Fish and Wildlife Service November 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

This notice advises the public that we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), have prepared a draft environmental impact statement and environmental impact report (DEIS/R) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1967, as amended (NEPA), and its implementing regulations. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are cooperating agencies on the DEIS/R. This notice also announces the receipt of applications for 50-year incidental take permits under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The applicants prepared the Draft Butte Regional Conservation Plan (Draft Plan, or BRCP) pursuant to the Act and the California Natural Community Conservation Planning Act of 2002 (NCCPA). The permits are needed to authorize the incidental take of 39 covered species that could result from activities covered under the proposed Draft Plan. We also announce meetings and invite comments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered or threatened species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activities. Both the Act and the National Environmental Policy Act require that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) requires the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to review the maps of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) at least once every 5 years and make any minor and technical modifications to the boundaries of the CBRS as are necessary to reflect changes that have occurred in the size or location of any CBRS unit as a result of natural forces. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has conducted this review and has prepared draft revised maps for all of the CBRS units in Alabama, all units in Florida (except for one unit that was remapped in 2014), all units in Georgia, several units in Louisiana, all units in Michigan, the only unit in Minnesota, all units in Mississippi, all units in the Great Lakes region of New York, all units in Ohio, and all units in Wisconsin. The draft maps were produced by the Service as part of a CBRS ``digital conversion'' project that is done in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This notice announces the findings of the Service's review and request for comments on the draft revised maps from Federal, State, and local officials.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), make available the draft National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) screening form and draft San Rafael Ranch low-effect habitat conservation plan (dHCP). The San Rafael Cattle Company (applicant) has applied to the Service for an incidental take permit (ITP, TE12133A-0) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If approved, the ITP would be in force for a period of 30 years, and would authorize incidental take of three species currently listed under the Act, and one species that may become listed under the Act. The proposed incidental take would occur as a result of specified actions conducted under the authority of the San Rafael Cattle Company. This is the second notice regarding the dHCP. An earlier notice of Availability was published on July 22, 2010 (75 FR 35504). After that notice was published, processing of the permit application was suspended by mutual agreement of the San Rafael Cattle Company and the Service.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

This rule revises the list of nonrural areas in Alaska identified by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board). Only residents of areas that are rural are eligible to participate in the Federal Subsistence Management Program on public lands in Alaska. Based on a Secretarial review of the rural determination process, and the subsequent change in the regulations governing this process, the Board is revising the current nonrural determinations to the list that existed prior to 2007. Accordingly, the community of Saxman and the area of Prudhoe Bay will be removed from the nonrural list. The following areas continue to be nonrural, but their boundaries will return to their original borders: the Kenai Area; the Wasilla/Palmer area; the Homer area; and the Ketchikan area.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has issued letters of authorization for the nonlethal take of polar bears and Pacific walrus incidental to oil and gas industry exploration, development, and production activities in the Beaufort Sea and the adjacent northern coast of Alaska and incidental to oil and gas industry exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and the adjacent western coast of Alaska. These letters of authorization stipulate conditions and methods that minimize impacts to polar bears and Pacific walrus from these activities. These letters of authorization are available electronically at the following location: https://www.fws.gov/ alaska/fisheries/mmm/itr.htm.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received, from Roseburg Resources Company (RRC) and Oxbow Timber I, LLC (Oxbow), an application for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) for the federally threatened northern spotted owl under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The permit application includes a draft safe harbor agreement (SHA) addressing access to RRC and Oxbow lands for the survey and removal of barred owls as part of the Service's Barred Owl Removal Experiment in Lane County, Oregon. The Service also announces the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that has been prepared in response to the permit application in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We are making the permit application, including the draft HCP and the draft EA, available for public review and comment.