Department of the Interior November 5, 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, received a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 from JADE Energy, LLC, for authorization to take by Level B harassment a small number of polar bears from the Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) stock incidental to oil and gas exploratory activities scheduled to occur between December 1, 2021, through November 30, 2022. These activities include mobilization, constructing ice roads and ice pads, drilling wells, and associated cleanup in the Prudhoe Bay Unit and Point Thomson Unit of the North Slope of Alaska. Mobilization would occur in December 2021, along a winter trail stretching east from Deadhorse, Alaska, to Point Thomson, Alaska. Prepacking of snow and construction of ice roads and pads would begin mid-December 2021, and drilling would begin at JADE #1 pad in late-January 2022. If conditions are favorable, drilling on JADE #2 pad would take place in mid-March 2022, preceding cleanup activities, which are proposed to be completed by July 15, 2022. We estimate these activities may result in the nonlethal incidental take of up to two SBS stock polar bears. This proposed authorization, if finalized, will be for take of two SBS stock polar bears by Level B harassment only. No lethal or Level A take of polar bears is likely or requested, and, therefore, such take is not included in this proposed authorization.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Florida Department of TransportationFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise (applicant) (Suncoast Parkway 2) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed eastern indigo snake incidental to construction of the four-lane Suncoast Parkway 2 in Citrus County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and 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 available for public review.