[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 138 (Monday, July 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42837-42838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17705]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2015-N123; FF08ENVD00-FXES11120888ENR0-156]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Nevada Department
of Wildlife; Application for Enhancement of Survival Permit; Proposed
Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances for the
Relict Leopard Frog; Clark County, Nevada
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Receipt of application; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce
receipt from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) of an application
for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The requested permit would
authorize take of the relict leopard frog (RLF) resulting from certain
land use and conservation activities, should the species be listed as
endangered or threatened in the future. The permit application includes
a proposed programmatic candidate conservation agreement with
assurances (CCAA) between NDOW and the Service. The requested term of
the proposed CCAA and permit is 30 years. In accordance with the
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we have
prepared a draft low-effect screening form supporting our determination
that the proposed action qualifies as a categorical exclusion under
NEPA. We are accepting comments on the permit application, proposed
CCAA, and draft NEPA compliance documentation.
DATES: Written comments on the permit application, proposed
programmatic CCAA, and draft NEPA compliance documentation must be
received on or before August 19, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: Persons wishing to review the
application, the proposed CCAA, the draft NEPA compliance
documentation, or other related documents may obtain copies by written
or telephone request to Jeri Krueger, by mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Reno Fish and Wildlife Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite
234, Reno, NV 89502, or by phone at 775-861-6300. Copies of these
documents may also be obtained on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/nevada/protected_species/amphibians/species/relict_leopard_frog.html.
Submitting Comments: Please address written comments to Michael J.
Senn, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern Nevada
Fish and Wildlife Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV
89130. You may also send comments by facsimile to 702-515-5231. Please
note that your information request or comment is in reference to the
Programmatic CCAA for the Relict Leopard Frog, Clark County, Nevada.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeri Krueger, Reno Fish and Wildlife
Office, at the address or telephone number listed above under
ADDRESSES.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Document Availability
You may obtain copies of the permit application, proposed CCAA,
draft NEPA compliance documentation, and other related documents from
the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Copies of
these documents are also available for public inspection, by
appointment, during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), at
the Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines
Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130.
Background Information
Enhancement of survival permits issued for CCAAs encourage non-
Federal landowners to implement conservation measures for species that
are, or are likely to become, candidates for Federal listing as
endangered or threatened by assuring landowners they will not be
subjected to increased property use restrictions if the covered species
becomes listed in the future. Application requirements and issuance
criteria for enhancement of survival permits issued for CCAAs are in
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 17.32(d).
The policy
[[Page 42838]]
for CCAAs was published in the Federal Register on June 17, 1999 (64 FR
32726).
Proposed Project
The proposed RLF CCAA is a programmatic agreement between the
Service and NDOW to further the conservation of the RLF on non-Federal
lands or on lands under the management authority of a non-Federal
entity. A RLF Conservation Agreement and Strategy (CAS) that directs
the implementation of conservation actions on Federal land was
completed and approved in 2005, and is being implemented by the RLF
Conservation Team, which is comprised of representatives from the
signatory agencies of the CAS. One of the primary goals of the CAS is
to establish additional populations of RLF within its historic range to
secure species persistence into the future. However, the CAS does not
provide a mechanism to establish populations on non-Federal lands while
providing regulatory assurances to the landowner in the event the
species becomes listed in the future. The proposed programmatic CCAA
would provide these assurances to non-Federal landowners, thus
promoting opportunities to implement conservation actions and increase
RLF distribution on non-Federal land.
Under the proposed RLF CCAA, NDOW would establish a program in
which individual landowners would enroll their property. To enroll in
the program, a landowner would enter into a cooperative agreement (CA)
with NDOW that contains a site-specific management plan for the
enrolled lands. NDOW would then issue the landowner a Certificate of
Inclusion that would authorize a certain level of take of RLF under
NDOW's permit as described in the CCAA and CA if the species becomes
listed under the ESA in the future. The CA would specify conservation
measures to address known threats to the RLF which may include, but are
not limited to, translocation of RLF, fencing, deepening a tank or
pool, removal of non-native aquatic predators, maintenance of suitable
habitat conditions, enhancement of dispersal corridors, vegetation
enhancement, and public education. The CA would also specify measures
to minimize the incidental take of RLF that might occur as a result of
implementing the conservation measures or conducting other land use
activities.
NDOW seeks to enroll lands in Clark County, Nevada, that are
associated with the Virgin, Muddy, and Colorado River drainages within
or in close proximity to the historic range of the RLF, identified as
the Potential Management Zone in the CAS and CCAA. The proposed CCAA
would include properties that have existing, historic, or potentially
suitable habitat for RLF. Such habitats may include reliable and
protected water supplies and water quality, limited or controllable
public access, accessibility for management actions and RLF
translocations or removal, permanent ponds and/or wetland areas,
natural springs, spring outflows or reaches of springbrooks and streams
that represent suitable habitat for any or all life stages of RLF. An
enrolled property may include all or some combination of suitable
habitat types, or the potential to create those habitats.
As required by NEPA, we evaluated impacts to the human environment
that would result from issuance of the requested permit, and we do not
foresee any significant effects. Therefore, we are proposing to
categorically exclude this action from further analysis under NEPA.
Entering into a cooperative agreement is strictly a voluntary action
for landowners, and the activities to be covered under the permit are
generally activities already occurring on these properties.
We will evaluate the permit application, associated documents, and
comments we receive to determine whether the permit application meets
the requirements of the ESA, NEPA, and implementing regulations. If we
determine that all requirements are met, we will sign the proposed CCAA
and issue a permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA to NDOW for
take of RLF. We will not make our final decision until after the end of
the 30-day public comment period, and we will fully consider all
comments we receive during the public comment period.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments we receive become part of the public record. Requests
for copies of comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom
of Information Act, NEPA, and Service and Department of Interior
policies and procedures. 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 to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee 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
17.32), and the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4371 et
seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: July 14, 2015.
Michael J. Senn,
Field Supervisor, Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, Las Vegas,
Nevada.
[FR Doc. 2015-17705 Filed 7-17-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P