Enhancement of Survival Permit Application; Draft Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances for the Greater Sage-Grouse and Four Grassland Songbirds in Montana; Draft Environmental Assessment, 44651-44652 [2017-20373]
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Notices
VI. Authority
The authority for this action is the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Joyce Russell,
Government Information Specialist, Branch
of Permits, Division of Management
Authority.
[FR Doc. 2017–20381 Filed 9–22–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R6–ES–2017–N113; FF06E11000–
178–FXES111606CSAGE]
Enhancement of Survival Permit
Application; Draft Candidate
Conservation Agreement With
Assurances for the Greater SageGrouse and Four Grassland Songbirds
in Montana; Draft Environmental
Assessment
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, are making available
for public comment an application from
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for an
enhancement of survival permit (permit)
under the Endangered Species Act for
take of five species associated with
implementation of a candidate
conservation agreement with assurances
(CCAA) in Montana. The intent of the
CCAA is to provide private landowners
in the coverage area with the
opportunity to voluntarily conserve
covered species and their habitats while
carrying out their operations in a
manner that would contribute to
precluding the need to list the covered
species. Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act, we have
prepared a draft environmental
assessment (EA) that analyzes the
potential impacts of issuance of the
permit and implementation of the
proposed CCAA, as well as two
alternatives to the proposed action in
the EA. The permit application, the
draft CCAA, and draft EA are available
for public review, and we seek public
comment on these documents and
potential issuance of the permit.
DATES: Written comments must be
submitted by October 25, 2017.
ADDRESSES: To request further
information or submit written
comments, please use the following
methods, and note that your information
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:45 Sep 22, 2017
Jkt 241001
request or comments are in reference to
the Montana CCAA.
Æ Internet: Documents may be viewed
on the Internet at https://www.fws.gov/
greatersagegrouse/news.php.
Æ U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor,
Montana Ecological Services Field
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
585 Shephard Way, Suite 1, Helena, MT
59601.
Æ Email: MT_CCAA@fws.gov. Include
‘‘MT CCAA’’ in the subject line of the
message.
Æ Fax: 406–449–5339, Attn: MT
CCAA.
Æ In-Person Viewing or Pickup:
Documents will be available for public
inspection by appointment during
normal business hours at the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Montana
Ecological Services Field Office, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 585 Shephard
Way, Suite 1, Helena, MT 59601.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Field Supervisor, Montana Ecological
Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES),
telephone: 406–449–5225. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf,
please call the Federal Relay Service at
800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
received and make available for
comment an application from The
Nature Conservancy (TNC). The
application is for an enhancement of
survival permit (permit) under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.; ESA), for potential take of five
species associated with implementation
of a candidate conservation agreement
with assurances (CCAA) in Montana
(coverage area). The coverage area
would be the range of the five species
on privately owned lands in Montana.
The CCAA would cover and include
conservation measures for the greater
sage-grouse (Centrocercus
urophasianus), Baird’s sparrow
(Ammodramus bairdii), chestnutcollared longspur (Calcarius ornatus),
McCown’s longspur (Rhynchophanes
mccownii), and Sprague’s pipit (Anthus
spragueii). The intent of the CCAA is to
provide ranchers and agriculture
producers in the coverage area with the
opportunity to voluntarily conserve the
covered species and their habitat, while
carrying out their operations in a
manner that would provide net
conservation benefit to the species.
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.; NEPA), we have prepared
a draft environmental assessment (EA)
that analyzes the potential impacts of
issuance of the permit and
PO 00000
Frm 00097
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
44651
implementation of the proposed CCAA,
as well as two alternatives to the
proposed action. The permit
application, draft CCAA, and EA are
available for public review, and we seek
public comment on these documents
and potential issuance of the permit.
Background Information
A CCAA is an agreement with the
Service in which private and other nonFederal landowners voluntarily agree to
undertake management activities and
conservation efforts on their properties
to enhance, restore, or maintain habitat
to benefit species that are proposed for
listing under the ESA, that are
candidates for listing, or that may
become candidates. The Service works
with these partners to identify threats to
candidate species, plan the measures
needed to address the threats and
conserve these species, identify willing
landowners, develop agreements, and
design and implement conservation
measures and monitor their
effectiveness.
If we approve this CCAA, we will
issue an associated enhancement of
survival permit under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA that authorizes
incidental take resulting from covered
activities should any of the five covered
species addressed in the CCAA become
listed. Through the CCAA and permit,
we also provide assurances to
participating landowners that we will
not impose additional land, water, or
financial commitments, or restrictions
on land, water, or resource use, as a
result of their efforts to attract or
increase the numbers or distribution of
a species on their properties if that
species becomes listed under the ESA in
the future. Application requirements
and issuance criteria for enhancement of
survival permits through a CCAA are
found in 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 17.32(d),
as well as in 50 CFR part 13.
Proposed Action
Under the proposed programmatic
CCAA, enrolled landowners in the
CCAA (participants) would implement
conservation measures that avoid,
minimize, and mitigate impacts to the
covered species and their habitats from
ongoing grazing and range management
activities on enrolled lands. The Service
would issue the permit to TNC, which
would administer the CCAA and enroll
the participants. The CCAA would be in
effect for 20 years. The covered area
would encompass the non-Federal lands
within the range of the covered species
in Montana.
With issuance of the enhancement of
survival permit, the Service would
provide TNC and the participants
E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM
25SEN1
44652
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 184 / Monday, September 25, 2017 / Notices
assurances that, should any of the
covered species be listed, no further
commitments or restrictions than those
they committed to under the CCAA
would be imposed, as long as the CCAA
is properly implemented. Furthermore,
if any of the covered species are listed,
the permit would provide TNC and
individuals TNC enrolls in the CCAA
with incidental take authorization.
Participants would receive take
authorization through their certificates
of inclusion under the permit. The
permit would become effective on the
effective date of a listing of the covered
species as endangered or threatened and
would continue through the end of the
CCAA term.
The Secretary of the Interior has
delegated to the Service the authority to
approve or deny a section 10(a)(1)(A)
permit in accordance with the ESA. To
act on TNC’s permit application, we
must determine that the CCAA meets
the issuance criteria specified in the
ESA and at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32, as
well as at 50 CFR part 13. These criteria
include a finding that the proposed
CCAA complies with the requirements
of our CCAA Policy (81 FR 951646;
December 27, 2016).
asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
National Environmental Policy Act
Compliance
The issuance of a section 10(a)(1)(A)
permit is a Federal action subject to
NEPA compliance, including the
Council on Environmental Quality
regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR
1500–1508). The draft CCAA and
application for the enhancement of
survival permit are not eligible for
categorical exclusion under NEPA. We
have prepared a draft EA to analyze the
direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts
of the CCAA on the quality of the
human environment and other natural
resources. In compliance with NEPA,
we analyzed the impacts of
implementing the CCAA, issuance of
the permit, and a reasonable range of
alternatives in the draft EA. Based on
these analyses and any new information
resulting from public comment on the
proposed action, we will determine if
issuance of the permit would cause any
significant impacts to the human
environment. After reviewing public
comments, we will evaluate whether the
proposed action and alternatives in the
draft EA are adequate to support a
finding of no significant impact under
NEPA. We now make the draft EA
available for public inspection online or
in person at the Service offices listed in
ADDRESSES.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:45 Sep 22, 2017
Jkt 241001
Public Comments
You may submit your comments and
materials by one of the methods listed
in ADDRESSES. We request data,
information, opinions, or suggestions
from the public, other concerned
governmental agencies, the scientific
community, Tribes, industry, or any
other interested party on our proposed
permit action. We particularly seek
comments on the following: (1)
Biological information and relevant data
concerning the covered species; (2)
current or planned activities in the
subject area and their possible impacts
on the covered species; (3) identification
of any other environmental issues that
should be considered with regard to the
proposed permit action; and (4)
information regarding the adequacy of
the draft CCAA pursuant to the
requirements for permits at 50 CFR parts
13 and 17.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments and materials we
receive become part of the public record
associated with this action. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personally
identifiable information (PII) in your
comments, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
PII—may be made publicly available at
any time. While you can ask us in your
comment to withhold your PII from
public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so. Comments and
materials we receive, as well as
supporting documentation we use in
preparing the EA, will be available for
public inspection by appointment,
during normal business hours, at our
Montana Field Office (see ADDRESSES).
Next Steps
After completion of the EA based on
consideration of public comments, we
will determine whether adoption of the
proposed CCAA warrants a finding of
no significant impact or whether an
environmental impact statement should
be prepared. We will evaluate the
proposed CCAA as well as any
comments we receive, to determine
whether implementation of the
proposed CCAA would meet the
requirements for issuance of a permit
under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA.
We will also evaluate whether the
proposed permit action would comply
with section 7 of the ESA by conducting
an intra-Service section 7 consultation.
We will consider the results of this
consultation, in combination with the
above findings, in our final analysis to
determine whether or not to issue a
permit to TNC. We will not make our
PO 00000
Frm 00098
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
final decision until after the end of the
30-day public comment period, and we
will fully consider all comments we
receive during the public comment
period.
Authority: We provide this notice in
accordance with the requirements of section
10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and their
implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22, 40
CFR 1506.6, and 43 CFR Part 46,
respectively).
Dated: September 11, 2017.
Michael Thabault,
Assistant Regional Director—Ecological
Services, Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Lakewood, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 2017–20373 Filed 9–22–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0024017;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The University of Michigan
has completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects,
in consultation with the appropriate
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations, and has determined that
there is no cultural affiliation between
the human remains and associated
funerary objects and any present-day
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations. Representatives of any
Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian
organization not identified in this notice
that wish to request transfer of control
of these human remains and associated
funerary objects should submit a written
request to the University of Michigan. If
no additional requestors come forward,
transfer of control of the human remains
and associated funerary objects to the
Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations stated in this notice may
proceed.
DATES: Representatives of any Indian
Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization
not identified in this notice that wish to
request transfer of control of these
human remains and associated funerary
objects should submit a written request
with information in support of the
request to the University of Michigan at
the address in this notice by October 25,
2017.
ADDRESSES: Dr. Ben Secunda, NAGPRA
Project Manager, University of Michigan
Office of Research, 4080 Fleming
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM
25SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 184 (Monday, September 25, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44651-44652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20373]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-ES-2017-N113; FF06E11000-178-FXES111606CSAGE]
Enhancement of Survival Permit Application; Draft Candidate
Conservation Agreement With Assurances for the Greater Sage-Grouse and
Four Grassland Songbirds in Montana; Draft Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are making available
for public comment an application from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for
an enhancement of survival permit (permit) under the Endangered Species
Act for take of five species associated with implementation of a
candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) in Montana. The
intent of the CCAA is to provide private landowners in the coverage
area with the opportunity to voluntarily conserve covered species and
their habitats while carrying out their operations in a manner that
would contribute to precluding the need to list the covered species.
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, we have prepared a
draft environmental assessment (EA) that analyzes the potential impacts
of issuance of the permit and implementation of the proposed CCAA, as
well as two alternatives to the proposed action in the EA. The permit
application, the draft CCAA, and draft EA are available for public
review, and we seek public comment on these documents and potential
issuance of the permit.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted by October 25, 2017.
ADDRESSES: To request further information or submit written comments,
please use the following methods, and note that your information
request or comments are in reference to the Montana CCAA.
[cir] Internet: Documents may be viewed on the Internet at https://www.fws.gov/greatersagegrouse/news.php.
[cir] U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor, Montana Ecological Services
Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 585 Shephard Way, Suite
1, Helena, MT 59601.
[cir] Email: MT_CCAA@fws.gov. Include ``MT CCAA'' in the subject
line of the message.
[cir] Fax: 406-449-5339, Attn: MT CCAA.
[cir] In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Documents will be available for
public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Ecological Services Field
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 585 Shephard Way, Suite 1,
Helena, MT 59601.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Field Supervisor, Montana Ecological
Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 406-449-5225. If you
use a telecommunications device for the deaf, please call the Federal
Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), received and make available for comment an application from
The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The application is for an enhancement of
survival permit (permit) under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA), for
potential take of five species associated with implementation of a
candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) in Montana
(coverage area). The coverage area would be the range of the five
species on privately owned lands in Montana.
The CCAA would cover and include conservation measures for the
greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), Baird's sparrow
(Ammodramus bairdii), chestnut-collared longspur (Calcarius ornatus),
McCown's longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii), and Sprague's pipit (Anthus
spragueii). The intent of the CCAA is to provide ranchers and
agriculture producers in the coverage area with the opportunity to
voluntarily conserve the covered species and their habitat, while
carrying out their operations in a manner that would provide net
conservation benefit to the species.
Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq.; NEPA), we have prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA)
that analyzes the potential impacts of issuance of the permit and
implementation of the proposed CCAA, as well as two alternatives to the
proposed action. The permit application, draft CCAA, and EA are
available for public review, and we seek public comment on these
documents and potential issuance of the permit.
Background Information
A CCAA is an agreement with the Service in which private and other
non-Federal landowners voluntarily agree to undertake management
activities and conservation efforts on their properties to enhance,
restore, or maintain habitat to benefit species that are proposed for
listing under the ESA, that are candidates for listing, or that may
become candidates. The Service works with these partners to identify
threats to candidate species, plan the measures needed to address the
threats and conserve these species, identify willing landowners,
develop agreements, and design and implement conservation measures and
monitor their effectiveness.
If we approve this CCAA, we will issue an associated enhancement of
survival permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA that authorizes
incidental take resulting from covered activities should any of the
five covered species addressed in the CCAA become listed. Through the
CCAA and permit, we also provide assurances to participating landowners
that we will not impose additional land, water, or financial
commitments, or restrictions on land, water, or resource use, as a
result of their efforts to attract or increase the numbers or
distribution of a species on their properties if that species becomes
listed under the ESA in the future. Application requirements and
issuance criteria for enhancement of survival permits through a CCAA
are found in 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 17.32(d), as well as in 50 CFR part
13.
Proposed Action
Under the proposed programmatic CCAA, enrolled landowners in the
CCAA (participants) would implement conservation measures that avoid,
minimize, and mitigate impacts to the covered species and their
habitats from ongoing grazing and range management activities on
enrolled lands. The Service would issue the permit to TNC, which would
administer the CCAA and enroll the participants. The CCAA would be in
effect for 20 years. The covered area would encompass the non-Federal
lands within the range of the covered species in Montana.
With issuance of the enhancement of survival permit, the Service
would provide TNC and the participants
[[Page 44652]]
assurances that, should any of the covered species be listed, no
further commitments or restrictions than those they committed to under
the CCAA would be imposed, as long as the CCAA is properly implemented.
Furthermore, if any of the covered species are listed, the permit would
provide TNC and individuals TNC enrolls in the CCAA with incidental
take authorization. Participants would receive take authorization
through their certificates of inclusion under the permit. The permit
would become effective on the effective date of a listing of the
covered species as endangered or threatened and would continue through
the end of the CCAA term.
The Secretary of the Interior has delegated to the Service the
authority to approve or deny a section 10(a)(1)(A) permit in accordance
with the ESA. To act on TNC's permit application, we must determine
that the CCAA meets the issuance criteria specified in the ESA and at
50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32, as well as at 50 CFR part 13. These criteria
include a finding that the proposed CCAA complies with the requirements
of our CCAA Policy (81 FR 951646; December 27, 2016).
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
The issuance of a section 10(a)(1)(A) permit is a Federal action
subject to NEPA compliance, including the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA
(40 CFR 1500-1508). The draft CCAA and application for the enhancement
of survival permit are not eligible for categorical exclusion under
NEPA. We have prepared a draft EA to analyze the direct, indirect, and
cumulative impacts of the CCAA on the quality of the human environment
and other natural resources. In compliance with NEPA, we analyzed the
impacts of implementing the CCAA, issuance of the permit, and a
reasonable range of alternatives in the draft EA. Based on these
analyses and any new information resulting from public comment on the
proposed action, we will determine if issuance of the permit would
cause any significant impacts to the human environment. After reviewing
public comments, we will evaluate whether the proposed action and
alternatives in the draft EA are adequate to support a finding of no
significant impact under NEPA. We now make the draft EA available for
public inspection online or in person at the Service offices listed in
ADDRESSES.
Public Comments
You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods
listed in ADDRESSES. We request data, information, opinions, or
suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the
scientific community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party
on our proposed permit action. We particularly seek comments on the
following: (1) Biological information and relevant data concerning the
covered species; (2) current or planned activities in the subject area
and their possible impacts on the covered species; (3) identification
of any other environmental issues that should be considered with regard
to the proposed permit action; and (4) information regarding the
adequacy of the draft CCAA pursuant to the requirements for permits at
50 CFR parts 13 and 17.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments and materials we receive become part of the public
record associated with this action. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable
information (PII) in your comments, you should be aware that your
entire comment--including your PII--may be made publicly available at
any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting documentation
we use in preparing the EA, will be available for public inspection by
appointment, during normal business hours, at our Montana Field Office
(see ADDRESSES).
Next Steps
After completion of the EA based on consideration of public
comments, we will determine whether adoption of the proposed CCAA
warrants a finding of no significant impact or whether an environmental
impact statement should be prepared. We will evaluate the proposed CCAA
as well as any comments we receive, to determine whether implementation
of the proposed CCAA would meet the requirements for issuance of a
permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. We will also evaluate
whether the proposed permit action would comply with section 7 of the
ESA by conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation. We will
consider the results of this consultation, in combination with the
above findings, in our final analysis to determine whether or not to
issue a permit to TNC. We will not make our final decision until after
the end of the 30-day public comment period, and we will fully consider
all comments we receive during the public comment period.
Authority: We provide this notice in accordance with the
requirements of section 10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and
NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and their implementing regulations (50
CFR 17.22, 40 CFR 1506.6, and 43 CFR Part 46, respectively).
Dated: September 11, 2017.
Michael Thabault,
Assistant Regional Director--Ecological Services, Mountain-Prairie
Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lakewood, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 2017-20373 Filed 9-22-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
