[Federal Register: October 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 196)]
[Notices]
[Page 58975-58976]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08oc08-79]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-ES-2008-N0199; 10120-1112-0000-F2]
Receipt of an Application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit
for the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application.
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[[Page 58976]]
SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the receipt
of an application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit that would be
issued pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (Act). The application was developed in accordance
with the Template Safe Harbor Agreement (Template SHA) for the Columbia
Basin pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis). The permit applicant is
the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). Issuance of a
permit to WDNR would exempt incidental take of the Columbia Basin pygmy
rabbit, which would otherwise be prohibited by section 9 of the Act,
that is above the baseline conditions of WDNR properties enrolled under
the Template SHA and that may result from the permittee's otherwise
lawful management activities. The Service requests comments from the
public regarding the proposed issuance of a permit to WDNR. All
comments received will become part of the public record. Before
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal
identifying information in your comment, 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 information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All comments received
from organizations, businesses, or individuals representing
organizations or businesses are available for public inspection in
their entirety.
DATES: To be fully considered, written comments from interested parties
must be received on or before November 7, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning this notice should be addressed
to Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Upper Columbia Fish and
Wildlife Office, 11103 East Montgomery Drive, Spokane, Washington
99206. You may also send comments by facsimile, at (509) 891-6748, or
by electronic mail, at: fw1cbprabbit@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Warren at (509) 893-8020.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
Copies of the WDNR permit application, the Template SHA, and other
relevant documents addressing the Service's proposed issuance of the
subject permit are available for public inspection, by appointment,
during normal business hours at the Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife
Office (see ADDRESSES), or they may be viewed on the internet at the
following address: http://www.fws.gov/easternwashington/. You may also
request copies of the documents by contacting the Service's Upper
Columbia Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT)
. The Service is furnishing this notice to provide the public, other
State and Federal agencies, and interested Tribes an opportunity to
review and comment on the Service's proposed issuance of a permit to
the WDNR.
Background
On September 7, 2006, the Service announced the availability for
public review and comment of a draft Template SHA, which was jointly
developed by the Service and the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife (WDFW), and a draft Environmental Assessment, which was
developed by the Service pursuant to Federal responsibilities under the
National Environmental Policy Act (71 FR 52816). The final Template SHA
was signed by the Service and WDFW on October 24, 2006. To date, the
Service has issued 16 Permits under the Template SHA, which cover
109,425 acres that fall within the historic distribution of the
Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit. The WDNR has requested to enroll an
additional 11,148 acres of State trust lands under the Template SHA.
The primary objective of the Template SHA is to facilitate
collaboration between the Service, WDFW, and prospective participants
to voluntarily implement conservation measures to benefit the Columbia
Basin pygmy rabbit. Another objective of the Template SHA is to
facilitate the processing of enhancement of survival permits that will
provide incidental take coverage for participants to relieve them of
additional section 9 liability under the Act if implementation of their
conservation measures results in increased numbers or distribution of
Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits on their enrolled properties.
This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act. The
Service has previously determined that implementation of the Template
SHA will result in conservation benefits to the Columbia Basin pygmy
rabbit and will not result in significant effects to the human
environment. The Service will evaluate the permit application noticed
herein, related documents, and any comments submitted thereon to
determine whether the permit application is consistent with the
measures prescribed by the Template SHA and whether it complies with
relevant statutory and regulatory requirements. If it is determined
that the requirements are met, a permit to exempt incidental take of
the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit will be issued to the applicant. The
final permit determination will not be made until after the end of the
30-day comment period, and will fully consider all comments received.
Dated: September 29, 2008.
David J. Wesley,
Deputy Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. E8-23557 Filed 10-7-08; 8:45 am]
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