Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole Skink; Polk County, FL; Categorical Exclusion, 18576-18577 [2023-06494]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 29, 2023 / Notices
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission, Hubbs Sea World Research
Institute, the Gulf and Caribbean
Fisheries Institute, the Caribbean
Stranding Network, and Mote Marine
Laboratory. In addition, the Service
consulted publications such as the
Journal of Wildlife Management, Marine
Mammal Science, Marine Pollution
Bulletin, Marine Technology Society
Journal, Wildlife Monographs, Gulf and
Caribbean Research, Journal of Zoo and
Wildlife Medicine, Molecular Ecology,
and Molecular Ecology Notes, as well as
other refereed journal literature,
technical reports, and data sources in
the development of these SARs. A
complete list of citations to the
scientific literature relied on for each of
these SARs is available on the Federal
eRulemaking portal (https://
www.regulations.gov) under Docket No.
FWS–R4–ES–2022–0031 or upon
request from the Florida Ecological
Services Field Office or Caribbean
Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority
The authority for this action is the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.).
Signing Authority
Martha Williams, Director of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, approved this
action on March 24, 2023, for
publication. On March 24, 2023, Martha
Williams authorized the undersigned to
sign the document electronically and
submit it to the Office of the Federal
Register for publication as an official
document of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
Madonna Baucum,
Chief, Policy and Regulations Branch, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–06505 Filed 3–28–23; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
[Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0039;
FXES11130400000–223–FF04EF4000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit
Application and Proposed Habitat
Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink
and Blue-Tailed Mole Skink; Polk
County, FL; Categorical Exclusion
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:20 Mar 28, 2023
Jkt 259001
We, the Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), announce receipt of
an application from JDT of Central
Florida (applicant) for an incidental take
permit (ITP) under the Endangered
Species Act. The applicant requests the
ITP to take the federally threatened sand
skink (Plestiodon reynoldsi) and the
federally threatened blue-tailed moleskink (Eumeces egregius lividus)
incidental to the construction of a
residential development in Polk County,
Florida. 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
the proposed permitting action may be
eligible for a categorical exclusion
pursuant to the Council on
Environmental Quality’s National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
regulations, the Department of the
Interior’s (DOI) NEPA regulations, and
the DOI Departmental Manual. To make
this preliminary determination, we
prepared a draft environmental action
statement and low-effect screening form,
both of which are also available for
public review. We invite comment from
the public and local, State, Tribal, and
Federal agencies.
DATES: We must receive your written
comments on or before April 28, 2023.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may
obtain copies of the documents online
in Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0039;
at https://www.regulations.gov.
Submitting Comments: If you wish to
submit comments on any of the
documents, you may do so in writing by
one of the following methods:
• Online: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
on Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0039;
• U.S. Mail: Public Comments
Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–R4–
ES–2023–0039; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg
Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alfredo Begazo, by U.S. mail (see
ADDRESSES), by telephone at 772–469–
4234 or via email at afredo_begazo@
fws.gov. Individuals in the United States
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing,
or have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
SUMMARY:
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announce receipt of an application from
JDT of Central Florida (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 sand skink
(Plestiodon reynoldsi) and blue-tailed
mole-skink (Eumeces egregius lividus)
(skinks) incidental to the construction
and operation of a residential
development in Polk County, Florida.
We request public comment on the
application, which includes the
applicant’s habitat conservation plan
(HCP), and on the Service’s preliminary
determination that this proposed ITP
qualifies as ‘‘low effect,’’ and may
qualify for a categorical exclusion
pursuant to the Council on
Environmental Quality’s National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
regulations (40 CFR 1501.4), the
Department of the Interior’s (DOI) NEPA
regulations (43 CFR 46), and the DOI’s
Departmental Manual (516 DM
8.5(C)(2)). To make this preliminary
determination, we prepared a draft
environmental action statement and
low-effect screening form, both of which
are also available for public review.
Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 5-year ITP to
take two skink species via the
conversion of approximately 1.53 acres
(ac) of occupied nesting, foraging, and
sheltering skink habitat incidental to the
construction and operation of a
residential development on a 14.34–ac
parcel in Section 13, Township 26
South, Range 27 East, Polk County,
Florida. The applicant proposes to
mitigate for take of the skinks by
purchasing credits equivalent to 3.06 ac
of skink-occupied habitat from a
Service-approved conservation bank.
The Service would require the applicant
to purchase the credits prior to engaging
in any construction phase of the project.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, be aware that your entire
comment, including your personal
identifying information, may be made
available to the public. While you may
request that we withhold your personal
identifying information, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary
determination that the applicant’s
project—including the construction of
multiple single-family residences,
driveways, parking spaces, green areas,
E:\FR\FM\29MRN1.SGM
29MRN1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 60 / Wednesday, March 29, 2023 / Notices
stormwater pond, and associated
infrastructure (e.g., electric, water, and
sewer lines)—would individually and
cumulatively have a minor effect on the
skinks and the environment. Therefore,
we have preliminarily determined that
the proposed ESA section 10(a)(1)(B)
permit would be a ‘‘low-effect’’ ITP that
individually or cumulatively would
have a minor effect on the species and
may qualify for application of a
categorical exclusion pursuant to the
Council on Environmental Quality’s
NEPA regulations, DOI’s NEPA
regulations, and the DOI Departmental
Manual. A ‘‘low-effect’’ incidental take
permit is one that would result in (1)
minor or negligible effects on species
covered in the HCP; (2) nonsignificant
effects on the human environment; and
(3) impacts that, when added together
with the impacts of other past, present,
and reasonable foreseeable actions,
would not result in significant
cumulative effects to the human
environment.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the
application and the comments to
determine whether to issue the
requested permit. 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 preceding and other
matters, we will determine whether the
permit issuance criteria of section
10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA have been met. If
met, the Service will issue ITP number
PER 0068766 to JDT of Central Florida.
Authority
The Service provides this notice
under section 10(c) of the ESA (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its
implementing regulations (50 CFR
17.32), and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) and its implementing regulations
(40 CFR 1500–1508 and 43 CFR 46).
Robert L. Carey,
Manager, Division of Environmental Review,
Florida Ecological Services Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2023–06494 Filed 3–28–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Bureau of Land Management
[LLMT912000
L11600000.BN0000.MO#4500169350]
Call for Nominations to the Missouri
Basin and Western Montana Resource
Advisory Councils
AGENCY:
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
19:20 Mar 28, 2023
Jkt 259001
ACTION:
Notice of call for nominations.
The purpose of this notice is
to request public nominations for the
Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM)
Missouri Basin and Western Montana
Resource Advisory Councils (RACs) to
fill existing vacancies, as well as for
member terms that are scheduled to
expire. The RACs provide advice and
recommendations to the BLM on land
use planning and management of the
National System of Public Lands within
their geographic areas.
DATES: All nominations must be
received no later than April 28, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Applications for the
Missouri Basin RAC should be sent to
Mark Jacobsen, BLM Eastern Montana/
Dakotas District Office, 111 Garryowen
Road, Miles City, MT 59301; (406) 233–
2831; mjacobse@blm.gov; or Gina
Baltrusch, BLM North Central Montana
District Office, 1220 38th Street N, Great
Falls, MT 59405; (406) 791–7778.
Applications for the Western Montana
RAC should be sent to David Abrams,
BLM Butte Field Office, 106 North
Parkmont, Butte, MT 59701; (406) 533–
7617; dabrams@blm.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann
Boucher, BLM Montana/Dakotas State
Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings,
MT 59101, (406) 896–5011, aboucher@
blm.gov.
Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, blind, hard of hearing, or have
a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY,
TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act directs the Secretary of the Interior
to involve the public in planning and
issues related to the management of
lands administered by the BLM through
the establishment of 10- to 15-member
citizen-based advisory councils that are
managed in accordance with the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA). As
required by FACA, RAC membership
must be balanced, and representative of
the various interests concerned with the
management of the public lands. The
rules governing RACs are found at 43
CFR subpart 1784 and include the
following three membership categories:
Category One—Holders of Federal
grazing permits or leases within the area
for which the RAC is organized;
represent interests associated with
transportation or rights-of-way;
represent developed outdoor recreation,
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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18577
off-highway vehicle users, or
commercial recreation activities;
represent the commercial timber
industry; or represent energy and
mineral development.
Category Two—Representatives of
nationally or regionally recognized
environmental organizations; dispersed
recreational activities; archaeological
and historical interests; or nationally or
regionally recognized wild horse and
burro interest groups.
Category Three—Hold State, county,
or local elected office; are employed by
a State agency responsible for the
management of natural resources, land,
or water; represent Indian Tribes within
or adjacent to the area for which the
RAC is organized; are employed as
academicians in natural resource
management or the natural sciences; or
represent the affected public-at-large.
Individuals may nominate themselves
or others. Missouri Basin RAC
Nominees must be residents of the
States of Montana, North Dakota, or
South Dakota. Western Montana RAC
Nominees must be residents of the State
of Montana. The BLM will evaluate
nominees based on their education,
training, experience, and knowledge of
the geographic area of the RAC.
Nominees should demonstrate a
commitment to collaborative resource
decision-making.
The following must accompany all
nominations:
• A completed RAC application,
which can either be obtained through
the nominee’s BLM office or online at:
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/
1120-019_0.pdf;
• Letters of reference from
represented interests or organizations;
and
• Any other information that
addresses the nominee’s qualifications.
Simultaneous with this notice, BLM
Montana/Dakotas will issue a press
release providing additional information
for submitting nominations.
Before including any address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in the
application, nominees should be aware
this information may be made publicly
available at any time. While the
nominee can ask to withhold the
personal identifying information from
public review, the BLM cannot
guarantee that it will be able to do so.
(Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4–1)
Kimberly O. Prill,
Acting Montana/Dakotas State Director.
[FR Doc. 2023–06436 Filed 3–28–23; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 29, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18576-18577]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06494]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2023-0039; FXES11130400000-223-FF04EF4000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole
Skink; Polk County, FL; Categorical Exclusion
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt
of an application from JDT of Central Florida (applicant) for an
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally threatened sand skink
(Plestiodon reynoldsi) and the federally threatened blue-tailed mole-
skink (Eumeces egregius lividus) incidental to the construction of a
residential development in Polk County, Florida. 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 the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a
categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental
Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the
Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI
Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we
prepared a draft environmental action statement and low-effect
screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We
invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal
agencies.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before April 28,
2023.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents online
in Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2023-0039; at https://www.regulations.gov.
Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments on any of the
documents, you may do so in writing by one of the following methods:
Online: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2023-0039;
U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-R4-ES-2023-0039; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfredo Begazo, by U.S. mail (see
ADDRESSES), by telephone at 772-469-4234 or via email at
[email protected]. Individuals in the United States who are deaf,
deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce receipt of an application from JDT of Central Florida
(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 sand skink
(Plestiodon reynoldsi) and blue-tailed mole-skink (Eumeces egregius
lividus) (skinks) incidental to the construction and operation of a
residential development in Polk County, Florida. We request public
comment on the application, which includes the applicant's habitat
conservation plan (HCP), and on the Service's preliminary determination
that this proposed ITP qualifies as ``low effect,'' and may qualify for
a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental
Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (40 CFR
1501.4), the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations (43
CFR 46), and the DOI's Departmental Manual (516 DM 8.5(C)(2)). To make
this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental
action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also
available for public review.
Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 5-year ITP to take two skink species via
the conversion of approximately 1.53 acres (ac) of occupied nesting,
foraging, and sheltering skink habitat incidental to the construction
and operation of a residential development on a 14.34-ac parcel in
Section 13, Township 26 South, Range 27 East, Polk County, Florida. The
applicant proposes to mitigate for take of the skinks by purchasing
credits equivalent to 3.06 ac of skink-occupied habitat from a Service-
approved conservation bank. The Service would require the applicant to
purchase the credits prior to engaging in any construction phase of the
project.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that
your entire comment, including your personal identifying information,
may be made available to the public. While you may request that we
withhold your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee
that we will be able to do so.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary determination that the
applicant's project--including the construction of multiple single-
family residences, driveways, parking spaces, green areas,
[[Page 18577]]
stormwater pond, and associated infrastructure (e.g., electric, water,
and sewer lines)--would individually and cumulatively have a minor
effect on the skinks and the environment. Therefore, we have
preliminarily determined that the proposed ESA section 10(a)(1)(B)
permit would be a ``low-effect'' ITP that individually or cumulatively
would have a minor effect on the species and may qualify for
application of a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on
Environmental Quality's NEPA regulations, DOI's NEPA regulations, and
the DOI Departmental Manual. A ``low-effect'' incidental take permit is
one that would result in (1) minor or negligible effects on species
covered in the HCP; (2) nonsignificant effects on the human
environment; and (3) impacts that, when added together with the impacts
of other past, present, and reasonable foreseeable actions, would not
result in significant cumulative effects to the human environment.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the application and the comments to
determine whether to issue the requested permit. 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
preceding and other matters, we will determine whether the permit
issuance criteria of section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA have been met. If
met, the Service will issue ITP number PER 0068766 to JDT of Central
Florida.
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) of the ESA (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.32),
and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40
CFR 1500-1508 and 43 CFR 46).
Robert L. Carey,
Manager, Division of Environmental Review, Florida Ecological Services
Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2023-06494 Filed 3-28-23; 8:45 am]
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