United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services Environmental Assessment Or

United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services Environmental Assessment Or

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE WILDLIFE SERVICES ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ORAL VACCINATION TO CONTROL SPECIFIC RABIES VIRUS VARIANTS IN RACCOONS, GRAY FOXES, AND COYOTES IN THE UNITED STATES In cooperation with: United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service And In consultation with: United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management December 2009 Prepared By: United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services 4700 River Road, Unit 87 Riverdale, MD 20737-1234 i TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION .............................................................................. 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 Public Health Importance of Rabies ....................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Raccoon Rabies in the Eastern U.S .......................................................................................... 3 1.1.3 Gray Fox and Coyote Rabies in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas ....................................................... 4 1.1.4 Primary Need for Action .......................................................................................................... 5 1.1.5 Development of Oral Rabies Vaccine Programs ...................................................................... 5 1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPSED ACTION ...................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 Contingency Action................................................................................................................ 14 1.3 AUTHORITIES ....................................................................................................................................... 16 1.3.1 Federal Authorities ................................................................................................................. 16 1.3.2 State and Local Authorities .................................................................................................... 18 1.4 OTHER RELEVANT FEDERAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS ........................................................ 18 1.5 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTS ................................................... 21 1.6 DECISION TO BE MADE ..................................................................................................................... 23 1.7 GOALS .................................................................................................................................................... 23 1.8 SCOPE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ANALYSIS .................................................. 24 1.8.1 Actions Analyzed ................................................................................................................... 24 1.8.2 Period for which this EA is Valid .......................................................................................... 24 1.8.3 Site Specificity ....................................................................................................................... 24 1.8.4 Coordination ........................................................................................................................... 25 1.9 SUMMARY OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT EFFORTS ....................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 2: ISSUES AND AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ................................................................. 26 2.1 ISSUES .................................................................................................................................................... 26 2.2 OTHER ISSUES CONSIDERED BUT NOT IN DETAIL WITH RATIONALE .................................. 26 2.2.1 Potential for Drugs Used in Animal Capture and Handling to Cause Adverse Health Effects in Humans that Hunt and Eat the Species Involved................................................. 26 2.2.2 Potential for Drugs Used in Animal Capture and Handling to Cause Adverse Health Effects in Scavengers or Other Nontarget Animals that May Consume the Species Involved ....................................................................................................................... 27 2.2.3 Potential for Adverse Impacts on Wildlife from Aircraft Overflights Conducted in the ORV Program ..................................................................................................... 27 2.2.4 Potential for ORV Bait Distribution to Affect Organic Farming ........................................... 29 2.2.5 Potential for ORV to Cause Abortions in Cattle .................................................................... 30 2.2.6 Potential Human Health Impacts in the Event of Human Consumption of Vaccinated Wildlife ........................................................................................................................ 30 2.2.7 Potential Impacts on Water Resources, Including Aquaculture, Fish, Reptiles, and Amphibians .............................................................................................................................. 31 2.2.8 Effects on Carnivore Populations in the Absence of Rabies .................................................. 32 2.2.9 The Affected Area Described in the EA Includes Some Lands that Have Not Been Indentified as Having a Rabid Raccoon Problem ............................................................................ 33 2.2.10 Effects of Nontarget Species Consumption of ORV Baits on Program Effectiveness ................................................................................................................................... 33 2.2.11 Effects of Global Warming, Habitat Loss, and Pollution on Wildlife Populations ...................................................................................................................................... 33 2.3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 3: ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................... 37 3.1 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ................................... 37 3.2 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED, BUT NOT IN DETAIL WITH RATIONALE .............................. 38 3.2.1 Depopulation of Target Species ............................................................................................. 38 3.2.2 Population Control through Birth Control .............................................................................. 39 Environmental Assessment of Oral Vaccination to Control Specific Rabies Virus Variants ii 3.2.3 Employ Other Types of ORV instead of the V-RG Vaccine .................................................. 40 3.3 STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR RABIES ORV PROGRAMS ................................. 41 3.3.1 Monitoring ............................................................................................................................. 42 CHAPTER 4: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ........................................................................ 44 4.1 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES FOR ISSUES ANALYZED IN DETAIL ............................ 44 4.1.1 Potential for Adverse Effects on Target Wildlife ................................................................... 44 4.1.1.1 Alternative 1: Current Action (the No Action Alternative)................................... 44 4.1.1.2 Alternative 2: Proposed Action (the Preferred Alternative) .................................. 50 4.1.1.3 Alternative 3: Live Capture-Vaccinate-Release Alternative ................................. 52 4.1.1.4 Alternative 4: No Animal Surveillance or Monitoring or Lethal Removal Program Alternative ............................................................................... 53 4.1.1.5 Alternative 5: No Federal Program Alternative .................................................... 53 4.1.2 Potential for Adverse Effects on Nontarget Wildlife Species, including Threatened or Endangered Species ................................................................................................. 54 4.1.2.1 Alternative 1: Current Action (the No Action Alternative)................................... 54 4.1.2.2 Alternative 2: Proposed Action (the Preferred Alternative) .................................. 74 4.1.2.3 Alternative 3: Live Capture-Vaccinate-Release Alternative ................................. 75 4.1.2.4 Alternative 4: No Animal Surveillance or Monitoring or Lethal Removal Program Alternative ............................................................................... 76 4.1.2.5 Alternative 5: No Federal Program Alternative .................................................... 76 4.1.3 Potential for Adverse Effects on People, Pets, and Livestock that are Exposed to or Consume the Vaccine Laden Baits ........................................................................... 77 4.1.3.1 Alternative 1: Current Action (the No Action Alternative)................................... 77 4.1.3.2 Alternative 2: Proposed Action (the preferred Alternative) .................................. 81 4.1.3.3 Alternative 3: Live Capture-Vaccinate-Release Alternative ................................. 82 4.1.3.4 Alternative 4: No Animal Surveillance or Monitoring

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