Pelicans Jaw Hybrid Solar Project, Kern County, CA; Draft Categorical Exclusion and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Pelicans Jaw Solar, LLC (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard, as well as two other unlisted species should they become listed, incidental to development activities in Kern County, California. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan, and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.