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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Davis and Davis Farms (applicant) for an Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental take permit (ITP) in association with the Douglas County Multiple Species General Conservation Plan (GCP). The applicant agrees to implement conservation measures consistent with the GCP that will minimize and mitigate the impacts of the taking on the Columbia Basin distinct population segment of the pygmy rabbit, the greater sage-grouse, the Washington ground squirrel, and the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Covered activities include dryland farming of wheat and horse grazing on the Davis and Davis farm in Douglas County, Washington. We invite the public to review and comment on the permit application and associated documents.

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 with revisions.

Under the Endangered Species Act, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on a federally listed American burying beetle incidental take permit (ITP) application. The applicant anticipates American burying beetle take as a result of impacts to Oklahoma habitat the species uses for breeding, feeding, and sheltering. The take would be incidental to the applicant's activities associated with oil and gas well field and pipeline infrastructure (gathering, transmission, and distribution), including geophysical exploration (seismic), construction, maintenance, operation, repair, decommissioning, and reclamation. If approved, the permit would be issued under the approved American Burying Beetle Amended Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan (ICP) Endangered Species Act Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit Issuance in Oklahoma.

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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from Canyon Mesa Solar, LLC for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act. The requested permit would authorize take of the Mojave desert tortoise resulting from the construction, operation, and maintenance of a solar photovoltaic facility in Pahrump, Nevada. The permit application includes a proposed low-effect habitat conservation plan (HCP). In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we have prepared a draft low- effect screening form supporting our preliminary determination that the proposed action qualifies as a categorical exclusion under NEPA. We are accepting comments on the permit application, proposed low-effect HCP, and draft NEPA compliance documentation.

In 2018, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) received a petition for rulemaking, which asks the Service to revise the existing rules pertaining to the religious use of federally protected bird feathers. The Service published the petition in the Federal Register for public comment pursuant to the terms of a settlement agreement entered into in 2016 by the United States with McAllen Grace Brethren Church et al. Today's action extends the comment period for 15 days.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability for public review and comment of 29 draft recovery plan revisions, which update recovery criteria for 43 endangered or threatened species located in 16 States (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas), two unincorporated territories (the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the French West Indies, and Mexico. We are updating recovery criteria to better assist in determining when an endangered species has recovered to the point that it may be reclassified as threatened, or that the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), are no longer necessary and the species may be removed from the Act's protections. We request review of these draft recovery plan revisions and invite comments from local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to open seven National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) that are currently closed to hunting and sport fishing. In addition, we propose to expand hunting and sport fishing at 67 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 propose to formally open 15 units of the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHs) to hunting and sport fishing. We also propose to add pertinent station-specific regulations that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing at these 15 NFHs for the 2019-2020 season. This proposed rule includes global administrative updates to every NWR entry in our refuge-specific regulations and the reorganization of general public use regulations. We propose to 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 propose to 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 propose to amend certain provisions of the regulations specific to Alaska NWRs. The proposed amendments include the removal of the regulations concerning same-day airborne hunting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to amend the depredation order that allows take of resident Canada geese at agricultural facilities by authorized personnel between May 1 and August 31. This time period is too restrictive in portions of the Atlantic Flyway where specific crops are now being planted and depredated prior to May 1. Under this proposal, we would allow take of resident Canada geese at agricultural facilities in the Atlantic Flyway States of Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia between April 1 and August 31.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a joint draft environmental impact statement and draft environmental impact report (draft EIS/EIR) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1967, as amended. We also announce receipt of applications for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and receipt of a draft habitat conservation plan and natural community conservation plan. The National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are cooperating agencies on the draft EIS/EIR.

In 2005, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or ``we'') published a final environmental impact statement on management of resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis) that documented resident Canada goose population levels ``that are increasingly coming into conflict with people and causing personal and public property damage.'' Subsequently, the Service implemented several actions intended to reduce, manage, and control resident Canada goose populations in the continental United States and to reduce related damages; those actions included depredation and control orders that allow destruction of Canada goose nests and eggs by authorized personnel between March 1 and June 30. However, some resident Canada geese currently initiate nests in February, particularly in the southern United States, and it seems likely that in the future nest initiation dates will begin earlier and hatching of eggs will perhaps end later than dates currently experienced. This final rule amends the depredation and control orders to allow destruction of resident Canada goose nests and eggs at any time of year.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

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 with revisions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC), in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The SFBPC's purpose is to advise the Secretary of the Interior, through the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, on aquatic conservation endeavors that benefit recreational resources and recreational boating and that encourage partnerships among industry, the public, and the government.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Astragalus magdalenae var. peirsonii (Peirson's milk-vetch) for public review and comment. The draft recovery plan includes objective, measurable criteria, and site- specific management actions as may be necessary to ameliorate threats such that the species can be removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in accordance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), provide a list to the public of permits issued under the ESA. With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits take of listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that authorizes or exempts the taking under the ESA. We provide this list to the public as a summary of our permit issuances for candidate conservation agreements with assurances, safe harbor agreements, and habitat conservation plans for calendar year 2018, and for recovery permits issued between July 1, 2017, and December 31, 2018.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a final environmental impact statement (EIS) and a final habitat conservation plan (HCP) addressing the Skookumchuck Wind Energy Project (project) in Lewis and Thurston Counties, Washington. The Skookumchuck Wind Energy Project LLC (applicant) is requesting an incidental take permit (ITP) covering the take of one threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act, and two non-listed federally protected species (collectively referred to as covered species) likely to be caused by the operation of the project over a 30- year period. The HCP describes the steps the applicant will take to minimize, mitigate, and monitor incidental take of the covered species. The final EIS has been prepared in response to the ITP application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act.

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, 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an enhancement of survival (EOS) permit application from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The requested permit would authorize the incidental take of the island marble butterfly, proposed for listing as endangered, should the species become federally listed under the ESA. The permit application includes a proposed candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) that describes the habitat management actions that will be taken for the conservation of the island marble butterfly. We announce the availability of a draft environmental action statement addressing the CCAA and proposed permit. We invite the public to review and comment on the documents.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently published a proposal to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, and we announced the opening of a 60-day public comment period on the proposed action, ending May 14, 2019. We now extend the public comment period 60 days to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. In addition, we will provide public-hearing information through the Federal Register in the near future.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the City of Groveland, Florida (applicant), to amend an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act. The 10-year ITP authorizes take of the federally listed sand skink incidental to the construction of a fire station and parking lot in Lake County, Florida. We request public comment on the application and on our preliminary determination that the proposed amendment of the habitat conservation plan (HCP) qualifies as ``low-effect'' under the National Environmental Policy Act. 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, 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.