[Federal Register: May 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 105)]
[Notices]
[Page 31140]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my08-71]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2008-N0139; 40120-1112-0000-F2; ABC Code: F2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permits
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of an application for an incidental take
permit for the expansion of the Sun Ray Wastewater Treatment Facility,
Polk County, Florida.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) and Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP). Polk County Utilities (applicants) request an
ITP pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (Act). The applicants anticipate taking about 6.63
acres of sand skink (Neopseps reynoldsi) and bluetail mole skink
(Eumeces egregius lividus) (skinks) foraging and sheltering habitat
incidental to construction activities associated with the expansion of
the existing Sun Ray Wastewater Treatment Facility in Polk County,
Florida (project). The applicants' HCP describes the mitigation and
minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the project on
the skinks.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on the ITP application and
HCP on or before June 30, 2008.
ADDRESSES: See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for
information on how to submit your comments on the ITP application and
HCP. You may obtain a copy of the ITP application and HCP by writing
the South Florida Ecological Services Office, Attn: Permit number
TE182090-0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero
Beach, FL 32960-3559. In addition, we will make the ITP application and
HCP available for public inspection by appointment during normal
business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Trish Adams, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, South Florida Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES);
telephone: (772) 562-3909, ext. 232.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to comment on the ITP
application and HCP, you may submit comments by any one of the
following methods. Please reference permit number TE182090-0 in such
comments.
1. Mail or hand-deliver comments to our South Florida Ecological
Services Office address (see ADDRESSES).
2. E-mail comments to trish_adams@fws.gov. If you do not receive a
confirmation that we have received your e-mail message, contact us
directly at the telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be
aware that your entire comment-including your personal identifying
information-may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Construction activities associated with the expansion of the
existing wastewater treatment facility will take place within Sections
7 and 18, Township 32, Range 28, Frostproof, Polk County, Florida.
Polk County Utilities is proposing to expand the Sun Ray Wastewater
Treatment Facility onto a 37.09 acre site adjacent to the existing
facility that would result in the development of 6.63 acres of occupied
skink habitat. The applicant proposes to mitigate for impacts by
restoring and managing in perpetuity 19.9 acres of scrub habitat on
site.
We have determined that the applicants' proposal, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization measures, will have a minor or
negligible effect on the species covered in the HCP. Therefore, the ITP
is a ``low-effect'' project and qualifies as a categorical exclusion
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by the
Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2 Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6
Appendix 1). Low-effect HCPs are those involving (1) minor or
negligible effects on federally listed or candidate species and their
habitats and (2) minor or negligible effects on other environmental
values or resources. Based on our review of public comments that we
receive in response to this notice, we may revise this preliminary
determination.
We will evaluate the HCP and comments submitted thereon to
determine whether the application meets the requirements of section
10(a) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If we determine that the
application meets the requirements, we will issue the ITP for
incidental take of the skinks. We will also evaluate whether issuance
of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with section 7 of the Act by
conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation. We will use the
results of this consultation, in combination with the above findings,
in the final analysis to determine whether or not to issue the ITP.
Authority: We provide this notice pursuant to Section 10 of the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and NEPA regulations
(40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: May 14, 2008.
Paul Souza,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. E8-12067 Filed 5-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P