[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15737-15738]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05594]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2013-N030; 40120-1112-0000-F2]
Incidental Take Permit Amendment and Supplemental Environmental
Assessment for Wind Energy Development, Guayanilla, Puerto Rico
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Under the Endangered Species Act (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the receipt and availability of a revised
habitat conservation plan (revised HCP) and accompanying documents for
wind energy development by San Francisco Wind Farm LLC (formerly
WindMar R.E.) (Permittee). The revised HCP analyzes take of Puerto
Rican crested toad (Peltophryne lemur) incidental to the previously
authorized wind energy development activities in Guayanilla, Puerto
Rico, so that this listed species might be added to those already
covered by the existing incidental take permit (ITP). We invite public
comments on these documents.
DATES: We must receive any written comments at our Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES) on or before April 11, 2013.
ADDRESSES: Documents are available for public inspection by appointment
during normal business hours at the Fish and Wildlife Service's
Regional Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30345;
or at the Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office, Fish and Wildlife
Service, Road 301, Km. 5.1, Boquer[oacute]n, PR 00622.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Dell, Regional HCP
Coordinator (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 404-679-7313; or Mr.
Jos[eacute] Cruz-Burgos, Endangered Species Coordinator, at the
Caribbean Field Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 787-851-7297
extension 218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We announce the availability of the revised
HCP and supplemental environmental assessment (Supplemental EA), which
analyzes the take of the threatened Puerto Rican crested toad. The
Service previously advertised (71 FR 951), and issued in September
2006, TE104073 as a 40-year ITP authorizing incidental take of Puerto
Rican nightjar (Caprimulgus noctitherus), brown pelican (Pelecanus
occidentalis occidentalis), and roseate tern (Sterna dougallii
dougallii).
The Permittee requests an amendment for the remaining term of the
ITP under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as
amended. The Permittee's revised HCP describes the mitigation and
minimization measures proposed to address the impacts to the Puerto
Rican crested toad within the Punta Ventana section of the covered
area.
We specifically request information, views, and opinions from the
public via this notice on our proposed Federal action, including
identification of any other aspects of the human environment not
already identified in the supplemental EA pursuant to National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 40 CFR 1506.6. Further, we specifically solicit
information regarding the adequacy of the revised HCP per 50 CFR parts
13 and 17.
The supplemental EA assesses the likely environmental impacts
associated with the implementation of the activities and proposed
amendments, including the environmental consequences of the no-action
alternative and the proposed action. The proposed action alternative is
amendment of the ITP and implementation of the revised HCP as submitted
by the Permittee. The revised HCP evaluates potential take of the
Puerto Rican crested toad and presents conservation measures needed to
add incidental take authority for this species to previously authorized
incidental take associated with wind energy development.
Avoidance, minimization and mitigation measures include, but are
not limited to: monitor Puerto Rican crested toad breeding events in
order to adapt work plans and timing of covered activities while
implementing measures to avoid and minimize take of dispersing toads
and toadlets; install
[[Page 15738]]
fencing to keep Puerto Rican crested toads outside of certain areas of
the project; and mitigation measures such as trapping and removing non-
native, invasive predators, competitors, and invasive vegetation, as
well as conduct research and implement measures to enhance breeding
habitat.
Public Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email 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.
If you wish to comment, you may submit comments by any one of
several methods. Please reference TE104073 in such comments. You may
mail comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES). You may also comment via the internet to david_dell@fws.gov. Please include your name and return address in your
internet message. If you do not receive a confirmation from us that we
have received your internet message, contact us directly at either
telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to either of our offices
listed under ADDRESSES.
Covered Area
The ITP covers a 290-ha (725-acre) wind generation facility
including up to 25 turbines in Guayanilla, Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican
crested toads have been observed in the Punta Ventana portion of the
project. The Permittee proposes installation and operation of eight
wind turbines in Punta Ventana over 79 ha (195 acres) that would affect
about 5.1 ha (12.6 acres) of dry forest habitat. The revised HCP
includes the site plan for the project and detailed information on the
areas within Punta Ventana that would be affected by the construction
and operation turbine sites, connecting roads, staging areas and
connection to a substation.
Next Steps
We will evaluate the ITP amendment application, including the
revised HCP and any comments we receive, to determine whether the
amendment application meets the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(B) of
the Act. We will also evaluate whether amendment 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 amend the ITP. If we determine
that the requirements are met, we will amend the ITP to include the
Puerto Rican crested toad as a covered species for incidental take.
Authority: We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: February 15, 2013.
Kenneth A. Garrahan,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-05594 Filed 3-11-13; 8:45 am]
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