Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Incidental Take Permit Application; Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sweetwater Riding and Hiking Trail, County of San Diego, California, 14732-14733 [2014-05763]
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14732
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 2014 / Notices
Contact: Laure Rawson, Director, Housing
Voucher Management and Operations
Division, Office of Public Housing and
Voucher Programs, Office of Public and
Indian Housing, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW.,
Room 4210, Washington, DC 20410,
telephone (202) 708–0477.
• Regulation: 24 CFR 985.101(a).
Project/Activity: Spartanburg Housing
Authority (SHA), Spartanburg, SC.
Nature of Requirement: Section 985.101(a)
states a PHA must submit the HUD-required
Section Eight Management Assessment
Program (SEMAP) certification form within
60 calendar days after the end of its fiscal
year.
Granted By: Sandra B. Henriquez,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing.
Date Granted: December 23, 2013.
Reason Waived: This waiver was granted
since the Section 8 Program Manager
attempted to submit the SEMAP certification
on November 25, 2013, but the program
timed out. Subsequently, her husband
became very ill and she was unable to
complete the task; in addition, she did not
make anyone in the office aware of her
failure to submit. SHA was permitted to
submit its SEMAP certification after the due
date.
Contact: Laure Rawson, Director, Housing
Voucher Management and Operations
Division, Office of Public Housing and
Voucher Programs, Office of Public and
Indian Housing, Department of Housing and
Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW.,
Room 4210, Washington, DC 20410,
telephone (202) 708–0477.
• Regulation: FR–5729–N–01: Partial
Section Eight Management Assessment
Program (SEMAP) Indicator Waiver; Family
Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program
Demonstration.
Project/Activity: The waiver, Partial
Section Eight Management Assessment
Program (SEMAP) Indicator Waiver; Family
Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program
Demonstration, published on December 30,
2013, at 78 FR 79310, was issued to establish
a temporary modification to the rating of
enrollment and escrow accounts for public
housing agencies (PHAs) with mandatory
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Family SelfSufficiency (FSS) programs that voluntarily
participate in HUD’s study of the FSS
program to facilitate the participation of
PHAs in the study. The PHAs participating
in the study have the option to comply with
certain alternative requirements to existing
regulations, and if they opted to do so the
existing regulations would be waived.
Nature of Requirement: The modification
to the requirements that were offered under
the waiver were the following: The waiver
allows the rating of SEMAP indicator,
‘‘Family self-sufficiency (FSS) enrollment
and escrow accounts’’, to be calculated solely
by the percentage of mandatory FSS slots that
have been filled for participating PHAs
during the second and third full reporting
periods ending after the PHA’s enrollment in
the study, which would be a waiver of the
requirement to calculate the rating using also
the percent of FSS families with escrow
VerDate Mar<15>2010
20:38 Mar 14, 2014
Jkt 232001
balances in 24 CFR 985.3(o). The waiver
would allow PHAs participating in the study
to elect to have the SEMAP performance
indicator for FSS enrollment and escrow
accounts rated in this manner by refraining
from submitting data for SEMAP indicator
item 14b of form HUD–52648, which is a
partial waiver of the requirement that all
PHAs administering a Section 8 tenant-based
assistance program are required annually to
submit a SEMAP Certification form
concerning performance under the fourteen
SEMAP indicators in 24 CFR 985.101.
Granted By: Sandra B. Henriquez,
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian
Housing.
Date Granted: December 30, 2013.
Reason Waived: The waivers and
alternative requirements were granted
because they would help facilitate the
participation of PHAs in a study to determine
whether FSS program features, rather than
the characteristics of the participating
families, cause participant incomes to
increase. PHAs participating in the study
may experience unintended consequences
including a decreased rating on the Section
8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP)
performance indicator that specifically
measures for the percentage of families with
escrow balances, and the waiver eliminates
this concern.
Contact: Regina Gray, PhD, Office of Policy
Development and Research, Office of Public
and Indian Housing, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW.,
Room 8132, Washington, DC 20410,
telephone number (202) 402–2876.
[FR Doc. 2014–05803 Filed 3–14–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2014–N027; FXES11120000–
134–FF08ECAR00]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Incidental Take Permit
Application; Proposed Low-Effect
Habitat Conservation Plan for the
Sweetwater Riding and Hiking Trail,
County of San Diego, California
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), have received
an application from Sweetwater
Authority (applicant) for a 5-year
incidental take permit for one covered
species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B)
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973,
as amended (Act). The application
addresses the potential for ‘‘take’’ of the
endangered San Diego fairy shrimp
associated with the proposed use of an
established hiking, biking, and
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00075
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
equestrian trail near the Sweetwater
Reservoir in unincorporated San Diego
County, California. A conservation
program to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate for the project activities would
be implemented as described in the
proposed Sweetwater Riding and Hiking
Trail Low-Effect Habitat Conservation
Plan (proposed HCP), which would be
implemented by the applicant.
We are requesting comments on the
permit application and on the
preliminary determination that the
proposed HCP qualifies as a ‘‘loweffect’’ Habitat Conservation Plan,
eligible for a categorical exclusion under
the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended. The basis
for this determination is discussed in
the Environmental Action Statement
(EAS) and the associated Low Effect
Screening Form, which are also
available for public review.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before April 16, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be
addressed to the Field Supervisor, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and
Wildlife Office, 2177 Salk Avenue, Suite
250, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Written
comments may also be sent by facsimile
to 760–431–9624.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Karen Goebel, Assistant Field
Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife
Office (see ADDRESSES); telephone: 760–
431–9440. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD), please call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
Individuals wishing for copies of the
application, proposed HCP, and EAS
should contact the Service immediately,
by telephone at 760–431–9440 or by
letter to the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife
Office. Copies of the proposed HCP and
EAS also are available for public
inspection during regular business
hours at the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife
Office (see ADDRESSES).
Background
Section 9 of the Act and its
implementing Federal regulations
prohibit the take of animal species listed
as endangered or threatened. Take is
defined under the Act as to harass,
harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill,
trap, capture, or collect listed animal
species, or to attempt to engage in such
conduct (16 U.S.C. 1538). However,
under section 10(a) of the Act, the
Service may issue permits to authorize
incidental take of listed species.
E:\FR\FM\17MRN1.SGM
17MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 51 / Monday, March 17, 2014 / Notices
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
‘‘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 threatened
and endangered species, respectively,
are found in the Code of Federal
Regulations at 50 CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR
17.32.
In December 2013, the applicant
closed a segment of a San Diego County
regional recreational trail system due to
the discovery of the San Diego fairy
shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis)
within ponded areas that had formed
within the existing trail alignment. The
applicant is seeking a 5-year permit for
the take of San Diego fairy shrimp in the
interim period of time while the
applicant works to find a long-term
solution to maintaining a trail
connection. The applicant proposes to
re-open the existing hiking, biking, and
equestrian trail segment where there are
currently four seasonally ponded pools
covering a total of 291 square feet that
are considered occupied by San Diego
fairy shrimp. Re-opening the trail to
recreational uses may impact San Diego
fairy shrimp occurring in these pools.
The applicant proposes to install
temporary bridges and fencing to
minimize impacts to the occupied pools
and re-open the trail segment.
The trail segment provides an
important connection within a popular
regional trail system, and continued
closure of the trail will likely result in
creation of unsanctioned alternate trails
with unpredictable impacts to natural
resources. We anticipate minor impacts
to San Diego fairy shrimp within up to
145 square feet of the pools due to the
effects of shading from the bridges and
possible loss of individual San Diego
fairy shrimp cysts due to trail
maintenance. Although the project site
is surrounded by occupied habitat for
several federally threatened and
endangered species, there are no other
listed species specifically within the
project alignment. Critical habitat for
Otay tarplant (Deinandra conjugens)
and spreading navarretia (Navarretia
fossalis) occurs on the project site.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The Sweetwater Authority proposes
to mitigate impacts to the San Diego
fairy shrimp through efforts that have
resulted in the restoration of 290 square
feet of vernal pool habitat occupied by
San Diego fairy shrimp and are
permanently protected and managed.
The Proposed Action consists of the
issuance of an incidental take permit
and implementation of the proposed
HCP, which includes measures to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate impacts to the
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:45 Mar 14, 2014
Jkt 232001
San Diego fairy shrimp. Four
alternatives to the taking of the listed
species under the Proposed Action are
considered in the proposed HCP. Under
the Permanent Trail Closure (No Action)
Alternative, no authorized incidental
take of San Diego fairy shrimp would
occur; however, it is likely that
unsanctioned alternate trail use would
occur that would result in more impacts
than under the Proposed Action, and
recreational opportunities would be
substantially reduced. Under the Minor
Trail Deviation Alternative, immediate
impacts to San Diego fairy shrimp
would be avoided by moving the trail
away from existing pools, but trail use
would likely result in new depressions
that could eventually be colonized by
San Diego fairy shrimp and
subsequently be impacted. Under the
Different Location Alternative, the trail
would be routed elsewhere to prevent
additional impacts; however, planning
and permitting this alternative will take
up to 5 years, during which time
recreational opportunities would be
substantially reduced and alternative
unsanctioned trail use would likely
occur. Under the Reconstruction of the
Existing Trail Segment Alternative,
existing pools within the trail segment
would be recontoured and/or filled to
prevent San Diego fairy shrimp from
developing within the pools, thereby
reducing ongoing incidental take.
However, this alternative would result
in greater impacts to the species and
require additional regulatory permitting.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary
determination that approval of the
proposed HCP qualifies as a categorical
exclusion under NEPA, as provided by
the Department of the Interior Manual
(516 DM 2 Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6
Appendix 1) and as a ‘‘low-effect’’ plan
as defined by the Habitat Conservation
Planning Handbook (November 1996).
We base our determination that a HCP
qualifies as a low-effect plan on the
following three criteria:
(1) Implementation of the HCP would
result in minor or negligible effects on
federally listed, proposed, and
candidate species and their habitats;
(2) Implementation of the HCP would
result in minor or negligible effects on
other environmental values or
resources; and
(3) Impacts of the HCP, 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00076
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
14733
Based upon this preliminary
determination, we do not intend to
prepare further NEPA documentation.
We will consider public comments in
making the final determination on
whether to prepare such additional
documentation.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Authority
We provide this notice under section
10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Karen A. Goebel,
Acting Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and
Wildlife Office, Carlsbad, California.
[FR Doc. 2014–05763 Filed 3–14–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVS03100 L13400000.PQ0000; 13–
08807; MO# 4500054217; TAS 14X5017]
Notice Seeking Public Interest for
Solar Energy Development on Public
Lands in the Dry Lake Solar Energy
Zone in Clark County, NV
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) Southern Nevada
District is seeking expressions of
interest in proposing projects for utilityscale solar energy development on
approximately 5,717 acres of public
land identified as the Dry Lake Solar
Energy Zone (SEZ) in Clark County,
Nevada.
SUMMARY:
Parties interested in proposing a
solar energy project on the lands
described in this notice should do so by
April 16, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submissions should be sent
to the Bureau of Land Management,
Attention: Greg Helseth, Renewable
Energy Project Manager, 4701 North
Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV
89130–2301. Electronic submissions
will not be accepted.
DATES:
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17MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 51 (Monday, March 17, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14732-14733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05763]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2014-N027; FXES11120000-134-FF08ECAR00]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Incidental Take
Permit Application; Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for
the Sweetwater Riding and Hiking Trail, County of San Diego, California
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have
received an application from Sweetwater Authority (applicant) for a 5-
year incidental take permit for one covered species pursuant to section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
The application addresses the potential for ``take'' of the endangered
San Diego fairy shrimp associated with the proposed use of an
established hiking, biking, and equestrian trail near the Sweetwater
Reservoir in unincorporated San Diego County, California. A
conservation program to avoid, minimize, and mitigate for the project
activities would be implemented as described in the proposed Sweetwater
Riding and Hiking Trail Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan (proposed
HCP), which would be implemented by the applicant.
We are requesting comments on the permit application and on the
preliminary determination that the proposed HCP qualifies as a ``low-
effect'' Habitat Conservation Plan, eligible for a categorical
exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969,
as amended. The basis for this determination is discussed in the
Environmental Action Statement (EAS) and the associated Low Effect
Screening Form, which are also available for public review.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before April 16, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to the Field Supervisor, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 2177 Salk
Avenue, Suite 250, Carlsbad, CA 92008. Written comments may also be
sent by facsimile to 760-431-9624.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Karen Goebel, Assistant Field
Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES);
telephone: 760-431-9440. If you use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD), please call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
Individuals wishing for copies of the application, proposed HCP,
and EAS should contact the Service immediately, by telephone at 760-
431-9440 or by letter to the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office. Copies
of the proposed HCP and EAS also are available for public inspection
during regular business hours at the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office
(see ADDRESSES).
Background
Section 9 of the Act and its implementing Federal regulations
prohibit the take of animal species listed as endangered or threatened.
Take is defined under the Act as to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot,
wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect listed animal species, or to
attempt to engage in such conduct (16 U.S.C. 1538). However, under
section 10(a) of the Act, the Service may issue permits to authorize
incidental take of listed species.
[[Page 14733]]
``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 threatened and
endangered species, respectively, are found in the Code of Federal
Regulations at 50 CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR 17.32.
In December 2013, the applicant closed a segment of a San Diego
County regional recreational trail system due to the discovery of the
San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis) within ponded
areas that had formed within the existing trail alignment. The
applicant is seeking a 5-year permit for the take of San Diego fairy
shrimp in the interim period of time while the applicant works to find
a long-term solution to maintaining a trail connection. The applicant
proposes to re-open the existing hiking, biking, and equestrian trail
segment where there are currently four seasonally ponded pools covering
a total of 291 square feet that are considered occupied by San Diego
fairy shrimp. Re-opening the trail to recreational uses may impact San
Diego fairy shrimp occurring in these pools. The applicant proposes to
install temporary bridges and fencing to minimize impacts to the
occupied pools and re-open the trail segment.
The trail segment provides an important connection within a popular
regional trail system, and continued closure of the trail will likely
result in creation of unsanctioned alternate trails with unpredictable
impacts to natural resources. We anticipate minor impacts to San Diego
fairy shrimp within up to 145 square feet of the pools due to the
effects of shading from the bridges and possible loss of individual San
Diego fairy shrimp cysts due to trail maintenance. Although the project
site is surrounded by occupied habitat for several federally threatened
and endangered species, there are no other listed species specifically
within the project alignment. Critical habitat for Otay tarplant
(Deinandra conjugens) and spreading navarretia (Navarretia fossalis)
occurs on the project site.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The Sweetwater Authority proposes to mitigate impacts to the San
Diego fairy shrimp through efforts that have resulted in the
restoration of 290 square feet of vernal pool habitat occupied by San
Diego fairy shrimp and are permanently protected and managed.
The Proposed Action consists of the issuance of an incidental take
permit and implementation of the proposed HCP, which includes measures
to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to the San Diego fairy shrimp.
Four alternatives to the taking of the listed species under the
Proposed Action are considered in the proposed HCP. Under the Permanent
Trail Closure (No Action) Alternative, no authorized incidental take of
San Diego fairy shrimp would occur; however, it is likely that
unsanctioned alternate trail use would occur that would result in more
impacts than under the Proposed Action, and recreational opportunities
would be substantially reduced. Under the Minor Trail Deviation
Alternative, immediate impacts to San Diego fairy shrimp would be
avoided by moving the trail away from existing pools, but trail use
would likely result in new depressions that could eventually be
colonized by San Diego fairy shrimp and subsequently be impacted. Under
the Different Location Alternative, the trail would be routed elsewhere
to prevent additional impacts; however, planning and permitting this
alternative will take up to 5 years, during which time recreational
opportunities would be substantially reduced and alternative
unsanctioned trail use would likely occur. Under the Reconstruction of
the Existing Trail Segment Alternative, existing pools within the trail
segment would be recontoured and/or filled to prevent San Diego fairy
shrimp from developing within the pools, thereby reducing ongoing
incidental take. However, this alternative would result in greater
impacts to the species and require additional regulatory permitting.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary determination that approval of
the proposed HCP qualifies as a categorical exclusion under NEPA, as
provided by the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2 Appendix 1
and 516 DM 6 Appendix 1) and as a ``low-effect'' plan as defined by the
Habitat Conservation Planning Handbook (November 1996).
We base our determination that a HCP qualifies as a low-effect plan
on the following three criteria:
(1) Implementation of the HCP would result in minor or negligible
effects on federally listed, proposed, and candidate species and their
habitats;
(2) Implementation of the HCP would result in minor or negligible
effects on other environmental values or resources; and
(3) Impacts of the HCP, 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 this preliminary determination, we do not intend to
prepare further NEPA documentation. We will consider public comments in
making the final determination on whether to prepare such additional
documentation.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority
We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Karen A. Goebel,
Acting Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, Carlsbad,
California.
[FR Doc. 2014-05763 Filed 3-14-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
