[Federal Register: June 22, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 119)]
[Notices]
[Page 35504-35505]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22jn10-66]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2010-N097; 20124-1112-0000-F2]
San Rafael Cattle Company; Habitat Conservation Plan; Santa Cruz
County, AZ
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; Draft Low-Effect Habitat Conservation
Plan in support of incidental take permit application.
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SUMMARY: San Rafael Cattle Company (Applicant) has applied to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take permit (ITP)
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The
Applicant has been assigned a permit number TE-12133A-0. If approved,
the ITP would be in force for a period of 30 years, and would authorize
incidental take of two species currently listed under the Endangered
Species Act (Act), and two species that may become listed under the Act
in the future (``covered species''). The proposed incidental take would
occur in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, as a result of impacts on covered
species and occupied habitat from specified actions conducted under the
authority of the San Rafael Cattle Company. We invite public comment on
the permit application and the associated documents.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive any comments on or
before July 22, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the application and/or the draft
HCP may obtain a copy by written or telephone request to Steve Spangle,
Field Supervisor, Arizona Ecological Services Field Office, 2321 West
Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85021-4951; telephone: 602-242-
0210; fax: 602-242-2513. Electronic copies are also available on the
Arizona Ecological Service Field Office Web site: http://www.fws.gov/
arizonaes. All documents will be available for public inspection, by
written request or by appointment only, during normal business hours (8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at the above address. Data or comments concerning
the application and draft HCP should be submitted in writing to the
above address or by e-mail at: Cat_Crawford@fws.gov. Please refer to
permit number TE-12133A-0 when submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cat Crawford, Arizona Ecological
Services Field Office--Tucson Suboffice, 201 N. Bonita Avenue, Suite
141, Tucson, AZ 85745; telephone (520/670-6150; extension 232); or by
e-mail (Cat_Crawford@fws.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under NEPA, we announce that we have
gathered the information necessary to: (1) Determine the impacts
related to the potential issuance of an ITP to the Applicant; and (2)
approve the HCP, which provides measures to minimize and mitigate the
effects of the proposed incidental take of federally listed species to
the maximum extent practicable, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
If approved, the 30-year ITP would authorize the proposed
incidental take of four covered species, including species currently
listed under the Act, as well as species that may become listed under
the Act in the future: Sonoran tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium
stebbinsi), Gila chub (Gila intermedia); northern Mexican garter snake
(Thamnophis eques megalops) and Huachuca springsnail (Pyrgulopsis
thompsoni). The requested ITP also includes two listed plant species:
Spiranthes delitescens (Canelo Hills ladies'-tresses) and Lileopsis
schaffneriana ssp. recurva (Huachuca water umbel). Although take of
listed plant species is not prohibited under the Act, and therefore
cannot be authorized under an ITP, plant species may be included on an
ITP in recognition of the conservation benefits provided to them under
an HCP.
The proposed incidental take would occur as a result of ranch
management activities occurring under the authority of the Applicant on
non-Federal lands within 18,440 acres of the San Rafael Ranch in Santa
Cruz County, Arizona. The Applicant has completed a draft HCP as part
of the application package, as required by the Act. The application and
associated documents provide measures to minimize and mitigate to the
maximum extent practicable the effects of the proposed incidental take
of covered species and effects to the habitats upon which they depend.
Approval of the proposed HCP and issuance of the ITP may be
eligible for
[[Page 35505]]
a categorical exclusion under NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as
provided by Federal regulations (40 CFR 1500, 5(k), 1507.3(b)(2),
1508.4) and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2 and 516 DM
8). A categorical exclusion for a HCP is based on the following three
criteria: (1) Implementation of the proposed plan would result in minor
or negligible effects on federally-listed, proposed, and candidate
species and their habitats; (2) implementation of the proposed HCP
would result in minor or negligible effects on other environmental
values or resources; and (3) impacts of the HCP, considered together
with the impacts of other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable
similarly situated projects, would not result, over time, in cumulative
effects to environmental values or resources that would be considered
significant. Based upon the preliminary determination made in our draft
NEPA screening document, we believe this action is covered by a
categorical exclusion. We will consider public comments when making the
final determination on whether to prepare an additional NEPA document
on the proposed action.
Background
Since purchasing the San Rafael Ranch in 2000, the San Rafael
Cattle Company has been implementing grazing practices that have
improved range and habitat conditions on private lands within the San
Rafael Valley of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. These improved habitat
conditions provide opportunities for conservation actions that may
enhance the status and distribution of covered species on the San
Rafael Ranch. The San Rafael Cattle Company would like to continue
ranch management activities while working with agencies to conduct
conservation actions on the San Rafael Ranch such as introduction of
covered species or other species and removal of aquatic invasive
species. The covered area would encompass 18,440 acres of primarily
open rangeland owned by the applicant. The covered ranch management
activities would consist of watering and grazing by cattle in stock
tanks and riparian habitats, including herding of cattle within
pastures and between pastures; maintenance of stock ponds, wells,
waterlines, fences, roads, and utility lines supporting these
facilities; and brush and invasive plant management to reduce shrub
invasion of upland grasslands. All of these activities have short-term
impacts on species and their habitats, and incidental take of some
covered species may occur. However, a long-term benefit is anticipated
for the watershed and habitats of the covered species. In addition, San
Rafael Cattle Company proposes actions to minimize the impacts of the
activities and assist in recovery of covered species. These actions are
also proposed to be covered by the associated section 10(a)(1)(B)
permit.
To meet the requirements of a section 10(a)(1)(B) permit, San
Rafael Cattle Company has developed and will implement the San Rafael
Ranch HCP, which provides measures to minimize and mitigate for
incidental take of the four proposed covered animal species to the
maximum extent practicable. The biological goal of the HCP is to
provide long-term protection for multiple species of concern and key
natural communities through maintenance or improvement of the habitat
conditions and ecosystem functions necessary for their survival, and to
ensure that any incidental take of listed species will not appreciably
reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of those species in
the wild.
Public Availability of Comments
Written comments we receive become part of the public record
associated with this action. Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that the 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.
Authority
We provide this notice under section 10(c) of the Act (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22) and NEPA
(42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR
1506.6).
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Regional Director, Region 2, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2010-15057 Filed 6-21-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P