Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Draft Recovery Plan for the Giant Garter Snake, 79606-79607 [2015-32108]
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79606
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 245 / Tuesday, December 22, 2015 / Notices
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES:
The Department of Homeland
Security, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services (DHS–USCIS) is
the source agency and the California
Department of Social Services (CA–DSS)
is the recipient agency.
AUTHORITY FOR CONDUCTING THE MATCHING
PROGRAM:
Section 121 of the Immigration
Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986,
Public Law 99–603, as amended by the
Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
(PRWORA), Public Law 104–193, 110
Stat. 2168 (1996), requires DHS to
establish a system for the verification of
immigration status of alien applicants
for, or recipients of, certain types of
benefits as specified within IRCA, and
to make this system available to state
agencies that administer such benefits.
Section 121(c) of IRCA amends Section
1137 of the Social Security Act and
other sections of law that pertain to
federal entitlement benefit programs.
Section 121(c) requires state agencies
administering these programs to use
DHS–USCIS’s verification system to
make eligibility determinations in order
to prevent the issuance of benefits to
ineligible alien applicants. The VIS
database is the DHS–USCIS system
available to the CA–DSS and other
covered agencies for use in making
these eligibility determinations.
CA–DSS will access information
contained in VIS for the purpose of
confirming the immigration status of
alien applicants for, or recipients of,
benefits it administers in order to
discharge its obligation to conduct such
verifications pursuant to Section 1137 of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1320b–7(a), et seq.). Verification of
applicants for Food Stamps through
DHS/USCIS is optional for CA–DSS
under Section 840 of PWORA. CA–DSS
has elected to use VIS for all alien
applicants for Food Stamps for the
length of this Agreement.
DHS–USCIS VIS database containing
information related to the status of
aliens and other persons on whom
DHS–USCIS has a record as an
applicant, petitioner, or beneficiary.
CA–DSS will provide the following to
DHS–USCIS: CA–DSS records
pertaining to alien and naturalized/
derived United States citizen applicants
for, or recipients of, entitlement benefit
programs administered by the State.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS:
CA–DSS will match the following
records with DHS–USCIS records:
• Alien Registration Number
(A-Number)
• I–94 Number
• Last Name
• First Name
• Middle Name
• Date of Birth
• Nationality
• Social Security number (SSN)
DHS–USCIS will match the following
records with CA–DSS records:
• A-Number
• I–94 Number
• Last Name
• First Name
• Middle Name
• Date of Birth
• Country of Birth (not nationality)
• SSN (if available)
• Date of Entry
• Immigration Status Data
• Sponsorship Information (sponsor’s
full name, SSN, and address)
SYSTEM OF RECORDS:
DHS/USCIS–004 Systematic Alien
Verification for Entitlements Program
System of Records Notice, 77 FR 47415
(August 8, 2012).
Dated: December 16, 2015.
Karen L. Neuman
Chief Privacy Officer, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2015–32149 Filed 12–21–15; 8:45 am]
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PURPOSE OF THE MATCHING AGREEMENT:
This Computer Matching Agreement
provides the CA–DSS with electronic
access to immigration status information
contained within DHS–USCIS’s
Verification Information System (VIS).
CA–DSS uses the immigration status
information to determine whether an
applicant is eligible for benefits under
Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF) and Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
programs administered by the CA–DSS.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS:
DHS–USCIS will provide the
following to CA–DSS: Records in the
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:21 Dec 21, 2015
Jkt 238001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2015–N155; FXES11130000–
156–FF08E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Revised Draft Recovery
Plan for the Giant Garter Snake
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the
SUMMARY:
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availability of the Revised Draft
Recovery Plan for Giant Garter Snake for
public review and comment. This
revised draft recovery plan includes
delisting objectives and criteria, and
specific actions necessary to delist the
species from the Federal Lists of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants. We request review and
comment on this draft recovery plan
from local, State, and Federal agencies,
and the public.
DATES: We must receive any comments
on this revised draft recovery plan on or
before February 22, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of
this revised draft recovery plan from our
Web site at https://www.fws.gov/
endangered/species/recoveryplans.html. Alternatively, you may
contact the Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W–
2605, Sacramento, CA 95825 (telephone
916–414–6700).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jennifer Norris, Field Supervisor, at the
above street address or telephone
number (see ADDRESSES).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened
animals and plants to the point where
they are again secure, self-sustaining
members of their ecosystems is a
primary goal of our endangered species
program and the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.). Recovery means
improvement of the status of listed
species to the point at which listing is
no longer appropriate under the criteria
specified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act.
The Act requires the development of
recovery plans for listed species, unless
such a plan would not promote the
conservation of a particular species.
We listed the giant garter snake
(Thamnophis gigas) as a threatened
species on October 20, 1993 (58 FR
54053). Historical records suggest that
the giant garter snake inhabited fresh
water marshes, streams, and wetlands
throughout the length of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin Valleys in Central
California. Today only about 5 percent
of its historical wetland habitat acreage
remains. The 13 populations identified
at listing were isolated from one another
with no protected dispersal corridors.
Nine populations are recognized in this
revised draft recovery plan, following an
update of the 13 populations described
in the original listing. This change is
based on recent surveys, which indicate
that two populations were extirpated,
and on genetic research, which lead to
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
22DEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 245 / Tuesday, December 22, 2015 / Notices
function to support the giant garter
snake and its community members.
3. Ameliorate or eliminate, to the
extent possible, the threats that caused
the species to be listed or are otherwise
of concern, and any foreseeable future
threats.
The strategy used to recover the giant
garter snake is focused on protecting
existing occupied habitat and
identifying and protecting areas for
habitat restoration, enhancement, or
creation, including areas that are needed
to provide connectivity between
populations. Appropriate management
is needed for all giant garter snake
conservation lands to ensure that stable
and viable populations can be
maintained in occupied areas, and that
colonization will be promoted in
restored and enhanced unoccupied
habitat. As the giant garter snake meets
delisting criteria, we will review its
status and consider it for delisting on
the Federal Lists of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
We solicit written comments on this
revised draft recovery plan described in
this notice. All comments received by
the date specified in the DATES section
will be considered in development of a
final recovery plan for giant garter
snake. You may submit written
comments and information by mail or in
person to the Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office at the above address (see
ADDRESSES).
Recovery Plan Goals
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
the grouping together of some of the
populations.
The giant garter snake has specific
habitat needs that include summer
aquatic habitat for foraging, bankside
basking areas with nearby emergent
vegetation for cover and thermal
regulation, and upland refugia for
extended periods of inactivity.
Perennial wetlands provide the highest
quality habitat for the giant garter snake,
and rice lands, with interconnected
water conveyance structures, serve as an
alternative habitat in the absence of
higher quality wetlands.
The loss and subsequent
fragmentation of habitat is the primary
threat to the giant garter snake
throughout the Central Valley of
California. Habitat loss has occurred
from urban expansion, agricultural
conversion, and flood control. Habitat
fragmentation restricts dispersal and
isolates populations of the giant garter
snake, increasing the likelihood of
inbreeding, decreasing fitness, and
reducing genetic diversity, and
ultimately has resulted in the loss of the
snake from the southern one-third of its
range in former wetlands associated
with the historical Buena Vista, Tulare,
and Kern Lake beds. In addition to
habitat loss, the remaining Central
Valley populations of the giant garter
snake are subject to the cumulative
effects of a number of other existing and
potential threats, including: roads and
vehicular traffic, climate change, and
predation by non-native species.
Public Availability of Comments
The purpose of a recovery plan is to
provide a framework for the recovery of
species so that protection under the Act
is no longer necessary. A recovery plan
includes scientific information about
the species and provides criteria that
enable us to gauge whether downlisting
or delisting the species is warranted.
Furthermore, recovery plans help guide
our recovery efforts by describing
actions we consider necessary for each
species’ conservation and by estimating
time and costs for implementing needed
recovery measures.
The goal of this revised draft recovery
plan is to improve the status of giant
garter snake so that it can be delisted.
To meet the recovery goal of delisting,
the following objectives have been
identified:
1. Establish and protect selfsustaining populations of the giant
garter snake throughout the full
ecological, geographical, and genetic
range of the species.
2. Restore and conserve healthy
Central Valley wetland ecosystems that
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.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:21 Dec 21, 2015
Jkt 238001
Public Comments Solicited
Authority
We developed this revised draft
recovery plan under the authority of
section 4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
We publish this notice under section
4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
Alexandra Pitts,
Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region,
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2015–32108 Filed 12–21–15; 8:45 am]
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79607
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2015–0179;
FXIA16710900000–156–FF09A30000]
Endangered Species; Wild Bird
Conservation; Receipt of Applications
for Permit
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of applications
for permit.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, invite the public to
comment on the following applications
to conduct certain activities with
endangered species. With some
exceptions, the Endangered Species Act
(ESA) prohibits activities with listed
species unless Federal authorization is
acquired that allows such activities.
DATES: We must receive comments or
requests for documents on or before
January 21, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submitting Comments: You
may submit comments by one of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
on Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2015–0179.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS–HQ–IA–2015–0179; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS:
BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls
Church, VA 22041–3803.
When submitting comments, please
indicate the name of the applicant and
the PRT# you are commenting on. We
will post all comments on https://
www.regulations.gov. This generally
means that we will post any personal
information you provide us (see the
Public Comments section below for
more information). Viewing Comments:
Comments and materials we receive will
be available for public inspection on
https://www.regulations.gov, or by
appointment, between 8 a.m. and 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays, at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Division of
Management Authority, 5275 Leesburg
Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803;
telephone 703–358–2095.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Endangered Species Applications:
Brenda Tapia, Program Analyst/Data
Administrator, Division of Management
Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service Headquarters, MS: IA; 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–
3803; telephone 703–358–2104;
facsimile 703–358–2280.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\22DEN1.SGM
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 245 (Tuesday, December 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79606-79607]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32108]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2015-N155; FXES11130000-156-FF08E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Draft
Recovery Plan for the Giant Garter Snake
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the Revised Draft Recovery Plan for Giant Garter Snake
for public review and comment. This revised draft recovery plan
includes delisting objectives and criteria, and specific actions
necessary to delist the species from the Federal Lists of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. We request review and comment on
this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and
the public.
DATES: We must receive any comments on this revised draft recovery plan
on or before February 22, 2016.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of this revised draft recovery plan
from our Web site at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html. Alternatively, you may contact the Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way,
Suite W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825 (telephone 916-414-6700).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Norris, Field Supervisor, at
the above street address or telephone number (see ADDRESSES).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants to the
point where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their
ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program and the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status of listed species to
the point at which listing is no longer appropriate under the criteria
specified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. The Act requires the
development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan
would not promote the conservation of a particular species.
We listed the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) as a threatened
species on October 20, 1993 (58 FR 54053). Historical records suggest
that the giant garter snake inhabited fresh water marshes, streams, and
wetlands throughout the length of the Sacramento and San Joaquin
Valleys in Central California. Today only about 5 percent of its
historical wetland habitat acreage remains. The 13 populations
identified at listing were isolated from one another with no protected
dispersal corridors. Nine populations are recognized in this revised
draft recovery plan, following an update of the 13 populations
described in the original listing. This change is based on recent
surveys, which indicate that two populations were extirpated, and on
genetic research, which lead to
[[Page 79607]]
the grouping together of some of the populations.
The giant garter snake has specific habitat needs that include
summer aquatic habitat for foraging, bankside basking areas with nearby
emergent vegetation for cover and thermal regulation, and upland
refugia for extended periods of inactivity. Perennial wetlands provide
the highest quality habitat for the giant garter snake, and rice lands,
with interconnected water conveyance structures, serve as an
alternative habitat in the absence of higher quality wetlands.
The loss and subsequent fragmentation of habitat is the primary
threat to the giant garter snake throughout the Central Valley of
California. Habitat loss has occurred from urban expansion,
agricultural conversion, and flood control. Habitat fragmentation
restricts dispersal and isolates populations of the giant garter snake,
increasing the likelihood of inbreeding, decreasing fitness, and
reducing genetic diversity, and ultimately has resulted in the loss of
the snake from the southern one-third of its range in former wetlands
associated with the historical Buena Vista, Tulare, and Kern Lake beds.
In addition to habitat loss, the remaining Central Valley populations
of the giant garter snake are subject to the cumulative effects of a
number of other existing and potential threats, including: roads and
vehicular traffic, climate change, and predation by non-native species.
Recovery Plan Goals
The purpose of a recovery plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of species so that protection under the Act is no longer
necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about the
species and provides criteria that enable us to gauge whether
downlisting or delisting the species is warranted. Furthermore,
recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing actions we
consider necessary for each species' conservation and by estimating
time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures.
The goal of this revised draft recovery plan is to improve the
status of giant garter snake so that it can be delisted. To meet the
recovery goal of delisting, the following objectives have been
identified:
1. Establish and protect self-sustaining populations of the giant
garter snake throughout the full ecological, geographical, and genetic
range of the species.
2. Restore and conserve healthy Central Valley wetland ecosystems
that function to support the giant garter snake and its community
members.
3. Ameliorate or eliminate, to the extent possible, the threats
that caused the species to be listed or are otherwise of concern, and
any foreseeable future threats.
The strategy used to recover the giant garter snake is focused on
protecting existing occupied habitat and identifying and protecting
areas for habitat restoration, enhancement, or creation, including
areas that are needed to provide connectivity between populations.
Appropriate management is needed for all giant garter snake
conservation lands to ensure that stable and viable populations can be
maintained in occupied areas, and that colonization will be promoted in
restored and enhanced unoccupied habitat. As the giant garter snake
meets delisting criteria, we will review its status and consider it for
delisting on the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants.
Public Comments Solicited
We solicit written comments on this revised draft recovery plan
described in this notice. All comments received by the date specified
in the DATES section will be considered in development of a final
recovery plan for giant garter snake. You may submit written comments
and information by mail or in person to the Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office at the above address (see ADDRESSES).
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 developed this revised draft recovery plan under the authority
of section 4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice
under section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Alexandra Pitts,
Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2015-32108 Filed 12-21-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P