Fish and Wildlife Service September 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) have jointly developed a final environmental impact statement (FEIS), which analyzes the WDNR's proposal to amend the 1997 State Trust Lands Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to include a long-term conservation strategy (LTCS) for the federally listed marbled murrelet. This FEIS is intended to satisfy both the National Environmental Policy Act and the State Environmental Policy Act. The WDNR has requested an amendment to its existing incidental take permit (ITP) under section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. The proposed ITP amendment would allow the WDNR to implement a LTCS, and would replace the interim conservation strategy for the marbled murrelet, which is currently being implemented under the HCP. If approved, the LTCS is expected to be in place for the remainder of the ITP term, which is approximately 50 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application for a permit to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on this application. Before issuing the requested permit, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from M-Gopher, LLC, for an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The ITP would authorize ``take'' of the Yelm subspecies of the Mazama pocket gopher, incidental to otherwise lawful activities during construction of a single-family home in Thurston County, Washington. The application includes a habitat conservation plan (HCP) with measures to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the taking of the Yelm pocket gopher. We have also prepared a draft environmental action statement (EAS) that includes our preliminary determination that the ITP decision may be eligible for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act. We provide this notice to open a public comment period and to invite comments from all interested parties regarding the above-referenced documents.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the comment periods on our August 6, 2013, proposed rules to list Graham's beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River beardtongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis) as threatened species throughout their ranges and to designate critical habitat for these two plant species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the comment period for 30 days to give all interested parties further opportunity to comment on the proposed rules. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they are already incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the final rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), open seven National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) that are currently closed to hunting and sport fishing. In addition, we expand hunting and sport fishing at 70 other NWRs, and add pertinent station-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2019-2020 season. We also formally open 15 units of the National Fish Hatchery System to hunting and sport fishing. We also add pertinent station-specific regulations that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing at these 15 National Fish Hatcheries (NFHs) for the 2019-2020 season. This rule includes global administrative updates to every NWR entry in our refuge-specific regulations and the reorganization of general public use regulations. We remove approximately 2,100 regulations that will have no impact on the administration of hunting and sport fishing within the National Wildlife Refuge System. We also simplify over 2,900 refuge-specific regulations to comply with a Presidential mandate to adhere to plain language standards and to reduce the regulatory burden on the public. Lastly, we remove the provision concerning same-day airborne hunting of the regulations specific to Alaska NWRs.

In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Black Rock Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) have prepared a joint Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice are announcing the beginning of the availability of the Final EIS. The BLM is the lead agency in development of the Final EIS and has evaluated Hycroft Resource and Development, Inc.'s (HRDI's) request for the proposed expansion of their operations at the existing Hycroft Mine. The USFWS is a coordinating agency with the BLM on the development of this EIS and has evaluated the applicant's Eagle Conservation Plan (ECP), which describes HRDI's request to remove inactive (i.e., outside the nesting season) eagle nests and for a 30-year incidental take permit for golden eagles under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce 90- day findings on three petitions to add species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), or to revise the critical habitat designation for a listed species. Based on our review, we find that of the two petitions to add species to the list, one presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this document, we announce that we plan to initiate a review of the status of Mojave poppy bee (Perdita meconis) to determine whether the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding that species. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month petition finding, which will address whether or not the petitioned action is warranted, in accordance with the Act. We find that the second petition to add a species to the list does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we are not initiating a status review of Yellowstone National Park bison (population of Bison bison bison) in response to the petition. We refer to this finding as a ``not substantial'' petition finding. Lastly, we find that the third petitiona petition to revise the critical habitat designation for the currently listed Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we announce that we plan to determine how we will proceed with the request to revise a critical habitat designation for the species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year reviews under the Endangered Species Act, as amended (ESA), for seven northeastern species. A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of any such information that has become available since the previous 5-year review for each species.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from the City of Highland (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally endangered San Bernardino kangaroo rat incidental to construction in San Bernardino County, California. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and the Service's preliminary determination that this HCP qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically excluded under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which is also available for review.