Fish and Wildlife Service October 13, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Southern Multicapital Corporation (Applicant) requests an incidental take permit (ITP) for a duration of ten years, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Applicant anticipates destroying about 93 acres of occupied Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub-jay) habitat in Section 21, Township 16 South, Range 21 East, Marion County, Florida. Habitat destruction would be expected due to vegetation clearing and the subsequent construction of infrastructure and single-family homes. Up to four scrub-jay families could be taken as a result of the Applicant's proposed actions. This ITP application was previously announced in the Federal Register on June 14, 2005. On July 29, 2005, the Applicant withdrew the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that was part of the application, in order to make modifications. The Service suspended processing the application pending receipt of a modified HCP. The Applicant submitted the current HCP on August 1, 2005. The Applicant's HCP describes the mitigation and minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the proposed project on the scrub-jay. These measures are outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. We announce the availability of the ITP application, HCP, and an environmental assessment. Copies of the application, HCP, and environmental assessment may be obtained by making a request to the Southeast Regional Office (see ADDRESSES). Requests must be in writing to be processed. This notice is provided pursuant to section 10 of the Act and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App), this notice announces a meeting of the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG). The TAMWG affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council. Primary objectives of the meeting will include: History of restoration efforts on the Trinity River; Introduction to the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP); TAMWG priorities, procedures, organization, operations and interaction with other TRRP entities; and status of wildlife in TRRP policy and budget. Completion of the agenda is dependent on the amount of time each item takes. The meeting could end early if the agenda has been completed. The meeting is open to the public.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment is available for the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Sherman, Texas. We prepared this CCP pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966, as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997(16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.), and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4370d), and we describe how the Service intends to manage this Refuge over the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating critical habitat for the Arkansas River Basin population of the Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 856 kilometers (532 miles) of linear distance of rivers, including 91.4 meters (300 feet) of adjacent riparian areas measured laterally from each bank are included within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. The areas that we have determined to possess the features that are essential to the conservation of the Arkansas River shiner include portions of the Canadian River (often referred to as the South Canadian River) in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, the Beaver/North Canadian River in Oklahoma, and the Cimarron River in Kansas and Oklahoma, and the Arkansas River in Kansas. As presented in the proposed rule, we have excluded from this designation all previously designated critical habitat in the Beaver/North Canadian River in Oklahoma and the Arkansas River in Kansas under authority of section 4(b)(2) of the Act. In addition, we have excluded all previously proposed critical habitat in Unit 1a of the Canadian River in New Mexico and Texas and a portion of Unit 1b in Texas and Oklahoma under authority of section 4(b)(2) of the Act.