National Park Service Expanded Non-native Aquatic Species Management Plan and EA

National Park Service Expanded Non-native Aquatic Species Management Plan and EA The National Park Service (NPS) intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for an Expanded Non-native Aquatic Species Management Plan in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park below the Glen Canyon Dam. Your participation is vital to the planning process. Project Background In 2013, the NPS completed the Comprehensive Fish Management Plan (CFMP). The intent of that effort was to provide guidance for managing fish within the Colorado River and its tributaries from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead. Since the completion of the CFMP and the 2016 Long Term Experimental and Management Plan (LTEMP) for Glen Canyon Dam operations, increases in potentially harmful non-native fish have been documented. This plan is intended to address this concern. The NPS is coordinating with the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and several other federal and non-federal cooperating agencies and traditionally associated tribes on this project. Purpose and Need The purpose of this action is to provide additional tools beyond what is available under the CFMP and the LTEMP, in order to allow the NPS to prevent, control, minimize or eradicate potentially harmful non-native aquatic species, or the risk associated with their presence or expansion, in the action area. The need for this action is due to the increase of green sunfish, brown trout and potential expansion or invasion of other harmful non-native aquatic species that threaten downstream native aquatic species including listed species or the Lees Ferry recreational rainbow trout fishery. These non-native species have become an increasing threat due to changing conditions since the completion of the 2013 NPS CFMP and the 2016 LTEMP. Existing measures may be inadequate to address potentially harmful non-native aquatic species. [1]

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Plan Process [2] Define purpose and need/develop preliminary alternatives: Fall 2017 Conduct external scoping: Dec 2017 Analysis of public comment: Spring 2018 Refine alternatives: Spring 2018 Identify environmental impacts and select preferred alternative: May 2018 Prepare draft plan/environmental document: May 2018 Cooperating agencies review of draft plan/environmental document (2 weeks): May/June 2018 Public review of draft plan/environmental document (30 days): July 2018 Analysis of public comment: Fall 2018 Prepare final plan/decision document: Fall 2018 Release final plan/decision document to the public: Fall 2018 Updates [3] The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public comment on an Expanded Non-native Aquatic Species Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park below the Glen Canyon Dam. Public comments will be accepted for a 30-day period from Sept. 11 to Oct. 11, 2018. Control measures for expanded non-native aquatic species are needed due to the increase of green sunfish, brown trout and the potential for other harmful non-native aquatic species that threaten downstream native and listed threatened and endangered aquatic species. These non-native species have become an increasing threat from changing conditions since the NPS completed the 2013 NPS Comprehensive Fish Management Plan and the 2016 Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan. To assist the public in understanding the proposed action and providing comments, the NPS is hosting various meetings to present information on the plan and NPS staff will be available to answer questions. Those meetings include: Public Webinar: September 20, 2018 5:00 to 6:30 pm MST (AZ), 6:00 to 7:30 pm MDT (UT/CO), Call Line 888-790-2024, Passcode 9535626 https://bluejeans.com/7293338944 Open Houses: September 25, 2018 6:00 to 8:00 pm MST GCNRA Headquarters 691 Scenic View Drive Page, AZ 86040 September 26, 2018 6:00 to 8:00 pm MST, Flagstaff Aquaplex 1702 N. Fourth Street Flagstaff, AZ 86004 September 27, 2018 6:00 to 8:00 pm MST Arizona Game and Fish Department 5000 W Carefree Hwy Phoenix, AZ 85086 The project summary, EA, and associated documents can be found online in the "Documents List" at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Expanded_Nonnative. A hard copy of the EA can be found at the following library locations: 1. Cline Library Northern Arizona University 1001 S. Knoles Dr Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6022 2. Burton Barr Central Library 1221 North Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85004 3. Page Public Library 479 South Lake Powell Blvd. Page, AZ 86040 4. Grand County Library Moab Branch 257 E Center Street Moab, UT 84532 5. Natural Resources Library U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St NW Washington, D.C. 20240-0001

Links National Park Service Expanded Non-native Aquatic Species Management Plan and EA website Nonnative invasive aquatic species page Brown trout page Green sunfish page Quagga mussel page Documents [4] Public Draft of the Expanded Non-Native Aquatic Species Management Plan/EA Temperature Reduction Options for Glen Canyon Slough; RM -12, Technical Report No. SRH 2018-17, Upper Colorado Regional Office Colorado River, AZ May 2018 newsletter Public scoping summary report Public scoping comments Draft proposed alternatives table Scoping posters Scoping presentation Expanded Non-native Species EA Scoping Newsletter Presentations and Papers 2018 Expanded Non-Native Aquatic Species Management Plan Environmental Assessment PPT Expanded non-Native Aquatic Species Management Plan Below Glen Canyon Dam PPT Expanded Non-Native Management Plan Below Glen Canyon Dam PPT Expanded Non-Native Management Plan Below Glen Canyon Dam Other Stuff Runge et al., 2018, Brown trout in the Lees Ferry reach of the Colorado River—Evaluation of causal hypotheses and potential interventions: USGS Open-File Report 2016 Long Term Experimental Management Plan (LTEMP) 2015 AZDGF Lees Ferry Fisheries Management Plan 2013 NPS Comprehensive Fisheries Management Plan Green sunfish collected in the -12 slough and a brown trout collected in Lees Ferry