Fish and Wildlife Service July 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our May 22, 2019, proposed rule to list the Carolina madtom (Noturus furiosus) as an endangered species and the Neuse River waterdog (Necturus lewisi) as a threatened species with a section 4(d) rule, and to designate critical habitat for both species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In this document, we present revisions to the section 4(d) rule language and to the critical habitat designation we proposed for the Neuse River waterdog on May 22, 2019. We now propose to designate a total of 779 miles (1,254 kilometers) as critical habitat for the Neuse River waterdog across 18 units within portions of 18 counties in North Carolina. This amounts to an increase of 41 miles (66 kilometers) in the proposed critical habitat designation for that species. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties the opportunity to comment on the May 22, 2019, proposed rule, as well as the revisions described in this document. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from the County of San Diego (County) to amend its existing incidental take permit for the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) County of San Diego Subarea Plan (Subarea Plan) for Otay Ranch Village 14 and Planning Areas 16 and 19. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, we are making available the draft amendment and draft environmental assessment, which 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), again revise our previous proposal to designate critical habitat for slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). In total, approximately 17,049 hectares (ha) (42,129 acres (ac)) in Ada, Elmore, Gem, Payette, and Owyhee Counties in Idaho fall within the boundaries of the revised proposed critical habitat designation. If we finalize this revised rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species' critical habitat. We are proposing changes to our previous critical habitat proposal for slickspot peppergrass based on new information available on the current condition of slickspot peppergrass occurrences, as well as use of an alternative method for mapping critical habitat for the species that more precisely includes areas that provide the physical and biological features essential to the conservation of the species. The effect of the revised proposed critical habitat would be to conserve slickspot peppergrass and its habitat under the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA), prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Susan Sorrells (applicant) for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) under the Endangered Species Act. The application includes a draft safe harbor agreement (SHA) to facilitate reintroduction and recovery of the federally endangered Amargosa vole on non-Federal land in California. We have prepared a draft environmental action statement (EAS) for our preliminary determination that the SHA and permit decision may be eligible for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act. We invite the public to review and comment on the permit application, draft SHA, and the draft EAS.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, intend to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) on a proposed candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) that will support an application for an enhancement of survival permit under the Endangered Species Act. The potential permit would cover the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) in six Texas counties. The CCAA would cover oil and gas exploration and development, sand mining, renewable energy development and operations, pipeline construction and operations, agricultural activities, general construction activities, and the conservation, research, and monitoring activities that are integral to meeting the CCAA net conservation benefit standard. The intended effect of this notice is to gather information from the public to develop and analyze the effects of the potential issuance of the permit, which would facilitate economic activities in the planning area, while providing a net conservation benefit to the dunes sagebrush lizard. We provide this notice to describe the proposed action, advise other Federal and State agencies, potentially affected tribal interests, and the public of our intent to prepare an EA, announce the initiation of a 30-day public scoping period, and obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues and possible alternatives to be included in the EA.

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 Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seek nominations for membership on the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (Council). This is a reopening of the call for nominations published in the Federal Register on March 5, 2020. The Council reports to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to provide recommendations regarding the establishment and implementation of conservation endeavors that benefit wildlife resources; encourage partnership among the public, sporting conservation organizations, and Federal, State, Tribal, and territorial governments; and benefit recreational hunting and recreational shooting sports.

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, published a document in the April 30, 2020, Federal Register that provided a list of permits issued under the Endangered Species Act. We inadvertently made unsubstantive errors, which we correct via this notice.