Receipt of Application for Renewal of Incidental Take Permits; Interim Programmatic Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the Endangered Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben Lomond Spineflower, Santa Cruz County and Scotts Valley, CA, 17837-17838 [2018-08499]
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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 24, 2018 / Notices
B. Solicitation of Public Comment
This notice is soliciting comments
from members of the public and affected
parties concerning the collection of
information described in Section A on
the following:
(1) Whether the proposed collection
of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of
the agency, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of the agency’s
estimate of the burden of the proposed
collection of information;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Ways to minimize the burden of
the collection of information on those
who are to respond; including through
the use of appropriate automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
HUD encourages interested parties to
submit comment in response to these
questions.
Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
Dated: April 6, 2018.
Dana T. Wade,
General Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Housing.
[FR Doc. 2018–08578 Filed 4–23–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2016–N236;
FXES11130800000–189–FF08EVEN00]
Receipt of Application for Renewal of
Incidental Take Permits; Interim
Programmatic Low-Effect Habitat
Conservation Plan for the Endangered
Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben
Lomond Spineflower, Santa Cruz
County and Scotts Valley, CA
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit
renewal application; request for
comments.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), have received
requests from the County of Santa Cruz
and City of Scotts Valley (applicants),
for renewal of two incidental take
permits under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended. The applicants
have requested a renewal that will
extend permit authorization by 5 years
from the date the permit is reissued. If
renewed, no additional take above the
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
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17:03 Apr 23, 2018
Jkt 244001
original authorized limit of 139 acres of
habitat will be authorized. The permits
would authorize take of the federally
endangered Mount Hermon June beetle,
incidental to otherwise lawful activities
associated with the Interim
Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan
for the Endangered Mount Hermon June
beetle and Ben Lomond spineflower.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before May 24, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of
the permit renewal applications and the
habitat conservation plan (HCP) on the
internet at https://www.fws.gov/ventura/,
or by writing to the Ventura Fish and
Wildlife Office, Attn: Permit numbers
TE43708A–0 and TE44928A–0, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola
Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003. In
addition, we will make the permit
renewal applications and HCP available
for public inspection by appointment
during normal business hours at the
above address. Please address written
comments to Stephen P. Henry, Field
Supervisor, at the address above.
Comments may also be sent by facsimile
to (805) 644–3958.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chad Mitcham, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, by mail to the address in
ADDRESSES or by phone at (805) 677–
3328.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have
received requests from the County of
Santa Cruz and City of Scotts Valley
(applicants) for renewal of incidental
take permits TE43708A–0 and
TE44928A–0 under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
The applicants have requested renewals
that would extend permit authorization
by 5 years from the date the permit is
reissued. The applicants have agreed to
follow all of the existing habitat
conservation plan conditions. If
renewed, no additional take above the
original authorized limit of 139 acres of
habitat will be authorized. The permits
would authorize take of the federally
endangered Mount Hermon June beetle
(Polyphylla barbata), incidental to
otherwise lawful activities associated
with the Interim Programmatic Habitat
Conservation Plan for the Endangered
Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben
Lomond Spineflower (HCP).
Background
The Mount Hermon June beetle was
listed by the Service as endangered on
January 24, 1997. The Ben Lomond
spineflower (Chorizanther pungens var.
hartwegiana) was listed by the Service
as endangered on February 4, 1994.
Section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) and its implementing regulations
PO 00000
Frm 00050
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
17837
prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish or wildlife
species listed as endangered or
threatened. ‘‘Take’’ is defined under the
Act to include the following activities:
‘‘[T]o 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 section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act, we
may issue permits to authorize
incidental take of listed wildlife species.
‘‘Incidental Take’’ is defined by the Act
as take that is incidental to, and not the
purpose of, carrying out of an otherwise
lawful activity. The Code of Federal
Regulations provides regulations
governing incidental take permits for
threatened and endangered species at 50
CFR 17.32 and 17.22, respectively.
Under the Act, protections for federally
listed plants differ from the protections
afforded to federally listed animals.
Take of listed plant species is not
prohibited under the Act and cannot be
authorized under a section 10 permit.
Listed plant species may be included on
an incidental take permit in recognition
of the conservation benefit provided to
them under an HCP. Issuance of an
incidental take permit also must not
jeopardize the existence of federally
listed fish, wildlife, or plant species. All
species included in the incidental take
permit would receive assurances under
our ‘‘No Surprises’’ regulations (50 CFR
17.22(b)(5) and 17.32(b)(5)).
The applicants have applied for
renewal of their respective permits for
incidental take of the endangered Mount
Hermon June beetle. The potential
taking would occur by activities
associated with the construction of
certain eligible small development
projects in densely developed
residential neighborhoods (as defined in
the HCP) that support suitable habitat
for the covered species. The 10 Project
Units within the HCP boundary were
identified within the communities of
Ben Lomond, Felton, Mount Hermon,
and Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County,
California. Incidental take permits were
first issued for the HCP on October 27,
2011.
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit
applications, plans, 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
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment, including your
personal identifying information, may
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
17838
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 79 / Tuesday, April 24, 2018 / Notices
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public view, 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.).
Dated: April 18, 2018.
Stephen P. Henry,
Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife
Office, Ventura, California.
[FR Doc. 2018–08499 Filed 4–23–18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
Office, Attn: Permit number TE74732C–
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: erin_gawera@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–ES–2018–N029;
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.
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
ACTION:
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.
Orange County Public Schools
(applicant) is requesting a 3-year ITP for
take of the federally listed sand skink.
We request public comment on the
permit application, which includes a
proposed habitat conservation plan, and
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 May 24,
2018.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments and request copies of the
application, including the HCP, as well
as our environmental action statement
or low-effect screening form, by any one
of the following methods:
Email: northflorida@fws.gov. Use
‘‘Attn: Permit number TE74732C–0’’ as
your subject line.
Fax: Field Supervisor, (904) 731–
3191, ‘‘Attn: Permit number TE74732C–
0.’’
U.S. mail: Field Supervisor,
Jacksonville Ecological Services Field
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SUMMARY:
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17:03 Apr 23, 2018
Jkt 244001
Section 9 of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16
U.S.C. et seq.) and our implementing
regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR part 17
prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish and 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
Orange County Public Schools is
requesting an incidental take permit
(ITP) to take sand skink (Neoseps
reynoldsi) through the permanent
destruction of approximately 5.3 acres
(ac) of occupied foraging and sheltering
habitat. The take would be incidental to
the construction of a school and
associated facilities in Orange County,
Florida. The 26.0-ac habitat
conservation plan (HCP) project site is
located on Orange County Parcel No.
27232500000004, within Section 25,
Township 23 South, Range 27 East. The
project activities also include clearing,
infrastructure building, and landscaping
associated with constructing a school
and associated facilities. The applicant
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Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
proposes to mitigate for the take of the
species by purchasing 10.6 mitigation
credits within a Service-approved sand
skink conservation bank.
Our Preliminary Determination
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. We have determined that the
applicant’s proposed HCP, 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; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as provided by
Department of the Interior
implementing regulations in part 46 of
title 43 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (43 CFR 46.205, 46.210, and
46.215).
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 TE74732C–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.
E:\FR\FM\24APN1.SGM
24APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17837-17838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-08499]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2016-N236; FXES11130800000-189-FF08EVEN00]
Receipt of Application for Renewal of Incidental Take Permits;
Interim Programmatic Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the
Endangered Mount Hermon June Beetle and Ben Lomond Spineflower, Santa
Cruz County and Scotts Valley, CA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit renewal application; request for
comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have
received requests from the County of Santa Cruz and City of Scotts
Valley (applicants), for renewal of two incidental take permits under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The applicants have
requested a renewal that will extend permit authorization by 5 years
from the date the permit is reissued. If renewed, no additional take
above the original authorized limit of 139 acres of habitat will be
authorized. The permits would authorize take of the federally
endangered Mount Hermon June beetle, incidental to otherwise lawful
activities associated with the Interim Programmatic Habitat
Conservation Plan for the Endangered Mount Hermon June beetle and Ben
Lomond spineflower.
DATES: Written comments should be received on or before May 24, 2018.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of the permit renewal applications and
the habitat conservation plan (HCP) on the internet at https://www.fws.gov/ventura/, or by writing to the Ventura Fish and Wildlife
Office, Attn: Permit numbers TE43708A-0 and TE44928A-0, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003. In
addition, we will make the permit renewal applications and HCP
available for public inspection by appointment during normal business
hours at the above address. Please address written comments to Stephen
P. Henry, Field Supervisor, at the address above. Comments may also be
sent by facsimile to (805) 644-3958.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chad Mitcham, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, by mail to the address in ADDRESSES or by phone at (805)
677-3328.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have received requests from the County of
Santa Cruz and City of Scotts Valley (applicants) for renewal of
incidental take permits TE43708A-0 and TE44928A-0 under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicants have requested
renewals that would extend permit authorization by 5 years from the
date the permit is reissued. The applicants have agreed to follow all
of the existing habitat conservation plan conditions. If renewed, no
additional take above the original authorized limit of 139 acres of
habitat will be authorized. The permits would authorize take of the
federally endangered Mount Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla barbata),
incidental to otherwise lawful activities associated with the Interim
Programmatic Habitat Conservation Plan for the Endangered Mount Hermon
June Beetle and Ben Lomond Spineflower (HCP).
Background
The Mount Hermon June beetle was listed by the Service as
endangered on January 24, 1997. The Ben Lomond spineflower
(Chorizanther pungens var. hartwegiana) was listed by the Service as
endangered on February 4, 1994. Section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) and its implementing regulations prohibit the ``take'' of fish or
wildlife species listed as endangered or threatened. ``Take'' is
defined under the Act to include the following activities: ``[T]o
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 section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act, we may issue
permits to authorize incidental take of listed wildlife species.
``Incidental Take'' is defined by the Act as take that is incidental
to, and not the purpose of, carrying out of an otherwise lawful
activity. The Code of Federal Regulations provides regulations
governing incidental take permits for threatened and endangered species
at 50 CFR 17.32 and 17.22, respectively. Under the Act, protections for
federally listed plants differ from the protections afforded to
federally listed animals. Take of listed plant species is not
prohibited under the Act and cannot be authorized under a section 10
permit. Listed plant species may be included on an incidental take
permit in recognition of the conservation benefit provided to them
under an HCP. Issuance of an incidental take permit also must not
jeopardize the existence of federally listed fish, wildlife, or plant
species. All species included in the incidental take permit would
receive assurances under our ``No Surprises'' regulations (50 CFR
17.22(b)(5) and 17.32(b)(5)).
The applicants have applied for renewal of their respective permits
for incidental take of the endangered Mount Hermon June beetle. The
potential taking would occur by activities associated with the
construction of certain eligible small development projects in densely
developed residential neighborhoods (as defined in the HCP) that
support suitable habitat for the covered species. The 10 Project Units
within the HCP boundary were identified within the communities of Ben
Lomond, Felton, Mount Hermon, and Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County,
California. Incidental take permits were first issued for the HCP on
October 27, 2011.
Public Comments
If you wish to comment on the permit applications, plans, 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 comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying
information, may
[[Page 17838]]
be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public
view, 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.).
Dated: April 18, 2018.
Stephen P. Henry,
Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, Ventura,
California.
[FR Doc. 2018-08499 Filed 4-23-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
