Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Availability of Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plans, Clay, Lake, Marion, and Putnam County, FL, 67376-67377 [2016-23646]

Download as PDF 67376 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 190 / Friday, September 30, 2016 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R4–ES–2015–N163; FXES11130400000EA–123–FF04EF1000] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Availability of Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plans, Clay, Lake, Marion, and Putnam County, FL AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. Notice of availability; request for comment/information. ACTION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, USFWS), have received an application for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Vulcan Materials Company requests a 30-year ITP. We request public comment on the permit application and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), as well as on our preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which are also available for review. DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by October 31, 2016. ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the application and HCP, you may request documents by email, U.S. mail, or phone (see below). These documents are also available for public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the office below. Send your comments or requests by any one of the following methods. Email: northflorida@fws.gov, Attn: Permit number TE96856B–0. Fax: Field Supervisor, (904) 731– 3191, Attn: Permit number TE96856B– 0. U.S. mail: Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Ecological Services Field Office, Attn: Permit number TE96856B– 0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256. In-person drop-off: You may drop off information during regular business hours at the above office address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin M. Gawera, telephone: (904) 731–3121; email: erin_gawera@fws.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: Background Section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and our implementing Federal VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:49 Sep 29, 2016 Jkt 238001 regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17 prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish or wildlife species listed as endangered or threatened. Take of listed fish or wildlife is defined under the Act as ‘‘to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct’’ (16 U.S.C. 1532). However, under limited circumstances, we issue permits to authorize incidental take—i.e., take that is incidental to, and not the purpose of, the carrying out of an otherwise lawful activity. Regulations governing incidental take permits for threatened and endangered species are at 50 CFR 17.32 and 17.22, respectively. The Act’s take prohibitions do not apply to federally listed plants on private lands unless such take would violate State law. In addition to meeting other criteria, an incidental take permit’s proposed actions must not jeopardize the existence of federally listed fish, wildlife, or plants. Applicants’ Proposal Vulcan Materials Company Vulcan Materials Company proposes incremental mining of sand reserves throughout the 8,660.71-acre permitted mining limits of seven mine sites (Astatula Sand Plant, Goldhead Sand Plant, Keuka Sand Plant, Lake Sand Plant, Marion Sand Plant, Turnpike Sand Plant, and Weirsdale Sand Plant) over the life of the mines, and seeks a 30-year permit for take of foraging and sheltering habitat occupied by scrub-jay and sand skink. The project sites are located in Clay, Lake, Marion, and Putnam Counties within North and Central Florida, Florida. The extent of direct impacts in future phases is currently undetermined; however, based on the current USFWS guidelines, approximately 1,489.31 acres of the site appear to be suitable for the sand skink, and approximately 26 acres of the site appear to be occupied by the Florida scrub-jay. In advance of the progression of the mining operations into future phases, quantitative surveys will be conducted for the Florida scrub-jay and sand skinks, to determine the occupancy and extent of occupancy within suitable areas. The completion of these surveys will be subject to the Service’s approved survey guidelines at the time the surveys are conducted. The applicant proposes to mitigate for impacts to occupied skink habitat within future phases at a ratio of 2:1 by purchasing two mitigation bank credits at the Tiger Creek Conservation Bank or another permitted USFWS skink conservation bank per every 1 acre of impact. The applicant proposes to PO 00000 Frm 00088 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 mitigate for impacts to occupied scrubjay habitat within future phases at a ratio of 2:1 by purchasing credits at a permitted USFWS approved scrub-jay conservation bank or contributing an appropriate amount to the Florida Scrub-jay Conservation Fund as per mitigation guidelines at the time the surveys are conducted. Our Preliminary Determination We have determined that the applicants’ proposals, including the proposed mitigation and minimization measures, would have minor or negligible effects on the species covered in their HCPs. Therefore, we have determined that the incidental take permit for this project is ‘‘low effect’’ and qualifies for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by 43 CFR 46.205 and 43 CFR 46.210. A loweffect HCP is one involving (1) Minor or negligible effects on federally listed or candidate species and their habitats, and (2) minor or negligible effects on other environmental values or resources. Next Steps We will evaluate the HCPs and comments we receive to determine whether the ITP applications meet the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If we determine that the application meets these requirements, we will issue ITP number #TE96856B–0. We will also evaluate whether issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITPs complies with section 7 of the Act by conducting an intraService section 7 consultation. We will use the results of this consultation, in combination with the above findings, in our final analysis to determine whether or not to issue the ITP. If the requirements are met, we will issue the permit to the applicant. Public Comments If you wish to comment on the permit application, HCP, and associated documents, you may submit comments by any one of the methods in ADDRESSES. Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comments, 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 E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 190 / Friday, September 30, 2016 / Notices cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Authority We provide this notice under Section 10 of the Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). Dated: September 22, 2016. Jay B. Herrington, Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office, Southeast Region. Bureau of Land Management [16X L1109AF LLUT980300– L12200000.XZ0000–24–1A] Postponement of Utah Resource Advisory Council Meeting Bureau of Land Management, Interior. Postponement of October 2016 Utah Resource Advisory Council meeting. ACTION: The October 2016 Utah Resource Advisory Council meeting has been postponed. SUMMARY: The meeting was scheduled for Oct. 17–18, 2016, in Green River, Utah and will be rescheduled at a later date. DATES: Lola Bird, Public Affairs Specialist, Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Office, 440 West 200 South, Suite 500, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101; phone (801) 539–4033; or, lbird@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to leave a message or question for the above individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4–1. Jenna Whitlock, Acting State Director. mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Notice of Amended Proposed Withdrawal and Notice of Public Meetings; Oregon The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management has approved an amendment to a previously filed application to withdraw public domain and Revested Oregon California Railroad lands (O&C) managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Forest System (NFS) lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) while Congress considers legislation to permanently withdraw those lands. Such legislation is currently pending in the 114th Congress as S. 346 and H.R. 682 and identified as the ‘‘Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act of 2015.’’ This Notice amends the prior proposal notice of which was published in the Federal Register on June 29, 2015, to increase the proposed withdrawal term from 5 years to 20 years, and to add that the withdrawal is also being proposed at the request of the BLM and the Forest Service, to protect the Southwestern Oregon watershed from possible adverse effects of mineral development. This notice gives the public an opportunity to comment on the amended application and announces the dates, times, and locations of public meetings. DATES: Comments must be received by December 29, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacob Childers, Oregon State Office, Bureau of Land Management, at 503– 808–6225 or by email jcchilders@ blm.gov, or Candice Polisky, USFS Pacific Northwest Region, at 503–808– 2479. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to reach either of the above individuals. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individuals. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office (OR936), P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208–2965. SUMMARY: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR [FR Doc. 2016–23640 Filed 9–29–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P 20:49 Sep 29, 2016 [LLOR936000.L1440000.ET0000. 16XL1109AF; HAG 16–0207] Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. BILLING CODE 4333–15–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 Bureau of Land Management AGENCY: [FR Doc. 2016–23646 Filed 9–29–16; 8:45 am] AGENCY: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00089 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 67377 The BLM and Forest Service amended petition/ application requests the Secretary to withdraw, subject to valid existing rights, approximately 5,216.18 acres of BLM-managed public domain and O&C lands and 95,805.53 acres of Forest Service-managed NFS lands from settlement, sale, location, and entry under the public land laws; location and entry under the United States mining laws, and operation of the mineral and geothermal leasing laws, for a period of 20 years while Congress considers legislation to permanently withdraw those areas and, at the request of the BLM and the Forest Service, to protect the Southwestern Oregon watershed from possible adverse effects of mineral development. The lands identified by notice in the Federal Register on June 29, 2015 (80 FR 37015), are incorporated by reference. The areas described aggregate 101,021.71 acres in Josephine and Curry Counties. The approved petition/application constitutes a withdrawal proposal of the Secretary of the Interior (43 CFR 2310.1–3(e)). Records relating to the application may be examined by contacting the BLM at the above address and phone number. For a period until December 29, 2016, all persons who wish to submit comments, suggestions, or objections in connection with the amended withdrawal application may present their views in writing to the Oregon State Director, BLM, at the above address or by email at blm_or_wa_ withdrawals@blm.gov. Information regarding the amended withdrawal application will be available for public review at the BLM Oregon State Office during regular business hours, 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. 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. Individuals who submit written comments may request confidentiality by asking us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Notice is hereby given that public meetings will be held in connection with the amended proposed withdrawal. A notice of the times and places of the public meetings will be announced at least 30 days in advance in the Federal Register and through SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\30SEN1.SGM 30SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 190 (Friday, September 30, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67376-67377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23646]



[[Page 67376]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2015-N163; FXES11130400000EA-123-FF04EF1000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Availability of 
Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plans, Clay, Lake, Marion, and 
Putnam County, FL

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment/information.

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

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, USFWS), have 
received an application for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Vulcan Materials 
Company requests a 30-year ITP. We request public comment on the permit 
application and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), 
as well as on our preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as 
low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make 
this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-
effect screening form, which are also available for review.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by 
October 31, 2016.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the application and HCP, you may 
request documents by email, U.S. mail, or phone (see below). These 
documents are also available for public inspection by appointment 
during normal business hours at the office below. Send your comments or 
requests by any one of the following methods.
    Email: northflorida@fws.gov, Attn: Permit number TE96856B-0.
    Fax: Field Supervisor, (904) 731-3191, Attn: Permit number 
TE96856B-0.
    U.S. mail: Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Ecological Services Field 
Office, Attn: Permit number TE96856B-0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
    In-person drop-off: You may drop off information during regular 
business hours at the above office address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin M. Gawera, telephone: (904) 731-
3121; email: erin_gawera@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and our implementing 
Federal regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 
17 prohibit the ``take'' of fish or wildlife species listed as 
endangered or threatened. Take of listed fish or wildlife is defined 
under the Act as ``to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, 
trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such 
conduct'' (16 U.S.C. 1532). However, under limited circumstances, we 
issue permits to authorize incidental take--i.e., take that is 
incidental to, and not the purpose of, the carrying out of an otherwise 
lawful activity.
    Regulations governing incidental take permits for threatened and 
endangered species are at 50 CFR 17.32 and 17.22, respectively. The 
Act's take prohibitions do not apply to federally listed plants on 
private lands unless such take would violate State law. In addition to 
meeting other criteria, an incidental take permit's proposed actions 
must not jeopardize the existence of federally listed fish, wildlife, 
or plants.

Applicants' Proposal

Vulcan Materials Company

    Vulcan Materials Company proposes incremental mining of sand 
reserves throughout the 8,660.71-acre permitted mining limits of seven 
mine sites (Astatula Sand Plant, Goldhead Sand Plant, Keuka Sand Plant, 
Lake Sand Plant, Marion Sand Plant, Turnpike Sand Plant, and Weirsdale 
Sand Plant) over the life of the mines, and seeks a 30-year permit for 
take of foraging and sheltering habitat occupied by scrub-jay and sand 
skink. The project sites are located in Clay, Lake, Marion, and Putnam 
Counties within North and Central Florida, Florida. The extent of 
direct impacts in future phases is currently undetermined; however, 
based on the current USFWS guidelines, approximately 1,489.31 acres of 
the site appear to be suitable for the sand skink, and approximately 26 
acres of the site appear to be occupied by the Florida scrub-jay. In 
advance of the progression of the mining operations into future phases, 
quantitative surveys will be conducted for the Florida scrub-jay and 
sand skinks, to determine the occupancy and extent of occupancy within 
suitable areas. The completion of these surveys will be subject to the 
Service's approved survey guidelines at the time the surveys are 
conducted. The applicant proposes to mitigate for impacts to occupied 
skink habitat within future phases at a ratio of 2:1 by purchasing two 
mitigation bank credits at the Tiger Creek Conservation Bank or another 
permitted USFWS skink conservation bank per every 1 acre of impact. The 
applicant proposes to mitigate for impacts to occupied scrub-jay 
habitat within future phases at a ratio of 2:1 by purchasing credits at 
a permitted USFWS approved scrub-jay conservation bank or contributing 
an appropriate amount to the Florida Scrub-jay Conservation Fund as per 
mitigation guidelines at the time the surveys are conducted.

Our Preliminary Determination

    We have determined that the applicants' proposals, including the 
proposed mitigation and minimization measures, would have minor or 
negligible effects on the species covered in their HCPs. Therefore, we 
have determined that the incidental take permit for this project is 
``low effect'' and qualifies for categorical exclusion under the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by 43 CFR 46.205 
and 43 CFR 46.210. A low-effect HCP is one involving (1) Minor or 
negligible effects on federally listed or candidate species and their 
habitats, and (2) minor or negligible effects on other environmental 
values or resources.

Next Steps

    We will evaluate the HCPs and comments we receive to determine 
whether the ITP applications meet the requirements of section 10(a) of 
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If we determine that the application 
meets these requirements, we will issue ITP number #TE96856B-0. We will 
also evaluate whether issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITPs complies 
with section 7 of the Act by conducting an intra-Service section 7 
consultation. We will use the results of this consultation, in 
combination with the above findings, in our final analysis to determine 
whether or not to issue the ITP. If the requirements are met, we will 
issue the permit to the applicant.

Public Comments

    If you wish to comment on the permit application, HCP, and 
associated documents, you may submit comments by any one of the methods 
in ADDRESSES.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comments, 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

[[Page 67377]]

cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Authority

    We provide this notice under Section 10 of the Act and NEPA 
regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: September 22, 2016.
Jay B. Herrington,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-23646 Filed 9-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

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