[Federal Register: January 22, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 14)]
[Notices]               
[Page 3540]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22ja99-98]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Notice of 
Availability and Opening of Comment Period for an Environmental 
Assessment/Habitat Conservation Plan and Receipt of an Application for 
an Incidental Take Permit for the Delmarva Fox Squirrel in Association 
With Home Port on Winchester Creek Development Project, Queen Anne's 
County, Maryland

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and receipt of application; correction.

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    In the notice document 98-34673, beginning on page 72321, in the 
issue of Thursday, December 31, 1998, make the following correction:
    On page 72322, the first full paragraph in the third column, under 
the heading. Background, should be replaced with the paragraph:
    The EA considers the environmental consequences of four 
alternatives, including the proposed action, a no-action alternative, a 
conservation acquisition alternative, and a reduced impact alternative. 
The proposed action alternative is the issuance of a permit under 
Section 10(a) of the Act that would authorize incidental take of the 
DFS that may occur in the habitats of Home on Winchester Creek 
Development, and implementation of the HCP and IA as submitted by the 
Applicant. The proposed action would require the Applicant to implement 
their HCP. The HCP provides mitigation measures for the proposed 
incidental taking including habitat enhancement, permanent protection 
of an off-site parcel, and contribution to a trust fund. The HCP 
provides a funding mechanism for these mitigation measures. Under the 
no-action alternative, the Applicant would not develop the proposed 
development site in Queen Anne's County and thus avoid the take of DFS. 
No ITP would be deemed necessity or issued. Under the conservation 
acquisition alternative, the site would be acquired by a government or 
private conservation entity or land trust organization and would be 
retained in its natural state. No ITP would be deemed necessary or 
issued. Under the reduced impact alternative, the Service requested a 
number of modifications to the applicant's design plan including a 
shift in the location of the right-of-way entrance road away from the 
DFS forested edge habitat, a reduction in the number of housing units, 
and relocation of some of the housing lots outside of the 150 foot 
conservation easement. These modifications would reduce the likelihood 
of take of DFS by unavoidable human disturbances as well as reducing 
the number of DFS killed by vehicles.

    Dated: January 13, 1999.
Ronald E. Lambertson,
Regional Director, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 99-1436 Filed 1-21-99; 8:45 am]
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