Fish and Wildlife Service October 5, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Yamhill County (County) for an incidental take permit (permit) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The County's application requests a 30-year permit that would authorize ``take'' of the endangered Fender's blue butterfly incidental to otherwise lawful activities associated with county road maintenance and prairie habitat management activities. The application includes the County's draft habitat conservation plan (HCP), which describes the actions the County will implement to minimize and mitigate the impacts of incidental take of the Fender's blue butterfly caused by covered activities. We invite public comment on the application and draft HCP, and the Service's draft environmental action statement (EAS) and preliminary determination that the draft HCP qualifies for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).