grayling; stocking of channel catfish Complex) eliminated Morton Species proposed: rainbow trout, channel Species proposed: rainbow trout; stocking (Little Colorado catfish of channel catfish eliminated River–Diablo Complex) Mud Tank Species proposed: rainbow trout, channel Species proposed: rainbow trout; stocking (Little Colorado catfish of channel catfish eliminated River–Diablo Complex) Bass Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish, largemouth bass sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass River–Santa Maria eliminated Complex) Final Environmental Assessment i AGFD Sport Fish Stocking Program Modifications to Proposed Action Stocking Site Draft EA Final EA Blue Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish, largemouth bass sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass River–Santa Maria eliminated Complex) Carter Tank Species proposed: channel catfish Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear (Bill Williams sunfish; stocking of channel catfish River–Burro Creek eliminated Complex) Antelope Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish, largemouth bass, channel catfish sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass and River–Burro Creek channel catfish eliminated Complex) Bar 37 Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish, largemouth bass, channel catfish sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass and River–Burro Creek channel catfish eliminated Complex) Harman Tank Species proposed: channel catfish Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish; stocking of channel catfish River–Burro Creek eliminated Complex) Little Antelope Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear Tank sunfish, largemouth bass sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass (Bill Williams eliminated River–Burro Creek Complex) McElhaney Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish, largemouth bass sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass River–Burro Creek eliminated Complex) Stubbs Tank Species proposed: bluegill sunfish, redear Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish, largemouth bass sunfish; stocking of largemouth bass River–Burro Creek eliminated Complex) Swale Tank Species proposed: channel catfish Species proposed: bluegill sunfish; redear (Bill Williams sunfish; stocking of channel catfish River–Burro Creek eliminated Complex) The draft Biological Conference Opinion was revised to address the previously noted modifications to the Proposed Action. As a result, the analysis summary for Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation species was revised accordingly in the Final EA (Chapter 4, Section 7 Consultation Species Site-specific Analysis Summaries). The effects determinations of the consultation species did not change as a result of these modifications. For some non-consultation special status species, however, modifications to the Proposed Action would result in changes in the effects determinations at some locations. These changes are reflected in the Final EA (Chapter 4, Tables 2, 7–18, 21, and 30, and Appendixes A (Table E), K, L, and M). The Final EA incorporates a discussion of the effects of large wildfires in spring 2011 on listed and candidate species considered in the National Environmental Policy Act process. This discussion includes a summary of the measures used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Final Environmental Assessment ii AGFD Sport Fish Stocking Program Forest Service through its Burned Area Emergency Response Program to ameliorate such impacts (Chapter 4, Section 7 Consultation Species Area-wide Analysis Summary). Language in the Draft EA related to hatchery impacts has been modified in the Final EA (Section 4.1.4, Effects of Hatchery Operations and Maintenance) to reflect the recent amendment to the ESA Section 7 Intra-Service Consultation on hatchery operations and maintenance, and to provide a more detailed analysis of the potential related effects on consultation and non- consultation special status species. The Conservation and Mitigation Program, included in the Draft EA as Appendix P, has been revised to provide additional detail and clarification: refining key definitions, linking the measures to existing species recovery plans (where available), and adding timelines for the initiation of projects and reporting requirements. Chapter 5.0 of the Final EA contains this revised document, which reflects mandatory mitigation/conservation actions and additional conservation measures that may be implemented as funding allows. Sections 7.2 and 7.3 of the Final EA document the public and agency outreach on the availability of the Draft EA. A summary of the public and agency comments received on the Draft EA and responses to these comments prepared by the FWS and the AGFD is included in the Final EA in Appendix P. Final Environmental Assessment iii AGFD Sport Fish Stocking Program TABLE OF CONTENTS APPENDIXES.............................................................................................................................. vi FIGURES..................................................................................................................................... vii APPENDIX FIGURES............................................................................................................... vii TABLES...................................................................................................................................... viii APPENDIX TABLES................................................................................................................... x ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS................................................................................... xii 1.0 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Applicable Funding.....................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Proposed Action.......................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Decision to Be Made................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Scoping ....................................................................................................................... 3 1.5.1 Agency Responses to Scoping..................................................................... 3 1.5.2 Public Responses to Scoping....................................................................... 3 1.6 Public Comment on the Draft EA............................................................................... 4 2.0 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................