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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request from Hilcorp Alaska, LLC, Harvest Alaska, LLC, and the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, propose to issue regulations authorizing the nonlethal, incidental take by harassment of small numbers of northern sea otters in State and Federal waters (Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf) within Cook Inlet, Alaska, as well as all adjacent rivers, estuaries, and coastal lands. Take may result from oil and gas exploration, development, production, and transportation activities occurring for a period of 5 years. This proposed rule would authorize take by harassment only; no lethal take would be authorized. If this rule is finalized, we will issue Letters of Authorization, upon request, for specific proposed activities in accordance with the regulations. We intend that any final action resulting from this proposed rule will be as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, we request comments on these proposed regulations. We have also submitted a request for revision of existing Information Collection 1018-0070 to the Office of Management and Budget for approval.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), make available the draft environmental assessment and habitat conservation plan for development of a 724-acre property in Bexar County, Texas. The Davis McCrary Property Trust has applied to the Service for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The requested ITP would authorize incidental take of the federally endangered golden-cheeked warbler that could result from activities associated with otherwise lawful activities, including commercial and residential development on the property as a result of vegetation clearing, earth-moving activities, and construction of structures.

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, are proposing to renew an information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of an amended environmental assessment, under the National Environmental Policy Act, that evaluates the impacts of a 5-year extension of the Oil and Gas Industry Conservation Plan (ICP) for incidental take of the federally listed American burying beetle resulting from oil and gas industry activities. The ICP Planning Area consists of 45 counties in Oklahoma. Individual oil and gas companies would continue to apply for Endangered Species Act permits for incidental take and agree to comply with the terms and conditions of the ICP.

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.

The United States, as a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), will attend the eighteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP18) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 23 to June 3, 2019. Currently, the United States is developing its negotiating positions on proposed resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the CITES Appendices (species proposals), as well as other agenda items that have been submitted by other Parties, the permanent CITES committees, and the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP18. With this notice we announce the provisional agenda for CoP18, solicit your comments on the items on the provisional agenda, and announce a public meeting to discuss the items on the provisional agenda.

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 revise an information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine the northern subspecies of scarlet macaw (Ara macao cyanoptera) is an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended; the northern distinct population segment (DPS) of the southern subspecies of scarlet macaw (A. m. macao) is a threatened species under the Act, and the southern DPS of the southern subspecies of scarlet macaw (A. m. macao) and subspecies crosses (A. m. cyanoptera and A. m. macao) to be threatened species based on similarity of appearance. We are also establishing a rule pursuant to section 4(d) of the Act for the A. m. macao subspecies and subspecies crosses to provide for its further conservation.

This notice advises the public that Jennifer and Jonathan Eden and RPH Comptche Property LLC (two separate applicants) have each applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an enhancement of survival (EOS) permit under the Endangered Species Act. If granted, either or both EOS permits would be in effect for a 40-year period in Mendocino County, California, and would authorize take of the northern spotted owl that is likely to occur incidental to managing the timber on their properties under periodic (approximately 10-year harvest intervals) uneven-aged forestry management practices of single-tree and group selection. The documents available for review and comment are the applicants' safe harbor agreements and our draft environmental action statements and low-effect screening forms, which support categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act. We invite comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce receipt of an application from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MADFW) to amend its Habitat Conservation Plan For Piping Plover for unavoidable take of the federally listed threatened Atlantic Coast piping plover incidental to otherwise lawful activities, specifically recreational activities and beach operations on piping plover breeding beaches in Massachusetts. We are making available the draft amendment, MADFW's application, and our draft Finding of No Significant Impact under the National Environmental Policy Act that evaluates the impacts on the human environment associated with the proposed amendment. We provide this notice to seek comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the Haleakala Ranch Company (the Ranch) for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The permit application includes a draft Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) between the Ranch, the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), and the Service. Implementation of the proposed SHA is intended to benefit the recovery of the nene (Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis) on 3,056 acres of privately-owned Ranch land on the island of Maui. The proposed SHA conservation measures on the Ranch include nene habitat improvement and maintenance, establishment and maintenance of a nene release pen, and control of predators. The activities implemented under this SHA will aid in increasing the current range of the covered species, restoring this species to part of its historic range, and increasing the total population of the species, thus contributing to its overall recovery. The Service is making the permit application, including the proposed SHA, and the NEPA environmental action statement for categorical exclusion available for public review and invites comments, including the submission of written data.

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, 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.

Under the Endangered Species Act, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on federally listed American Burying Beetle incidental take permit (ITP) applications. The applicants anticipate 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 applicants' 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 permits 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 Fish and Wildlife Service, announce receipt of an application for the renewal of an existing incidental take permit (ITP). The applicants are requesting a 5-year renewal of their existing 2-year ITP under the Endangered Species Act. The existing ITP expired on June 6, 2018. If granted, the renewed ITP would extend authorization for take of the federally threatened sand skink and blue-tailed mole skink (skinks) incidental to the construction of a single-family residential development located in Osceola County, Florida. The co- applicants are JKAF Investments, LLC, and Kathryn Kendrick Davidow Trust. We request public comments on the permit application, the habitat conservation plan (HCP), and our preliminary determination that this HCP qualifies as low effect under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which is 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.

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 (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).

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.

This proposed rule would establish regulations for hunting and trapping seasons, harvest limits, and methods and means related to taking of wildlife for subsistence uses during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 regulatory years. The Federal Subsistence Board is on a schedule of completing the process of revising subsistence taking of wildlife regulations in even-numbered years and subsistence taking of fish and shellfish regulations in odd-numbered years; public proposal and review processes take place during the preceding year. The Board also addresses customary and traditional use determinations during the applicable cycle. When final, the resulting rulemaking will replace the existing subsistence wildlife taking regulations. This rule would also amend the general regulations on subsistence taking of fish and wildlife.