Proposed Shiloh III Wind Plant Project, Solano County, CA; Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment, 6812-6813 [2011-2680]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices
information on how to access the HCP,
EA, and IA, and to submit comments,
along with additional background
information on the permit application
package, please refer to the previous
Federal Register Notice (75 FR 68821),
which was published on November 9,
2010.
Authority
This notice is provided under section
10(c) 16 U.S.C. 1539(c) of the ESA and
NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). The
public process for the proposed Federal
permit action will be completed after
the public comment period, at which
time we will evaluate the permit
application, the HCP, and associated
documents (including the EA), as well
as comments submitted, to determine
whether or not the proposed action
meets the requirements of section 10(a)
of the ESA and has been adequately
evaluated under NEPA.
Dated: January 18, 2011.
Richard Hannan,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2011–2691 Filed 2–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–2010–N260; 1112–0000–81420–
F2]
Proposed Shiloh III Wind Plant Project,
Solano County, CA; Proposed Habitat
Conservation Plan and Draft
Environmental Assessment
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comment.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), have received
an application from enXco and Pacific
Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
(applicants) for a 36-year incidental take
permit for one species under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). The application
addresses the potential for ‘‘take’’ of one
Federally listed animal, the California
tiger salamander (Ambystoma
californiense) (tiger salamander). The
applicants would implement a
conservation program to minimize and
mitigate the project activities, as
described in the applicants’ Habitat
Conservation Plan (Plan). We request
comments on the Plan and the
associated draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA).
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:16 Feb 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
We must receive written
comments on or before March 25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Please address written
comments to Sheila Larsen,
Conservation Planning Branch,
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800
Cottage Way, W–2605, Sacramento, CA
95825. Alternatively, you may send
comments by facsimile to (916) 414–
6713.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sheila Larsen or Mike Thomas, Chief,
Conservation Planning, at the address
shown above or at (916) 414–6600
(telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
DATES:
Availability of Documents
You may obtain copies of the Plan
and EA from the individuals in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Copies
of these documents are available for
public inspection, by appointment,
during regular business hours, at the
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office
(SEE ADDRESSES). These documents are
also available electronically for review
on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office
Web site at https://www.fws.gov/
sacramento/.
Background Information
Section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.) and its implementing Federal
regulations prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish or
wildlife species listed as endangered or
threatened. ‘‘Take’’ is defined under the
Act to include the following activities:
To harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot,
wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect
listed animal species, or to attempt to
engage in such conduct. However,
under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act, we
may issue permits to authorize
incidental take of listed species.
‘‘Incidental take’’ is defined by the Act
as take that is incidental to, and not the
purpose of, carrying out an otherwise
lawful activity. Regulations governing
incidental take permits for endangered
and threatened species, respectively, are
in the Code of Federal Regulations at 50
CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR 17.32. All
species included in the incidental take
permit would receive assurances under
our ‘‘No Surprises’’ regulations (50 CFR
17.22(b)(5) and 17.32(b)(5)).
The Shiloh III Wind Plant Project
would be constructed within an
approximately 4,600-acre project area in
the Collinsville–Montezuma Hills Wind
Resources Area, immediately south of
State Route 12 in Solano County,
California (Plan Area). The Plan Area is
adjacent to existing energy-producing
facilities, most notably wind turbine
PO 00000
Frm 00057
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
generators in the Sacramento Municipal
Utility District project area, the High
Winds LLC project area, the enXco V
(formerly U.S. Windpower) project area,
and the Shiloh I and Shiloh II project
areas.
The applicants propose to develop a
wind energy facility that would deliver
renewable energy to the PG&E/
California Independent System Operator
power grid. Up to 59 wind turbines
would be built in the Plan Area. The
project would be constructed in a
location that supports suitable habitat
for tiger salamander, a species listed as
threatened under the Act. The tiger
salamander is the only proposed
‘‘Covered Species.’’
The ‘‘Covered Activities’’ included in
the Plan include the construction and
installation of wind turbines and
associated facilities and access roads,
maintenance of the wind turbines and
associated facilities, and
decommissioning of the site. Seventeen
of the 59 turbines are located within
tiger salamander grassland habitat, and
42 of the turbines are located in
cultivated agricultural lands. The
project is expected to result in
permanent loss of 15 acres of grasslands.
The project is expected to result in
temporary loss of 70 acres of grasslands
(65 acres during construction and up to
5 acres for maintenance activities) and
would be restored within 1 year of
impact.
The applicants propose to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate the effects to the
tiger salamander associated with the
Covered Activities by fully
implementing the Plan. The following
mitigation measures will be
implemented as part of the Plan:
minimize impact area; avoid injury of
tiger salamanders during
implementation of Covered Activities;
minimize habitat impacts associated
with erosion and sedimentation
generated by Covered Activities;
minimize the risk of project-related
toxic spills that could adversely affect
tiger salamanders or their habitat;
restore all temporarily disturbed tiger
salamander habitat in the Plan Area to
pre-project conditions within 1 year of
disturbance; ensure implementation of
the conservation measures; and mitigate
permanent and temporary loss of tiger
salamander habitat through the
purchase of 50.5 acres of tiger
salamander credits at a Service and
California Department of Fish and
Game-approved conservation bank.
National Environmental Policy Act
Compliance
Our EA analyzes the effects of the
proposed action and the No Action
E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM
08FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Notices
alternatives on all potential resources
that could be adversely affected,
including: aesthetics, agricultural
resources, air quality and climate
change, biological resources, cultural
resources, geology, minerals and
paleontological resources, hazardous
materials, hydrology and water quality,
land use and planning, noise, public
health hazards, recreation, traffic and
transportation, utilities, and public
service systems.
Our proposed action is approving the
applicants’ Plan and issuing an
incidental take permit for the
applicants’ Covered Activities. As
required by the Act, the applicants’ Plan
considers alternatives to the take under
the proposed action. The Plan considers
the environmental consequences of a No
Action alternative.
Under the No Action alternative, we
would not issue a permit, and the
applicants would not construct the
project. The No Action alternative
would not achieve the applicants’
objectives and would not allow the
development of the project.
Under the proposed action
alternative, we would issue an
incidental take permit for the
applicants’ proposed project, which
includes the activities described above
and in more detail in the Plan.
srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Public Comments
The Service invites the public to
comment on the permit application,
Plan, and EA during the public
comment period (see DATES). Please
direct written comments to contact
listed in the ADDRESSES section and
questions to the Service contact listed in
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section. All comments and materials we
receive, including names and addresses,
will become part of the administrative
record and may be released to the
public. Before including your address,
phone number, e-mail 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.
Next Steps
We provide this notice pursuant to
section 10(c) of the Act and the NEPA
public-involvement regulations (40 CFR
1500.1(b), 1500.2(d), and 1506.6). We
will consider public comments when
making the final determination on
whether to prepare a final EA and
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:16 Feb 07, 2011
Jkt 223001
Finding of No Significant Impact or an
Environmental Impact Statement on the
proposed action. If the requirements are
met, we will issue a permit to the
applicants for the incidental take of the
tiger salamander from the
implementation of the Covered
Activities described in the Plan. We will
make the final permit decision no
sooner than 60 days after the date of this
notice.
Alexandra Pitts,
Deputy Regional Director, Pacific Southwest
Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2011–2680 Filed 2–7–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
6813
Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80526–8118
(mail); 970–226–9230 (fax); or
pondsp@usgs.gov (e-mail). Please
reference Information Collection 1028–
0070 in the subject line.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carleen Kostick at 703–648–7940
(telephone); ckostick@usgs.gov (e-mail);
or by mail at U.S. Geological Survey,
985 National Center, 12201 Sunrise
Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192. To see
a copy of the entire ICR submitted to
OMB, go to https://www.reginfo.gov
(Information Collection Review,
Currently Under Review).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. Geological Survey
[USGS–GX11LR000F60100]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Comment Request for the
Consolidated Consumers’ Report (1
Form)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of an extension of a
currently approved information
collection (1028–0070).
AGENCY:
To comply with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), we are notifying the public that
we have submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) an
information collection request (ICR) for
the extension of the currently approved
paperwork requirements for the USGS
Consolidated Consumers’ Report. This
collection consists of one form. This
notice provides the public and other
Federal agencies an opportunity to
comment on the paperwork burden of
this information collection (IC). This IC
is scheduled to expire on March 31,
2011.
DATES: To ensure that your comments
on this ICR are considered, please
submit them on or before March 10,
2011.
ADDRESSES: Please submit written
comments on this information
collection directly to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Office
of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention: Desk Officer for the
Department of the Interior via e-mail to
OIRA_DOCKET@omb.eop.gov or fax at
202–395–5806; and identify your
submission as 1028–0070. Please also
submit a copy of your written comments
to Phadrea Ponds, USGS Information
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S.
Geological Survey, 2150–C Centre
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00058
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Respondents to this form supply the
USGS with domestic consumption data
of 12 metals and ferroalloys, some of
which are considered strategic and
critical. This information will be
published as chapters in Minerals
Yearbooks, monthly Mineral Industry
Surveys, annual Mineral Commodity
Summaries, and special publications,
for use by Government agencies,
industry, education programs, and the
general public.
II. Data
OMB Control Number: 1028–0070.
Form Number: 9–4117–MA.
Title: Consolidated Consumers’
Report.
Type of Request: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: U.S. nonfuel minerals
producers of ferrous and related metals.
Respondent Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: Monthly and
Annually.
Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 1,828.
Annual Burden Hours: 1,371 hours.
We expect to receive 1,828 annual
responses. We estimate an average of 45
minutes per response.
Estimated Reporting and
Recordkeeping ‘‘Non-Hour Cost’’
Burden: We have not identified any
‘‘non-hour cost’’ burdens associated with
this collection of information.
Public Disclosure Statement: The PRA
(44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) provides that an
agency may not conduct or sponsor a
collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number and current expiration date.
III. Request for Comments
On October 19, 2010, we published a
Federal Register notice (75 FR 64349)
announcing that we would submit this
ICR to OMB for approval and soliciting
comments. The comment period closed
on December 18, 2010. We did not
E:\FR\FM\08FEN1.SGM
08FEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6812-6813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-2680]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-2010-N260; 1112-0000-81420-F2]
Proposed Shiloh III Wind Plant Project, Solano County, CA;
Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have
received an application from enXco and Pacific Gas and Electric Company
(PG&E) (applicants) for a 36-year incidental take permit for one
species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The
application addresses the potential for ``take'' of one Federally
listed animal, the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma
californiense) (tiger salamander). The applicants would implement a
conservation program to minimize and mitigate the project activities,
as described in the applicants' Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan). We
request comments on the Plan and the associated draft Environmental
Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA).
DATES: We must receive written comments on or before March 25, 2011.
ADDRESSES: Please address written comments to Sheila Larsen,
Conservation Planning Branch, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA
95825. Alternatively, you may send comments by facsimile to (916) 414-
6713.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheila Larsen or Mike Thomas, Chief,
Conservation Planning, at the address shown above or at (916) 414-6600
(telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
You may obtain copies of the Plan and EA from the individuals in
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Copies of these documents are
available for public inspection, by appointment, during regular
business hours, at the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office (see
ADDRESSES). These documents are also available electronically for
review on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office Web site at https://www.fws.gov/sacramento/.
Background Information
Section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing
Federal regulations prohibit the ``take'' of fish or wildlife species
listed as endangered or threatened. ``Take'' is defined under the Act
to include the following activities: To harass, harm, pursue, hunt,
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect listed animal species, or
to attempt to engage in such conduct. However, under section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act, we may issue permits to authorize incidental
take of listed species. ``Incidental take'' is defined by the Act as
take that is incidental to, and not the purpose of, carrying out an
otherwise lawful activity. Regulations governing incidental take
permits for endangered and threatened species, respectively, are in the
Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR 17.32. All
species included in the incidental take permit would receive assurances
under our ``No Surprises'' regulations (50 CFR 17.22(b)(5) and
17.32(b)(5)).
The Shiloh III Wind Plant Project would be constructed within an
approximately 4,600-acre project area in the Collinsville-Montezuma
Hills Wind Resources Area, immediately south of State Route 12 in
Solano County, California (Plan Area). The Plan Area is adjacent to
existing energy-producing facilities, most notably wind turbine
generators in the Sacramento Municipal Utility District project area,
the High Winds LLC project area, the enXco V (formerly U.S. Windpower)
project area, and the Shiloh I and Shiloh II project areas.
The applicants propose to develop a wind energy facility that would
deliver renewable energy to the PG&E/California Independent System
Operator power grid. Up to 59 wind turbines would be built in the Plan
Area. The project would be constructed in a location that supports
suitable habitat for tiger salamander, a species listed as threatened
under the Act. The tiger salamander is the only proposed ``Covered
Species.''
The ``Covered Activities'' included in the Plan include the
construction and installation of wind turbines and associated
facilities and access roads, maintenance of the wind turbines and
associated facilities, and decommissioning of the site. Seventeen of
the 59 turbines are located within tiger salamander grassland habitat,
and 42 of the turbines are located in cultivated agricultural lands.
The project is expected to result in permanent loss of 15 acres of
grasslands. The project is expected to result in temporary loss of 70
acres of grasslands (65 acres during construction and up to 5 acres for
maintenance activities) and would be restored within 1 year of impact.
The applicants propose to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the effects
to the tiger salamander associated with the Covered Activities by fully
implementing the Plan. The following mitigation measures will be
implemented as part of the Plan: minimize impact area; avoid injury of
tiger salamanders during implementation of Covered Activities; minimize
habitat impacts associated with erosion and sedimentation generated by
Covered Activities; minimize the risk of project-related toxic spills
that could adversely affect tiger salamanders or their habitat; restore
all temporarily disturbed tiger salamander habitat in the Plan Area to
pre-project conditions within 1 year of disturbance; ensure
implementation of the conservation measures; and mitigate permanent and
temporary loss of tiger salamander habitat through the purchase of 50.5
acres of tiger salamander credits at a Service and California
Department of Fish and Game-approved conservation bank.
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
Our EA analyzes the effects of the proposed action and the No
Action
[[Page 6813]]
alternatives on all potential resources that could be adversely
affected, including: aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality
and climate change, biological resources, cultural resources, geology,
minerals and paleontological resources, hazardous materials, hydrology
and water quality, land use and planning, noise, public health hazards,
recreation, traffic and transportation, utilities, and public service
systems.
Our proposed action is approving the applicants' Plan and issuing
an incidental take permit for the applicants' Covered Activities. As
required by the Act, the applicants' Plan considers alternatives to the
take under the proposed action. The Plan considers the environmental
consequences of a No Action alternative.
Under the No Action alternative, we would not issue a permit, and
the applicants would not construct the project. The No Action
alternative would not achieve the applicants' objectives and would not
allow the development of the project.
Under the proposed action alternative, we would issue an incidental
take permit for the applicants' proposed project, which includes the
activities described above and in more detail in the Plan.
Public Comments
The Service invites the public to comment on the permit
application, Plan, and EA during the public comment period (see DATES).
Please direct written comments to contact listed in the ADDRESSES
section and questions to the Service contact listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section. All comments and materials we receive,
including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative
record and may be released to the public. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail 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.
Next Steps
We provide this notice pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act and the
NEPA public-involvement regulations (40 CFR 1500.1(b), 1500.2(d), and
1506.6). We will consider public comments when making the final
determination on whether to prepare a final EA and Finding of No
Significant Impact or an Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed
action. If the requirements are met, we will issue a permit to the
applicants for the incidental take of the tiger salamander from the
implementation of the Covered Activities described in the Plan. We will
make the final permit decision no sooner than 60 days after the date of
this notice.
Alexandra Pitts,
Deputy Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 2011-2680 Filed 2-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P