Fish and Wildlife Service April 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) 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, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received applications from William Menchine and Alicia Stanton and the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (applicants) for incidental take permits under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are considering issuing permits that would authorize the applicants' take of the Federally endangered Mount Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla barbata) incidental to otherwise lawful activities that would result in the permanent loss of 0.05 acre (2,182 square feet (sq ft)) of Mount Hermon June beetle habitat near Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California. We invite comments from the public on the applications, which include Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) that fully describe the proposed projects and measures the applicants would undertake to minimize and mitigate anticipated take of the species. We also invite comments on our preliminary determination that the HCPs qualify as ``low-effect'' plans, eligible for categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. We explain the basis for this determination in our draft Environmental Action Statements and associated Low-Effect Screening Forms, both of which are also available for review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental assessment (EA) for Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In this final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce our adoption of a representation logo for the Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center (NCTC, Center) in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. We will use this new logo as the Center's official graphic representation, for the specific purpose of providing a unified, consistent visual image for the Center's training products and other items, including course materials, hospitality products, artwork, and other promotional materials that identify the Center and support its mission.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list Susan's purse-making caddisfly (Ochrotrichia susanae) as endangered and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing Susan's purse-making caddisfly is not warranted at this time. However, we ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the threats to the Susan's purse-making caddisfly or its habitat at any time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the Attwater's Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) Recovery Plan, Second Revision. A recovery plan was originally completed for the Attwater's prairie-chicken in 1983 and revised in 1993.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the harlequin butterfly (Atlantea tulita), a butterfly endemic to Puerto Rico, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and to designate critical habitat. Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the harlequin butterfly may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the harlequin butterfly is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying the federally endangered Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) to threatened status under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This decision is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the species' status has improved to the point that the Oregon chub is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announced in our 12-month finding on a petition to list the mountain whitefish (Prosopium williamsoni) in the Big Lost River, Idaho, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), that listing was not warranted. Our finding published in the Federal Register on April 6, 2010, but two figures were omitted from the document. We now provide those two figures.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Todd and Lisa Mansfield (applicants) for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are considering issuing a permit that would authorize the applicants' take of the federally endangered Mount Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla barbata) incidental to otherwise lawful activities that would result in the permanent loss of 483 square feet of habitat for the species in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, California. We invite comments from the public on the application, which includes a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that fully describes the proposed project and measures the applicants would undertake to minimize and mitigate anticipated take of the species. We also invite comments on our preliminary determination that the HCP qualifies as a ``low- effect'' plan, eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. We explain the basis for this determination in our draft Environmental Action Statement and associated Low-Effect Screening Form, both of which are also available for review.

In accordance with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the public to comment on applications for permits to conduct enhancement of survival activities with endangered species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list a distinct population segment (DPS) of the fisher (Martes pennanti) in its Northern Rocky Mountain (NRM) range, including portions of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, as endangered or threatened and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing a DPS of fisher in the NRMs of the United States may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the fisher in the NRMs of the United States is warranted. To ensure that this status review is complete, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species or DPS. Based on the status review, we will

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (Act) prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

The following applicants have applied for scientific research permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Act requires that we invite public comment on these permit applications.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibit activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA laws require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on our June 10, 2009, proposed revised designation of critical habitat for Navarretia fossalis (spreading navarretia). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA); revisions to proposed critical habitat, including proposed revisions to eight subunits based on the previous public comment period; and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment on all of the above. If you submitted comments previously, you do not need to resubmit them because we have already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them in our final determination.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status for 48 species on the island of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also designate 26,582 acres (ac) (10,757 hectares (ha)) of critical habitat for 47 of these species. The critical habitat is located in Kauai County, Hawaii. Critical habitat designation was determined to be not prudent for one species, Pritchardia hardyi (a palm), which is threatened by over collection and vandalism.

This notice announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for Authorization for Incidental Take and Implementation of Stanford University Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan), and the Implementing Agreement (IA) for public review and comment. In response to receipt of an application from The Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford; Applicant), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service (Services), are considering the proposed action of issuing a 50-year permit for four federally listed species and one currently unlisted species. The proposed permit would authorize the incidental take of individual species listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The permit is needed because take of species could occur during the operation and maintenance of the University, academic activities, athletic and recreational activities, leasehold activities, urban development, and resource conservation activities associated with the Plan at Stanford, which is located on 8,180-acres in San Mateo County and Santa Clara County, California.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 15 species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We conduct these reviews to ensure that the classification of species as threatened or endangered on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is accurate. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), published a final rule to designate critical habitat for the Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), on March 10, 2010. We are publishing several corrections to that final rule in this document.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to reclassify the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that reclassifying the delta smelt from a threatened to an endangered species is warranted, but precluded by other higher priority listing actions. We will develop a proposed rule to reclassify this species as our priorities allow.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the approved recovery plan for the scaleshell mussel (Leptodea leptodon). The endangered scaleshell mussel is now consistently found in only the Meramec, Bourbeuse, and Gasconade Rivers in Missouri. This plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to achieve removal of the species from the protections of the Endangered Species Act (Act).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the initiation of a 5-year status review for the spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri), a bird species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We conduct 5-year reviews to ensure that our classification of each species as threatened or endangered on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is accurate. We request any new information on this species that may have a bearing on its classification as threatened. Based on the results of this 5-year review, we will make a finding on whether this species is properly classified under the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list a stonefly (Isoperla jewetti) and a mayfly (Fallceon eatoni) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Based on our review, we find that the petition does not present substantial information indicating that listing either of the species may be warranted at this time. However, we ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of, or threats to, the stonefly or the mayfly or their habitat at any time.