Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California Tiger Salamander, AT&T Portable Generator Storage Facility, Yolo County, CA, 44036-44038 [2011-18509]

Download as PDF 44036 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Notices DC 20240. Records holders are organizational elements of the Department of the Interior Bureaus and Offices who utilize social networks: (1) Director of New Media, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240. (2) Office of the Secretary, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240. (3) Bureau of Land Management, 1120 20th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20036. (4) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 80225–0007. (5) U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia 20192. (6) National Park Service, 1201 I Street, NW., Org Code 2652, Washington, DC 20005. (7) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4501 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203. (8) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, 381 Elden Street, Herndon, Virginia 20170. (9) Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20240. (10) Bureau of Indian Affairs, 625 Herndon Parkway, Herndon, VA 20170. A list of the Department of the Interior’s Social Media presence can be found at: https://www.doi.gov/news/ Social-Media.cfm. NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES: An individual requesting notification of the existence of records on himself or herself should send a signed, written inquiry to the Bureau FOIA Officer. A list of the FOIA Officers and their contact information can be found at https://www.doi.gov/foia/contacts.html. The request letter should be clearly marked ‘‘PRIVACY ACT INQUIRY’’. The written inquiry should be signed and include as much of the following information as possible: Name, address, the social media site used, identifier used (username, e-mail address, pseudonym), and date range if known. A request for notification must meet the requirements of 43 CFR 2.60. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES RECORDS ACCESS PROCEDURES: An individual requesting access to records on himself or herself should send a signed, written inquiry to the Bureau FOIA Officer. A list of the FOIA Officers and their contact information can be found at https://www.doi.gov/ foia/contacts.html. The request letter should be clearly marked ‘‘PRIVACY ACT REQUEST FOR ACCESS’’. The written inquiry should be signed and include as much of the following VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:45 Jul 21, 2011 Jkt 223001 information as possible: Name, address, the social media site used, identifier used (username, e-mail address, pseudonym), and date range if known. A request for notification must meet the requirements of 43 CFR 2.63. Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). We discuss our basis for this determination in our environmental action statement (EAS), also available for public review. CONTESTING RECORDS PROCEDURES: DATES: An individual requesting corrections or contesting information contained in his or her records must send a signed, written request to the Bureau Privacy Act Officer. A list of the Privacy Act Officers and their contact information can be found at: https://www.doi.gov/ ocio/privacy/ doi_privacy_act_officers.htm. A request for corrections or removal must meet the requirements of 43 CFR 2.71. RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES: Individuals who interact with the Department of the Interior through social media networks or who communicate electronically with the Department in response to public outreach. EXEMPTIONS CLAIMED FOR THE SYSTEM: None. [FR Doc. 2011–18508 Filed 7–21–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–RK–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R8–ES–2011–N143; 1112–0000– 81420–F2] Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California Tiger Salamander, AT&T Portable Generator Storage Facility, Yolo County, CA Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment. AGENCY: We, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from the AT&T Services, Inc. (applicant) for a 10-year incidental take permit 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. The applicant would implement a conservation program to minimize and mitigate the project activities, as described in applicant’s low-effect habitat conservation plan (Plan). We request comments on the applicant’s application and plan, and the preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as a ‘‘low-effect’’ habitat conservation plan, eligible for a SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00056 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 We must receive written comments on or before August 22, 2011. Please address written comments to Jason Hanni, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W–2605, Sacramento, CA 95825. Alternatively, you may send comments by facsimile to (916) 414–6713. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Thomas, Chief, Conservation Planning Division, or Eric Tattersall, Deputy Assistant Field Supervisor/ Division Chief, Conservation Planning and Recovery, at the address shown above or at (916) 414–6600 (telephone). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Availability of Documents You may obtain copies of the permit application, plan, and EAS 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). Public Availability of Comments 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. 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 E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM 22JYN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Notices lawful activity. Regulations governing incidental take permits for endangered and threatened species, respectively, are in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 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 applicant seeks an incident take permit for indirect effects within 1.57 acres (1.24 acres permanent, plus 0.33 acres temporary) of grasslands associated with the construction of a portable generator storage facility located at 26120 County Road 6, Dunnigan, CA 95937, in Yolo County, California. AT&T would permanently convert 1.24 acres of upland grassland habitat for the California tiger salamander into a new storage facility for portable generators within the undeveloped portion of a 45-acre parcel. The Applicant currently owns and manages the 45-acre parcel, including an existing cellular communications facility. The applicant is requesting a permit for take of one animal species Federally listed as threatened: The Central Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) (salamander, or ‘‘Covered Species’’). The following action is proposed as the ‘‘Covered Activities’’ under the plan: Construction of the portable generator storage facility in order to store portable generators. The storage facility consists of a metal building, with approximate dimensions of 100 feet 6 inches by 251 feet, immediately north and adjacent to the existing paved surface, to allow onsite storage of 50 portable 40-kw diesel generators and 175 portable 5-kw diesel generators. These 225 generators would be stored on trailers, but would not be connected to a power source. The building, which would have an eastwest orientation, would include vertical support columns spaced 25 feet apart on center along the 251-foot dimension and at each corner, to support the roof. There would be open sidewalls to allow trailers to be easily moved in and out by forklifts or similar equipment. A 45foot-wide asphalt driveway would surround the building on all four sides to provide access to the building by forklifts. The storage facility would be located within a 45-acre parcel along side an existing telecommunications facility. The existing telecommunications facility occupies approximately 9 acres and includes several concrete buildings surrounded by a paved asphalt parking lot, storm water detention ponds, and an existing telecommunications array. The VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:59 Jul 21, 2011 Jkt 223001 undeveloped portion of the 45-acre parcel (approximately 36 acres) consists mainly of disturbed annual grassland that is currently used for grazing. Three adult salamanders were observed on the developed portion of the AT&T facility on October 25 and 29, 2010. In addition, several salamander larvae were observed in the seasonal wetland, west of the developed portion of the project site, on April 15 and 30, 2011. The applicant proposes to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the effects to the Covered Species associated with the Covered Activities by fully implementing the Plan. The following mitigation measures will be implemented: • Purchase of 3.72 upland salamander credits at a Service-approved conservation bank; • Installation of exclusion fencing during the winter of 2011 with regular monitoring; • Relocation of any salamanders trapped within the work zone to a safe area outside the development area; • Mowing of all grassland vegetation within the project footprint prior to any grading, in order to uncover potential burrows that may be in use by salamanders; • Survey of all potential burrows and crevices within the construction footprint, and hand excavation of any salamanders observed within these burrows; • Environmental awareness training to all workers; • Prohibition of night construction activities; • Restricted speed limits on the main access road to less than 15 miles per hour during the salamander migration season; • Implementation of standard erosion-control measures around seasonal wetlands down slope of the construction site; and • Presence of an available qualified individual on site during the initial stages of construction and earthmoving activities to handle and relocate salamanders if any are found. Alternatives Our proposed action is approving the applicant’s plan and issuing an incidental take permit for the applicant’s Covered Activities. As required by the Act, the applicant’s plan considers alternatives to the take under the proposed action. The plan considers the environmental consequences of three alternatives to the proposed action: A No Action alternative, an Alternative Configuration Alternative, and an Off-Site Alternative. PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 44037 Under the No Action Alternative, we would not issue a permit, and the emergency generator storage facility would not be constructed. The proposed building site would remain undeveloped, although it lies immediately adjacent to the developed portion of the existing facility. AT&T would not be able to store all needed portable generators at this facility, which would result in delays in restoring telecommunications systems following a disaster. For these reasons, the No-Action Alternative has been rejected. The Alternative Configuration Alternative would have involved approximately 600 cubic yards (cy) of cut and 6,200 cy of fill, requiring the import of 5,600 cy of soil. This alternative would have resulted in greater impacts to the salamander over the Proposed Action, and was therefore rejected. Under the Off-Site Alternative, AT&T considered construction of the storage facility at three other sites in northern California. These include sites in Rocklin, Manteca, and Richmond, California. Both the Rocklin and Manteca sites were rejected due to the presence of other Federally listed species, including vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi) and California red legged frog (Rana draytonii), which have more restricted ranges than the salamander. AT&T had previously proposed plans for a fleet yard on the Richmond property; however, these were denied by local agencies due to noise and traffic concerns, making it likely that the Proposed Action would also be rejected. In addition, the Richmond site is not as centrally located as the Dunnigan property. For these reasons the Off-Site Alternative was rejected. Under the proposed action alternative, we would issue an incidental take permit for the applicant’s proposed project, which includes the activities described above and in more detail in the Plan. The proposed project is expected to result in the permanent loss of 1.24 acres of upland grassland habitat and temporary loss of 0.33 acres of grassland habitat for the California tiger salamander. To mitigate these effects, the applicant proposes to purchase 3.72 upland salamander credits at a Serviceapproved conservation bank. National Environmental Policy Act As described in our EAS, we have made the preliminary determination that approval of the proposed plan and issuance of the permit would qualify as a categorical exclusion under NEPA (42 E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM 22JYN1 44038 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2011 / Notices U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as provided by Federal regulations (40 CFR Part 1500, 5(k), 1507.3(b)(2), 1508.4) and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2 and 516 DM 8). Our EAS found that the proposed plan qualifies as a ‘‘low-effect’’ habitat conservation plan, as defined by our Habitat Conservation Planning Handbook (November 1996). Determination of low-effect habitat conservation plans is based on the following three criteria: (1) Implementation of the proposed plan would result in minor or negligible effects on Federally listed, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats; (2) implementation of the proposed plan would result in minor or negligible effects on other environmental values or resources; and (3) impacts of the plan, considered together with the impacts of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable similarly situated projects, would not result, over time, in cumulative effects to environmental values or resources that would be considered significant. Based upon the preliminary determinations in the EAS, we do not intend to prepare further NEPA documentation. We will consider public comments when making the final determination on whether to prepare an additional NEPA document on the proposed action. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Public Review 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 evaluate the permit application, including the plan and comments we receive, to determine whether the application meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act. If the requirements are met, we will issue a permit to the applicant for the incidental take of the Central Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the California tiger salamander from the implementation of the Covered Activities described in the Low-effect Habitat Conservation Plan, for the California tiger salamander, for the AT&T Portable Generator Storage Facility, Yolo County, California. We will make the final permit decision no sooner than 30 days after the date of this notice. Dated: July 15, 2011. Susan K. Moore, Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, Sacramento, California. [FR Doc. 2011–18509 Filed 7–21–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:59 Jul 21, 2011 Jkt 223001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [[LLWO320000 L13300000.PO0000] Renewal of Approved Information Collection Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: 30-day Notice and Request for Comments. AGENCY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has submitted an information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a 3-year renewal of OMB Control Number 1004–0103 under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This control number covers paperwork requirements pertaining to the purchase of mineral materials from public lands. DATES: The OMB is required to respond to this information collection request within 60 days but may respond after 30 days. Therefore, written comments should be received on or before August 22, 2011. ADDRESSES: Please submit comments directly to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior (OMB #1004– 0103), Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, fax 202–395–5806, or by electronic mail at oira_docket@omb.eop.gov. Please provide a copy of your comments to the BLM. You may do so via mail, fax, or electronic mail. Mail: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 1849 C Street, NW., Room 2134LM, Attention: Jean Sonneman, Washington, DC 20240. Fax: Jean Sonneman at fax number 202–912–7181. Electronic mail: jean_sonneman@blm.gov. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Brown, Division of Solid Minerals, at 202–912–7118. Persons who use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– 800–877–8339, to leave a message for Mr. Brown. You may also review the information collection request online at https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/ PRAMain. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501–3521) and OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320 provide that an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Until OMB approves a collection of information, you are not SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 obligated to respond. 44 U.S.C. 3506 and 3507. In order to obtain and renew an OMB control number, Federal agencies are required to seek public comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d) and 1320.12(a)). For this control number, the BLM requests comments on the following subjects: 1. Whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper functioning of the BLM, including whether the information will have practical utility; 2. The accuracy of the BLM’s estimate of the burden of collecting the information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; 3. The quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 4. How to minimize the information collection burden on those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology. Please submit comments as directed under ADDRESSES and DATES. Please refer to OMB control number 1004–0103 in your correspondence. 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. The following information is provided for the information collection: Title: Sale of Mineral Materials (43 CFR Part 3600). Form: Form 3600–9, Contract for the Sale of Mineral Materials. OMB Control Number: 1004–0103. Abstract: The Mineral Materials Act, 30 U.S.C. 601 and 602, authorizes disposals of mineral materials (such as sand, gravel, and petrified wood) from public lands. This information collection request pertains to mineral sales contracts in accordance with regulations at 43 CFR part 3600. Form 3600–9 (Contract for the Sale of Mineral Materials) is the only form currently approved by OMB under control number 1004–0103, and the only form for which the BLM has requested approval in this information collection request. In the 60-day notice for this information collection request, the BLM proposed to change the title of Form 3600–9, but the BLM has decided that the title should remain ‘‘Contract for the Sale of Mineral Materials.’’ E:\FR\FM\22JYN1.SGM 22JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 141 (Friday, July 22, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44036-44038]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18509]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2011-N143; 1112-0000-81420-F2]


Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the California 
Tiger Salamander, AT&T Portable Generator Storage Facility, Yolo 
County, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: We, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an 
application from the AT&T Services, Inc. (applicant) for a 10-year 
incidental take permit 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. The 
applicant would implement a conservation program to minimize and 
mitigate the project activities, as described in applicant's low-effect 
habitat conservation plan (Plan). We request comments on the 
applicant's application and plan, and the preliminary determination 
that the plan qualifies as a ``low-effect'' habitat conservation plan, 
eligible for a Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). We discuss our basis for this 
determination in our environmental action statement (EAS), also 
available for public review.

DATES: We must receive written comments on or before August 22, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Please address written comments to Jason Hanni, Fish and 
Wildlife Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and 
Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825. 
Alternatively, you may send comments by facsimile to (916) 414-6713.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Thomas, Chief, Conservation 
Planning Division, or Eric Tattersall, Deputy Assistant Field 
Supervisor/Division Chief, Conservation Planning and Recovery, at the 
address shown above or at (916) 414-6600 (telephone).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Availability of Documents

    You may obtain copies of the permit application, plan, and EAS 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).

Public Availability of Comments

    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.

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

[[Page 44037]]

lawful activity. Regulations governing incidental take permits for 
endangered and threatened species, respectively, are in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) 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 applicant seeks an incident take permit for indirect effects 
within 1.57 acres (1.24 acres permanent, plus 0.33 acres temporary) of 
grasslands associated with the construction of a portable generator 
storage facility located at 26120 County Road 6, Dunnigan, CA 95937, in 
Yolo County, California. AT&T would permanently convert 1.24 acres of 
upland grassland habitat for the California tiger salamander into a new 
storage facility for portable generators within the undeveloped portion 
of a 45-acre parcel. The Applicant currently owns and manages the 45-
acre parcel, including an existing cellular communications facility. 
The applicant is requesting a permit for take of one animal species 
Federally listed as threatened: The Central Distinct Population Segment 
(DPS) of the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) 
(salamander, or ``Covered Species'').
    The following action is proposed as the ``Covered Activities'' 
under the plan: Construction of the portable generator storage facility 
in order to store portable generators. The storage facility consists of 
a metal building, with approximate dimensions of 100 feet 6 inches by 
251 feet, immediately north and adjacent to the existing paved surface, 
to allow on-site storage of 50 portable 40-kw diesel generators and 175 
portable 5-kw diesel generators. These 225 generators would be stored 
on trailers, but would not be connected to a power source. The 
building, which would have an east-west orientation, would include 
vertical support columns spaced 25 feet apart on center along the 251-
foot dimension and at each corner, to support the roof. There would be 
open sidewalls to allow trailers to be easily moved in and out by 
forklifts or similar equipment. A 45-foot-wide asphalt driveway would 
surround the building on all four sides to provide access to the 
building by forklifts. The storage facility would be located within a 
45-acre parcel along side an existing telecommunications facility. The 
existing telecommunications facility occupies approximately 9 acres and 
includes several concrete buildings surrounded by a paved asphalt 
parking lot, storm water detention ponds, and an existing 
telecommunications array. The undeveloped portion of the 45-acre parcel 
(approximately 36 acres) consists mainly of disturbed annual grassland 
that is currently used for grazing. Three adult salamanders were 
observed on the developed portion of the AT&T facility on October 25 
and 29, 2010. In addition, several salamander larvae were observed in 
the seasonal wetland, west of the developed portion of the project 
site, on April 15 and 30, 2011.
    The applicant proposes to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the effects 
to the Covered Species associated with the Covered Activities by fully 
implementing the Plan. The following mitigation measures will be 
implemented:
     Purchase of 3.72 upland salamander credits at a Service-
approved conservation bank;
     Installation of exclusion fencing during the winter of 
2011 with regular monitoring;
     Relocation of any salamanders trapped within the work zone 
to a safe area outside the development area;
     Mowing of all grassland vegetation within the project 
footprint prior to any grading, in order to uncover potential burrows 
that may be in use by salamanders;
     Survey of all potential burrows and crevices within the 
construction footprint, and hand excavation of any salamanders observed 
within these burrows;
     Environmental awareness training to all workers;
     Prohibition of night construction activities;
     Restricted speed limits on the main access road to less 
than 15 miles per hour during the salamander migration season;
     Implementation of standard erosion-control measures around 
seasonal wetlands down slope of the construction site; and
     Presence of an available qualified individual on site 
during the initial stages of construction and earthmoving activities to 
handle and relocate salamanders if any are found.

Alternatives

    Our proposed action is approving the applicant's plan and issuing 
an incidental take permit for the applicant's Covered Activities. As 
required by the Act, the applicant's plan considers alternatives to the 
take under the proposed action. The plan considers the environmental 
consequences of three alternatives to the proposed action: A No Action 
alternative, an Alternative Configuration Alternative, and an Off-Site 
Alternative.
    Under the No Action Alternative, we would not issue a permit, and 
the emergency generator storage facility would not be constructed. The 
proposed building site would remain undeveloped, although it lies 
immediately adjacent to the developed portion of the existing facility. 
AT&T would not be able to store all needed portable generators at this 
facility, which would result in delays in restoring telecommunications 
systems following a disaster. For these reasons, the No-Action 
Alternative has been rejected.
    The Alternative Configuration Alternative would have involved 
approximately 600 cubic yards (cy) of cut and 6,200 cy of fill, 
requiring the import of 5,600 cy of soil. This alternative would have 
resulted in greater impacts to the salamander over the Proposed Action, 
and was therefore rejected.
    Under the Off-Site Alternative, AT&T considered construction of the 
storage facility at three other sites in northern California. These 
include sites in Rocklin, Manteca, and Richmond, California. Both the 
Rocklin and Manteca sites were rejected due to the presence of other 
Federally listed species, including vernal pool fairy shrimp 
(Branchinecta lynchi) and California red legged frog (Rana draytonii), 
which have more restricted ranges than the salamander. AT&T had 
previously proposed plans for a fleet yard on the Richmond property; 
however, these were denied by local agencies due to noise and traffic 
concerns, making it likely that the Proposed Action would also be 
rejected. In addition, the Richmond site is not as centrally located as 
the Dunnigan property. For these reasons the Off-Site Alternative was 
rejected.
    Under the proposed action alternative, we would issue an incidental 
take permit for the applicant's proposed project, which includes the 
activities described above and in more detail in the Plan. The proposed 
project is expected to result in the permanent loss of 1.24 acres of 
upland grassland habitat and temporary loss of 0.33 acres of grassland 
habitat for the California tiger salamander. To mitigate these effects, 
the applicant proposes to purchase 3.72 upland salamander credits at a 
Service-approved conservation bank.

National Environmental Policy Act

    As described in our EAS, we have made the preliminary determination 
that approval of the proposed plan and issuance of the permit would 
qualify as a categorical exclusion under NEPA (42

[[Page 44038]]

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as provided by Federal regulations (40 CFR Part 
1500, 5(k), 1507.3(b)(2), 1508.4) and the Department of the Interior 
Manual (516 DM 2 and 516 DM 8). Our EAS found that the proposed plan 
qualifies as a ``low-effect'' habitat conservation plan, as defined by 
our Habitat Conservation Planning Handbook (November 1996). 
Determination of low-effect habitat conservation plans is based on the 
following three criteria: (1) Implementation of the proposed plan would 
result in minor or negligible effects on Federally listed, proposed, 
and candidate species and their habitats; (2) implementation of the 
proposed plan would result in minor or negligible effects on other 
environmental values or resources; and (3) impacts of the plan, 
considered together with the impacts of other past, present, and 
reasonably foreseeable similarly situated projects, would not result, 
over time, in cumulative effects to environmental values or resources 
that would be considered significant. Based upon the preliminary 
determinations in the EAS, we do not intend to prepare further NEPA 
documentation. We will consider public comments when making the final 
determination on whether to prepare an additional NEPA document on the 
proposed action.

Public Review

    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 evaluate the permit application, including the plan 
and comments we receive, to determine whether the application meets the 
requirements of section 10(a) of the Act. If the requirements are met, 
we will issue a permit to the applicant for the incidental take of the 
Central Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the California tiger 
salamander from the implementation of the Covered Activities described 
in the Low-effect Habitat Conservation Plan, for the California tiger 
salamander, for the AT&T Portable Generator Storage Facility, Yolo 
County, California. We will make the final permit decision no sooner 
than 30 days after the date of this notice.

    Dated: July 15, 2011.
Susan K. Moore,
Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2011-18509 Filed 7-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
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