Early Scoping for an Anticipated Application for Incidental Take Permit and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan; North Allegheny Wind Facility, 68690-68692 [2014-27255]
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68690
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 222 / Tuesday, November 18, 2014 / Notices
Claes Fornell International (CFI) Group
and the ACSI organization to offer the
methodology to Federal Agencies.
The CFI Group, a leader in customer
satisfaction and customer experience
management, offers a comprehensive
model that quantifies the effects of
quality improvements on citizen
satisfaction. The CFI Group has
developed the methodology and
licenses it to the ACSI organization
which produces the American Customer
Satisfaction Index (ACSI) for different
economic sectors and as an annual
benchmark for customer service in the
U.S. Government. The ACSI was
introduced in 1994 by Professor Claes
Fornell under the auspices of the
University of Michigan, the American
Society for Quality (ASQ), and the CFI
Group. In 2008, the ACSI became an
independent organization that continues
to monitor and benchmark customer
satisfaction across more than 200
companies and many U.S. Federal
Agencies.
The ACSI is the only cross-agency
methodology for obtaining comparable
measures of customer satisfaction with
Federal Government programs and/or
services. Along with other economic
objectives—such as employment and
growth—the quality of output (goods
and services) is a part of measuring
living standards. The ACSI’s ultimate
purpose is to help improve the quality
of goods and services available to
American citizens.
ACSI surveys conducted by the
Federal Consulting Group are
completely subject to the Privacy Act
1074, Public Law 93–579, December 31,
1974 (5 U.S.C. 522a). The agency
information collection is an integral part
of conducting an ACSI survey. The
contractor will not be authorized to
release any agency information upon
completion of the survey without first
obtaining permission from the Federal
Consulting Group and the participating
agency. In no case shall any new system
of records containing privacy
information be developed by the Federal
Consulting Group, participating
agencies, or the contractor collecting the
data. In addition, participating Federal
agencies may only provide information
used to randomly select respondents
from among established systems of
records provided for such routine uses.
There is no other agency or
organization which is able to provide
the information that is accessible
through the surveying approach used in
this information collection. Further, the
information will enable Federal
Agencies to determine customer
satisfaction metrics with discrimination
capability across variables. Thus, this
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information collection will assist
Federal Agencies in improving their
customer service in a targeted manner
which will make best use of resources
to improve service to the public.
This survey asks no questions of a
sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs,
and other matters that are commonly
considered private.
Current Actions: Proposed renewal of
collection of information.
Type of Review: Renewal.
Affected Public: Individuals and
Households, Businesses and
Organizations, State, Local or Tribal
Government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
Participation by Federal agencies in the
ACSI is expected to vary as new
customer segment measures are added
or deleted. However, based on historical
records, projected average estimates for
the next three years are as follows:
Average Expected Annual Number of
Customer Satisfaction Surveys: 100.
Respondents: 80,000.
Annual responses: 80,000.
Frequency of Response: Once per
survey.
Average minutes per response: 12.0.
Burden hours: 16,000 hours.
Request for Comments: Comments
submitted in response to this notice will
be summarized and/or included in the
request for OMB approval. Comments
are invited on: (a) Whether the
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
collection of information; (c) ways to
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity
of the information to be collected; (d)
ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on
respondents, including through the use
of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology;
and (e) estimates of capital or start-up
costs and costs of operation,
maintenance, and purchase of services
to provide information. Burden means
the total time, effort, or financial
resources expended by persons to
generate, maintain, retain, disclose or
provide information to or for a Federal
agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; to develop,
acquire, install and utilize technology
and systems for the purpose of
collecting, validating and verifying
information, processing and
maintaining information, and disclosing
and providing information; to train
personnel and to be able to respond to
a collection of information, to search
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data sources, to complete and review
the collection of information; and to
transmit or otherwise disclose the
information.
All written comments will be
available for public inspection by
appointment with the Federal
Consulting Group at the contact
information given in the Addresses
section. The comments, with names and
addresses, will be available for public
view during regular business hours. If
you wish us to withhold your personal
information, you must prominently state
at the beginning of your comment what
personal information you want us to
withhold. We will honor your request to
extent allowable by law.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid
Office of Management and Budget
control number.
Dated: November 10, 2014.
Jessica Reed,
Director, Federal Consulting Group.
[FR Doc. 2014–27223 Filed 11–17–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4334–12–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R5–ES–2014–0047;
FXES11120500000]
Early Scoping for an Anticipated
Application for Incidental Take Permit
and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan;
North Allegheny Wind Facility
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of scoping.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Endangered
Species Act (ESA) and the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), announce our intent to
prepare a NEPA document for an
anticipated Incidental Take Permit (ITP)
application and associated draft habitat
conservation plan (HCP) from the North
Allegheny Wind, LLC, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Duke Energy Generating
Services (or Duke Energy Renewables)
for operation of their wind facility
within occupied habitat of the northern
long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis)
and the federally listed endangered
Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). The
northern long-eared bat has recently
been proposed for listing as endangered
under the ESA. Wind turbine operation
has the potential to incidentally take
Indiana bats and northern long-eared
bats. Therefore, Duke Energy
SUMMARY:
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tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 222 / Tuesday, November 18, 2014 / Notices
Renewables is developing an ITP
application and HCP to address this
activity.
In advance of receiving the ITP
application for this project, the Service
is providing this notice to request
information from other agencies, tribes,
and the public on the scope of the NEPA
review and issues to consider in the
NEPA analysis and in development of
the HCP.
DATES: We will accept comments
received or postmarked on or before
December 18, 2014. Comments
submitted electronically using the
Federal eRulemaking Portal (see
ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments by one of the following
methods:
Electronically: Go to https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
on Docket No. FWS–R5–ES–2014–0047,
which is the docket number for this
notice. Click on the appropriate link to
locate this document and submit a
comment.
By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or
hand-delivery to Public Comments
Processing, Attn: FWS–R5–ES–2014–
0047; Division of Policy and Directives
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike,
Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.
We request that you send comments
by only the methods described above.
We will post all information received on
the Web site at: https://
www.regulations.gov. This generally
means that we will post any personal
information you provide us (see the
Public Comments section below for
more information).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lora
Zimmerman, by mail at U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 315 South Allen
Street, Suite 322, State College, PA
16801, or by telephone at 814–234–
4090, extension 233.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We
announce our intent to prepare a NEPA
document for a pending ITP application
and associated draft HCP from Duke
Energy Renewables. Duke Energy
Renewables currently owns and
operates the North Allegheny Wind
Project, a utility-scale wind generation
facility in Blair and Cambria Counties,
Pennsylvania. A map depicting the
wind facility on the landscape can be
viewed on the Service’s Pennsylvania
Field Office Web page; https://
www.fws.gov/northeast/pafo//pdf/
NAW_LocationMap_100914.pdf . The
facility consists of 35 2-megawatt
turbines, a network of electrical
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17:27 Nov 17, 2014
Jkt 235001
collector lines, and access roads. The
facility is situated in predominantly
forested lands that harbor the federally
listed endangered Indiana bat and the
proposed endangered northern longeared bat. Construction of the facility
was completed in 2008, and commercial
operation began in September 2009.
Take of one Indiana bat occurred in
September 2011. As a result, the
company has been operating at a cut in
speed we believe that will avoid further
take while permit materials are being
developed and final decisions are made.
As indicated above, wind turbine
operation has the potential to
incidentally take Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats. Therefore,
Duke Energy Renewables is developing
an ITP application and HCP to address
these activities.
In advance of receiving the ITP
application for this project, the Service
is providing this notice to request
information from other agencies, Tribes,
and the public on the scope of the NEPA
review and issues to consider in the
NEPA analysis and in development of
the HCP. We believe we can proceed
with an Environmental Assessment
(EA), with the caveat that we will use
it to evaluate, in conjunction with the
public comments, whether any
significant impacts would require
further analysis in an Environmental
Impact Statement.
Request for Information
We request data, comments,
information, and suggestions from the
public, other concerned governmental
agencies, the scientific community,
Tribes, industry, or any other interested
party on this notice. We will consider
all comments we receive in complying
with the requirements of NEPA and in
the development of the HCP and ITP.
We seek comments particularly
related to:
(1) Information concerning the
biology, range, distribution, population
size, and population trends of Indiana
bats, northern long-eared bats, and other
federally listed species that occur in
Pennsylvania that could be affected by
proposed covered activities;
(2) Relevant data and information
concerning wind turbine operation and
bat interactions; and
(3) Any other issues relating to the
human environment and potential
impacts that we should consider with
regard to the covered activities and
potential ITP issuance (e.g., cultural and
historical resources, migratory birds,
etc).
You may submit your comments and
materials considering this notice by one
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Fmt 4703
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68691
of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section.
Background
Indiana bats are listed as an
endangered species under the ESA. The
population decline of this species has
historically been attributed to habitat
loss and degradation of both winter
hibernation habitat (hibernacula) and
summer roosting habitat, human
disturbance during hibernation, and
possibly pesticides. A more recent
threat to Indiana bats has been the
emergence of white-nose syndrome
(WNS), an infectious fungal disease that
has led to significant population
declines in some parts of the species’
range, including the northeastern and
southeastern United States.
The range of the Indiana bat includes
much of the eastern United States,
including Pennsylvania. Winter habitat
for the Indiana bat includes caves and
mines that support high humidity and
cool-but-stable temperatures. In the
summer, Indiana bats roost in trees
(dead, dying, or alive) with exfoliating
bark, cracks, crevices, and/or hollows.
During summer, males roost alone or in
small groups, while females and their
offspring can roost in larger groups.
Indiana bats forage for insects in and
along the edges of forested areas and
wooded stream corridors.
Northern long-eared bats have
recently been proposed for listing as
endangered under the ESA. WNS is the
predominant threat to the species,
though other threats may include
impacts to hibernacula and summer
habitat, and disturbance of hibernating
bats. Northern long-eared bats have been
abundant in the eastern United States
and are often captured in summer mist
nets surveys and detected during
acoustic surveys. Northern long-eared
bats are known to use forested habitats
throughout Pennsylvania. Similar to
Indiana bats, northern long-eared bats
generally hibernate in caves and mines
during the winter. During the summer,
the bats roost in live or dead trees,
though they are also known to use
human-made structures such as barns,
sheds, and bat boxes.
Bats are known to be killed in
significant numbers by utility-scale
wind turbines in the eastern United
States. Bats have very low reproductive
rates, with females of most species
typically producing only one offspring
per year. Fatalities resulting from wind
facilities are considered to be additive to
baseline fatalities, that is, they are
fatalities above and beyond that which
would be expected to occur due to
baseline ecological and biological
factors, such as old age, predation, and
E:\FR\FM\18NON1.SGM
18NON1
68692
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 222 / Tuesday, November 18, 2014 / Notices
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
climatic extremes. Furthermore, with
respect to Indiana bats and northern
long-eared bats, the additive mortality
from wind facilities is expected to
exacerbate population declines that
have resulted from WNS.
The Federal action that will be
analyzed through NEPA will be the
potential issuance of an ITP to allow
incidental take of Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats from wind
turbines that will be described in the
HCP. The HCP will incorporate
avoidance, minimization, mitigation,
monitoring, and reporting measures
aimed at addressing the impact of the
covered activities to Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats. A description
of the covered lands is currently under
development for the HCP, but will likely
include the 35 turbines, turbine pads,
electric lines, and access roads. The
covered activities in the HCP are
anticipated to include turbine operation,
maintenance activities,
decommissioning, and mitigation
actions that have the potential to result
in incidental take of Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats. Because
curtailment of operating turbines is the
only method presently known to
effectively reduce bat fatalities due to
wind turbine operation, this will likely
be the primary minimization measure
employed. The permit term is under
development but is likely to be
coextensive with the predicted
operating life of the turbines, generally
between 20–30 years.
The NEPA analysis will assess the
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
of the proposed Federal action on the
human environment, comprehensively
interpreted to include the natural and
physical environment and the
relationship of people with that
environment. It will also analyze several
alternatives to the proposed Federal
action, to include no action, and other
reasonable courses of action. Relevant
information provided in response to this
notice will aid in developing the draft
HCP and NEPA analysis.
Next Steps
In this phase of the project, we are
seeking information to assist
development of the NEPA analysis and
the draft HCP. We will then develop a
draft NEPA document based on the ITP
application, Applicant’s draft HCP, any
associated documents, and public
comments received through this early
scoping effort. We will then publish a
notice of availability for the draft NEPA
document and draft HCP and seek
additional public comment before
completing our final analysis to
determine whether to issue an ITP.
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17:27 Nov 17, 2014
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Public Comments
The Service invites the public to
provide comments that will assist our
NEPA analysis during this 30-day
public comment period (see DATES). You
may submit comments by one of the
methods shown under ADDRESSES.
Public Availability of Comments
We will post all public comments and
information received electronically or
via hardcopy at https://regulations.gov.
All comments received, including
names and addresses, will become part
of the administrative record and will be
available to the public. Before including
your address, phone number, electronic
mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—will
be publicly available. If you submit a
hardcopy comment that includes
personal identifying information, you
may request at the top of your document
that we withhold this information from
public review. However, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authority
This notice is provided pursuant to
NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 and
1508.22).
Dated: October 27, 2014.
Paul Phifer,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological
Services, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014–27255 Filed 11–17–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–ES–2014–N182; 40120–1112–
0000–F2]
Amendment of a Joint Programmatic
Candidate Conservation Agreement
With Assurances and Safe Harbor
Agreement, Upper Little Red River
Watershed, Arkansas
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Under the Endangered
Species Act, we, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the receipt
and availability of a revised joint Safe
Harbor Agreement and Candidate
Conservation Agreement with
Assurances (revised agreement) and
accompanying documents for
establishing a programmatic enrollment
of willing landowners by the parties to
SUMMARY:
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
the revised agreement: Arkansas Game
and Fish Commission, Natural
Resources Conservation Service, The
Nature Conservancy, and the Fish and
Wildlife Service, Arkansas Ecological
Services Field Office (parties). The
revised agreement analyzes effects of
conservation measures and certain land
uses on two endangered species—the
yellowcheek darter (Etheostoma
moorei), a fish, and rabbitsfoot
(Quadrula cylindrica cylindrica), a
mussel—in the Upper Little Red River
Watershed, northcentral Arkansas, so
that these listed species, as well as 19
candidate and other unlisted species,
might be added to those already covered
by the existing enhancement of survival
permits. We invite public comments on
these documents.
DATES: We must receive any written
comments at our Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES) on or before December 18,
2014.
ADDRESSES: Documents are available for
public inspection by appointment
during normal business hours at the
Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regional
Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite
200, Atlanta, GA 30345; or at the
Arkansas Ecological Services Field
Office, Fish and Wildlife Service, 1500
Museum Road, Suite 105, Conway, AR
72032.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Michael Harris, At-Risk Species
Coordinator, at the Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES), telephone: 404–679–7066;
or Mr. Chris Davidson, Endangered
Species Coordinator, at the Arkansas
Field Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone:
501–513–4481.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We
announce the availability of the revised
Agreement, which incorporates the
yellowcheek darter, rabbitsfoot, and 19
State species of concern. The
yellowcheek darter and rabbitsfoot
became federally listed after the original
enhancement of survival permits were
issued in February 2007. The
yellowcheek darter was originally
covered by the Candidate Conservation
Agreement with Assurances, but would
now be transferred under the Safe
Harbor Agreement. The Service
previously advertised (71 FR 53129),
and issued enhancement of survival
permits, TE138910 (Safe Harbor) and
TE138911 (Candidate Conservation) as
30-year enhancement of survival
permits covering the speckled
pocketbook (Lampsilis streckeri) and
yellowcheek darter, respectively.
The parties request amendment of the
enhancement of survival permits, for
their remaining terms, under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
E:\FR\FM\18NON1.SGM
18NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68690-68692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27255]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-ES-2014-0047; FXES11120500000]
Early Scoping for an Anticipated Application for Incidental Take
Permit and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan; North Allegheny Wind
Facility
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of scoping.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), announce our intent to prepare a NEPA document for an
anticipated Incidental Take Permit (ITP) application and associated
draft habitat conservation plan (HCP) from the North Allegheny Wind,
LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Duke Energy Generating Services (or
Duke Energy Renewables) for operation of their wind facility within
occupied habitat of the northern long-eared bat (Myotis
septentrionalis) and the federally listed endangered Indiana bat
(Myotis sodalis). The northern long-eared bat has recently been
proposed for listing as endangered under the ESA. Wind turbine
operation has the potential to incidentally take Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats. Therefore, Duke Energy
[[Page 68691]]
Renewables is developing an ITP application and HCP to address this
activity.
In advance of receiving the ITP application for this project, the
Service is providing this notice to request information from other
agencies, tribes, and the public on the scope of the NEPA review and
issues to consider in the NEPA analysis and in development of the HCP.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before
December 18, 2014. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on the closing date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by one of the following
methods:
Electronically: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R5-ES-2014-0047,
which is the docket number for this notice. Click on the appropriate
link to locate this document and submit a comment.
By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R5-ES-2014-0047; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC; 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
We request that you send comments by only the methods described
above. We will post all information received on the Web site at: https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section
below for more information).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lora Zimmerman, by mail at U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 315 South Allen Street, Suite 322, State College,
PA 16801, or by telephone at 814-234-4090, extension 233.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We announce our intent to prepare a NEPA
document for a pending ITP application and associated draft HCP from
Duke Energy Renewables. Duke Energy Renewables currently owns and
operates the North Allegheny Wind Project, a utility-scale wind
generation facility in Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania. A map
depicting the wind facility on the landscape can be viewed on the
Service's Pennsylvania Field Office Web page; https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pafo//pdf/NAW_LocationMap_100914.pdf . The facility consists
of 35 2-megawatt turbines, a network of electrical collector lines, and
access roads. The facility is situated in predominantly forested lands
that harbor the federally listed endangered Indiana bat and the
proposed endangered northern long-eared bat. Construction of the
facility was completed in 2008, and commercial operation began in
September 2009. Take of one Indiana bat occurred in September 2011. As
a result, the company has been operating at a cut in speed we believe
that will avoid further take while permit materials are being developed
and final decisions are made. As indicated above, wind turbine
operation has the potential to incidentally take Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats. Therefore, Duke Energy Renewables is
developing an ITP application and HCP to address these activities.
In advance of receiving the ITP application for this project, the
Service is providing this notice to request information from other
agencies, Tribes, and the public on the scope of the NEPA review and
issues to consider in the NEPA analysis and in development of the HCP.
We believe we can proceed with an Environmental Assessment (EA), with
the caveat that we will use it to evaluate, in conjunction with the
public comments, whether any significant impacts would require further
analysis in an Environmental Impact Statement.
Request for Information
We request data, comments, information, and suggestions from the
public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific
community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party on this
notice. We will consider all comments we receive in complying with the
requirements of NEPA and in the development of the HCP and ITP.
We seek comments particularly related to:
(1) Information concerning the biology, range, distribution,
population size, and population trends of Indiana bats, northern long-
eared bats, and other federally listed species that occur in
Pennsylvania that could be affected by proposed covered activities;
(2) Relevant data and information concerning wind turbine operation
and bat interactions; and
(3) Any other issues relating to the human environment and
potential impacts that we should consider with regard to the covered
activities and potential ITP issuance (e.g., cultural and historical
resources, migratory birds, etc).
You may submit your comments and materials considering this notice
by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section.
Background
Indiana bats are listed as an endangered species under the ESA. The
population decline of this species has historically been attributed to
habitat loss and degradation of both winter hibernation habitat
(hibernacula) and summer roosting habitat, human disturbance during
hibernation, and possibly pesticides. A more recent threat to Indiana
bats has been the emergence of white-nose syndrome (WNS), an infectious
fungal disease that has led to significant population declines in some
parts of the species' range, including the northeastern and
southeastern United States.
The range of the Indiana bat includes much of the eastern United
States, including Pennsylvania. Winter habitat for the Indiana bat
includes caves and mines that support high humidity and cool-but-stable
temperatures. In the summer, Indiana bats roost in trees (dead, dying,
or alive) with exfoliating bark, cracks, crevices, and/or hollows.
During summer, males roost alone or in small groups, while females and
their offspring can roost in larger groups. Indiana bats forage for
insects in and along the edges of forested areas and wooded stream
corridors.
Northern long-eared bats have recently been proposed for listing as
endangered under the ESA. WNS is the predominant threat to the species,
though other threats may include impacts to hibernacula and summer
habitat, and disturbance of hibernating bats. Northern long-eared bats
have been abundant in the eastern United States and are often captured
in summer mist nets surveys and detected during acoustic surveys.
Northern long-eared bats are known to use forested habitats throughout
Pennsylvania. Similar to Indiana bats, northern long-eared bats
generally hibernate in caves and mines during the winter. During the
summer, the bats roost in live or dead trees, though they are also
known to use human-made structures such as barns, sheds, and bat boxes.
Bats are known to be killed in significant numbers by utility-scale
wind turbines in the eastern United States. Bats have very low
reproductive rates, with females of most species typically producing
only one offspring per year. Fatalities resulting from wind facilities
are considered to be additive to baseline fatalities, that is, they are
fatalities above and beyond that which would be expected to occur due
to baseline ecological and biological factors, such as old age,
predation, and
[[Page 68692]]
climatic extremes. Furthermore, with respect to Indiana bats and
northern long-eared bats, the additive mortality from wind facilities
is expected to exacerbate population declines that have resulted from
WNS.
The Federal action that will be analyzed through NEPA will be the
potential issuance of an ITP to allow incidental take of Indiana bats
and northern long-eared bats from wind turbines that will be described
in the HCP. The HCP will incorporate avoidance, minimization,
mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures aimed at addressing the
impact of the covered activities to Indiana bats and northern long-
eared bats. A description of the covered lands is currently under
development for the HCP, but will likely include the 35 turbines,
turbine pads, electric lines, and access roads. The covered activities
in the HCP are anticipated to include turbine operation, maintenance
activities, decommissioning, and mitigation actions that have the
potential to result in incidental take of Indiana bats and northern
long-eared bats. Because curtailment of operating turbines is the only
method presently known to effectively reduce bat fatalities due to wind
turbine operation, this will likely be the primary minimization measure
employed. The permit term is under development but is likely to be
coextensive with the predicted operating life of the turbines,
generally between 20-30 years.
The NEPA analysis will assess the direct, indirect, and cumulative
impacts of the proposed Federal action on the human environment,
comprehensively interpreted to include the natural and physical
environment and the relationship of people with that environment. It
will also analyze several alternatives to the proposed Federal action,
to include no action, and other reasonable courses of action. Relevant
information provided in response to this notice will aid in developing
the draft HCP and NEPA analysis.
Next Steps
In this phase of the project, we are seeking information to assist
development of the NEPA analysis and the draft HCP. We will then
develop a draft NEPA document based on the ITP application, Applicant's
draft HCP, any associated documents, and public comments received
through this early scoping effort. We will then publish a notice of
availability for the draft NEPA document and draft HCP and seek
additional public comment before completing our final analysis to
determine whether to issue an ITP.
Public Comments
The Service invites the public to provide comments that will assist
our NEPA analysis during this 30-day public comment period (see DATES).
You may submit comments by one of the methods shown under ADDRESSES.
Public Availability of Comments
We will post all public comments and information received
electronically or via hardcopy at https://regulations.gov. All comments
received, including names and addresses, will become part of the
administrative record and will be available to the public. Before
including your address, phone number, electronic mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware
that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--will be publicly available. If you submit a hardcopy
comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request
at the top of your document that we withhold this information from
public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do
so.
Authority
This notice is provided pursuant to NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7
and 1508.22).
Dated: October 27, 2014.
Paul Phifer,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-27255 Filed 11-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
