Incidental Take Permit Applications Received To Participate in the American Burying-Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan in Oklahoma, 40327-40328 [2018-17502]

Download as PDF amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices is issued, the applicant would receive assurances under the Service’s No Surprises policy, as codified at 50 CFR 17.22(b)(5). The applicant proposes to operate a maximum of 100 wind turbines and associated facilities (described below) for a period of 27 years in Randolph County, Indiana. The project consists of wind turbines, associated access roads, an underground and aboveground electrical collector system, one substation containing transformers that feed electricity into an existing 345kilovolt (kV) electrical tie-in line, a 10mile generator lead line, three permanent meteorological towers, and an operations and maintenance building. Project facilities and infrastructure are placed on private land via long-term easement agreements between the applicant and respective landowners. The draft HCP describes the impacts of take associated with the operation of the Headwaters Wind Farm and includes measures to avoid, minimize, mitigate, and monitor the impacts of incidental take on the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat. The applicant will mitigate for take and associated impacts through protection and restoration of maternity colony habitat and/or swarming habitat, and gating of an Indiana bat hibernacula. Habitat mitigation, including any restored habitat, will occur on private land and be permanently protected by restrictive covenants approved by the Service. Chapter 5 of the HCP describes the Conservation Program, including details of avoidance and minimization measures, compensatory mitigation, and adaptive management that will limit and mitigate for the take of Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats. The Service is soliciting information regarding the adequacy of the HCP to avoid, minimize, mitigate, and monitor the proposed incidental take of the covered species and to provide for adaptive management. In compliance with section 10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1539(c)), the Service is making the ITP application materials available for public review and comment as described above. We invite comments and suggestions from all interested parties on the draft documents associated with the ITP application (HCP and HCP Appendices), and request that comments be as specific as possible. In particular, we request information and comments on the following topics: 1. Whether adaptive management and monitoring provisions in the Proposed Action alternative are sufficient; VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:18 Aug 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 2. Any threats to the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat that may influence their populations over the life of the ITP that are not addressed in the draft HCP or draft EA; 3. Any new information on whitenose syndrome effects on the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat; and 4. Any other information pertinent to evaluating the effects of the proposed action on the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat. Alternatives in the Draft EA The DEA contains an analysis of four alternatives: (1) No Action alternative, in which all 100 turbines would be feathered from 1⁄2 hour before sunset to 1⁄2 hour after sunrise up to 5.0 meters per second (m/s) from March 15 through May 15 and up to 6.9 m/s from August 1 through October 15. In addition, 10 turbines within 1,000 feet of suitable habitat would be feathered up to 6.9 m/ s with the rest of the turbines feathered up to manufacturer’s cut-in speed (3.0 m/s) from May 16 through July 31. This curtailment regime would occur each year during the operational life (27 years) of Headwaters; (2) the 5.0 m/s Cut-In Speed (feathered) Alternative including implementation of the HCP and issuance of a 27-year ITP; (3) the 6.5 m/s Cut-In Speed (feathered) Alternative, including implementation of the HCP and issuance of a 27-year ITP; and (4) the 4.0 m/s Cut-In Speed (feathered) Alternative, including implementation of the HCP and issuance of a 27-year ITP. The DEA considers the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the alternatives, including any measures under the Proposed Action alternative intended to minimize and mitigate such impacts. The DEA also identifies two additional alternatives that were considered but were eliminated from analysis as detailed in Section 3.4 of the DEA. The Service invites comments and suggestions from all interested parties on the content of the DEA. In particular, information and comments regarding the following topics are requested: 1. The direct, indirect, or cumulative effects that implementation of any alternative could have on the human environment; 2. Whether or not the significance of the impact on various aspects of the human environment has been adequately analyzed; and 3. Any other information pertinent to evaluating the effects of the proposed action on the human environment. Public Comments You may submit your comments and materials related to the draft HCP, DEA, PO 00000 Frm 00116 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 40327 or other supporting documents by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you send comments by only one of the methods described in ADDRESSES. Comments and materials we receive, as well as documents associated with the notice, will be available for public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at the Indiana Ecological Services Field Office in Bloomington, Indiana (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 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 you 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(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22) and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR part 46). Dated: April 18, 2018. Lori H. Nordstrom, Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region. [FR Doc. 2018–17485 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R2–ES–2018–N065; FXES11140200000–189–FF02ENEH00] Incidental Take Permit Applications Received To Participate in the American Burying-Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan in Oklahoma AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. Notice of availability; request for public comments. ACTION: Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on Federallylisted American burying-beetle incidental take permit (ITP) SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1 40328 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 157 / Tuesday, August 14, 2018 / Notices amozie on DSK3GDR082PROD with NOTICES1 applications. The applicants anticipate American burying-beetle take as a result of impacts to Oklahoma habitat the species uses for breeding, feeding, and sheltering. The take would be incidental to the applicants’ activities associated with oil and gas well field and pipeline infrastructure (gathering, transmission, and distribution), including geophysical exploration (seismic), construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation. If approved, the permits would be issued under the approved American Burying Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan (ICP) Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit Issuance in Oklahoma. DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received on or before September 13, 2018. ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of all documents and submit comments on the applicants’ ITP applications by one of the following methods. Please refer to the proposed permit number when requesting documents or submitting comments. • Email: fw2_hcp_permits@fws.gov. • U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species—HCP Permits, P.O. Box 1306, Room 6093, Albuquerque, NM 87103. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marty Tuegel, Branch Chief, by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Review Division, P.O. Box 1306, Room 6078, Albuquerque, NM 87103; or by telephone at 505–248– 6651. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Introduction Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on ITP applications to take the Federally-listed American burying-beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) during oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma. If approved, the permits would be issued to the applicants under the American Burying Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan (ICP) Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit Issuance in Oklahoma. The original ICP was approved on May 21, 2014, and the ‘‘no significant impact’’ finding notice was VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:13 Aug 13, 2018 Jkt 244001 published in the Federal Register on July 25, 2014 (79 FR 43504). The draft amended ICP was made available for comment on March 8, 2016 (81 FR 12113), and approved on April 13, 2016. The ICP and the associated environmental assessment/finding of no significant impact are available on our website at https://www.fws.gov/ southwest/es/oklahoma/ABBICP. However, we are no longer taking comments on these finalized, approved documents. Applications Available for Review and Comment We invite local, state, Tribal, and Federal agencies, and the public to comment on the following applications under the ICP, for incidentally taking the Federally-listed American buryingbeetle. Please refer to the appropriate proposed permit number (TE84779C, TE84778C, or TE84781C) when requesting application documents and when submitting comments. Documents and other information the applicants have submitted are available for review, subject to Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) requirements. Permit TE84779C Applicant: Midship Pipeline Company, LLC, Houston, TX. Applicant requests a permit for oil and gas upstream and midstream production, including oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma. Permit TE84778C Applicant: Blue Water Resources, LLC, Tulsa, OK. Applicant requests a permit for oil and gas upstream and midstream production, including oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma. Permit TE84781C Applicant: VM ARKOMA Stack, LLC, Oklahoma City, OK. Applicant requests a permit for oil and gas upstream and midstream PO 00000 Frm 00117 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 production, including oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma. Public Availability of Comments Written comments we receive become part of the public record associated with this action. 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 request in your comment that we withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their entirety. Authority We provide this notice under the ESA, section 10(c) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22) and the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). Dated: May 14, 2018. Amy L. Lueders, Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2018–17502 Filed 8–13–18; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVL03000 L58480000.EU0000 241A; 14– 08807; MO #4500116369; TAS: 14X1109] Notice of Realty Action: Competitive Sale of Nine Parcels of Public Land in Lincoln County, NV Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of realty action. AGENCY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to offer by competitive sale 9 parcels of public land totaling 296.09 acres in Lincoln County, Nevada, pursuant to the Lincoln County SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\14AUN1.SGM 14AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 157 (Tuesday, August 14, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40327-40328]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17502]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2018-N065; FXES11140200000-189-FF02ENEH00]


Incidental Take Permit Applications Received To Participate in 
the American Burying-Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation 
Plan in Oklahoma

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

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

SUMMARY: Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as amended, we, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on 
Federally-listed American burying-beetle incidental take permit (ITP)

[[Page 40328]]

applications. The applicants anticipate American burying-beetle take as 
a result of impacts to Oklahoma habitat the species uses for breeding, 
feeding, and sheltering. The take would be incidental to the 
applicants' activities associated with oil and gas well field and 
pipeline infrastructure (gathering, transmission, and distribution), 
including geophysical exploration (seismic), construction, maintenance, 
operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation. If approved, the 
permits would be issued under the approved American Burying Beetle 
Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan (ICP) Endangered Species 
Act Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit Issuance in Oklahoma.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received on or 
before September 13, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of all documents and submit comments 
on the applicants' ITP applications by one of the following methods. 
Please refer to the proposed permit number when requesting documents or 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered 
Species--HCP Permits, P.O. Box 1306, Room 6093, Albuquerque, NM 87103.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marty Tuegel, Branch Chief, by U.S. 
mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Review Division, 
P.O. Box 1306, Room 6078, Albuquerque, NM 87103; or by telephone at 
505-248-6651.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on ITP 
applications to take the Federally-listed American burying-beetle 
(Nicrophorus americanus) during oil and gas well field infrastructure 
geophysical exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, 
operation, repair, and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas 
gathering, transmission, and distribution pipeline infrastructure 
construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and 
reclamation in Oklahoma.
    If approved, the permits would be issued to the applicants under 
the American Burying Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation 
Plan (ICP) Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit Issuance 
in Oklahoma. The original ICP was approved on May 21, 2014, and the 
``no significant impact'' finding notice was published in the Federal 
Register on July 25, 2014 (79 FR 43504). The draft amended ICP was made 
available for comment on March 8, 2016 (81 FR 12113), and approved on 
April 13, 2016. The ICP and the associated environmental assessment/
finding of no significant impact are available on our website at https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/oklahoma/ABBICP. However, we are no longer 
taking comments on these finalized, approved documents.

Applications Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, state, Tribal, and Federal agencies, and the 
public to comment on the following applications under the ICP, for 
incidentally taking the Federally-listed American burying-beetle. 
Please refer to the appropriate proposed permit number (TE84779C, 
TE84778C, or TE84781C) when requesting application documents and when 
submitting comments. Documents and other information the applicants 
have submitted are available for review, subject to Privacy Act (5 
U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) 
requirements.

Permit TE84779C

Applicant: Midship Pipeline Company, LLC, Houston, TX.

    Applicant requests a permit for oil and gas upstream and midstream 
production, including oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical 
exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, 
and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, 
and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, 
operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma.

Permit TE84778C

Applicant: Blue Water Resources, LLC, Tulsa, OK.

    Applicant requests a permit for oil and gas upstream and midstream 
production, including oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical 
exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, 
and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, 
and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, 
operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma.

Permit TE84781C

Applicant: VM ARKOMA Stack, LLC, Oklahoma City, OK.

    Applicant requests a permit for oil and gas upstream and midstream 
production, including oil and gas well field infrastructure geophysical 
exploration (seismic) and construction, maintenance, operation, repair, 
and decommissioning, as well as oil and gas gathering, transmission, 
and distribution pipeline infrastructure construction, maintenance, 
operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation in Oklahoma.

Public Availability of Comments

    Written comments we receive become part of the public record 
associated with this action. 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 request in your comment that we withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their 
entirety.

Authority

    We provide this notice under the ESA, section 10(c) (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22) and the 
National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its 
implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: May 14, 2018.
Amy L. Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-17502 Filed 8-13-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P


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