PRE-DECISIONAL DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PREDATOR DAMAGE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN WYOMING Prepared by: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE (APHIS) WILDLIFE SERVICES (WS) - WYOMING Cooperating Agencies: United States Forest Service (USFS) Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board (ADMB) Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA) Wyoming Office of Stand Lands and Investments Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) Consulting Agencies: United States Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Bureau of Land Management (BLM) July 2020 1 Table of Contents List of Acronyms Used .......................................................................................................................7 CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION ...................................................................9 1.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................9 1.2 In Brief, What is this EA About? .............................................................................................. 10 1.3 What Species are Included in this EA?...................................................................................... 12 1.4 What is the Value of Wildlife? ................................................................................................. 12 1.5 Why Do Wildlife Damage and Risks to Human Health and Safety Occur? .................................. 12 1.6 How Do People Feel About Wildlife? ....................................................................................... 13 1.7 At What Point Do People or Entities Request Help with Managing Wildlife Damage? ................. 15 1.8 What is Wildlife Damage Management? ................................................................................... 16 1.9 What is Integrated Wildlife Damage Management? ................................................................... 17 1.10 What are Predator Damage Management and Integrated Predator Damage Management? .......... 17 1.11 What are the Roles of USDA APHIS Wildlife Services in WDM and PDM? ............................. 17 1.11.1 What is the Federal Law Authorizing Wildlife Services’ Actions? ...................................... 18 1.11.2 What Are the Mission, Goals, and Objectives of APHIS-WS and WS-Wyoming? ............... 18 1.11.3 How Does APHIS-WS Ensure the Implementation of Professional WDM Practices?........... 20 1.11.4 How Does APHIS-WS Operate? ...................................................................................... 21 1.12 What Actions are Outside of APHIS-WS’ Authority? .............................................................. 22 1.13 How Does WS-Wyoming Work with WGFD, WDA, and Counties? ......................................... 22 1.14 How Does WS-Wyoming Work with Federal Agencies? .......................................................... 24 1.14.1 How Does WS-Wyoming Work with the US Forest Service and the BLM?......................... 24 1.14.2 What MOUs Does APHIS-WS Have with the US Forest Service and BLM? ....................... 26 1.14.3 How does WS-Wyoming Work With Federal Agencies to Review Proposed Work in Wilderness Areas and Wilderness Study Areas? .......................................................................... 27 1.14.4 How Does WS-Wyoming Work with the US Fish and Wildlife Service?............................. 28 1.14.5 How Does WS-Wyoming Work with the FAA and NASAO?............................................. 28 1.15 How Does WS-Wyoming Comply with NEPA? ...................................................................... 29 1.15.1 How Does NEPA Apply to WS-Wyoming’s PDM Activit ies?............................................ 29 1.15.2 How will this EA Be Used to Inform WS-Wyoming’s Decisions? ...................................... 30 1.15.3 How Does this EA Relate to Site Specific Analyses and Decisions? ................................... 30 1.15.4 What is the Geographic Scope of this EA? ........................................................................ 30 1.15.5 For What Period of Time is this EA Valid? ....................................................................... 31 2 1.16 Why is WS-Wyoming Preparing an EA Rather than an EIS? .................................................... 32 1.16.1 What is the Purpose of an Environmental Assessment? ...................................................... 32 1.16.2 Why is this EA limited to PDM in the State of Wyoming? ................................................. 33 1.16.3 How will WS-Wyoming Evaluate Significant Impacts? ..................................................... 33 1.16.4 What is the Environmental Baseline Used by WS-Wyoming to Evaluate Significant Impacts? ................................................................................................................................................ 34 1.16.5 How Do Key Statutes and Executive Orders Apply to the WS-Wyoming Program?............. 34 1.17 What is the Need for the WS-Wyoming Program? ................................................................... 37 1.17.1 What is the Need for WS-Wyoming PDM Activities?........................................................ 38 1.17.2 What is the Need for PDM to Protect Livestock in Wyoming? ........................................... 35 1.17.3 What is the Need for PDM in Wyoming for Protecting Agriculture Resources and Property other than Livestock?................................................................................................................. 41 1.17.4 What is the Need in Wyoming for Protection of Public Safety, Health, and Pets from Predators? ................................................................................................................................. 41 1.17.5 What is the Need for WS-Wyoming Assistance to WGFD, USFWS, and others for Natural Resources Protection?................................................................................................................ 46 1.18 What is the Effectiveness of the National APHIS-WS Program? ............................................... 61 1.18.1 What are Considerations for Evaluating Program Effectiveness? ........................................ 61 1.18.2 How Has the US Government Evaluated the Effectiveness of APHIS-WS PDM Activit ies?. 62 1.18.3 Are Field Studies of Effectiveness of Lethal PDM for Livestock Protection Sufficient for Informed Decision Making? ....................................................................................................... 65 1.19 What Role Does Cost Effectiveness Play in WDM and NEPA? ................................................ 66 1.19.1 Does APHIS-WS Authorizing Legislation Require and Economic Analysis?....................... 67 1.19.2 Does NEPA and the CEQ Require an Economic Analysis for Informed Decision Making? .. 67 1.19.3 How Have Recent Studies Considered Economic Evaluation of WDM Activities? .............. 69 1.19.4 What are the Various Factors and Methods for Evaluating Cost Effectiveness? ................... 71 1.19.5 What are Economic Concerns Commonly Expressed by Public Commenters to APHIS-WS PDM EAs?................................................................................................................................ 74 CHAPTER 2: ISSUES AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................ 77 2.1 What is Included in this Chapter? ............................................................................................. 77 2.2 What are the Issues Analyzed in Detail in Chapter 3? ................................................................ 78 2.2.1 Issue A: Impacts on Populations of Target Species .............................................................. 78 2.2.2 Issue B: Impacts on Populations of Non-target Species ........................................................ 78 2.2.3 Issue C: Impacts on Ecosystem Function ............................................................................ 79 2.2.4 Issue D: Impacts on Human and Pet Health and Safety ........................................................ 79 3 2.2.5 Issue E: Impacts on Use of Public Lands............................................................................. 79 2.2.6 Issue F: Impacts on Other Sociocultural Issues .................................................................... 80 2.3 What Issues Are Not Considered in Detail and Why?................................................................. 83 2.3.1 The Appropriateness of Manipulating Wildlife for the Benefit of Hunters or Recreation ........ 83 2.3.2 The removal of coyotes by WS exacerbates the livestock depredation problem because the coyote population reduction results in compensatory reproduction ................................................ 83 2.3.3 Livestock Losses Are a Tax “Write Off”............................................................................. 84 2.3.4 Potential Effects on Wildlife from the Mere Presence of WS Personnel Conducting PDM ..... 84 2.3.5 Concerns that WS Employees Might Unknowingly Trespass ............................................... 84 2.3.6 Concerns that the Proposed Action May Be “Highly Controversial” and Its Effects May Be “Highly Uncertain,” Both of Which Would Require That an EIS be Prepared................................ 85 2.3.7 Concerns that Killing Wildlife Represents “Irreparable Harm” ............................................