[Federal Register: August 10, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 153)]
[Notices]
[Page 48359-48360]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10au10-66]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-ES-2010-N140; 30120-1113-0000-F6]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Indiana Bat;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on a
Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Incidental Take Permit
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposed Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP) and Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for the
Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) at a wind power project in Adair,
Sullivan, and Putnam Counties, Missouri (Project). Construction and
operation of the Project has the potential to cause the take of Indiana
bat, an endangered species, protected by the Endangered Species Act
(ESA). We provide this notice to advise other agencies, tribes, and the
public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on
the scope of review under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), as
well as issues to consider during the planning process.
DATES: We will consider comments we receive on or before September 9,
2010.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Ms. Jane Ledwin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 101 Park DeVille Drive, Suite A, Columbia, MO 65203.
E-mail: jane_ledwin@fws.gov.
Facsimile: (573) 234-2181 (Attention: Jane Ledwin).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jane Ledwin, (573) 234-2132.
Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the
Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8337 for TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Comments
We request data, comments, new information, or suggestions from the
public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific
community, tribes, industry, or any other interested party on this
notice. We will consider all comments we receive in complying with the
requirements of NEPA and in the development of an HCP, NEPA document,
and potential ITP.
You may submit your comments and materials considering this notice
by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section.
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting
documentation we use in preparing the NEPA document, will be available
for public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services Missouri Field
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section).
You may obtain copies of this notice by mail from the Ecological
Services Missouri Field Office, or on the Internet at: http://
www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/permits/hcp/r3hcps.html.
Background
The Indiana Bat was added to the list of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants on March 11, 1967 (32 FR 4001). It is currently
listed as an endangered species under the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
The population has declined as a result of pesticides, agricultural
development, and loss of forest habitat affecting the summer range.
Impacts to caves used for hibernation have also contributed to
population declines. White-nose syndrome (Geomyces destructans), a
fungus causing infected bats to rouse from hibernation early and
attempt to hunt for food, is now believed to be a cause of death in
Indiana bats.
The range of the Indiana bat extends from eastern Vermont, western
Oklahoma, southern Wisconsin, and northern Florida. Indiana bats
migrate between their summer forested ranges and winter hibernacula,
which typically are climatically stable caves and mines. During summer
months, they forage for insects along streams, in riparian forests and
floodplains, and in upland forests and low open areas. Males roost
individually or in small groups throughout the range, preferring areas
near hibernacula. Females, forming larger maternity colonies of 50 to
100, roost in dead or dying trees or living trees with broken and
flaking bark.
There are no known hibernacula in the Project area or nearby.
However, maternity roosts and maternity colonies have been identified
proximate to and within the Project area. The Service and the Applicant
have determined that the development and operation of the Project, in
proximity to summer maternity colonies and spring and fall migratory
flight paths, may affect the Indiana bat and their habitat, possibly
resulting in the involuntary take of Indiana bats.
Shuteye, LLC continues to develop an HCP and plans to request
issuance of an
[[Page 48360]]
ITP from the Service. The HCP will include the following: (1)
Conservation measures for siting and constructing the Project, (2)
postconstruction monitoring to gather data regarding the impact of the
first phase on local Indiana bats; and (3) an Adaptive Management Plan
to ensure appropriate procedures are in place which adequately modify
operations to minimize and mitigate the effects the Project may have on
the Indiana bat.
The Project will encompass portions of Adair, Sullivan, and Putnam
Counties, Missouri, near the towns of Greencastle and Green City. It
will directly affect 240 acres, or 0.7 percent of approximately 36,757
acres of privately leased rural land. This area is an agricultural
landscape composed predominately of pasture land, with some cultivated
cropland and isolated areas of deciduous forest scattered throughout.
The Project will provide as much as 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable
energy from as many as 200 1.5-MW wind energy turbines and the related
facilities (access roads, collection lines, operation and maintenance
facilities (O&M), substations, and a transmission line). The Project
will be constructed in two phases. Phase I involves up to 200 MWs of
renewable energy and includes a 16-mile transmission line extending
from the Project area east to a substation located southwest of the
city of Kirksville, Missouri.
Phase II consists of the balance of the Project and will not be
developed until at least 1 full year of postconstruction data is
obtained, and the Applicant and the Service have agreed that all
reasonable measures have been taken to minimize and mitigate harm to
the Indiana bat. This information will be used to determine whether
adaptive management is required and to assist in the design and
operation of Phase II of the Project.
Turbine installation will temporarily impact a 125-to-150-foot
radius surrounding a turbine, with the final footprint limited to a 25-
foot radius from the turbine center. The rotor diameter of each turbine
will be approximately 82.5 meters (271 feet), with the hub height
expected to be at either 80 or 100 m. Assuming a 100-m hub height, the
maximum height of each turbine will be 141.25 m (463 feet (ft)) when
the rotor blade is at the top of its rotation.
Access roads during construction will be within a 50-ft right-of-
way (ROW) and will be used for moving construction equipment among the
turbine locations. The access roads will be reduced to 15 feet after
construction and will be used for Project maintenance.
Collection lines, used to transfer power from the turbines to the
substations, will be buried underground and will not disturb the
landscape after construction is completed. A transmission line will be
constructed within a 150-ft-wide ROW. Wood H-frames, varying from 60 to
115 ft in height and spaced from 600 to 700 ft apart, will be used to
support the transmission line. The Project may have up to four
substations and two O&M facilities.
Environmental Review
The purpose of the public scoping process is to identify relevant
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS.
In addition to the Indiana bat, the Service has identified the
following preliminary issues: Nonavian wildlife, avian wildlife and
bats, topography, geology and soils, water and wetlands resources, air
quality, vegetation and land use, and cultural resources.
Authority
We furnish this notice under NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7 and
1508.22). The intent of this notice is to enable us to obtain
suggestions and additional information from other agencies and the
public on the scope of issues to be considered.
Dated: July 26, 2010.
Tom Melius,
Regional Director, Region 3, Fort Snelling, MN.
[FR Doc. 2010-19721 Filed 8-9-10; 8:45 am]
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