[Federal Register: November 30, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 228)]
[Notices]
[Page 62583]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30no09-65]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2009-N256; 41910-1112-0000-F2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Permit(s); Road
Realignment and Construction of Associated Storm Water Retention Ponds
in Lake County, FL
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of application for an incidental take permit
(ITP); availability of proposed low-effect habitat conservation plans
(HCP); request for comment/information.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and habitat
conservation plan (HCP). Lake County Public Works (applicant) requests
a 5-year ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(Act). The applicant anticipates taking approximately 0.10 acres (ac)
of sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi)--occupied habitat incidental to
realignment of Hancock road and construction of three storm water
retention ponds in Lake County, Florida (project). The applicant's HCP
describes the mitigation and minimization measures the applicant
proposes to address the effects of the project to the sand skink.
DATES: We must receive any written comments on the ITP application and
HCP on or before December 30, 2009.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the application and HCP, you may write
the Field Supervisor at our Jacksonville Field Office, 7915 Baymeadows
Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256, or make an appointment to visit
during normal business hours. If you wish to comment, you may mail or
hand deliver comments to the Jacksonville Field Office, or you may e-
mail comments to paula_sisson@fws.gov. For more information on
reviewing documents and public comments and submitting comments, see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paula Sisson, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, Jacksonville Field Office (see ADDRESSES); telephone: 904/
731-3134.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Availability of Comments
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 identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Please reference permit number TE231577-0 for Lake County Public
Works in all requests or comments. If you do not receive a confirmation
from us that we have received your e-mail message, contact us directly
at the telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Background
Due to the reduction in quality and acreage of xeric (bare, scrub-
like areas with sandy soils, open canopies) upland communities, and the
rapid development occurring in these areas, the sand skink is
reportedly declining throughout most of its range. By some estimates,
as much as 90 percent of the scrub ecosystem has already been lost to
residential development and conversion to agriculture, including citrus
groves.
Applicant's Proposal
The applicant is requesting take of approximately 0.10 ac of
occupied sand skink habitat incidental to the project. The 21.83-ac
project is located east of US Highway 27, west of Ronald Reagan
Turnpike and north of Old Highway 50, Section 8, 9, 16, 17, Township 22
South, Range 26 East, Lake County, Florida. The proposed project
currently includes realignment of a portion of Turkey Farms Road and
the intersection of Old Highway 50 and with the North Hancock Road
Extension for safety purposes. The project also includes three storm
water retention ponds to address runoff associated with the realigned
roadway. The applicant proposes to mitigate for the take of the sand
skink at a ratio of 2:1 based on Service Mitigation Guidelines. The
applicant proposes to mitigate for 0.10 ac of impacts by purchasing
0.20 ac of occupied sand skink habitat in Polk County, Florida, within
the boundaries of the Lake Wales Ridge.
We have determined that the applicant's proposal, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization measures, would have minor or
negligible effects on the species covered in the HCP. Therefore, we are
making a preliminary determination that the ITP is a ``low-effect''
project and qualifies for 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). We may
revise this preliminary determination based on our review of public
comments we receive in response to this notice. A low-effect HCP is one
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.
We will evaluate the HCP and comments we receive to determine
whether the ITP 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 those requirements, we will issue the ITP for incidental take of
the sand skink. 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 our final
analysis to determine whether or not to issue the ITP.
Authority
We provide this notice under Section 10 of the Act and NEPA
regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: November 20, 2009.
David L. Hankla,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office.
[FR Doc. E9-28508 Filed 11-27-09; 8:45 am]
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