Nebraska & Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests
Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre, & Oglala National Grasslands

USDA Forest Service
Nebraska &
Samuel R. McKelvie
National Forests
Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre,
& Oglala National Grasslands
125 North Main Street
Chadron, NE 69337
308-432-0300

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
308-432-0304

The multi-year drought in southwest South Dakota and northwest Nebraska has caused land managers to take another look at black-tailed prairie dog management on the Buffalo Gap and Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota and the Oglala National Grassland in Nebraska.

In 2005, the Nebraska National Forest and Associated Units (NNF) amended the management plan to allow the use of rodenticide in “boundary management zones” next to private land where there were complaints. However, with continuing drought and continuing prairie dog colony expansion, the Forest is concerned that the full range of multiple uses may not be achievable without setting upper and lower limits on prairie dog acreages. To maintain the limits, the Forest is proposing to allow the expanded use of rodenticide in selected colonies in the interior national grassland areas.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) analyzes five alternatives, including one drafted by local governments and one that closely reflects the South Dakota Prairie Dog Management Plan.

On July 17, 2008, Jane D. Darnell (Responsible Official), Forest Supervisor of the Nebraska National Forest and Associated Units, signed the Record of Decision (ROD) to implement Alternative 1 for Nebraska and South Dakota Black-tailed Prairie Dog Management only within non-MA 3.63 areas on the Nebraska National Forest and Associated Units Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) including Appendix H- Implementation Plan (ROD Supplement 1). The decision also initiates an expanded public collaborative effort process to identify more specific management options for prairie dogs on a landscape scale basis.

In summary, Alternative 1 provides for a minimum and maximum range of prairie dog colony acres for each grassland unit. This range of minimum and maximum acres addresses biological considerations; protects and maintains existing vegetation, soil and water resources; and addresses the socio-economic concerns of ranchers and farmers.

The alternative also identifies the management tools, including rodenticide use, which would be applied where adaptive response is needed to manage prairie dog colonies to maintain or move toward desired vegetation cover, to maintain and protect topsoil, and to prevent the potential establishment of noxious and invasive species. This decision allows rodenticide use when the maximum range of prairie dog acres is exceeded and/or to achieve desired vegetation conditions on prairie dog colonies. The ability to use rodenticide expands the management options beyond what is currently available in the 2001 Forest Plan.

Public Involvement

A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on September 29, 2006. The Forest Service received over 50,000 comment letters from individuals, organizations and elected officials. Comments were used to identify issues and develop alternatives. A revised Notice of Intent was published on February 28, 2007.

The Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2007 which began a 45-day comment period.

The FEIS will be published in the Federal Register on August 15, 2008. A Legal Notice of the Record of Decision will be placed in the Rapid City Journal, Rapid City, South Dakota and the Omaha World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska. These are the newspapers of record for decisions affecting the Nebraska National Forest and Associated Units in South Dakota and Nebraska respectively.

FEIS Availability

The FEIS is available for review in a variety of ways. The links for the electronic FEIS, maps, and appendices are listed below.

Bound copies are available for review at the following Forest Service offices:

• Nebraska National Forest Supervisor's Office, 125 North Main St. Chadron, NE
• Pine Ridge Ranger District, 1240 W. 16th St., Chadron, NE
• Bessey Ranger District, State Spur 86B off Hwy 2, Halsey, NE
• Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Fall River Ranger District, 1801 Highway 18 Truck Bypass, Hot Springs, SD
• Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Wall Ranger District, 708 Main Street, Wall, SD
• Fort Pierre National Grassland, 1020 N. Deadwood St., Ft. Pierre, SD

In addition, bound copies and CDs are available at the following area public libraries:

• Rawlins Municipal Library, 1000 East Church St., Pierre SD
• Wall City Community Library, 407 Main St., Wall, SD
• Oglala Lakota College Library, Piya Wiconi Center, Kyle, SD
• Pine Ridge College Center Library, Pine Ridge, SD
• Lower Brule Tribal Office, 187 Oyate Circle, Lower Brule, SD
• Rapid City Public Library, 610 Quincy St., Rapid City, SD
• Rapid City Public Library, 300 6th St., Rapid City, SD
• Hot Springs Public Library, 1543 Baltimore St., Hot Springs, SD
• Chadron Public Library, 507 Bordeaux St., Chadron, NE

Finally, you may request a CD by calling 308-432-0300.

Appeals

Individuals or organizations submitting substantive comments during the comment period (36 CFR 215.6) are eligible to appeal the decision pursuant to 36 CFR Part 215 or 36 CFR Part 251 subpart C but not both. Appeals, including attachments, must be filed with the Appeal Deciding Officer within 45 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in the official newspapers of record, Rapid City Journal, Rapid City, South Dakota, and the Omaha World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska, for Nebraska National Forest Supervisor decisions in South Dakota and Nebraska respectively.

The publication date of the legal notice in the Rapid City Journal and Omaha World Herald is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an appeal. Those wishing to file an appeal should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the responsibility of individuals wishing to file an appeal to do so within the framework provided in the appropriate appeal regulations and to provide sufficient activity-specific evidence and rationale, focusing on the decision, to show why the decision should be reversed.
Appeals under the 36 CFR 215 or 36 CFR 251 subpart C regulations are to be filed as follows:

Mail or Delivery:
USDA Forest Service
Rocky Mountain Region
ATTN: Appeal Deciding Officer
740 Simms Street
Golden, CO 80401-4720

FAX: (303) 275-5134

Appeals may be hand delivered to the office address above between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.

Email:
[email protected]

For appeals filed under the 36 CFR 251 subpart C regulations only:

Simultaneously send a copy of the appeal to the:
Deciding Officer
Nebraska National Forest
Attention: Jane D Darnell
Forest Supervisor
125 North Main St.
Chadron, NE 69337-2118

FAX: (308) 432-0309

For appeals filed electronically the name of the project decision being appealed should appear in the subject line. Appeals submitted electronically must be in Word format (.doc), plain text (.txt), or rich text format (.rtf). When an appeal is electronically mailed, the appellant should normally receive an automated electronic acknowledgement confirming agency receipt. If the appellant does not receive an automated acknowledgement of the receipt of the appeal, it is the appellant’s responsibility to ensure timely receipt by other means (§ 215.15(c)(3)).

If no appeal is filed within the 45-day time period, implementation of the decision may begin on, but not before, the 5th business day following the close of the appeal filing period.

For additional information concerning this decision or the Forest Service appeal process, contact Jane Darnell, Deciding Officer, or Mike McNeill, Team Leader, at 125 North Main St., Chadron, NE 69337-2118, or (308) 432-0300.

Record of Decision (Non - Management Areas 3.63) (589 KB)

Supplement 7 – Biological Assessment and Determination for Federally Listed Species for the Non-MA 3.63 Decision (3 MB)

Final Environmental Impact Statement Including Land and Resource Management Plan Amendment 3

Chapter 1 Purpose of and Need for Action (398 KB)
Chapter 2 Description and Comparison of Alternatives (469 KB)
Chapter 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences (529 KB)
Chapter 4 Collaboration and Coordination (66 KB)

Appendices

Appendix A – Major Land Resource Area Descriptions (230 KB)
Appendix B – Tables and Charts Used to Analyze Vegetation and Wildlife Cumulative Effects (274 KB)
Appendix C – Tables Used to Summarize Existing Vegetation Conditions in the Project Area (27 KB)
Appendix D – Glossary (63 KB)
Appendix E – Common and Scientific Names (18 KB)
Appendix F – Maps (10 KB)

Management Zones	Habitat Suitability Model
Fall River West GA (142 KB)	Fall River West GA (1.9 MB)
Fall River Southeast GA (177 KB)	Fall River Southeast GA (1.8 MB)
Fall River Northeast GA (179 KB)	Fall River Northeast GA (1.3 MB)
Wall North GA (339 KB)	Wall North GA (2.2 MB)
Wall Southwest GA (278 KB)	Wall Southwest GA (1.8 MB)
Wall Southeast GA (314 KB)	Wall Southeast GA (1.8 MB)
Fort Pierre GA (153 KB)	Fort Pierre GA (903 KB)
Oglala GA (124 KB)	Oglala GA (2.1 MB)

Appendix G – References (107 KB)
Appendix H – Implementation Plan (129 KB)
Appendix I – Comments and Responses (297 KB)
Appendix N – Final Biological Evaluation for the Nebraska and South Dakota Black-tailed Prairie Dog Management (1.8 MB)
Appendix O – Biological Effects of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Management Alternatives on Endangered and Threatened Species (4.5 MB)