Department of the Interior November 6, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Mr. Louis Jutras (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) incidental to construction of the Jutras residential home project, in the City of Santee, San Diego County, California. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and 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.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from PMF Leesburg Michigan, LLC (Michigan Property) (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) incidental to the construction of a multi-family development in Lake 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from the City of Cordova, Alaska, propose to authorize nonlethal incidental take by harassment of small numbers of the Southcentral Alaska stock of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) for 1 year from the date of issuance of the incidental harassment authorization. The applicant has requested this authorization for take by harassment that may result from activities associated with pile driving and marine construction activities in Cordova, Alaska. We estimate that this project may result in the nonlethal incidental take by harassment of up to 82 northern sea otters from the Southcentral stock. This proposed authorization, if finalized, will be for up to 30 takes of 5 northern sea otters by Level A harassment and 790 takes of 77 northern sea otters by Level B harassment. No lethal take is requested, or expected, and no such take will be authorized.