www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06396]
[[Page 15032]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-ES-2015-N035; FXES11120300000-156-FF03E00000]
Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment and
Revised Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan; Receipt of Application
for Incidental Take Permit Amendment; NiSource Inc.
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have
received an application from NiSource Inc. and its subsidiary Columbia
Pipeline Group (hereafter, NiSource), for an amendment to add the
northern long-eared bat to its Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental
take permit (ITP). The application includes a revised Habitat
Conservation Plan (HCP). The Service prepared an Environmental
Assessment (EA). We request public comments on NiSource's revised HCP
and our draft EA.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments on or
before April 20, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: The permit application and associated
documents are available for review, subject to the requirements of the
Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act, by
any of the following methods:
Internet: You may access electronic copies on the Internet
at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/permits/hcp/nisource/index.html.
U.S. Mail: You may obtain electronic copies on CD-ROM by
submitting a request in writing to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice; see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
In-Person: Printed copies are available for public
inspection and review (by appointment only), at the office listed under
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Submitting Comments: Send written comments via U.S. mail to the
Regional Director, Midwest Region, Attn: Thomas Magnuson, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite
990, Bloomington, MN 55437-1458, or by electronic mail to
permitsR3ES@fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Herrington, NiSource MSHCP
Coordinator, by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 360
Pearson Ct., Saint Charles, MO 63304; or by phone at 612-713-5315.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have received an application from
NiSource for an amendment to its Endangered Species Act (ESA)
incidental take permit (ITP), to add the northern long-eared bat. The
application includes a revised HCP, developed to satisfy the criteria
listed in section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA pertaining to issuance of
incidental take permits. If NiSource has met these criteria, and its
HCP and supporting information are statutorily complete, an amended
incidental take permit that includes the northern long-eared bat will
be issued. Issuances of ITPs by the Service are Federal actions subject
to review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). To comply
with NEPA, the Service prepared an EA, the purpose of which is to
determine the significance of environmental impacts that could result
from amending the NiSource ITP to include the northern long-eared bat,
and through subsequent implementation of the revised NiSource HCP.
We request public comments on NiSource's revised HCP and our draft
EA. For availability of these documents, see ADDRESSES.
NiSource, headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana, is engaged in
natural gas transmission, storage, and distribution across the eastern
United States. In September 2013, the Service issued NiSource an ITP
for 10 federally listed species that occur in portions of its 14-State
operating territory. The permit allows NiSource to incidentally take
these species while operating and maintaining its interstate natural
gas pipeline infrastructure. After issuance of the ITP, the Service
proposed listing the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis)
under the ESA. The northern long-eared bat was not included in the
original NiSource HCP.
On January 13, 2015, the Service received an application from
NiSource to have the northern long-eared bat added to its ITP. The
application includes a revised HCP that provides an analysis of
NiSource activities across its 14-State operating territory, which
includes Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi,
New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Virginia, and West Virginia. Northern long-eared bats are present in
each of those 14 States. Based on the analysis in the revised HCP,
certain NiSource activities (e.g., right-of-way maintenance, facility
inspection, upgrade and replacement of pipelines, relocations, routine
expansions, and mitigation) have the potential to impact the northern
long-eared bat. In particular, two NiSource activities will potentially
cause take of northern long-eared bats: (1) Tree clearing in known and
suitable summer, spring staging, and fall swarming habitat, and (2)
``waste pit'' construction in storage fields. NiSource mitigation
directed at the Indiana bat will likely provide conservation benefits
to the northern long-eared bat. The revised NiSource HCP identifies
over 40 conservation measures that NiSource will implement in each of
those 14 States to avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts to
northern long-eared bats. Beyond the ITP amendment request, there are
no other changes to the NiSource HCP.
Over the 49 year life of the permit, NiSource is requesting
incidental take, primarily in the form of habitat harassment and harm,
for no more than 93,500 acres of habitat that could support up to 4,618
northern long-eared bats. After all practicable steps have been taken
to avoid and minimize take, NiSource will fund mitigation projects to
compensate for the impacts of its take. Such projects will include
protecting high-quality northern long-eared bat habitats, restoring and
protecting degraded northern long-eared bat habitat, and potentially
establishing new habitat.
The NEPA process will culminate with a decision by the Service's
Regional Director on one of three alternatives found in Chapter 2 of
the EA: (1) No Action (Status Quo); (2) Approve ITP Amendment Request
(Applicant's Preferred Alternative); (3) Approve ITP Amendment Request
with Conditions (Service's Preferred Alternative). Once an alternative
is selected, the Regional Director will then decide whether issuance of
an amended ITP to NiSource Inc., including subsequent implementation of
its revised HCP, will significantly affect the quality of the human
environment, as defined by the NEPA.
Public Availability of Comments
Written comments we receive become part of the public record
associated with this action. Before including your address, phone
number, email 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 available at any
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from
[[Page 15033]]
public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authority
We provide this notice under section 10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22), and
under NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its implementing regulations
(40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR part 46).
Dated: February 18, 2015.
Lynn Lewis,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-06396 Filed 3-19-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P