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, 82394-82395 [2023-25949]
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices
(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 (Neoseps reynoldsi) (skink)
incidental to the construction and
operation of a public library, including
a shared use area consisting of parking
infrastructure, a YMCA facility, and
ancillary improvements, and the
associated clearing, infrastructure, and
landscaping, in Orange 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.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 5-year ITP to
take skinks via the conversion of
approximately 8.69 acres (ac) of
occupied nesting, foraging, and
sheltering skink habitat incidental to the
construction and operation of a public
library, including a shared use area
consisting of parking infrastructure, a
YMCA facility, and ancillary
improvements, and the associated
clearing, infrastructure, and landscaping
on 12.45 ac on Parcels 16–23–27–0000–
00–021, 16–23–27–0000–00–009, and
16–23–27–0000–00–031 in Section 16,
Township 23 South, Range 27 East,
Orange County, Florida. The applicant
proposes to mitigate for take of the
skinks by purchasing credits equivalent
to 17.40 ac of skink-occupied habitat
within the Lake Wales Conservation
Bank or another Service-approved
conservation bank. The Service would
require the applicant to purchase the
credits prior to engaging in any
construction phase of the project.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary
determination that the applicant’s
proposed project, including the
construction of the buildings and
associated infrastructure (e.g., electric,
water, and sewer lines), would
individually and cumulatively have a
minor or negligible effect on the sand
skink and the environment. Therefore,
we have preliminarily determined that
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:46 Nov 22, 2023
Jkt 262001
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 sand skink
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 ITP 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 reasonably
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
PER3397936 to Orange County Public
Library System (Horizon West Library).
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.
Authority
Robert L. Carey,
Manager, Division of Environmental Review,
Florida Ecological Services Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2023–25943 Filed 11–22–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
Frm 00082
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0221;
FXES1114040000–245–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:
We, the Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), announce receipt of
an application from Vistas at Davenport,
LLC (applicant) for an incidental take
permit (ITP) under the Endangered
Species Act. The applicant requests the
ITP to take the federally listed sand
skink and blue-tailed mole skink
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 December 26,
2023.
SUMMARY:
Obtaining Documents: The
documents this notice announces, as
well as any comments and other
materials that we receive, will be
available for public inspection online in
Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0221 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–2023–0221.
• U.S. mail: Public Comments
Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–R4–
ES–2023–0221; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
ADDRESSES:
The Service provides this notice
under section 10(c) of the Endangered
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and
its implementing regulations (50 CFR
17.32) and the National Environmental
Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
its implementing regulations (40 CFR
1500–1508 and 43 CFR 46).
PO 00000
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\24NON1.SGM
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices
Our Preliminary Determination
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.
We, the
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce receipt of an application from
Vistas at Davenport, 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 sand skink (Neoseps
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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Proposed Project
The applicant requests a 15-year ITP
to take skinks via the conversion of
approximately 6.71 acres (ac) of
occupied nesting, foraging, and
sheltering skink habitat incidental to the
construction and operation of a
residential development on a 56.5-ac
parcel in Sections 23 and 24, Township
26 South, Range 27 East in Polk County,
Florida. The applicant proposes to
mitigate for take of the skinks by
purchasing credits equivalent to 13.42
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.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:46 Nov 22, 2023
Jkt 262001
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,
stormwater pond, and associated
infrastructure (e.g., electric, water, and
sewer lines), would individually and
cumulatively have a minor or negligible
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 skinks 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 ITP 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 reasonably
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
PER5062905 to Vistas at Davenport,
LLC.
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.
Authority
The Service provides this notice
under section 10(c) of the Endangered
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and
its implementing regulations (50 CFR
17.32) and the National Environmental
Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
PO 00000
Frm 00083
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
82395
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. 2023–25949 Filed 11–22–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX24EB00A181100; OMB Control Number
1028–0101]
Agency Information Collection
Activities; The William T. Pecora
Award Application and Nomination
Process
U.S. Geological Survey,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) is seeking to extend an
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before January
23, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on
this information collection request (ICR)
by mail to USGS, Information
Collections Clearance Officer, 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston,
VA 20192; or by email to gs-info_
collections@usgs.gov. Please reference
OMB Control Number 1028–0101 The
William T. Pecora Award Application
and Nomination Process in the subject
line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Sarah Cook by email at
scook@usgs.gov or by telephone at 703–
648–6136. 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: In
accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all
information collections require approval
under the PRA. We may not conduct or
sponsor, nor are you required to
respond to, a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\24NON1.SGM
24NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82394-82395]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25949]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2023-0221; FXES1114040000-245-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 Vistas at Davenport, LLC (applicant) for an
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink and
blue-tailed mole skink 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 December 26,
2023.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: The documents this notice announces, as
well as any comments and other materials that we receive, will be
available for public inspection online in Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2023-
0221 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-2023-0221.
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-R4-ES-2023-0221; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
[[Page 82395]]
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 Vistas at Davenport, 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 sand skink
(Neoseps 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 15-year ITP to take skinks via the
conversion of approximately 6.71 acres (ac) of occupied nesting,
foraging, and sheltering skink habitat incidental to the construction
and operation of a residential development on a 56.5-ac parcel in
Sections 23 and 24, Township 26 South, Range 27 East in Polk County,
Florida. The applicant proposes to mitigate for take of the skinks by
purchasing credits equivalent to 13.42 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.
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, stormwater
pond, and associated infrastructure (e.g., electric, water, and sewer
lines), would individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible
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 skinks 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 ITP 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
reasonably 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 PER5062905 to Vistas at
Davenport, LLC.
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.
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) of the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing
regulations (50 CFR 17.32) and the National Environmental Policy Act
(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. 2023-25949 Filed 11-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
