Draft Environmental Assessment and Receipt of Application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit Associated With the Reintroduction of Black-Footed Ferrets on Private Land in Logan County, KS, 59302-59303 [E7-20669]

Download as PDF 59302 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 202 / Friday, October 19, 2007 / Notices like west Nile virus. Therefore, recovery actions in this plan focus on protecting and enhancing forests in the species’ range; determining the specific habitat requirements of the species to better manage areas for the species’ conservation; assessing the impact of black drongos and rats on nosa Luta, and controlling these species as appropriate; preventing the introduction of new predators and avian diseases; and developing techniques to safeguard the species from extinction due to random catastrophic events. Due to the limited information available about the species and its threats, this recovery plan focuses on ten years of the recovery process. As additional information is learned about the species and its threats, recovery strategies and measures should be reassessed to determine the steps needed for downlisting and then delisting the species. The primary objectives of this recovery plan are to stop further declines in the range and composition of the nosa Luta population, develop safeguards to prevent the species from going extinct, and reverse population declines to population levels estimated in 1982 (10,000 individuals). These objectives will be attained by conducting the following actions: (1) Reducing the decline of intact nosa Luta habitat to help reduce further population declines and range restrictions and increasing the amount of habitat available for sustaining an increasing nosa Luta population; (2) assessing the impact of black drongos and introduced rats on the nosa Luta population and controlling these species, as needed, to decrease their impacts on the nosa Luta; (3) preventing the brown treesnake and other threats, like West Nile virus, from becoming established on Rota to prevent further declines in the nosa Luta population; (4) evaluating the need and determining the requirements for establishing a second population of nosa Luta to prevent the species’ extinction; and (5) establishing an outreach program to increase public support for conservation of the nosa Luta. pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). Dated: September 7, 2007. Renne Lohoefener, Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. E7–20628 Filed 10–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:46 Oct 18, 2007 Jkt 214001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Environmental Assessment and Receipt of Application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit Associated With the Reintroduction of Black-Footed Ferrets on Private Land in Logan County, KS Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior ACTION: Notice of availability and receipt of application. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed use of an Enhancement of Survival Permit (ESP) for the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets on private land in Logan County, Kansas, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. as amended (Act). The Service requests information, views, and opinions from the public via this notice. DATES: Written comments on the permit application must be received by November 19, 2007. ADDRESSES: Written data or comments should be submitted to the Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries-Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225–0486; facsimile 303–236–0027. Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act [5 U.S.C. 552A] and Freedom of Information Act [5 U.S.C. 552], by any party who submits a request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice to Kris Olsen, by mail or by telephone at 303–236–4256. You also may obtain copies of the permit application and the draft EA by visiting our Web site at https://mountainprairie.fws.gov/species/mammals/ blackfootedferret/. All comments received from individuals become part of the official public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris Olsen, Regional Permit Coordinator (ADDRESSES above), telephone 303–236– 4256, or Mike LeValley, Project Leader, Kansas Ecological Services Office, 2609 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, telephone 785–539–3474, extension 105. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Manhattan, Kansas, TE–139523, has requested issuance of an enhancement of survival permit to conduct certain activities with PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 endangered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act. Our draft EA has been conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The black-footed ferret is one of the rarest mammals in North America. Formerly co-occurring across the ranges of all prairie dog species, its distribution has been greatly reduced due to disease (plague), poisoning of prairie dogs, and human-related habitat alteration. The only known current populations are those in captivity and those started through reintroduction of captive-bred individuals. Protection of this species and enhancement of its habitat on private land will benefit recovery efforts. The primary objections of the proposed action are—(a) to experiment with reintroduction of ferrets into much smaller prairie dog colonies than has traditionally been attempted; and (b) to attempt to establish a self-sustaining population outside the known active occurrence of sylvatic plague. This action could result in the accidental taking of individual ferrets on or off the release properties, from normal agricultural activities and vehicular traffic, and the permit will cover that take. The property upon which ferrets will be reintroduced is currently used as grazing land and cropland and is bordered by private lands. At the present time, each property supports several active prairie dog colonies, which have been evaluated and determined potentially suitable for the support of ferrets. The proposed reintroduction experiment would continue for 5 years, after which it may be terminated or continued indefinitely depending upon success and cooperating landowner desires. For more information regarding specifics of the experiment, contact the Kansas Field Office (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). We have made the determination that the proposed activities will enhance survival and recovery of the blackfooted ferret. This notice is provided pursuant to NEPA and section 10 of the Act. The Service has evaluated the impacts of this action under the NEPA and determined that it is not a major Federal action which would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of section 102(s)(C) of the NEPA. The Service has also evaluated whether the activity complies with section 7 of the Act by conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation on the issuance of the permit. The result of the biological opinion, in combination with the above finding and E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 202 / Friday, October 19, 2007 / Notices any public comments, will be used in the final analysis to determine whether or not to finalize or amend the draft EA and to issue the permit. We will evaluate the permit application, the draft EA, and comments submitted therein to determine whether the application meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act. If it is determined that those requirements are met, a permit will be issued for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret. The final permit decision will be made no sooner than 30 days after the date of this notice. Authority: The authority of this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Dated: October 15, 2007. Stephen Guertin, Acting Regional Director, Denver, Colorado. [FR Doc. E7–20669 Filed 10–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Coeur d’Alene Tribal Integrated Resource Management Plan, Coeur d’Alene Reservation, Idaho Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Notice. pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to file a Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the proposed Coeur d’Alene Tribal Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP), Coeur d’Alene Reservation, Idaho, and that the FPEIS is now available to the public. The FPEIS analyzes the impacts of four alternative approaches to managing the natural, environmental and cultural resources of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. The purpose of the proposed action, approval of the tribe’s implementation of the IRMP for a period of 20 years, is to protect and sustain these resources. DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on or after November 19, 2007. Any comments on the FPEIS must arrive by November 19, 2007. ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand deliver written comments to Superintendent, Coeur d’Alene Agency, VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:46 Oct 18, 2007 Jkt 214001 Bureau of Indian Affairs, P.O. Box 408, 850 A Street, Plummer, Idaho 83851. Any person wishing a copy of this FPEIS should immediately write to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Attention: Tiffany Allgood, P.O. Box 408, 850 A Street, Plummer, Idaho 83851, or call her at the number provided below. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tiffany Allgood, (208) 686–8802. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FPEIS analyzes the impacts of four possible alternatives for the IRMP, as follows: Alternative A—This is the No Action Alternative. Under this alternative, there would be no change in the existing management. Current land use, recreation and resource management activities would continue using existing laws, policies, land use practices, management plans and agreements. Alternative B—This is the preferred alternative. It would provide for the enhancement of natural and cultural resources on the reservation, while maintaining the rural character of the reservation. The reservation ecology and biodiversity would be managed to ensure their restoration and maintenance to provide for tribal subsistence and cultural uses of the resources. Under this alternative, 11,136 acres would be available for development, 76,149 acres would be managed for conservation, 661,123 acres would retain their rural character, 92,565 acres would be managed for agricultural uses and 95,558 acres would be forested. Alternative C—This alternative emphasizes natural resource conservation, while maintaining a working landscape for agriculture and forestry where compatible. New development would be limited to designated and environmentally suitable areas to minimize resource disturbances and adverse environmental impacts. Under this alternative, 5,401 acres would be available for development, 172,502 acres would be managed for conservation values, 62,104 acres would be managed for agricultural uses and 96,569 acres would be forested. Alternative D—This alternative would manage the Reservation to maximize growth and development where it is not in conflict with either the natural and cultural resources or existing land use designations and suitability. Under this alternative, 55,909 acres would be available for development, 9,215 acres would be managed for conservation values, 4,808 acres would maintain their rural character, 50,953 acres would be managed for recreational uses, 72,791 acres would be managed for agricultural PO 00000 Frm 00065 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 59303 uses and 123,634 acres would be forested. Public Comment Availability Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the BIA mailing address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. Authority This notice is published in accordance with section 1502.1 of the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and the Department of Interior Manual (516 DM 1–6), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. Dated: August 23, 2007. Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. [FR Doc. E7–20683 Filed 10–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–W7–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [NM220–1430 ES; NM–109924] Recreation and Public Purposes (R&PP) Act Classification; New Mexico Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of realty action. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has determined that land located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico is suitable for classification for lease or conveyance to Museum of New Mexico Board of Regents, a statutorily created body of the State of New E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 202 (Friday, October 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59302-59303]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20669]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Draft Environmental Assessment and Receipt of Application for an 
Enhancement of Survival Permit Associated With the Reintroduction of 
Black-Footed Ferrets on Private Land in Logan County, KS

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior

ACTION: Notice of availability and receipt of application.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has prepared a 
draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed use of an 
Enhancement of Survival Permit (ESP) for the reintroduction of black-
footed ferrets on private land in Logan County, Kansas, pursuant to 
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. as amended 
(Act). The Service requests information, views, and opinions from the 
public via this notice.

DATES: Written comments on the permit application must be received by 
November 19, 2007.

ADDRESSES: Written data or comments should be submitted to the 
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries-Ecological Services, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, 
Colorado 80225-0486; facsimile 303-236-0027. Documents and other 
information submitted with these applications are available for review, 
subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act [5 U.S.C. 552A] and 
Freedom of Information Act [5 U.S.C. 552], by any party who submits a 
request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of 
publication of this notice to Kris Olsen, by mail or by telephone at 
303-236-4256. You also may obtain copies of the permit application and 
the draft EA by visiting our Web site at https://mountain-
prairie.fws.gov/species/mammals/blackfootedferret/. All comments 
received from individuals become part of the official public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris Olsen, Regional Permit 
Coordinator (ADDRESSES above), telephone 303-236-4256, or Mike 
LeValley, Project Leader, Kansas Ecological Services Office, 2609 
Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, telephone 785-539-3474, 
extension 105.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, Ecological Services, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Manhattan, Kansas, TE-139523, has requested 
issuance of an enhancement of survival permit to conduct certain 
activities with endangered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of 
the Act. Our draft EA has been conducted pursuant to the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
    The black-footed ferret is one of the rarest mammals in North 
America. Formerly co-occurring across the ranges of all prairie dog 
species, its distribution has been greatly reduced due to disease 
(plague), poisoning of prairie dogs, and human-related habitat 
alteration. The only known current populations are those in captivity 
and those started through reintroduction of captive-bred individuals. 
Protection of this species and enhancement of its habitat on private 
land will benefit recovery efforts.
    The primary objections of the proposed action are--(a) to 
experiment with reintroduction of ferrets into much smaller prairie dog 
colonies than has traditionally been attempted; and (b) to attempt to 
establish a self-sustaining population outside the known active 
occurrence of sylvatic plague. This action could result in the 
accidental taking of individual ferrets on or off the release 
properties, from normal agricultural activities and vehicular traffic, 
and the permit will cover that take. The property upon which ferrets 
will be reintroduced is currently used as grazing land and cropland and 
is bordered by private lands. At the present time, each property 
supports several active prairie dog colonies, which have been evaluated 
and determined potentially suitable for the support of ferrets. The 
proposed reintroduction experiment would continue for 5 years, after 
which it may be terminated or continued indefinitely depending upon 
success and cooperating landowner desires. For more information 
regarding specifics of the experiment, contact the Kansas Field Office 
(FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above).
    We have made the determination that the proposed activities will 
enhance survival and recovery of the black-footed ferret. This notice 
is provided pursuant to NEPA and section 10 of the Act.
    The Service has evaluated the impacts of this action under the NEPA 
and determined that it is not a major Federal action which would 
significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the 
meaning of section 102(s)(C) of the NEPA. The Service has also 
evaluated whether the activity complies with section 7 of the Act by 
conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation on the issuance of 
the permit. The result of the biological opinion, in combination with 
the above finding and

[[Page 59303]]

any public comments, will be used in the final analysis to determine 
whether or not to finalize or amend the draft EA and to issue the 
permit.
    We will evaluate the permit application, the draft EA, and comments 
submitted therein to determine whether the application meets the 
requirements of section 10(a) of the Act. If it is determined that 
those requirements are met, a permit will be issued for the 
reintroduction of the black-footed ferret. The final permit decision 
will be made no sooner than 30 days after the date of this notice.

    Authority: The authority of this action is the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.).

    Dated: October 15, 2007.
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. E7-20669 Filed 10-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
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