Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Availability of Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink, Orange County, FL, 9861 [2018-04652]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 46 / Thursday, March 8, 2018 / Notices
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Dated: March 1, 2018.
Samantha Deshommes,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division,
Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2018–04643 Filed 3–7–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–97–P
office address listed above under U.S.
mail. You may inspect the application,
HCP, environmental action statement, or
low-effect screening form by
appointment during normal business
hours at the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin
M. Gawera, telephone: (904) 731–3121;
email: erin_gawera@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–ES–2017–N175; FXES111304000
00EA–123–FF04EF1000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Availability of Proposed
Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan
for the Sand Skink, Orange County, FL
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 for an incidental take
permit (ITP) under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended. DR
Horton, Inc. (applicant), is requesting a
5-year ITP for take of the federally listed
sand skink. We request public
comments on the permit application
and accompanying proposed habitat
conservation plan as well as on our
preliminary determination that the plan
qualifies as low effect under the
National Environmental Policy Act. 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 April 9,
2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments and request copies of the
application, HCP, environmental action
statement, or low-effect screening form
by any one of the following methods:
Email: northflorida@fws.gov. Use
‘‘Attn: Permit number TE59070C–0’’ as
your subject line.
Fax: Field Supervisor, (904) 731–
3191, ‘‘Attn: Permit number
TE59070C–0.’’
U.S. mail: Field Supervisor,
Jacksonville Ecological Services Field
Office, Attn: Permit number
TE59070C–0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite
200, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
In-person: You may deliver comments
during regular business hours at the
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:51 Mar 07, 2018
Jkt 244001
Section 9 of the Endangered Species
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA) and
our implementing regulations in the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50
CFR part 17 prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish
or wildlife species listed as endangered
or threatened. Take of listed fish or
wildlife is defined under the ESA 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(19)).
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 endangered and threatened
species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32,
respectively. The ESA’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, the
take authorized by an incidental take
permit must not jeopardize the
existence of federally listed fish,
wildlife, or plants.
Applicant’s Proposal
DR Horton, Inc., is requesting an
incidental take permit (ITP) to take sand
skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) through the
permanent destruction of approximately
2.8 acres (ac) of occupied foraging and
sheltering habitat incidental to the
widening of Avalon Road (CR 545) in
Orange County, Florida. The 60.4-ac
habitat conservation plan (HCP) project
site is located on Avalon Road, starting
at the intersection of Schofield Road
and Avalon Road and ending
approximately 4.0 miles north of U.S.
192, within sections 5, 8, 17, and 32,
Townships 23 and 24 South, Range 27
East in Orange County. The project
activities include the clearing,
infrastructure building, and landscaping
associated with road widening. The
sand skink will likely be subjected to
take in the form of injury, mortality,
and/or loss of habitat. Applicant
proposes to mitigate for the take of the
species by purchasing 5.6 mitigation
credits within the Lake Wales Ridge
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
9861
Conservation Bank or another Serviceapproved sand skink conservation bank.
Our Preliminary Determination
We have determined that the
applicant’s proposed plan, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization
measures, would have minor or
negligible effects on the covered species
and the environment so as to be ‘‘low
effect’’ and qualify for categorical
exclusion under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as
provided by 43 CFR 46.205 and 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 HCP and
comments we receive to determine
whether the ITP application meets the
requirements of section 10(a) of the
ESA. We will also conduct an intraService consultation to evaluate take of
the sand skink in accordance with
section 7 of the ESA. We will use the
results of the consultation, in
combination with the above findings, in
our analysis of whether or not to issue
the ITP. If the requirements are met, we
will issue ITP number TE59070C–0 to
the applicant.
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit
application, HCP, or associated
documents, you may submit comments
by any one of the methods listed in
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 provide this notice under
section 10 of the ESA and NEPA regulation
40 CFR 1506.6.
Jay B. Herrington,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office,
Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2018–04652 Filed 3–7–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
E:\FR\FM\08MRN1.SGM
08MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 46 (Thursday, March 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 9861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04652]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2017-N175; FXES11130400000EA-123-FF04EF1000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Availability of
Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink,
Orange County, FL
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 for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. DR Horton, Inc.
(applicant), is requesting a 5-year ITP for take of the federally
listed sand skink. We request public comments on the permit application
and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plan as well as on our
preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as low effect under
the National Environmental Policy Act. 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
April 9, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments and request copies of the
application, HCP, environmental action statement, or low-effect
screening form by any one of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]. Use ``Attn: Permit number TE59070C-0''
as your subject line.
Fax: Field Supervisor, (904) 731-3191, ``Attn: Permit number
TE59070C-0.''
U.S. mail: Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Ecological Services Field
Office, Attn: Permit number TE59070C-0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256.
In-person: You may deliver comments during regular business hours
at the office address listed above under U.S. mail. You may inspect the
application, HCP, environmental action statement, or low-effect
screening form by appointment during normal business hours at the same
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin M. Gawera, telephone: (904) 731-
3121; email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.;
ESA) and our implementing regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17 prohibit the ``take'' of fish or
wildlife species listed as endangered or threatened. Take of listed
fish or wildlife is defined under the ESA 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(19)). 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 endangered and
threatened species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32, respectively. The
ESA'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, the take authorized by an incidental take
permit must not jeopardize the existence of federally listed fish,
wildlife, or plants.
Applicant's Proposal
DR Horton, Inc., is requesting an incidental take permit (ITP) to
take sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) through the permanent destruction
of approximately 2.8 acres (ac) of occupied foraging and sheltering
habitat incidental to the widening of Avalon Road (CR 545) in Orange
County, Florida. The 60.4-ac habitat conservation plan (HCP) project
site is located on Avalon Road, starting at the intersection of
Schofield Road and Avalon Road and ending approximately 4.0 miles north
of U.S. 192, within sections 5, 8, 17, and 32, Townships 23 and 24
South, Range 27 East in Orange County. The project activities include
the clearing, infrastructure building, and landscaping associated with
road widening. The sand skink will likely be subjected to take in the
form of injury, mortality, and/or loss of habitat. Applicant proposes
to mitigate for the take of the species by purchasing 5.6 mitigation
credits within the Lake Wales Ridge Conservation Bank or another
Service-approved sand skink conservation bank.
Our Preliminary Determination
We have determined that the applicant's proposed plan, including
the proposed mitigation and minimization measures, would have minor or
negligible effects on the covered species and the environment so as to
be ``low effect'' and qualify for categorical exclusion under the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by 43 CFR 46.205
and 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 HCP and comments we receive to determine
whether the ITP application meets the requirements of section 10(a) of
the ESA. We will also conduct an intra-Service consultation to evaluate
take of the sand skink in accordance with section 7 of the ESA. We will
use the results of the consultation, in combination with the above
findings, in our analysis of whether or not to issue the ITP. If the
requirements are met, we will issue ITP number TE59070C-0 to the
applicant.
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit application, HCP, or
associated documents, you may submit comments by any one of the methods
listed in 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 provide this notice under section 10 of the ESA
and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.
Jay B. Herrington,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-04652 Filed 3-7-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P