Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Shasta Crayfish on Rock Creek, in Shasta County, California, 36841-36842 [2015-15708]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 2015 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R8–ES–2014–N106; FXHC–1113– 0000–F3] Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Shasta Crayfish on Rock Creek, in Shasta County, California Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; receipt of application. AGENCY: This notice advises the public that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an Enhancement of Survival permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The permit application includes a proposed safe harbor agreement (agreement) between the applicant and the Service for the federally endangered Shasta crayfish. The agreement is available for public comment. SUMMARY: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by July 27, 2015. ADDRESSES: Send comments to Mr. Rick Kuyper, via U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W–2605, Sacramento, CA 95825, or via email at richard_kuyper@fws.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Kuyper, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES); telephone: (916) 414–6649. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice advises the public that Pacific Gas and Electric Company (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an Enhancement of Survival permit under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The permit application includes a proposed safe harbor agreement (agreement) between the applicant and the Service for the federally endangered Shasta crayfish (Pacifastacus fortis). The agreement is available for public comment. DATES: tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Availability of Documents You may obtain copies of the document for review by contacting the individual named above. You may also make an appointment to view the document at the above address during normal business hours. Background Under a safe harbor agreement, participating landowners voluntarily undertake management activities on their property to enhance, restore, or VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:15 Jun 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 maintain habitat benefiting species listed under the Act. Safe harbor agreements, and the subsequent enhancement of survival permits that are issued pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act, encourage private and other non-Federal property owners to implement conservation efforts for listed species by assuring property owners that they will not be subjected to increased property use restrictions as a result of their efforts to attract listed species to their property, or to increase the numbers or distribution of listed species already on their property. Application requirements and issuance criteria for enhancement of survival permits through safe harbor agreements are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22(c) and 17.32(c). An enhancement of survival permit allows any necessary future incidental take of species above the mutually agreed upon baseline conditions for the species, as long as the take is in accordance with the terms and conditions of the permit and accompanying agreement. The federally endangered Shasta crayfish is also listed as endangered under the California Endangered Species Act, and the Service has worked closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife during the development of this safe harbor agreement. Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Shasta Crayfish The agreement would cover a 200-foot buffer along both sides of Rock Creek located on the applicant’s property (enrolled property). One section of Rock Creek, known as the Upper Pool, has no direct inflow or outflow from surface waterways and is fed by an isolated spring that flows from an extensive basalt lava flow. The Upper Pool has barriers both upstream and downstream that prevent species that prey upon, or compete with, Shasta crayfish from entering. Currently, Rock Creek does not contain Shasta crayfish, predatory species, or nonnative crayfish that would compete with and prey upon the Shasta crayfish. Because the Upper Pool does not contain Shasta crayfish, the baseline for the agreement would be zero individuals, but the existing habitat would remain in place. Other native aquatic flora and fauna that could be important for Shasta crayfish are present and plentiful. The applicant has agreed to allow the Service to relocate Shasta crayfish from another nearby location to the Upper Pool which will establish a new population within the species’ historical range. Some incidental take of Shasta crayfish could occur in the future during routine maintenance and PO 00000 Frm 00085 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 36841 operation activities, timber management activities, and other activities as described in the agreement. These activities would be conducted by the applicant and also by Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery staff. Should the applicant elect to return the enrolled property to baseline conditions, the agreement has a provision that allows the Service access to the property to capture and relocate Shasta crayfish to other suitable habitat. The agreement would be in effect until 2043. Upon approval of this agreement and satisfactory completion of all other applicable legal requirements, and consistent with the Service’s Safe Harbor Policy (64 FR 32717), the Service would issue an enhancement of survival permit to the applicant. This permit will authorize the applicant to take Shasta crayfish incidental to the following: (1) Implementation of the management activities specified in the agreement; (2) other lawful uses of the property, including ongoing and routine land management activities; and (3) a return to baseline conditions, if desired by the applicant. An applicant would receive assurances under our ‘‘No Surprises’’ regulations (50 CFR 17.22(c)(5) and 17.32(c)(5)) for Shasta crayfish. In addition to meeting other criteria, actions to be performed under an enhancement of survival permit must not jeopardize the existence of federally listed fish, wildlife, or plants. Public Review and Comments The Service has made a preliminary determination that the proposed agreement and permit application are eligible for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). We explain the basis for this determination in an environmental action statement, which is also available for public review. Individuals wishing copies of the environmental action statement, and/or copies of the full text of the agreement, including a map of the proposed permit area, should contact the office and personnel listed in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. E:\FR\FM\26JNN1.SGM 26JNN1 36842 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 2015 / Notices The Service will evaluate this permit application, associated documents, and comments submitted thereon to determine whether the permit application meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act and NEPA regulations. If the Service determines that the requirements are met, we will sign the proposed agreement and issue an enhancement of survival permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act to the applicant for take of the Shasta crayfish incidental to otherwise lawful activities in accordance with the terms of the agreement. The Service will not make our final decision until after the end of the 30-day comment period and will fully consider all comments received during the comment period. Authority The Service provides this notice pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act and pursuant to implementing regulations for NEPA (40 CFR 1506.6). Jennifer M. Norris, Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, Sacramento, California. I. Abstract BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary [156D0102DM DLSN00000.000000 DS61200000 DX61201] Renewal of Information Collection; OMB Control Number 1040–0001, DOI Programmatic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys Department of the Interior. Notice of submission to OMB; request for comments. AGENCY: ACTION: We (Department of the Interior, DOI) have submitted a request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. This IC is scheduled to expire June 30, 2015. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. DATES: OMB has 60 days to review this request but may act after 30 days, therefore you should submit your comments on or before July 27, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments directly to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior (OMB control #1040–0001), Office of tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:15 Jun 25, 2015 Jkt 235001 Don Bieniewicz on 202–208–4915. You may also review the submitted information collection request online at https:// www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to review Department of the Interior collections under review by OMB. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: [FR Doc. 2015–15708 Filed 6–25–15; 8:45 am] SUMMARY: Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, by email at oira_docket@ omb.eop.gov or by fax at 202–395–5806. Please also send a copy of your comments to the Department of the Interior; Office of Policy Analysis; Attention: Don Bieniewicz; Mail Stop 3530; 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240, or by fax to 202–208–4867, or by email to Donald_Bieniewicz@ ios.doi.gov. Reference ‘‘DOI Programmatic Clearance for Customer Satisfaction Surveys’’ in your email subject line. Include your name and return address in your email message and mark your message for return receipt. The Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) (Pub. L. 103–62) requires agencies to ‘‘improve Federal program effectiveness and public accountability by promoting a new focus on results, service quality, and customer satisfaction.’’ In order to fulfill this responsibility, DOI bureaus and offices must collect data from their respective user groups to better understand the needs and desires of the public and to respond accordingly. E.O. 12862 ‘‘Setting Customer Service Standards’’ also requires all executive departments to ‘‘survey customers to determine . . . their level of satisfaction with existing services.’’ E.O. 13571 ‘‘Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service’’ further mandates ‘‘establishing mechanisms to solicit customer feedback on Government services and using such feedback regularly to make service improvements.’’ We use customer satisfaction surveys to help us fulfill our responsibilities to provide excellence in government by proactively consulting with those we serve. This programmatic clearance provides an expedited approval process for DOI bureaus and offices to conduct customer research through external surveys such as questionnaires and comment cards. The proposed renewal covers all of the organizational units and bureaus in DOI. Information obtained from customers by bureaus and offices will be provided voluntarily. Questions may be PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 asked in languages other than English (e.g., Spanish) where appropriate. Topic areas serve as a guide within which the bureaus and offices will develop questions. No one survey will cover all the topic areas. The topic areas include: (1) Delivery, quality and value of products, information, and services. Respondents may be asked for feedback regarding the following attributes of the information, service, and products provided: (a) Timeliness (b) Consistency (c) Accuracy (d) Ease of Use and Usefulness (e) Ease of Information Access (f) Helpfulness (g) Quality (h) Value for fee paid for information/ product/service. (2) Management practices. This area covers questions relating to how well customers are satisfied with DOI management practices and processes, what improvements they might make to specific processes, and whether or not they feel specific issues were addressed and reconciled in a timely, courteous, and responsive manner. (3) Mission management. We will ask customers to provide satisfaction data related to DOI’s ability to protect, conserve, provide access to, provide scientific data about, and preserve natural, cultural, and recreational resources that we manage, and how well we are carrying out our trust responsibilities to American Indians. (4) Rules, regulations, policies. This area focuses on obtaining feedback from customers regarding fairness, adequacy, and consistency in enforcing rules, regulations, and policies for which DOI is responsible. It will also help us understand public awareness of rules and regulations and whether or not they are explained in a clear and understandable manner. (5) Interactions with DOI Personnel and Contractors. Questions will range from timeliness and quality of interactions to skill level of staff providing the assistance, as well as their courtesy and responsiveness during the interaction. (6) General demographics. Some general demographics may be gathered to augment satisfaction questions so that we can better understand the customer and improve how we serve that customer. We may ask customers how many times they have used a service, visited a facility within a specific timeframe, their ethnic group, or their race. All requests to collect information under the auspices of this proposed E:\FR\FM\26JNN1.SGM 26JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36841-36842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15708]



[[Page 36841]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2014-N106; FXHC-1113-0000-F3]


Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Shasta Crayfish on Rock 
Creek, in Shasta County, California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; receipt of application.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that Pacific Gas and Electric 
Company (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service) for an Enhancement of Survival permit under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The permit application includes 
a proposed safe harbor agreement (agreement) between the applicant and 
the Service for the federally endangered Shasta crayfish. The agreement 
is available for public comment.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by 
July 27, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Mr. Rick Kuyper, via U.S. mail at U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605, Sacramento, CA 
95825, or via email at richard_kuyper@fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Kuyper, Sacramento Fish and 
Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES); telephone: (916) 414-6649.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice advises the public that Pacific 
Gas and Electric Company (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Service) for an Enhancement of Survival permit under 
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The permit application includes a 
proposed safe harbor agreement (agreement) between the applicant and 
the Service for the federally endangered Shasta crayfish (Pacifastacus 
fortis). The agreement is available for public comment.

Availability of Documents

    You may obtain copies of the document for review by contacting the 
individual named above. You may also make an appointment to view the 
document at the above address during normal business hours.

Background

    Under a safe harbor agreement, participating landowners voluntarily 
undertake management activities on their property to enhance, restore, 
or maintain habitat benefiting species listed under the Act. Safe 
harbor agreements, and the subsequent enhancement of survival permits 
that are issued pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act, encourage 
private and other non-Federal property owners to implement conservation 
efforts for listed species by assuring property owners that they will 
not be subjected to increased property use restrictions as a result of 
their efforts to attract listed species to their property, or to 
increase the numbers or distribution of listed species already on their 
property. Application requirements and issuance criteria for 
enhancement of survival permits through safe harbor agreements are 
found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22(c) and 
17.32(c). An enhancement of survival permit allows any necessary future 
incidental take of species above the mutually agreed upon baseline 
conditions for the species, as long as the take is in accordance with 
the terms and conditions of the permit and accompanying agreement. The 
federally endangered Shasta crayfish is also listed as endangered under 
the California Endangered Species Act, and the Service has worked 
closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife during the 
development of this safe harbor agreement.

Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Shasta Crayfish

    The agreement would cover a 200-foot buffer along both sides of 
Rock Creek located on the applicant's property (enrolled property). One 
section of Rock Creek, known as the Upper Pool, has no direct inflow or 
outflow from surface waterways and is fed by an isolated spring that 
flows from an extensive basalt lava flow. The Upper Pool has barriers 
both upstream and downstream that prevent species that prey upon, or 
compete with, Shasta crayfish from entering. Currently, Rock Creek does 
not contain Shasta crayfish, predatory species, or nonnative crayfish 
that would compete with and prey upon the Shasta crayfish. Because the 
Upper Pool does not contain Shasta crayfish, the baseline for the 
agreement would be zero individuals, but the existing habitat would 
remain in place. Other native aquatic flora and fauna that could be 
important for Shasta crayfish are present and plentiful. The applicant 
has agreed to allow the Service to relocate Shasta crayfish from 
another nearby location to the Upper Pool which will establish a new 
population within the species' historical range. Some incidental take 
of Shasta crayfish could occur in the future during routine maintenance 
and operation activities, timber management activities, and other 
activities as described in the agreement. These activities would be 
conducted by the applicant and also by Crystal Lake Fish Hatchery 
staff. Should the applicant elect to return the enrolled property to 
baseline conditions, the agreement has a provision that allows the 
Service access to the property to capture and relocate Shasta crayfish 
to other suitable habitat. The agreement would be in effect until 2043.
    Upon approval of this agreement and satisfactory completion of all 
other applicable legal requirements, and consistent with the Service's 
Safe Harbor Policy (64 FR 32717), the Service would issue an 
enhancement of survival permit to the applicant. This permit will 
authorize the applicant to take Shasta crayfish incidental to the 
following: (1) Implementation of the management activities specified in 
the agreement; (2) other lawful uses of the property, including ongoing 
and routine land management activities; and (3) a return to baseline 
conditions, if desired by the applicant.
    An applicant would receive assurances under our ``No Surprises'' 
regulations (50 CFR 17.22(c)(5) and 17.32(c)(5)) for Shasta crayfish. 
In addition to meeting other criteria, actions to be performed under an 
enhancement of survival permit must not jeopardize the existence of 
federally listed fish, wildlife, or plants.

Public Review and Comments

    The Service has made a preliminary determination that the proposed 
agreement and permit application are eligible for categorical exclusion 
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.). We explain the basis for this determination in an 
environmental action statement, which is also available for public 
review.
    Individuals wishing copies of the environmental action statement, 
and/or copies of the full text of the agreement, including a map of the 
proposed permit area, should contact the office and personnel listed in 
the ADDRESSES section above.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

[[Page 36842]]

    The Service will evaluate this permit application, associated 
documents, and comments submitted thereon to determine whether the 
permit application meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act 
and NEPA regulations. If the Service determines that the requirements 
are met, we will sign the proposed agreement and issue an enhancement 
of survival permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act to the 
applicant for take of the Shasta crayfish incidental to otherwise 
lawful activities in accordance with the terms of the agreement. The 
Service will not make our final decision until after the end of the 30-
day comment period and will fully consider all comments received during 
the comment period.

Authority

    The Service provides this notice pursuant to section 10(c) of the 
Act and pursuant to implementing regulations for NEPA (40 CFR 1506.6).

Jennifer M. Norris,
Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2015-15708 Filed 6-25-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

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