Fish and Wildlife Service August 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan (Plan), along with the Implementing Agreement (IA), for review. The EIS was updated to address the comments received on the 2010 Draft EIS. We are considering issuing an incidental take permit for 18 species in response to applications from the County of Santa Clara; Cities of San Jose, Gilroy, and Morgan Hill; Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and Santa Clara Valley Water District (applicants). The applicants are currently in the process of creating a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to implement the Plan. Following its formation, the Service anticipates that the applicants will submit an application to the Service to amend the section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit to add the JPA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we, in coordination with our planning partners, intend to prepare the Midwest Wind Energy Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The planning partners are currently considering for inclusion in the MSHCP certain species that are federally listed, as well as other species likely to become listed, within the eight-State planning area. Planning partners in this effort include the conservation agencies for the eight states, The Conservation Fund, and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). We provide this notice to (1) Describe the proposal; (2) advise other Federal and State agencies, potentially affected tribal interests, and the public of our intent to prepare the MSHCP; (3) seek public input, suggestions, and information on any issues pertaining to this planning process; (4) and to seek public input on what the permit area should be within the eight-State planning area.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Platte River caddisfly (Ironoquia plattensis) as an endangered or threatened species 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 the Platte River caddisfly as an endangered or threatened species 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 Platte River caddisfly or its habitat at any time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge, NWR) for public review and comment. In this draft CCP/ EA we describe how we propose to manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. We summarize the ICR below and describe the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. This information collection is scheduled to expire on September 30, 2012. 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 a 90-day finding on a petition to list Mimulus gemmiparus (Rocky Mountain monkeyflower; also known as budding monkeyflower, or Weber's monkeyflower) as an endangered or threatened species throughout its entire range and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). For the purposes of this document, we will refer to Mimulus gemmiparus as Rocky Mountain monkeyflower. Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing Rocky Mountain monkeyflower may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we will be initiating a review of the status of the species to determine whether listing Rocky Mountain monkeyflower is warranted. To ensure that this 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-month finding on the petition, which will address whether the petitioned action is warranted, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act. We will make a determination on critical habitat for this species if and when we initiate a listing action.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Bay skipper (Euphyes bayensis) as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and to designate critical habitat. After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Bay skipper 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 Bay skipper or its habitat at any time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Great Lakes Islands National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) for public review and comment. The group of five national wildlife refuges includes Gravel Island and Green Bay National Wildlife Refuges, Door County, Wisconsin; Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge, Chippewa County, Michigan; Huron National Wildlife Refuge, Marquette County, Michigan; and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Charlevoix, Arenac, and Alpena Counties, Michigan. In this draft CCP/EA we describe how we propose to manage these refuges for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the ``Services'' or ``we''), propose to revise our regulations pertaining to impact analyses conducted for designations of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (the Act). These changes are being proposed as directed by the President's February 28, 2012, memorandum, which directed us to take prompt steps to revise our regulations to provide that the economic analysis be completed and made available for public comment at the time of publication of a proposed rule to designate critical habitat.

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 also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the 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 for Laguna Cartagena National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Lajas, Puerto Rico. In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.

On August 15, 2012, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published a notice announcing the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and an environmental assessment (EA) for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for managing the Texas Mid-Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex for the next 15 years. In that notice, we gave an incorrect comment-period end date. We are now republishing the notice with the correct date. If you already submitted a comment, you need not resubmit it.

The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council (TMC). The TMC interprets and recommends policy, coordinates and reviews management actions, and provides organizational budget oversight. This notice announces a TAMWG meeting, which is open to the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge, NWR) for public review and comment. In this draft CCP/EA we describe how we propose to manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the jaguar (Panthera onca) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, we propose to designate as critical habitat approximately 339,220 hectares (838,232 acres) in Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties, Arizona, and Hidalgo County, New Mexico.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list as endangered the Gierisch mallow and propose critical habitat for the species under the Endangered Species Act. This action is being taken as the result of a court-approved settlement agreement. These are proposed regulations, and if finalized, the effect of these regulations will be to add the species to the List of Endangered or Threatened Plants and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act.

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) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list as endangered and propose critical habitat for six west Texas aquatic invertebrate species under the Endangered Species Act. These actions are being taken as the result of a court-approved settlement agreement. These are proposed regulations, and if finalized the effect of these regulations will be to conserve the species and protect their habitat under the Endangered Species Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and an environmental assessment (EA) for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for managing the Texas Mid-Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex for the next 15 years. The Complex, which includes Brazoria, San Bernard, and Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs), is located approximately 50 miles south of Houston, Texas.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received two applications for incidental take permits (ITP). Reed Motors, Inc. and Clermont Land Development, LLC each request a 5-year ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We request public comment on the permit applications and accompanying proposed habitat conservation plans (HCPs), as well as on our preliminary determination that the plans qualify as low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, 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 the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (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 (Service), are extending the comment period on our proposed rule to, among other things, list 38 species on the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai, Lanai, and Maui as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and designate critical habitat on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Kahoolawe for 135 species. We made the proposed rule available for public comment on June 11, 2012.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered or threatened species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Presquile National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. Presquile NWR is located in Chesterfield County, Virginia, and is administered by staff at Eastern Virginia Rivers NWR Complex. The draft CCP/EA describes two alternatives for managing Presquile NWR for the next 15 years. Alternative B is identified as the Service-preferred alternative. Also available for public review and comment are the draft compatibility determinations, which are included as appendix B in the draft CCP/EA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on petitions to list the Spring Mountains dark blue butterflies (Euphilotes ancilla purpura and Euphilotes ancilla cryptica) and Morand's checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia morandi) as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and to designate critical habitat. Based on our review, we find that the petition requesting listing of the Morand's checkerspot butterfly does not present substantial information indicating that listing that species may be warranted. In addition, based on our review, we find that the petition requesting listing of the two Spring Mountains dark blue butterflies presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing these species may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we will initiate status reviews of the two Spring Mountains dark blue butterflies to determine whether listing is warranted. To ensure that these status reviews are comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding these two subspecies. Based on these status reviews, we will issue a 12-month finding on the petition, which will address whether the petitioned action is warranted, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.