Tribes seek public comment on National Bison Range proposal

MOIESE —The public is invited to participate in the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the proposal of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) to enter into an annual funding agreement (AFA) with the Department of the Interior, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), for operations and maintenance of certain programs and activities of the National Bison Range Complex (NBRC) located on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

The CSKT submitted the proposal pursuant to provisions of the Tribal Self-Government Act of 1994. Under that law, qualified Indian tribes may request and the department must negotiate for an AFA for the tribe to perform activities administered by the Department of the Interior that are of special geographic, historic or cultural significance to the requesting qualified tribe. The proposed action would formalize a partnership between the service and the CSKT through a new self-governance AFA that would contract with the CSKT to operate eligible refuge programs and perform specific day-to-day activities of the NBRC consistent with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act.

The service is advising the public that an EA will be prepared to evaluate the impact the proposed action will have on the environment. This analysis will help us make an environmentally sound decision. We are asking the public to respond with suggested alternatives and concerns about significant issues regarding the proposed action. This scoping process is intended to ensure that problems are identified early and properly addressed. Scoping can reduce the need for changes after the draft EA is finished, because it reduces the chances of overlooking a significant issue or a reasonable alternative. The draft AFA is available at: http://www.fws.gov/bisonrange/AFA/FY_13-16_AFA_Draft_4-12-12_tech_corrections_draft.pdf. Submission of written scoping comments and questions will be accepted until June 15.