[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78124-78125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27695]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2022-0136; FF06E24000-234-FXES11140600000]
Incidental Take Permit Application; Habitat Conservation Plan and
Categorical Exclusion for the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse; Douglas
County, Colorado
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of documents; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of documents related to an application for an incidental
take permit (permit) under the Endangered Species Act. The St. Charles
Town Company has applied for a permit, which, if granted, would
authorize take of the federally threatened Preble's meadow jumping
mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) that is likely to occur incidental to
proposed construction of commercial and industrial building space known
as Brookside Business Center. The documents available for review and
comment are the applicant's habitat conservation plan, which is part of
the permit application, and our draft environmental action statement
and low-effect screening form, which support a categorical exclusion
under the National Environmental Policy Act. We invite comments from
the public
[[Page 78125]]
and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before
January 20, 2023. Comments submitted online at https://www.regulations.gov (see ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on the closing date.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: The documents this notice announces, as well
as any comments and other materials that we receive, will be available
for public inspection online in Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2022-0136 at
https://www.regulations.gov.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the
following methods:
Online: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2022-0136.
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-R6-ES-2022-0136; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS:
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
We request that you send comments by only one of the methods
described above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liisa M. Niva, by phone at 303-905-
4543, or by email at Liisa_Niva@fws.gov. Individuals in the United
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), have received an application from the St. Charles Town
Company for a 10-year incidental take permit (permit) under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.). The application addresses the potential for take of the
federally threatened Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius
preblei; PMJM) that is likely to occur incidental to proposed
construction of commercial and industrial building space.
The documents available for review and comment are the applicant's
habitat conservation plan (HCP), which is part of the permit
application, and our draft environmental action statement and low-
effect screening form. These documents helped inform our conclusion
that the activities proposed in the HCP will have a low effect on the
species and the human environment. Accordingly, our issuance of a
permit qualifies for a categorical exclusion under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Applicant's Habitat Conservation Plan
The St. Charles Town Company has submitted a low-effect HCP in
support of an application for a permit to address take of the species
that is likely to occur as the result of proposed construction of
commercial and industrial building space (covered activities) on
approximately 16.8 acres (ac) in Douglas County, Colorado. The covered
activities are anticipated to affect 3.53 ac of PMJM habitat. The
requested permit duration is for 10 years. The biological goals and
objectives are to minimize and avoid impacts to PMJM habitat, avoid
reduction of PMJM survival and recovery, and restore and enhance PMJM
habitat post-construction. The proposed mitigation and minimization
measures include protection of 5.15 acres of high-quality upland and
riparian PMJM habitat. Impacts will be minimized by restricting human
access to PMJM habitat, limiting the establishment and spread of
noxious weeds, and restoration of areas temporarily impacted by
construction.
Public Availability of Comments
Written comments we receive become part of the decision file
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 your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you can request in your comment that we withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their
entirety.
Authority
We provide this notice under section 10(c) of the Endangered
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations
(50 CFR 17.32(b)) and under the National Environmental Policy Act (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Drue DeBerry,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Mountain-
Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-27695 Filed 12-20-22; 8:45 am]
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