Rotenone in Fisheries: Are the Rewards Worth the Risks?

9. Programmatic Approach for Rotenone Projects Funded Through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program-Options for Balancing Risk with Environmental Compliance and Administrative Efficiency

Ray Temple

doi: https://doi.org/10.47886/9781888569339.ch9

Abstract.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service‘s Federal Aid Program is examining alternative approaches to developing a programmatic review of projects that involve the use of rotenone. The projects considered under programmatic review would consist of a large but as yet uncertain subset of projects funded by the Federal Aid Program. These would include (1) projects with no significant impacts expected, (2) projects where significant impacts could be avoided through the choice of management practices, and (3) those where potential impacts could be mitigated to less than significance. All other projects would require site-specific National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review as is currently required for all projects not categorically excluded. Objectives of the programmatic evaluations are to (1) better assess cumulative effects of rotenone use on the environment in the context of rotenone use nationwide, (2) assure more comprehensive and consistent review within the Federal Aid system for compliance with NEPA, (3) increase the efficiency of state fish and wildlife agencies and the Federal Aid system by developing a streamlined grant approval process for rotenone projects, (4) provide complete NEPA process coverage for a subset of projects funded by Federal Aid, thereby reducing state workloads associated with meeting NEPA requirements, and (5) provide an environmental consequences review text that could be used by projects that need site-specific documentation.