National Park Service Mount Rainier U.S. Department of the Interior Mount Rainier National Park Fish Management Plan Environmental Assessment September 2017 Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent 55210 238th Avenue East Ashford, Washington 98304 Mount Rainier National Park National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Contents Fish Management Plan ................................................................................................................................. 1 Environmental Assessment........................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action .................................................................................................. 4 A. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4 B. Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 4 C. Need .................................................................................................................................................. 6 D. Background ....................................................................................................................................... 7 E. Issues and Impact Topics from NPS, Tribal and Public Scoping .................................................... 10 F. Issues and Impact Topics Considered but Dismissed .................................................................... 11 G. Decision to be Made ....................................................................................................................... 13 H. Summary of Public Scoping ............................................................................................................ 13 I. Federal, State, and Local Permits and Consultation Requirements ............................................... 14 Chapter 2: Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action ............................................................................. 15 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 15 B. Description of the Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 15 Alternative 1: No Action (Continue Current Management) ...................................................................... 15 Summary of Alternative 1 .................................................................................................................... 15 Description of Alternative 1 .................................................................................................................. 15 Alternative 2: Native Species Management (Proposed Action/Preferred Alternative) ............................ 16 Summary of Alternative 2 .................................................................................................................... 17 Description of Alternative 2 .................................................................................................................. 17 Alternative 3: Intensive Native Species Management ............................................................................. 26 Summary of Alternative 3 .................................................................................................................... 26 Description of Alternative 3 .................................................................................................................. 26 C. Mitigation Measures Incorporated into the Action Alternatives ....................................................... 28 D. Description of Options Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study......................................... 28 Chapter 3: Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 31 A. Cumulative Effects ...................................................................................................................... 31 B. Water Resources: Hydrology and Water Quality ............................................................................ 33 Hydrology: Affected Environment and Impacts ................................................................................... 33 Water Quality: Affected Environment and Impacts .............................................................................. 33 C. Fish and Wildlife .............................................................................................................................. 39 Affected Environment........................................................................................................................... 39 Impacts on Fish and Wildlife ................................................................................................................ 41 D. Special Status Species ................................................................................................................... 50 Threatened Fish ................................................................................................................................... 50 Mount Rainier National Park Fish Management Plan Purpose and Need Page 2 Other Special Status Fish .................................................................................................................... 52 Special Status Birds ............................................................................................................................. 53 Special Status Amphibians and Invertebrates ..................................................................................... 55 Impacts on Special Status Species ..................................................................................................... 55 E. Visitor Experience ........................................................................................................................... 60 1. Impacts on Visitor Enjoyment of High Elevation Lakes, Fish and other Aquatic Species and Recreational Fishing ............................................................................................................................ 61 2. Impacts on Human Health and Safety ........................................................................................ 63 F. Wilderness ....................................................................................................................................... 66 1. Impacts on the Untrammeled Quality of Wilderness ................................................................... 67 2. Impacts on the Natural Quality of Wilderness ............................................................................. 68 3. Impacts on the Undeveloped Quality of Wilderness ................................................................... 69 4. Impacts on the Solitude/Unconfined Recreation Quality of Wilderness ..................................... 70 Chapter 4: Consultation and Coordination .................................................................................................. 75 A. Internal Scoping .............................................................................................................................. 75 B. Native American Indian Tribes Consulted ....................................................................................... 75 C. Public Involvement .......................................................................................................................... 75 D. Agencies Consulted ........................................................................................................................ 75 E. List of Preparers, Persons and Agencies Consulted ...................................................................... 76 Chapter 5: Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 77 Appendix 1: Additional Laws, Regulations and Policies Applicable to the Scope of the EA ...................... 87 Appendix 2: Proposed Fish Removal Priorities in Lakes and Streams ...................................................... 89 Appendix 3: Fish Passage Blocking Culverts ............................................................................................. 91 Table 1: Major Rivers and Watersheds ......................................................................................................... 6 Table 2: Park Watershed Presence of Native and Nonnative Fish .............................................................. 8 Table 3: Summary of Proposed Fish Regulations ...................................................................................... 18 Table 4: Ten Lakes and Lake Outlets with Proposed Fish Removal in Alternative 2 ................................. 23 Table 5: Additional Lakes (10) and Lake Outlets Targeted for Fish Removal in Alternative 3 ................... 27 Table 6: Additional Lakes with Fish Where No Fish Removal is Currently Proposed ................................ 28 Table 7: Number of fish/species stocked in MORA streams (1915–1964) and lakes (1915–1972) (Table 43 from Hoffman et al. 2004) ...................................................................................................................... 40 Table 8: Special Status Amphibians and