Draft Safe Harbor Agreement Amendment and Application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit, Tres Rios Project, Phoenix, Arizona, 4523-4525 [2019-02549]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2019 / Notices
ACTION:
60-Day notice.
The Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration (USCIS) invites the general
public and other Federal agencies to
comment upon this proposed revision of
a currently approved collection of
information. In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of
1995, the information collection notice
is published in the Federal Register to
obtain comments regarding the nature of
the information collection, the
categories of respondents, the estimated
burden (i.e. the time, effort, and
resources used by the respondents to
respond), the estimated cost to the
respondent, and the actual information
collection instruments.
DATES: Comments are encouraged and
will be accepted for 60 days until April
16, 2019.
ADDRESSES: All submissions received
must include the OMB Control Number
1615–0025 in the body of the letter, the
agency name and Docket ID USCIS–
2008–0015. To avoid duplicate
submissions, please use only one of the
following methods to submit comments:
(1) Online. Submit comments via the
Federal eRulemaking Portal website at
https://www.regulations.gov under eDocket ID number USCIS–2008–0015;
(2) Mail. Submit written comments to
DHS, USCIS, Office of Policy and
Strategy, Chief, Regulatory Coordination
Division, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20529–2140.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy,
Regulatory Coordination Division,
Samantha Deshommes, Chief, 20
Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20529–2140, telephone
number 202–272–8377 (This is not a
toll-free number. Comments are not
accepted via telephone message). Please
note contact information provided here
is solely for questions regarding this
notice. It is not for individual case
status inquiries. Applicants seeking
information about the status of their
individual cases can check Case Status
Online, available at the USCIS website
at https://www.uscis.gov, or call the
USCIS National Customer Service
Center at 800–375–5283 (TTY 800–767–
1833).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
Comments
You may access the information
collection instrument with instructions,
or additional information by visiting the
Federal eRulemaking Portal site at:
https://www.regulations.gov and enter
USCIS–2008–0015 in the search box.
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19:41 Feb 14, 2019
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Regardless of the method used for
submitting comments or material, all
submissions will be posted, without
change, to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at https://www.regulations.gov,
and will include any personal
information you provide. Therefore,
submitting this information makes it
public. You may wish to consider
limiting the amount of personal
information that you provide in any
voluntary submission you make to DHS.
DHS may withhold information
provided in comments from public
viewing that it determines may impact
the privacy of an individual or is
offensive. For additional information,
please read the Privacy Act notice that
is available via the link in the footer of
https://www.regulations.gov.
Written comments and suggestions
from the public and affected agencies
should address one or more of the
following four points:
(1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Overview of This Information
Collection
(1) Type of Information Collection:
Revision of a Currently Approved
Collection.
(2) Title of the Form/Collection:
Waiver of Rights, Privileges, Exemptions
and Immunities.
(3) Agency form number, if any, and
the applicable component of the DHS
sponsoring the collection: I–508; USCIS.
(4) Affected public who will be asked
or required to respond, as well as a brief
abstract: Primary: Individuals or
households. This form is used by USCIS
to determine eligibility of an applicant
to retain the status of an alien lawfully
admitted to the United States for
permanent residence.
(5) An estimate of the total number of
respondents and the amount of time
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4523
estimated for an average respondent to
respond: The estimated total number of
respondents for the information
collection I–508 is 1,928 and the
estimated hour burden per response is
.72 hours per response.
(6) An estimate of the total public
burden (in hours) associated with the
collection: The total estimated annual
hour burden associated with this
collection is 1,446 hours.
(7) An estimate of the total public
burden (in cost) associated with the
collection: The estimated total annual
cost burden associated with this
collection of information is $15,424.
Dated: February 11, 2019.
Samantha L Deshommes,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division,
Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2019–02376 Filed 2–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–97–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R2–ES–2018–N118;
FXES11130200000–189–FF02ENEH00]
Draft Safe Harbor Agreement
Amendment and Application for an
Enhancement of Survival Permit, Tres
Rios Project, Phoenix, Arizona
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comment.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce
receipt of an application to amend an
existing enhancement of survival permit
from the City of Phoenix under the
Endangered Species Act. The requested
amended permit would authorize a
change in baseline for the southwestern
willow flycatcher, adjust the enrolled
land acreage to reflect City land
boundaries, and include the yellowbilled cuckoo in the Safe Harbor
Agreement and the enhancement of
survival permit associated with the
City’s Tres Rios Water Project. We invite
the public to review and comment on
the permit application and the
associated draft safe harbor agreement
amendment (SHA amendment). In
accordance with National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requirements, we have determined that
the proposed permit action qualifies for
a categorical exclusion. We are
accepting comments on the draft SHA
amendment, and also on a draft NEPA
screening form.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\15FEN1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2019 / Notices
Submitting Comments: We will
accept comments received or
postmarked on or before March 18,
2019.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You
may obtain copies of the documents by
any of the following methods:
• Internet: Download the documents
at https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/
arizona/.
• U.S. Mail: You may receive a CD–
ROM or hard copies by mail by writing
to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 9828 North 31st
Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85051–2517;
calling (602) 242–0210; faxing (602)
242–2513, or emailing FW2_HCP_
Permits@fws.gov.
• In-Person Document Review: Copies
of the documents are also available for
public inspection and review, by
appointment only, at the Service’s
Phoenix office (address above) or at the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 Gold
Avenue SW, Room 6093, Albuquerque,
NM 87102; (505) 248–6401.
Submitting Comments: To submit
written comments, please use one of the
following methods, and note that your
comment is in reference to the ‘‘Draft
SHA Amendment/Tres Rios Project in
Phoenix, Arizona’’:
• U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor,
Phoenix office (address above).
• Fax: 602–242–2513.
• Email: FW2_HCP_Permits@fws.gov.
We request that you submit comments
only by the methods above. Generally,
we will post any personal information
you provide us (see Public Availability
of Comments).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff
Humphrey, Field Supervisor, 602–242–
0210 (telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce receipt of the City of
Phoenix’s application to amend an
existing enhancement of survival permit
under the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.). The requested amended permit
would allow for the City of Phoenix to
continue operation and maintenance
activities associated with the Tres Rios
Project, including maintenance of
vegetation, roads, trails, water delivery
systems, flood control capacity, and
storm water facilities. The project area
runs from approximately 91st Avenue
downstream to the confluence of the
Gila and Salt Rivers, and then west
along the Gila River to approximately El
Mirage Road in Maricopa County,
Arizona. The amendment to the permit
would make three changes to the
original permit: (1) Add the yellowbilled cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) to
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
DATES:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:41 Feb 14, 2019
Jkt 247001
the City’s 2014 SHA; (2) adjust the
enrolled acreage from the 927 acres
specified in the 2014 SHA to 924 acres,
in order to rectify boundary errors; and
(3) adjust covered species baselines to
reflect the 2015 habitat assessment,
which better represents the area and its
conservation benefit. The baseline for
the Yuma Ridgway’s (clapper) rail
(Rallus obsoletus [=longirostris]
yumanensis) remains at 5 acres. The
southwestern willow flycatcher
(Empidonax traillii extimus) baseline
changed from 22.5 acres to a zero
baseline, and we determined that the
yellow-billed cuckoo baseline is 6 acres.
The applicant plans to continue
operation and maintenance activities
associated with the Tres Rios Project,
Tempe Reach, including maintenance of
vegetation, roads, trails, water delivery
systems, flood control capacity, and
storm water facilities. Initial
implementation of the Tres Rios Project
was a cooperative project between the
applicant and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to restore, enhance, and
maintain 924 acres of native riparian
and wetland vegetation along the lower
Salt and Gila Rivers in Maricopa
County, Arizona.
We invite the public to review and
comment on the permit amendment and
the associated draft safe harbor
agreement amendment (draft SHA
amendment). In accordance with
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
requirements, we have determined that
the proposed action qualifies for a
categorical exclusion. We are accepting
comments on the permit application,
draft SHA amendment, and draft NEPA
screening form, which supports using a
categorical exclusion.
Background
Enhancement of survival permits
issued for safe harbor agreements
encourage non-Federal landowners,
including non-Federal operators holding
easements on private lands, to
implement conservation measures for
habitat that is, or is likely to develop
into, suitable habitat for listed species,
by assuring landowners/operators that
they will not be subjected to increased
property use restrictions if suitable
habitat develops and the covered
species is detected in the future.
Application requirements and
enhancement of survival permit
issuance criteria for safe harbor
agreements are provided under section
10(c) of the ESA and its implementing
regulations from the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22 and
the NEPA and its implementing
regulations at 40 CFR 1506.6.
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Proposed Action
The proposed action is the Service’s
issuance of an amended permit to the
City of Phoenix for covered activities in
the permit area for up to 50 years,
pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the
ESA. The amended permit would cover
‘‘take’’ of the yellow-billed cuckoo
associated with covered activities
occurring within the permit area.
The draft SHA amendment commits
the City of Phoenix to implement
conservation measures to improve
habitat for the covered species on Tres
Rios lands while allowing for covered
activities within the project area to
continue.
To meet ESA section 10(a)(1)(A)
permit requirements for the proposed
amendment, the applicant developed
and proposes to implement the SHA
amendment, which describe the actions
the City of Phoenix has agreed to
undertake to improve habitat within the
Tres Rios project area.
Expected benefits include, but may
not be limited to improvement of
riparian habitat that can be used by
covered species and other native fauna,
limiting the amount of new disturbance
to riparian habitat, and improving
public environmental education.
We will evaluate the permit
amendment request along with
associated documents and comments we
receive to determine whether the permit
amendment meets the requirements of
the ESA, NEPA, and implementing
regulations. If we determine that all
requirements are met, we will approve
the draft SHA amendment and amend
the associated permit. We will fully
consider all comments we receive
during the public comment period, and
we will not make our final decision
until after the comment period ends.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments we receive become part
of the public record associated with this
action. Requests for copies of comments
will be handled in accordance with the
Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C.
552), NEPA, and Service and
Department of the Interior policies and
procedures. 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 to withhold your
personal identifying information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so. Moreover, all
submissions from organizations or
E:\FR\FM\15FEN1.SGM
15FEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 32 / Friday, February 15, 2019 / Notices
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 section
10(c) of the ESA and its implementing
regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32),
and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and
its implementing regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
Amy Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2019–02549 Filed 2–14–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf
Region-Wide Oil and Gas Lease Sale
252
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Interior.
ACTION: Final notice of sale
AGENCY:
On Wednesday, March 20,
2019, the Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management (BOEM) will open and
publicly announce bids received for
blocks offered in the Gulf of Mexico
(GOM) Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
Region-wide Oil and Gas Lease Sale 252
(GOM Region-wide Sale 252), in
accordance with the provisions of the
Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
(OCSLA), and the implementing
regulations issued pursuant thereto. The
GOM Region-wide Sale 252 Final Notice
of Sale (NOS) package contains
information essential to potential
bidders.
DATES: BOEM will hold GOM Regionwide Sale 252 at 9:00 a.m. on
Wednesday, March 20, 2019. All times
referred to in this document are Central
Standard Time, unless otherwise
specified.
Bid submission deadline: BOEM must
receive all sealed bids between 8:00 a.m.
and 4:00 p.m. on normal working days
prior to the sale, or from 8:00 a.m. to the
Bid Submission Deadline of 10:00 a.m.
on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, the day
before the lease sale. For more
information on bid submission, see
Section VII, ‘‘Bidding Instructions,’’ of
this document.
ADDRESSES: Bids will be accepted prior
to the bid receipt deadline at 1201
Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans,
Louisiana. Public bid reading for GOM
khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:41 Feb 14, 2019
Jkt 247001
Region-wide Sale 252 will be held at
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New
Orleans, Louisiana, but the venue will
not be open to the general public,
media, or industry during bid opening
or reading. Bid opening will be available
for public viewing on BOEM’s website
at www.boem.gov via live-streaming
video beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the date
of the sale. BOEM will also post the
results on its website after bid opening
and reading are completed. Interested
parties may download the Final NOS
package from BOEM’s website at https://
www.boem.gov/Sale-252/. Copies of the
sale maps may be obtained by
contacting the BOEM GOM Region at:
Gulf of Mexico Region Public
Information Office, Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management, 1201 Elmwood
Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana
70123–2394, (504) 736–2519 or (800)
200–GULF.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Erin O’Reilly Vaughan, Chief,
Leasing and Financial Responsibility,
Office of Leasing and Plans, 504–736–
1759, Erin.O’Reilly@boem.gov or Wright
Jay Frank, Chief, Leasing Policy and
Management Division, 703–787–1325,
Wright.Frank@boem.gov.
Table of Contents
This Final NOS includes the
following sections:
I. Lease Sale Area
II. Statutes and Regulations
III. Lease Terms and Economic Conditions
IV. Lease Stipulations
V. Information to Lessees
VI. Maps
VII. Bidding Instructions
VIII. Bidding Rules and Restrictions
IX. Forms
X. The Lease Sale
XI. Delay of Sale
I. Lease Sale Area
Blocks Offered For Leasing: BOEM
will offer for bid in this lease sale all of
the available unleased acreage in the
GOM, except those blocks listed in
‘‘Blocks Not Offered for Leasing’’ below.
Blocks Not Offered for Leasing: The
following whole and partial blocks are
not offered for lease in this sale. The
BOEM Official Protraction Diagrams
(OPDs) and Supplemental Official Block
Diagrams are available online at https://
www.boem.gov/Maps-and-GIS-Data/.
• Whole and partial blocks that lie
within the current boundaries of the
Flower Garden Banks National
Marine Sanctuary (in the East and
West Flower Garden Banks and the
Stetson Bank), identified in the
following list:
High Island, East Addition, South
Extension (Leasing Map TX7C)
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4525
Whole Block: A–398
Partial Blocks: A–366, A–367, A–374,
A–375, A–383, A–384, A–385, A–
388, A–389, A–397, A–399, A–401
High Island, South Addition (Leasing
Map TX7B)
Partial Blocks: A–502, A–513
Garden Banks (OPD NG15–02)
Partial Blocks: 134, 135
• Blocks that are adjacent to or beyond
the United States Exclusive
Economic Zone in the area known
as the northern portion of the
Eastern Gap:
Lund South (OPD NG 16–07)
Whole Blocks: 128, 129, 169 through
173, 208 through 217, 248 through
261, 293 through 305, and 349
Henderson (OPD NG 16–05)
Whole Blocks: 466, 508 through 510,
551 through 554, 594 through 599,
637 through 643, 679 through 687,
722 through 731, 764 through 775,
807 through 819, 849 through 862,
891 through 905, 933 through 949,
and 975 through 992
Partial Blocks: 467, 511, 555, 556,
600, 644, 688, 732, 776, 777, 820,
821, 863, 864, 906, 907, 950, 993,
and 994
Florida Plain (OPD NG 16–08)
Whole Blocks: 5 through 24, 46
through 67, 89 through 110, 133
through 154, 177 through 197, 221
through 240, 265 through 283, 309
through 327, and 363 through 370
• All whole and portions of blocks
deferred by the Gulf of Mexico
Energy Security Act of 2006, Public
Law 109–432:
Pensacola (OPD NH 16–05)
Whole Blocks: 751 through 754, 793
through 798, 837 through 842, 881
through 886, 925 through 930, and
969 through 975
Destin Dome (OPD NH 16–08)
Whole Blocks: 1 through 7, 45
through 51, 89 through 96, 133
through 140, 177 through 184, 221
through 228, 265 through 273, 309
through 317, 353 through 361, 397
through 405, 441 through 450, 485
through 494, 529 through 538, 573
through 582, 617 through 627, 661
through 671, 705 through 715, 749
through 759, 793 through 804, 837
through 848, 881 through 892, 925
through 936, and 969 through 981
DeSoto Canyon (OPD NH 16–11)
Whole Blocks: 1 through 15, 45
through 59, and 92 through 102
Partial Blocks: 16, 60, 61, 89 through
91, 103 through 105, and 135
through 147
Henderson (OPD NG 16–05)
Partial Blocks: 114, 158, 202, 246,
290, 334, 335, 378, 379, 422, and
423
• Depth restricted, segregated block
portion(s):
E:\FR\FM\15FEN1.SGM
15FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4523-4525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-02549]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2018-N118; FXES11130200000-189-FF02ENEH00]
Draft Safe Harbor Agreement Amendment and Application for an
Enhancement of Survival Permit, Tres Rios Project, Phoenix, Arizona
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce
receipt of an application to amend an existing enhancement of survival
permit from the City of Phoenix under the Endangered Species Act. The
requested amended permit would authorize a change in baseline for the
southwestern willow flycatcher, adjust the enrolled land acreage to
reflect City land boundaries, and include the yellow-billed cuckoo in
the Safe Harbor Agreement and the enhancement of survival permit
associated with the City's Tres Rios Water Project. We invite the
public to review and comment on the permit application and the
associated draft safe harbor agreement amendment (SHA amendment). In
accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements,
we have determined that the proposed permit action qualifies for a
categorical exclusion. We are accepting comments on the draft SHA
amendment, and also on a draft NEPA screening form.
[[Page 4524]]
DATES: Submitting Comments: We will accept comments received or
postmarked on or before March 18, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents
by any of the following methods:
Internet: Download the documents at https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/.
U.S. Mail: You may receive a CD-ROM or hard copies by mail
by writing to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
9828 North 31st Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85051-2517; calling (602) 242-0210;
faxing (602) 242-2513, or emailing FW2_HCP_Permits@fws.gov.
In-Person Document Review: Copies of the documents are
also available for public inspection and review, by appointment only,
at the Service's Phoenix office (address above) or at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Avenue SW, Room 6093, Albuquerque, NM 87102;
(505) 248-6401.
Submitting Comments: To submit written comments, please use one of
the following methods, and note that your comment is in reference to
the ``Draft SHA Amendment/Tres Rios Project in Phoenix, Arizona'':
U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor, Phoenix office (address
above).
Fax: 602-242-2513.
Email: FW2_HCP_Permits@fws.gov.
We request that you submit comments only by the methods above.
Generally, we will post any personal information you provide us (see
Public Availability of Comments).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Humphrey, Field Supervisor, 602-
242-0210 (telephone).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), announce receipt of the City of Phoenix's application to
amend an existing enhancement of survival permit under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The
requested amended permit would allow for the City of Phoenix to
continue operation and maintenance activities associated with the Tres
Rios Project, including maintenance of vegetation, roads, trails, water
delivery systems, flood control capacity, and storm water facilities.
The project area runs from approximately 91st Avenue downstream to the
confluence of the Gila and Salt Rivers, and then west along the Gila
River to approximately El Mirage Road in Maricopa County, Arizona. The
amendment to the permit would make three changes to the original
permit: (1) Add the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) to the
City's 2014 SHA; (2) adjust the enrolled acreage from the 927 acres
specified in the 2014 SHA to 924 acres, in order to rectify boundary
errors; and (3) adjust covered species baselines to reflect the 2015
habitat assessment, which better represents the area and its
conservation benefit. The baseline for the Yuma Ridgway's (clapper)
rail (Rallus obsoletus [=longirostris] yumanensis) remains at 5 acres.
The southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus)
baseline changed from 22.5 acres to a zero baseline, and we determined
that the yellow-billed cuckoo baseline is 6 acres.
The applicant plans to continue operation and maintenance
activities associated with the Tres Rios Project, Tempe Reach,
including maintenance of vegetation, roads, trails, water delivery
systems, flood control capacity, and storm water facilities. Initial
implementation of the Tres Rios Project was a cooperative project
between the applicant and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore,
enhance, and maintain 924 acres of native riparian and wetland
vegetation along the lower Salt and Gila Rivers in Maricopa County,
Arizona.
We invite the public to review and comment on the permit amendment
and the associated draft safe harbor agreement amendment (draft SHA
amendment). In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA;
42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) requirements, we have determined that the
proposed action qualifies for a categorical exclusion. We are accepting
comments on the permit application, draft SHA amendment, and draft NEPA
screening form, which supports using a categorical exclusion.
Background
Enhancement of survival permits issued for safe harbor agreements
encourage non-Federal landowners, including non-Federal operators
holding easements on private lands, to implement conservation measures
for habitat that is, or is likely to develop into, suitable habitat for
listed species, by assuring landowners/operators that they will not be
subjected to increased property use restrictions if suitable habitat
develops and the covered species is detected in the future. Application
requirements and enhancement of survival permit issuance criteria for
safe harbor agreements are provided under section 10(c) of the ESA and
its implementing regulations from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
at 50 CFR 17.22 and the NEPA and its implementing regulations at 40 CFR
1506.6.
Proposed Action
The proposed action is the Service's issuance of an amended permit
to the City of Phoenix for covered activities in the permit area for up
to 50 years, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. The amended
permit would cover ``take'' of the yellow-billed cuckoo associated with
covered activities occurring within the permit area.
The draft SHA amendment commits the City of Phoenix to implement
conservation measures to improve habitat for the covered species on
Tres Rios lands while allowing for covered activities within the
project area to continue.
To meet ESA section 10(a)(1)(A) permit requirements for the
proposed amendment, the applicant developed and proposes to implement
the SHA amendment, which describe the actions the City of Phoenix has
agreed to undertake to improve habitat within the Tres Rios project
area.
Expected benefits include, but may not be limited to improvement of
riparian habitat that can be used by covered species and other native
fauna, limiting the amount of new disturbance to riparian habitat, and
improving public environmental education.
We will evaluate the permit amendment request along with associated
documents and comments we receive to determine whether the permit
amendment meets the requirements of the ESA, NEPA, and implementing
regulations. If we determine that all requirements are met, we will
approve the draft SHA amendment and amend the associated permit. We
will fully consider all comments we receive during the public comment
period, and we will not make our final decision until after the comment
period ends.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments we receive become part of the public record associated
with this action. Requests for copies of comments will be handled in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), NEPA,
and Service and Department of the Interior policies and procedures.
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 to withhold your personal identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Moreover,
all submissions from organizations or
[[Page 4525]]
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 section 10(c) of the ESA and its
implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32), and NEPA (42 U.S.C.
4371 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Amy Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2019-02549 Filed 2-14-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
