Fish and Wildlife Service February 8, 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the final environmental impact statement (EIS), final habitat conservation plan (HCP), and associated documents for the R- Project transmission line in north-central Nebraska. The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) applied for an incidental take permit for take of the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus), which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended. The permit would authorize take likely to result from the construction, operation, and maintenance of the transmission line. The HCP describes the applicant's actions and required measures to minimize, mitigate, and monitor incidental take. The final EIS analyzes the effects of authorizing the take and implementation of the HCP on the natural and human environment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).