Notice of Availability for a Decision-Supplement to the Environmental Assessment: Mammal Damage Management in Florida

Notice of Availability for a Decision

Supplement to the Environmental Assessment: Mammal Damage Management in Florida

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program recently prepared a supplement to an Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA evaluated potential impacts to the quality of the human environment from the potential implementation of alternative approaches to address damage associated with several mammal species in Florida. WS issued a Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the EA on March 28, 2013 selecting the proposed action alternative. The proposed action alternative in the EA evaluated an integrated methods approach to reducing damage when WS receives a request for assistance. The WS program in Florida prepared the supplement to the EA to evaluate the use of aircraft by WS for wildlife surveillance and the use of aircraft by WS to manage damage associated with feral swine in the State. In addition, the supplement evaluates the need to address increasing requests for assistance associated with certain species of mammals and the need to address additional mammal species that WS did not address in the EA. The supplement also communicates with the public the analysis of individual and cumulative impacts of the program since WS signed the Decision and FONSI in 2013 for the EA.

WS has considered all comments from agency and public review of the supplement to the EA. Based on the analyses contained in the final EA, the 2013 Decision and FONSI, and the final 2017 supplement to the EA, WS concluded that continued implementation of the proposed action alternative, as supplemented, would not have a significant impact upon the quality of the human environment. WS signed a new Decision and FONSI on July 14, 2017 selecting to continue implementing the proposed action alternative, as supplemented. You can view the new Decision/FONSI by clicking here and the final supplement to the EA by clicking here. You can view the final EA and the 2013 Decision/FONSI by clicking here. If you would like a copy of the final EA, the 2013 Decision/FONSI, the final supplement to the EA and/or the new Decision/FONSI sent to you by mail, WS asks that you mail a written request to USDA/APHIS/WS, 2820 East University Avenue, Gainesville, Florida 32641. When submitting a request by mail, please include a mailing address and please specific the documents you would like sent.