Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for the Ford Ridge Wind Project, Ford County, Illinois; Categorical Exclusion, 3837-3839 [2022-01426]
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2022 / Notices
benefits to improve its approach to
ensuring compliance with its civil
rights, nondiscrimination and equity
requirements, and obligations as
outlined in federal civil rights laws such
as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d, Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.
794, and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
(the Stafford Act). Such demographic
data concerning individuals who
participate in or benefit from the
Agency’s programs and activities will
increase FEMA’s ability evaluate the
accessibility and distributional equity of
their programs and then make
alterations or pivot based upon
identified areas of concern, thereby
demonstrating compliance with civil
rights laws.
obligations as outlined in federal civil
rights laws such as the Civil Rights Act,
Rehabilitation Act, and the Stafford Act.
Affected Public: Individuals or
Households.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
938,800.
Estimated Number of Responses:
938,800.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 78,202.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent
Cost: $3,069,429.
Estimated Respondents’ Operation
and Maintenance Costs: $0.
Estimated Respondents’ Capital and
Start-Up Costs: $0.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to the
Federal Government: $3,814,696.
Collection of Information
Title: Generic Clearance for Civil
Rights and Equity.
Type of Information Collection: New
information collection.
OMB Number: 1660–NW133.
FEMA Forms: Under the Generic
Clearance, each Federal Emergency
Management Agency component will
submit their specific forms for the
collection of demographics. FEMA
Form: FF–256–FY–21–100, Generic
Clearance Civil Rights and Equity. The
Agency is prepared to add these
questions to the Individuals and
Households program registration, FF–
104–FY–21–123 (formerly FEMA Form
009–0–1T (English)), Tele-Registration,
Disaster Assistance Registration, FF–
104–FY–21–125 (formerly FEMA Form
009–0–1Int (English)), internet, Disaster
Assistance Registration, FF–104–FY–
21–122 (formerly FEMA Form 009–0–1
(English)), Paper Application/Disaster
Assistance Registration. The
demographic data will help the
Individuals and Households program
improve operational outcomes for
vulnerable communities by using
analysis of demographic data against
program outcomes to evaluate whether
any disparities in eligibility
determinations appear to impact
vulnerable communities. FEMA would
then use this data to determine how to
improve service delivery for all
survivors. FEMA expects a burden of no
more than 5 minutes per registration to
answer the additional questions, with
the entire estimated annual burden
outlined below.
Abstract: The Federal Emergency
Management Agency will use the
demographic characteristics collected
from applicants and beneficiaries to
assess its civil rights, nondiscrimination
and equity requirements, and
Comments may be submitted as
indicated in the ADDRESSES caption
above. Comments are solicited to (a)
evaluate whether the proposed data
collection is necessary for the proper
performance of the agency, including
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) 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;
(c) enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) 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.
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17:19 Jan 24, 2022
Jkt 256001
Comments
Millicent L. Brown,
Records Management Branch, Team Lead,
Office of the Chief Administrative Officer,
Mission Support, Federal Emergency
Management Agency, Department of
Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2022–01314 Filed 1–24–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–19–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–R3–ES–2021–0167;
FXES11140300000–212]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit
Application and Proposed Habitat
Conservation Plan for the Ford Ridge
Wind Project, Ford County, Illinois;
Categorical Exclusion
AGENCY:
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
3837
Notice of availability of
documents; request for comment and
information.
ACTION:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, have received an
application from Ford Ridge Wind Farm
LLC (applicant), for an incidental take
permit (ITP) under the Endangered
Species Act, for its Ford Ridge Wind
Project (project). If approved, the ITP
would be for a 6-year period and would
authorize the incidental take of an
endangered species, the Indiana bat, and
a threatened species, the northern longeared bat. The applicant has prepared a
habitat conservation plan that describes
the actions and measures that the
applicant would implement to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate incidental take
of the Indiana bat and northern longeared bat. We request public comment
on the application, which includes the
applicant’s proposed habitat
conservation plan (HCP), and on the
Service’s preliminary determination that
this HCP qualifies as ‘‘low-effect,’’
categorically excluded under the
National Environmental Policy Act. To
make this determination, we used our
environmental action statement and
low-effect screening form, both of which
are also able for public review.
DATES: We will accept comments
received or postmarked on or before
February 24, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Document availability:
Electronic copies of the documents
this notice announces, along with
public comments received, will be
available online in Docket No. FWS–
R3–ES–2021–0167 at https://
www.regulations.gov.
Comment submission: In your
comment, please specify whether your
comment addresses the proposed HCP,
draft environmental action statement, or
any combination of the aforementioned
documents, or other supporting
documents. You may submit written
comments by one of the following
methods:
• Online: https://www.regulations.gov.
Search for and submit comments on
Docket No. FWS–R3–ES–2021–0167.
• By hard copy: Submit comments by
U.S. mail to Public Comments
Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–R3–
ES–2021–0167; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB/
3W; Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kraig McPeek, Field Supervisor,
Illinois-Iowa Ecological Services Field
Office, by email at kraig_mcpeek@
fws.gov or telephone at 309–757–5800,
extension 202; or Andrew Horton,
Regional HCP Coordinator, Interior
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2022 / Notices
Region 3, by email at andrew_horton@
fws.gov or telephone at 612–713–5337.
Individuals who are hearing impaired
or speech impaired may call the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 for
TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have
received an application from Ford Ridge
Wind Farm LLC (applicant) for an
incidental take permit (ITP) under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
The applicant requests the ITP to take
the federally listed Indiana bat (Myotis
sodalis) and northern long-eared bat
(Myotis septentrionalis) incidental to the
operation of 43 wind turbines with a
total generating capacity of 121
megawatts (MW) at the Ford Ridge
Wind Project in Ford County, Illinois.
While the ITP is for 6 years, the
operational life of most new wind
energy facilities is 30 years, and
intensive monitoring conducted during
this permit term will inform the need
for future avoidance or a new long-term
ITP for the remaining life of the project
that will comply with a new NEPA
analysis and habitat conservation plan
(HCP). The applicant has prepared an
HCP that describes the actions and
measures that the applicant would
implement to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate incidental take of the covered
species for the first 6 years. We request
public comment on the application,
which includes the applicant’s
proposed HCP, and on the Service’s
preliminary determination that this HCP
qualifies as ‘‘low-effect,’’ categorically
excluded under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). To make this
determination, we used our
environmental action statement and
low-effect screening form, both of which
are also able for public review.
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Background
Section 9 of the ESA and its
implementing regulations prohibit the
‘‘take’’ of animal species listed as
endangered or threatened. Take is
defined under the ESA as to ‘‘harass,
harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill,
trap, capture, or collect [listed animal
species,] or to attempt to engage in any
such conduct’’ (16 U.S.C. 1532).
However, under section 10(a) of the
ESA, we may issue permits to authorize
incidental take of listed species.
‘‘Incidental take’’ is defined by the ESA
as take that is incidental to, and not the
purpose of, carrying out an otherwise
lawful activity (16 U.S.C. 1539).
Regulations governing incidental take
permits for endangered and threatened
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Jan 24, 2022
Jkt 256001
species, respectively, are found in the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50
CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR 17.32.
Applicant’s Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 6-year ITP to
take the federally endangered Indiana
bat (Myotis sodalis) and threatened
northern long-eared bat (Myotis
septentrionalis). The applicant
determined that take is reasonably
certain to occur incidental to operation
of 43 previously constructed wind
turbines in Ford County, Illinois,
covering approximately 13,806 acres of
private land. The proposed conservation
strategy in the applicant’s proposed
HCP is designed to avoid, minimize,
and mitigate the impacts of the covered
activity on the covered species. The
biological goals and objectives are to
minimize potential take of the Indiana
bat and northern long-eared bat through
on-site minimization measures and to
provide habitat conservation measures
for the two species to offset any impacts
from project operations. The HCP
provides on-site avoidance and
minimization measures, which include
turbine operational adjustments. The
authorized level of take from the project
is 18 Indiana bat and 18 northern longeared bat over the 6-year permit
duration. To offset the impacts of the
taking of the species, the applicant will
implement one or more of the following
mitigation options:
• Purchase credits from an approved
conservation bank;
• Contribute to an in-lieu fee
mitigation fund;
• Implement permittee-responsible
mitigation project; or
• Contribute to a white-nose
syndrome treatment fund.
National Environmental Policy Act
The issuance of an ITP is a Federal
action that triggers the need for
compliance with NEPA. The Service has
made a preliminary determination that
the applicant’s project and the proposed
mitigation measures would individually
and cumulatively have a minor or
negligible effect on the covered species
and the environment. Therefore, we
have preliminarily concluded that the
ITP for this project would qualify for
categorical exclusion, and the HCP
would be low effect under our NEPA
regulations at 43 CFR 46.205 and
46.210. A low-effect HCP is one that
would result in (1) minor or negligible
effects on federally listed, proposed, and
candidate species and their habitats; (2)
minor or negligible effects on other
environmental values or resources; and
(3) impacts that, when considered
together with the impacts of other past,
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
present, and reasonable foreseeable
similarly situated projects, would not
result in significant cumulative effects
to environmental values or resources
over time.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the
application and the comments received
to determine whether the permit
application meets the requirements of
section 10(a) of the ESA. We will also
conduct an intra-Service consultation
pursuant to section 7 of the ESA to
evaluate the effects of the proposed take.
After considering the above findings, we
will determine whether the permit
issuance criteria of section 10(a)(l)(B) of
the ESA have been met. If met, the
Service will issue the requested ITP to
the applicant.
Request for Public Comments
The Service invites comments and
suggestions from all interested parties
on the proposed HCP and screening
form during a 30-day public comment
period (see DATES). In particular,
information and comments regarding
the following topics are requested:
1. Whether the adaptive management,
monitoring, and mitigation provisions
in the proposed HCP are sufficient;
2. The requested 6-year ITP term;
3. 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
proposed HCP or screening form;
4. Any new information on whitenose syndrome effects on the Indiana
bat and the northern long-eared bat;
5. Whether or not the significance of
the impact on various aspects of the
human environment has been
adequately analyzed; and
6. Any other information pertinent to
evaluating the effects of the proposed
action on the human environment,
including those on the Indiana bat and
the northern long-eared bat.
Availability of Public Comments
You may submit comments by one of
the methods shown under ADDRESSES.
We will post on https://regulations.gov
all public comments and information
received electronically or via hardcopy.
All comments received, including
names and addresses, will become part
of the administrative 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
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2022 / Notices
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 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 1500–1508; 43 CFR
part 46).
Lori Nordstrom,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological
Services.
[FR Doc. 2022–01426 Filed 1–24–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary
[22XD4523WS/DWSN0000.000000/
DS61500000/DP.61501]
Invasive Species Advisory Committee;
Request for Nominations
Office of the Secretary, Interior.
Notice of request for
nominations.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The U.S. Department of the
Interior, on behalf of the
interdepartmental National Invasive
Species Council (NISC), proposes to
appoint new members to the Invasive
Species Advisory Committee (ISAC).
The Secretary of the Interior, acting as
administrative lead, is requesting
nominations for qualified persons to
serve as members of the ISAC.
DATES: Nominations must be received
by March 28, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Electronic nomination
packages are preferred and should be
sent to invasive_species@ios.doi.gov. As
necessary, hard copy nominations can
be sent to Stanley W. Burgiel, Executive
Director, National Invasive Species
Council (OS/NISC), Regular/Express
Mail: Department of the Interior, 1849 C
Street NW (Mailstop 3530), Washington,
DC 20240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kelsey Brantley, NISC Operations
Director, at (202) 208–4122, or by email
at Kelsey_Brantley@ios.doi.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:19 Jan 24, 2022
Jkt 256001
Advisory Committee Scope and
Objectives
Executive Order (E.O.) 13112
authorized the National Invasive
Species Council (NISC) to provide
interdepartmental coordination,
planning, and leadership for the Federal
Government on the prevention,
eradication, and control of invasive
species. This authorization was
reiterated in E.O. 13751. NISC is
currently comprised of the senior-most
leadership of twelve Federal
Departments/Agencies and four
Executive Offices of the President. The
Co-chairs of NISC are the Secretaries of
the Interior, Agriculture, and
Commerce.
NISC provides high-level
interdepartmental coordination of
Federal invasive species actions and
works with other Federal and nonFederal groups to address invasive
species issues at the national level.
NISC duties, consistent with E.O. 13751,
are to provide the vision and national
leadership necessary to coordinate,
sustain, and expand federal efforts to
safeguard the interests of the United
States through the prevention,
eradication, and control of invasive
species, and through the restoration of
ecosystems and other assets impacted
by invasive species. These duties and
work priorities are further identified
and outlined in NISC’s annual Work
Plans.
The Invasive Species Advisory
Committee (ISAC) advises NISC. ISAC is
chartered under the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (FACA; 5 U.S.C.
appendix 2). At the request of NISC,
ISAC provides advice to NISC members
on topics related to NISC’s
aforementioned duties, as well as
emerging issues prioritized by the
Administration. As a multi-stakeholder
advisory committee, ISAC is intended to
play a key role in recommending plans
and actions to be taken in different
sectors, geographies, and/or scales to
accomplish the activities set forth in
NISC Work Plans. It is hoped that,
collectively, ISAC will represent the
views of the broad range of
stakeholders, communities, and
individuals knowledgeable of and
affected by invasive species. NISC is
requesting nominations for individuals
to serve on the ISAC.
Membership Criteria: Prospective
members of ISAC must have knowledge
in the prevention, eradication, and/or
control of invasive species, as well as
demonstrate a high degree of capacity
for: Advising individuals in leadership
positions, teamwork, project
management, tracking relevant Federal
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
3839
government programs and policy
making procedures, and networking
with and representing their peercommunity of interest. ISAC members
need not be scientists. Membership from
a wide range of disciplines and
professional sectors is encouraged.
At this time, we are particularly
interested in applications from
representatives of: Non-federal
government agencies (e.g., state,
territorial, tribal, local); academia,
research institutions, and scientific
societies; the private sector and
industry/trade associations;
conservation and land management
organizations; landowners, farmers,
ranchers, foresters, and other resource
users; public health specialists;
education and outreach specialists;
regional organizations; and citizen
scientists, recreationists, and other
public interest groups. Additionally,
ISAC membership will include one
representative from each of the
following organizations, serving in a
non-voting ex officio capacity: The
Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies (AFWA); the National
Association of Conservation Districts
(NACD); the National Association of
State Departments of Agriculture
(NASDA); the National Plant Board
(NPB); the Native American Fish and
Wildlife Society (NAFWS); and the
North American Invasive Species
Management Association (NAISMA).
After consultation with the other
members of NISC, the Secretary of the
Interior will appoint members to ISAC.
Members will be selected based on their
individual qualifications as detailed in
their nomination package, as well as the
overall need to achieve a balanced
representation of viewpoints, subject
matter expertise, regional knowledge,
and communities of interest.
ISAC will hold approximately one or
two in-person or virtual meetings per
year. Between meetings, ISAC members
are expected to participate in committee
and subcommittee work via web-based
meetings, teleconferences, and email
exchanges. Members of the ISAC and its
subcommittees serve without pay.
However, while away from their homes
or regular places of business in the
performance of services of the ISAC,
members may be reimbursed for travel
expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in the same manner as
persons employed intermittently in the
government service, as authorized by
section 5703 of title 5, United States
Code. Employees of the Federal
Government ARE NOT eligible for
nomination or appointment to ISAC.
Individuals who are federally
registered lobbyists are ineligible to
E:\FR\FM\25JAN1.SGM
25JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3837-3839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01426]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2021-0167; FXES11140300000-212]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Ford Ridge Wind Project, Ford County,
Illinois; Categorical Exclusion
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of documents; request for comment and
information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an
application from Ford Ridge Wind Farm LLC (applicant), for an
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act, for its
Ford Ridge Wind Project (project). If approved, the ITP would be for a
6-year period and would authorize the incidental take of an endangered
species, the Indiana bat, and a threatened species, the northern long-
eared bat. The applicant has prepared a habitat conservation plan that
describes the actions and measures that the applicant would implement
to avoid, minimize, and mitigate incidental take of the Indiana bat and
northern long-eared bat. We request public comment on the application,
which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan
(HCP), and on the Service's preliminary determination that this HCP
qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically excluded under the National
Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our
environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of
which are also able for public review.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before
February 24, 2022.
ADDRESSES: Document availability:
Electronic copies of the documents this notice announces, along
with public comments received, will be available online in Docket No.
FWS-R3-ES-2021-0167 at https://www.regulations.gov.
Comment submission: In your comment, please specify whether your
comment addresses the proposed HCP, draft environmental action
statement, or any combination of the aforementioned documents, or other
supporting documents. You may submit written comments by one of the
following methods:
Online: https://www.regulations.gov. Search for and submit
comments on Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2021-0167.
By hard copy: Submit comments by U.S. mail to Public
Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2021-0167; U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: PRB/3W; Falls Church, VA
22041-3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kraig McPeek, Field Supervisor,
Illinois-Iowa Ecological Services Field Office, by email at
[email protected] or telephone at 309-757-5800, extension 202; or
Andrew Horton, Regional HCP Coordinator, Interior
[[Page 3838]]
Region 3, by email at [email protected] or telephone at 612-713-
5337.
Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call
the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have
received an application from Ford Ridge Wind Farm LLC (applicant) for
an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The applicant requests
the ITP to take the federally listed Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and
northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) incidental to the
operation of 43 wind turbines with a total generating capacity of 121
megawatts (MW) at the Ford Ridge Wind Project in Ford County, Illinois.
While the ITP is for 6 years, the operational life of most new wind
energy facilities is 30 years, and intensive monitoring conducted
during this permit term will inform the need for future avoidance or a
new long-term ITP for the remaining life of the project that will
comply with a new NEPA analysis and habitat conservation plan (HCP).
The applicant has prepared an HCP that describes the actions and
measures that the applicant would implement to avoid, minimize, and
mitigate incidental take of the covered species for the first 6 years.
We request public comment on the application, which includes the
applicant's proposed HCP, and on the Service's preliminary
determination that this HCP qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically
excluded under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.). To make this determination, we used our environmental
action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also
able for public review.
Background
Section 9 of the ESA and its implementing regulations prohibit the
``take'' of animal species listed as endangered or threatened. Take is
defined under the ESA as to ``harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound,
kill, trap, capture, or collect [listed animal species,] or to attempt
to engage in any such conduct'' (16 U.S.C. 1532). However, under
section 10(a) of the ESA, we may issue permits to authorize incidental
take of listed species. ``Incidental take'' is defined by the ESA as
take that is incidental to, and not the purpose of, carrying out an
otherwise lawful activity (16 U.S.C. 1539). Regulations governing
incidental take permits for endangered and threatened species,
respectively, are found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50
CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR 17.32.
Applicant's Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 6-year ITP to take the federally
endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and threatened northern long-
eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). The applicant determined that take
is reasonably certain to occur incidental to operation of 43 previously
constructed wind turbines in Ford County, Illinois, covering
approximately 13,806 acres of private land. The proposed conservation
strategy in the applicant's proposed HCP is designed to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate the impacts of the covered activity on the
covered species. The biological goals and objectives are to minimize
potential take of the Indiana bat and northern long-eared bat through
on-site minimization measures and to provide habitat conservation
measures for the two species to offset any impacts from project
operations. The HCP provides on-site avoidance and minimization
measures, which include turbine operational adjustments. The authorized
level of take from the project is 18 Indiana bat and 18 northern long-
eared bat over the 6-year permit duration. To offset the impacts of the
taking of the species, the applicant will implement one or more of the
following mitigation options:
Purchase credits from an approved conservation bank;
Contribute to an in-lieu fee mitigation fund;
Implement permittee-responsible mitigation project; or
Contribute to a white-nose syndrome treatment fund.
National Environmental Policy Act
The issuance of an ITP is a Federal action that triggers the need
for compliance with NEPA. The Service has made a preliminary
determination that the applicant's project and the proposed mitigation
measures would individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible
effect on the covered species and the environment. Therefore, we have
preliminarily concluded that the ITP for this project would qualify for
categorical exclusion, and the HCP would be low effect under our NEPA
regulations at 43 CFR 46.205 and 46.210. A low-effect HCP is one that
would result in (1) minor or negligible effects on federally listed,
proposed, and candidate species and their habitats; (2) minor or
negligible effects on other environmental values or resources; and (3)
impacts that, when considered together with the impacts of other past,
present, and reasonable foreseeable similarly situated projects, would
not result in significant cumulative effects to environmental values or
resources over time.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the application and the comments received
to determine whether the permit application meets the requirements of
section 10(a) of the ESA. We will also conduct an intra-Service
consultation pursuant to section 7 of the ESA to evaluate the effects
of the proposed take. After considering the above findings, we will
determine whether the permit issuance criteria of section 10(a)(l)(B)
of the ESA have been met. If met, the Service will issue the requested
ITP to the applicant.
Request for Public Comments
The Service invites comments and suggestions from all interested
parties on the proposed HCP and screening form during a 30-day public
comment period (see DATES). In particular, information and comments
regarding the following topics are requested:
1. Whether the adaptive management, monitoring, and mitigation
provisions in the proposed HCP are sufficient;
2. The requested 6-year ITP term;
3. 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 proposed HCP or screening form;
4. Any new information on white-nose syndrome effects on the
Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat;
5. Whether or not the significance of the impact on various aspects
of the human environment has been adequately analyzed; and
6. Any other information pertinent to evaluating the effects of the
proposed action on the human environment, including those on the
Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat.
Availability of Public Comments
You may submit comments by one of the methods shown under
ADDRESSES. We will post on https://regulations.gov all public comments
and information received electronically or via hardcopy. All comments
received, including names and addresses, will become part of the
administrative 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
[[Page 3839]]
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 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
1500-1508; 43 CFR part 46).
Lori Nordstrom,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services.
[FR Doc. 2022-01426 Filed 1-24-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
