Fish and Wildlife Service October 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, intend to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to consider potential impacts on the human environment from the proposed issuance of an incidental take permit (permit) and required implementation of a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is proposing to apply for the permit for take of the American burying beetle associated with the construction, operation, and maintenance of the R-Project Transmission Line in north-central Nebraska. The American burying beetle is federally listed as an endangered species. We provide this notice to (1) describe the proposed action; (2) advise other Federal and State agencies, potentially affected tribes, and the public of our intent to prepare an DEIS; (3) announce the initiation of a 60-day public scoping period; and (4) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues and possible alternatives to be included in the DEIS. The intended effect of this notice is to gather information from the public for consideration when developing alternatives to the proposed action that will avoid, minimize, and mitigate the effects of incidental take to the maximum extent practicable and to address other potential impacts to the human environment.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a proposed rule and a 12-month finding on a petition to list the African lion (Panthera leo leo) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the subspecies Panthera leo leo as threatened is warranted, and we propose to list the subspecies as threatened. We are also proposing a rule under section 4(d) of the Act to provide for conservation measures for the African lion. To ensure that subsequent rulemaking resulting from this proposed rule is as accurate and effective as possible, we are soliciting information from the scientific community; other governmental agencies, including those within the range of the African lion; nongovernmental organizations; the public; and any other interested parties.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

We (U.S. 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 January 31, 2015. 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, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

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 a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from RE Barren Ridge 1 LLC, a subsidiary of Recurrent Energy LLC (applicant), for a 40-year incidental take permit (permit). The Service, in cooperation and coordination with the applicant, has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the applicant's permit application and proposed RE Cinco Solar Facility Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), as required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If approved, the permit would authorize incidental take for the federally threatened desert tortoise, associated with construction, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of a photovoltaic solar facility in the County of Kern.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list Trichomanes punctatum ssp. floridanum (Florida bristle fern), a plant subspecies from Miami-Dade and Sumter Counties in Florida, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this plant and add this plant to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened status for the straight-horned markhor (Capra falconeri megaceros), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are also publishing a concurrent rule under section 4(d) of the Act. This rule protects and conserves the straight-horned markhor, while encouraging local communities to conserve additional populations of the straight-horned markhor through sustainable-use management programs.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the western distinct population segment (DPS) of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), a species located from the western portions of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This final rule implements the Federal protections provided by the Act for this DPS.