Fish Management Plan FONSI

The National Park Service (NPS) has completed its environmental review and has issued a decision and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Fish Management Plan Environmental Assessment (EA).

The decision, detailed in the FONSI, will direct the long-term management for fish within lakes, rivers and streams in Mount Rainier National Park. Fish management actions and revisions to fishing regulations will conserve native fish populations, including threatened bull trout, and restore ecosystems in the park by reducing or eliminating nonnative fish. The plan also provides for continued and expanded recreational fishing opportunities and related visitor experiences.

To help implement the approved fish management actions, the NPS is proposing revisions to fishing regulations to conserve native fish populations, including threatened bull trout, and to restore aquatic ecosystems in the park by reducing or eliminating nonnative fish while providing for continued and expanded recreational fishing opportunities and related visitor experiences.

A notice of the proposed rule change has been published in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2022-00231/mount-rainier-national-park-fishing

A 60-day public review and comment period begins on January 11, 2022. Comments may be submitted through using the Regulations.gov website.

The Proposed Rule Change will help implement fishing regulations that emphasize catch and release of native fish species and retention of nonnative fish species. Special fishing regulations for Mount Rainier National Park are found in 36 CFR 7.5(a). These regulations were issued in 1969 (34 FR 17520) and last amended in 1976 (41 FR 14863).

The proposed rule would remove special fishing regulations for the park that interfere with the successful implementation of the fish management strategy identified in the FONSI. These include the following restrictions that limit the take of nonnative fish: (1) closures at Ipsut Creek and (except for artificial flyfishing) the Ohanapecosh River; and (2) a daily catch and possession limit of six pounds and one fish, not to exceed 12 fish.

Removing these closures would create new angling opportunities to fish for nonnative species that are currently blocked by 36 CFR 7.5. The other closures in the special regulations will be maintained in the Mount Rainier National Park Superintendent's Compendium to protect the domestic potable water supply for White River, Sunrise, Ohanapecosh, and Paradise (the closures of Frozen Lake and streams with identified water supply intakes); or to protect fragile riparian vegetation (the closures of Tipsoo Lake, Shadow Lake and Reflection Lakes).

Closures and restrictions in the special regulations also apply to the take of native fish species. These will be retained or modified in the Superintendent's Compendium, consistent with the selected action in the FONSI, to help restore the natural abundance, diversity, dynamics, distribution, habitats, and behaviors of native fish populations that were present in the park prior to the introduction of nonnative fish.

Document Content:

Fish Management Plan Finding of No Significant Impact.pdf   (2.1 MB, PDF file) MORAFishingProposedRule-EconomicAnalyses_05.25.21.pdf   (102.5 KB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.