PROCESS FOR ADDRESSING MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS. This MOU establishes a standard process for addressing fish, wildlife and habitat management proposals on National Forest Wilderness proposed by Wyoming Game and Fish. The process is described below. These permissions and authorities mirror those found in the AFWA Agreement.
PROCESS FOR ADDRESSING MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS. This Agreement establishes a standard process for addressing fish, wildlife and habitat management proposals and resolving related issues raised by either agency. The process is described below and in the flowchart in ATTACHMENT C. In accordance with the national agreement between the federal agencies and the AFWA, dated June 2006, the following actions require federal agency approval: • Use of motorized equipment • Landing of aircraft • Any kind of mechanical transport • Temporary or permanent facility development, structures or installations • Use of chemicals (pesticides or herbicides) • Habitat alteration • Stocking previously unstocked waters Transplanting wildlife (except threatened and endangered species) requires pre-approval from the federal agency. MFWP has concern over this requirement in the national agreement and has elevated this concern to the national AFWA organization for further discussion with the USFS Washington Office Staff. Until that is resolved at the national level, in Montana, any wildlife transplants in wilderness (except threatened and endangered species) will be discussed and mutually agreed upon by the USFS and the MFWP. *See specific agency policy to determine what level of authority is required for these actions. The following actions do not require federal agency approval (if project does not include use of motorized equipment, mechanical transport, landing of aircraft, structures or installations): • Aerial counts and observation • Capturing and marking animals and radio telemetry • Transplanting threatened and endangered species into previously occupied habitat • Angling, hunting, trapping • Xxxx-netting; battery operated electrofishing • Fish stocking where established prior to designation using the method that was established at the time of designation (even if that method involved motorized equipment or mechanical transport) • Changes in fish species stocked in areas where stocking was established prior to designation. The following is a step by step explanation of the NEPA process to follow when there is a project proposal. A visual of this process can be found in ATTACHMENT C.
