Fish and Wildlife Service June 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Santee National Wildlife Refuge for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe alternatives, including our proposed alternative to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the Final CCP.

The following applicants have applied for scientific research permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. This IC is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2008. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce that our Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for Sullys Hill National Game Preserve is available. This Draft CCP/EA describes how the Service intends to manage this refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, recently published a notice in error requesting comments on a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and associated Environmental Assessment (EA) that are not yet available for comment. We will republish a notice and request for comment when these documents become available.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2008. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. This IC is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2008. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and marine mammals.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the planning process.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), proposed in an earlier document to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2008-09 hunting season. This supplement to the proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee and Flyway Council meetings, provides Flyway Council recommendations resulting from their March meetings, and provides regulatory alternatives for the 2008-09 duck hunting seasons.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the technical agency draft revised recovery plan for the Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata). The technical agency draft revised recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be met in order to reclassify this species to threatened status and delist it under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We solicit review and comment on this technical agency draft recovery plan from local, state, and Federal agencies, and the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce that the draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge is available. This draft CCP/EA describes how the Service intends to manage the refuge for the next 15 years. We request public comment.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce our 90-day finding on a petition to reclassify the Argentine population of the broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific and commercial information indicating that the petitioned action of reclassifying the broad-snouted caiman in Argentina from endangered to threatened status under the Act may be warranted. Therefore, we are initiating a status review of the broad-snouted caiman to determine if reclassification of the population in Argentina, as petitioned, is warranted under the Act. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are requesting submission of any new information on the broad-snouted caiman since its original listing as an endangered species in 1976. At the conclusion of our status review, we will make the requisite recommendation under section 4(c)(2)(B) of the Act and issue a 12-month finding on the petition, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuge for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the alternatives, including our proposed action, to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the Final CCP.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of two Incidental Take Permit (ITP) Applications and Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs). Today Homes Development, Inc. (applicant) requests two ITPs for a 1-year duration under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicant anticipates taking approximately 0.38 acre of Florida scrub-jay (Alphelocoma coerulescens)-occupied habitat incidental to construction of two single family homes in Volusia County, Florida (projects). The applicant's HCPs describe the mitigation and minimization measures the applicant proposes to address the effects of the projects to the scrub- jay.

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to add one refuge to the list of areas open for hunting and/or sport fishing programs and increase the activities available at six other refuges for the 2008- 2009 season.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) we, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we intend to gather information necessary to prepare, in coordination with the County of Sacramento (the County), a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR). The EIS/EIR will analyze the environmental effects of the Service's proposed issuance of an incidental take permit under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (ESA), for a habitat conservation plan (HCP) within a portion of south Sacramento County, California. The County, along with their local partners (the cities of Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Galt, the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, and the Sacramento County Water Agency), is facilitating the preparation of the South Sacramento HCP (SSHCP) in compliance with section 10(a)(2) of the ESA. The County and their local partners intend to apply to the Service for a 30-year permit that would authorized the incidental take of 40 species due to ground-disturbing private activities implemented under the SSHCP. The County, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and with 40 CFR 1506.6(b)(3), has published a similar notice of preparation for this EIS/EIR with the State Clearinghouse. We provide this notice to (1) Describe the proposed action and possible alternatives; (2) announce the initiation of a public scoping period, including when and where scoping meetings will be held; (3) advise other interested Federal, State, and local agencies, affected Tribes, and the public of our intent to prepare an EIS/EIR and invite their participation in the scoping process and; (4) obtain suggestions, comments, and useful information from interested parties and other agencies on the range of actions, the significant issues, range of alternatives, and impacts to be considered in the EIS/EIR document. We invite written comments on this notice from any interested party.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the alternative we propose to use to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the Final CCP.

We announce our receipt of applications to conduct certain activities pertaining to enhancement of survival of endangered species.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public of our intent to gather information necessary to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Tehachapi Uplands Multi-species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). Tejon Ranch is preparing the MSHCP to apply for a 50-year incidental take permit under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, (Act). The permit is needed to authorize the incidental take of threatened and endangered species that could occur as a result of activities covered by the plan. The Service provides this notice to (1) describe the proposed action and possible alternatives; (2) advise other Federal and State agencies, affected Tribes, and the public of our intent to prepare an EIS; (3) announce the initiation of a public scoping period; and (4) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be included in the EIS. Similar Notices of Intent were published on June 25, 2004 (69 FR 35663) and March 26, 2008 (73 FR 16052). This notice is being published to clarify the proposed action, to correct a previous ADDRESSES error, and to allow additional public input.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior is issuing public notice of its intent to amend 19 existing Privacy Act systems of records notices to add a new routine use to authorize the disclosure of records to individuals involved in responding to a breach of Federal data.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a meeting of the Lake Champlain Sea Lamprey Control Alternatives Workgroup (Workgroup). The Workgroup's purpose is to provide, in an advisory capacity, recommendations and advice on research and implementation of sea lamprey control techniques alternative to lampricide that are technically feasible, cost effective, and environmentally safe. The primary objective of the meeting will be to discuss potential research initiatives that may enhance alternative sea lamprey control techniques. The meeting is open to the public.

The following permits were issued.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium ridgwayi cactorum) (pygmy-owl) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the pygmy-owl may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review of the species, and we will issue a 12-month finding on our determination as to whether the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review of the pygmy-owl is comprehensive, we are soliciting information and data regarding this species. We will make a determination on critical habitat for this species if and when we initiate a listing action.