Receipt of Application for Incidental Take Permit for Construction of a Single-Family Home, Brevard County, FL, 41834-41835 [E6-11721]
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41834
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 141 / Monday, July 24, 2006 / Notices
First Home) to the Florida Scrub-jay
Conservation Fund administered by The
Nature Conservancy. Funds in this
account are ear-marked for use in the
conservation and recovery of scrub-jays
and may include habitat acquisition,
restoration, and/or management.
The Service has determined that the
Applicants’ proposals, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization
measures, will individually and
cumulatively have a minor or negligible
effect on the species covered in the
HCPs. Therefore, the ITPs are ‘‘loweffect’’ projects and qualify as
categorical exclusions under the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA), as provided by the Department
of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2,
Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6, Appendix
1). This preliminary information may be
revised based on our review of public
comments that we receive in response to
this notice. Low-effect HCPs are those
involving (1) minor or negligible effects
on federally listed or candidate species
and their habitats, and (2) minor or
negligible effects on other
environmental values or resources.
The Service will evaluate the HCPs
and comments submitted thereon to
determine whether the applications
meet the requirements of section 10(a)
of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If it
is determined that those requirements
are met, the ITPs will be issued for the
incidental take of the Florida scrub-jay.
The Service will also evaluate whether
issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITPs
comply with section 7 of the Act by
conducting an intra-Service section 7
consultation. The results of this
consultation, in combination with the
above findings, will be used in the final
analysis to determine whether or not to
issue the ITPs.
Authority: This notice is provided
pursuant to section 10 of the Endangered
Species Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
Dated: July 18, 2006.
David L. Hankla,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office.
[FR Doc. E6–11719 Filed 7–21–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
Fish and Wildlife Service
Receipt of Application for Incidental
Take Permit for Construction of a
Single-Family Home, Brevard County,
FL
AGENCY:
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:54 Jul 21, 2006
Jkt 208001
ACTION:
Notice; request for comments.
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), announce the
availability of an incidental take permit
(ITP) application and Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP). Lawrence
Bank (Applicant) requests an ITP, for a
2-year term, for an individual lot
pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). The Applicant
anticipates taking about .25 acres of
Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma
coerulescens) (scrub-jay) foraging and
sheltering habitat incidental to lot
preparation for the construction of one
single-family home and supporting
infrastructure in Brevard County,
Florida (Projects). The destruction of .25
acres of foraging and sheltering habitat
is expected to result in the take of one
family of scrub-jays. The Applicant’s
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)
describes the mitigation and
minimization measures proposed to
address the effects of the Project to the
Florida scrub-jay.
DATES: Written comments on the ITP
application and HCP should be sent to
the Jacksonville Field Office (see
ADDRESSES) and should be received on
or before August 23, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review
the application and HCP may obtain a
copy by writing the Service’s
Jacksonville Field Office. Please
reference permit number TE128564–0 in
such requests. Documents will also be
available for public inspection by
appointment during normal business
hours at the Jacksonville Field Office,
6620 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310,
Jacksonville, Florida 32216–0912.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Michael Jennings, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, Jacksonville Field Office,
Jacksonville, Florida (see ADDRESSES),
telephone: 904/232–2580, ext. 113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you
wish to comment, you may submit
comments by any one of several
methods. Please reference permit
number TE128564–0 in such requests.
You may mail comments to the
Service’s Jacksonville Field Office (see
ADDRESSES). You may also comment via
the Internet to
michael_jennings@fws.gov. Please
include your name and return address
in your internet message. If you do not
receive a confirmation from us that we
have received your internet message,
contact us directly at the telephone
number listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. Finally, you may
hand deliver comments to the Service
office listed above (see ADDRESSES). Our
PO 00000
Frm 00081
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
practice is to make comments, including
names and home addresses of
respondents, available for public review
during regular business hours.
Individual respondents may request that
we withhold their home address from
the administrative record. We will
honor such requests to the extent
allowable by law. There may also be
other circumstances in which we would
withhold from the administrative record
a respondent’s identity, as allowable by
law. If you wish us to withhold your
name and address, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your
comments. We will not, however,
consider anonymous comments. We
will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
individuals identifying themselves as
representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available
for public inspection in their entirety.
Residential construction will take
place within section 02, Township 24
South, Range 35 East, Cocoa, Brevard
County, Florida, on lot 14, Block 28.
This lot is within locations where scrubjays were sighted during surveys for this
species from 1999 through 2003.
The lot encompasses about 1.00 acres,
of which .25 acres will be used for the
footprint of the home, infrastructure,
and landscaping. The remaining .75
acres will be retained as scrub-jay
habitat. In order to minimize take on
site, the Applicant proposes to preserve
the remaining .75 acres of scrub habitat
on site and not clear the property or
begin construction until the completion
of the nesting season (March 1–June 30).
The Applicant proposes to mitigate
for the loss of .25 acres of scrub-jay
habitat by contributing a total of $4,200
to the Florida Scrub-jay Conservation
Fund administered by The Nature
Conservancy. Funds in this account are
ear-marked for use in the conservation
and recovery of scrub-jays and may
include habitat acquisition, restoration,
and/or management.
The Service has determined that the
Applicant’s proposal, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization
measures, will have a minor or
negligible effect on the species covered
in the HCP. Therefore, the ITP is a ‘‘loweffect’’ project and qualifies as a
categorical exclusion under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as
provided by the Department of the
Interior Manual (516 DM 2, Appendix 1
and 516 DM 6, Appendix 1). This
preliminary information may be revised
based on our review of public comments
that we receive in response to this
notice. Low-effect HCPs are those
involving (1) minor or negligible effects
on federally listed or candidate species
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 141 / Monday, July 24, 2006 / Notices
and their habitats, and (2) minor or
negligible effects on other
environmental values or resources.
The Service will evaluate the HCP
and comments submitted thereon to
determine whether the application
meets the requirements of section 10(a)
of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If it
is determined that those requirements
are met, the ITP will be issued for the
incidental take of the Florida scrub-jay.
The Service will also evaluate whether
issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP
complies with section 7 of the Act by
conducting an intra-Service section 7
consultation. The results of this
consultation, in combination with the
above findings, will be used in the final
analysis to determine whether or not to
issue the ITP.
Authority: This notice is provided
pursuant to section 10 of the Endangered
Species Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
Dated: July 18, 2006.
David L. Hankla,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office.
[FR Doc. E6–11721 Filed 7–21–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Receipt of an Application for an
Incidental Take Permit for the Joshua
Tree Recreational Campground LowEffect Habitat Conservation Plan, San
Bernardino County, CA
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: JAT Associates, Inc.
(Applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (Service or ‘‘we’’)
for an incidental take permit pursuant to
section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
We are considering issuing a 30-year
permit to the Applicant that would
authorize take of the federally
threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus
agassizii) incidental to otherwise lawful
activities associated with the
construction and operation of the Joshua
Tree Recreational Campground on 13.8
acres of their 314.6-acre property.
We are requesting comments on the
permit application and on our
preliminary determination that the
proposed Habitat Conservation Plan
(HCP) qualifies as a ‘‘low effect’’ HCP,
eligible for a categorical exclusion under
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended. We
explain the basis for this possible
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:54 Jul 21, 2006
Jkt 208001
determination in a draft Environmental
Action Statement (EAS) and associated
Low Effect Screening Form. The
Applicant’s Low Effect HCP describes
the mitigation and minimization
measures they would implement, as
required in Section 10(a)(2)(B) of the
Act, to address the effects of the project
on the desert tortoise. These measures
are outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section below. The draft
HCP and EAS are available for public
review.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before August 23, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Please address written
comments to Diane Noda, Field
Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura,
California 93003. You may also send
comments by facsimile to (805) 644–
3958. To obtain copies of draft
documents, see ‘‘Availability of
Documents’’ under SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jen
Lechuga, HCP Coordinator, (see
ADDRESSES) telephone: (805) 644–1766
extension 224.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
You may obtain copies of the
application, HCP, and EAS by
contacting the HCP Coordinator (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Copies
of the draft documents are also available
for public inspection and review at the
following locations: (1) U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and
Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road,
Suite B, Ventura, California 93003; (2)
Joshua Tree Public Library, 6465 Park
Blvd., Joshua Tree, California 92252;
and (3) Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office
Internet site: https://www.fws.gov/
ventura.
Background
Section 9 of the Act and Federal
regulations prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish or
wildlife species listed as endangered or
threatened, respectively. Take of listed
fish or wildlife is defined under the Act
to mean to harass, harm, pursue, hunt,
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or
collect, or to attempt to engage in any
such conduct. However, the Service,
under limited circumstances, may issue
permits to cover incidental take, i.e.,
take that is incidental to, and not the
purpose of, the carrying out of an
otherwise lawful activity. Regulations
governing incidental take permits for
threatened and endangered species are
found at 50 CFR 17.32 and 17.22,
respectively. Among other criteria,
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
41835
issuance of such permits must not
jeopardize the existence of federally
listed fish, wildlife, or plants.
The proposed Joshua Tree
Recreational Campground project is
located in the unincorporated
community of Joshua Tree, San
Bernardino County, California. The
Applicant proposes to construct,
operate, and maintain campground
facilities on 13.8 acres. Proposed
construction on the 13.8 acres includes
22 camp sites, a fitness center, a
reception/restaurant building, multiple
salt water pools, massage treatment
rooms, a horse stable, roads, and trails.
Construction would be completed in
two phases. Phase I would comprise
approximately 62 percent of the total
project area. The campground would be
in operation for 3 to 5 years before
Phase II construction begins.
Construction of the two phases is
expected to take 10 years.
The Applicant proposes to implement
measures to minimize and mitigate for
take of the desert tortoise within the
project site. The Applicant has designed
the project such that the footprint of the
roads and structures are located where
few desert tortoise signs were observed.
For mitigation, they will restore and
manage at a 1:1 ratio 13.8 acres of desert
tortoise habitat on their 314.6-acre
property. The Applicant also proposes
to: (1) Halt destructive activities to
desert tortoises and their habitat
presently taking place on the site; (2)
raise awareness of the desert tortoise for
construction personnel, staff, and
guests; (3) post signs and establish
speed limits; (4) construct a desert
tortoise-exclusion fence along the access
road; (5) reduce the presence of desert
tortoise predators; and (6) undertake
various other measures to minimize
impacts.
The impacts from construction and
operation activities associated with the
Joshua Tree Campground are considered
to be negligible to the species as a whole
because: (1) The amount of habitat being
disturbed is small relative to the amount
of habitat available within the Joshua
Tree area, the West Mojave Recovery
Unit, and within the wide range of the
species as a whole; (2) most of the areas
that will be disturbed during
construction and operation of buildings
on the site are of poor quality and
probably support few if any desert
tortoises due to ongoing illegal shooting,
dumping, and off highway vehicular
(OHV) use; (3) disturbance associated
with construction of roads on the site is
associated with habitat that has also
been impacted, to a lesser extent by
illegal dumping, shooting, and OHV
use; (4) the construction of this park
E:\FR\FM\24JYN1.SGM
24JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 141 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41834-41835]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-11721]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Receipt of Application for Incidental Take Permit for
Construction of a Single-Family Home, Brevard County, FL
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP). Lawrence Bank (Applicant) requests an ITP, for
a 2-year term, for an individual lot pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Applicant
anticipates taking about .25 acres of Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma
coerulescens) (scrub-jay) foraging and sheltering habitat incidental to
lot preparation for the construction of one single-family home and
supporting infrastructure in Brevard County, Florida (Projects). The
destruction of .25 acres of foraging and sheltering habitat is expected
to result in the take of one family of scrub-jays. The Applicant's
Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) describes the mitigation and
minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the Project to
the Florida scrub-jay.
DATES: Written comments on the ITP application and HCP should be sent
to the Jacksonville Field Office (see ADDRESSES) and should be received
on or before August 23, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the application and HCP may obtain
a copy by writing the Service's Jacksonville Field Office. Please
reference permit number TE128564-0 in such requests. Documents will
also be available for public inspection by appointment during normal
business hours at the Jacksonville Field Office, 6620 Southpoint Drive
South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216-0912.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Jennings, Fish and
Wildlife Biologist, Jacksonville Field Office, Jacksonville, Florida
(see ADDRESSES), telephone: 904/232-2580, ext. 113.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment, you may submit
comments by any one of several methods. Please reference permit number
TE128564-0 in such requests. You may mail comments to the Service's
Jacksonville Field Office (see ADDRESSES). You may also comment via the
Internet to michael_jennings@fws.gov. Please include your name and
return address in your internet message. If you do not receive a
confirmation from us that we have received your internet message,
contact us directly at the telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT. Finally, you may hand deliver comments to the
Service office listed above (see ADDRESSES). Our practice is to make
comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available
for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents
may request that we withhold their home address from the administrative
record. We will honor such requests to the extent allowable by law.
There may also be other circumstances in which we would withhold from
the administrative record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law.
If you wish us to withhold your name and address, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your comments. We will not, however,
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
Residential construction will take place within section 02,
Township 24 South, Range 35 East, Cocoa, Brevard County, Florida, on
lot 14, Block 28. This lot is within locations where scrub-jays were
sighted during surveys for this species from 1999 through 2003.
The lot encompasses about 1.00 acres, of which .25 acres will be
used for the footprint of the home, infrastructure, and landscaping.
The remaining .75 acres will be retained as scrub-jay habitat. In order
to minimize take on site, the Applicant proposes to preserve the
remaining .75 acres of scrub habitat on site and not clear the property
or begin construction until the completion of the nesting season (March
1-June 30).
The Applicant proposes to mitigate for the loss of .25 acres of
scrub-jay habitat by contributing a total of $4,200 to the Florida
Scrub-jay Conservation Fund administered by The Nature Conservancy.
Funds in this account are ear-marked for use in the conservation and
recovery of scrub-jays and may include habitat acquisition,
restoration, and/or management.
The Service has determined that the Applicant's proposal, including
the proposed mitigation and minimization measures, will have a minor or
negligible effect on the species covered in the HCP. Therefore, the ITP
is a ``low-effect'' project and qualifies as a categorical exclusion
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by the
Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2, Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6,
Appendix 1). This preliminary information may be revised based on our
review of public comments that we receive in response to this notice.
Low-effect HCPs are those involving (1) minor or negligible effects on
federally listed or candidate species
[[Page 41835]]
and their habitats, and (2) minor or negligible effects on other
environmental values or resources.
The Service will evaluate the HCP and comments submitted thereon to
determine whether the application meets the requirements of section
10(a) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If it is determined that
those requirements are met, the ITP will be issued for the incidental
take of the Florida scrub-jay. The Service will also evaluate whether
issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with section 7 of the
Act by conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation. The results
of this consultation, in combination with the above findings, will be
used in the final analysis to determine whether or not to issue the
ITP.
Authority: This notice is provided pursuant to section 10 of the
Endangered Species Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: July 18, 2006.
David L. Hankla,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office.
[FR Doc. E6-11721 Filed 7-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
