Fish and Wildlife Service October 10, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Sierra Pacific Industries (Applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for a 20-year enhancement of survival permit for the fisher (Martes pennanti) pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The permit application includes a proposed Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (Agreement) between the Applicant and the Service for the fisher on the 160,000 acre Stirling Management Area in Butte, Plumas, and Tehama Counties, California. We are requesting comments on the permit application, the proposed Agreement and on the preliminary determination that the proposed Agreement is eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. The basis for this determination is discussed in the Environmental Action Statement (EAS) and the associated Screening Form, which are also available for public review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise currently designated critical habitat for the Peninsular bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 384,410 acres (ac) (155,564 hectares (ha)) of land in Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial counties, California, fall within the boundaries of the proposed revised critical habitat designation. Of the area proposed as revised critical habitat, approximately 4,512 ac (1,826 ha) of land are Tribal; 93,720 ac (37,927 ha) are Federal; 249,840 ac (101,107 ha) are State; 35,824 ac (14,497 ha) are private; and 514 ac (208 ha) are local. We are proposing to exclude from the final designation, under section 4(b)(2) of the Act, approximately 4,512 ac (1,826 ha) of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal land. We are also evaluating and considering the possible exclusion of approximately 19,211 ac (7,774 ha) of private land covered under the draft Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan. Further, we are acknowledging a taxonomic change to the species and are proposing a taxonomic revision of the listed entity from distinct population segment (DPS) of species Ovis canadensis, to DPS of subspecies Ovis canadensis nelsoni.