Notice of Availability for a Decision-Environmental Assessment: Reducing Bird Damage in the State of South Carolina

Notice of Availability for a Decision

Environmental Assessment: Reducing Bird Damage in the State of South Carolina

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Wildlife Services (WS) program recently prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) that evaluated potential impacts to the quality of the human environment from the implementation of a management program to address damage and threats of damage caused by several bird species in South Carolina. The need for action identifies damage to agricultural resources, property, natural resources, and threats to human safety associated with several bird species in the State.  WS identified a number of issues and concerns through the scoping process and through consultation with state and federal agencies that the WS program used to develop alternative approaches to address the need for action. The EA identified and analyzed the potential environmental effects of conducting alternative approaches to reducing damage caused by birds. The proposed action alternative in the EA evaluated an integrated methods approach to reducing damage when WS receives a request for assistance.

WS has considered all comments from agency and public review of the EA. Based on the analyses contained in the final EA, it was concluded that implementation of the proposed action alternative would not have a significant impact upon the quality of the human environment. WS signed a Decision and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on August 15, 2017 selecting the proposed action alternative. You can view the Decision/FONSI by clicking here and the final EA by clicking here. If you would like a copy of the final EA and/or the Decision/FONSI sent to you by mail, WS asks that you mail a written request to USDA/APHIS/WS, 400 Northeast Drive, Suite L, Columbia, South Carolina 29203. When submitting a request by mail, please include a mailing address.