[Federal Register: March 11, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 46)]
[Notices]
[Page 10608-10609]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11mr09-107]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2009-N0026;20124-1113-0000-F3]
Environmental Restoration Project; Phoenix Reach of the Rio
Salado
AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability of draft safe harbor agreement; receipt
of application for and enhancement of survival permit.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The City of Phoenix (Applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (Service) for an enhancement of survival permit
pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act), as
amended. The requested permit, which is for a period of 50 years, would
authorize incidental take of Yuma clapper rail (Rallus longirostris
yumanensis), southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii
extimus), bald eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus), and brown pelican
(Pelecanus occidentalis) as a result of operation and maintenance
activities associated with the Rio Salado Project. We invite the public
to review and comment on the permit application and the associated
draft Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA).
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive any written comments on
or before April 10, 2009.
ADDRESSES: Field Supervisor, Arizona Ecological Services Field Office,
2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85021-4951;
telephone: 602-242-0210; fax: 602-242-2513; Web site: http://
www.fws.gov/arizonaes.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Martinez at the Arizona
Ecological Services Field Office, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103,
Phoenix, AZ 85021-4951, 602/242-0210 x224, or by e-mail at Mike_
Martinez@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Applicant plans to conduct operation and
maintenance activities associated with the Rio Salado Project including
maintenance of vegetation, roads, trails, water delivery system, flood
control capacity, and storm water facilities. The Rio Salado Project,
Phoenix Reach, is a cooperative project between the Applicant and the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore, enhance, and maintain 595
acres of native riparian and wetland vegetation along the Salt River
from 24th Street to 19th Avenue.
Request for Public Information
Persons wishing to review the application, draft SHA, or other
related documents may obtain a copy by written or telephone request to
the Field Supervisor at our Phoenix office, or by downloading it from
our Web site (see ADDRESSES). Submit all comments to the Field
Supervisor at the same address. Please refer to permit number TE-
205294-0 when submitting comments. The application and related
documents will be available for public inspection, by appointment only,
during normal business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at the Phoenix
office.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.
National Environmental Policy Act Determination
The draft SHA and permit application may be eligible for
categorical exclusion
[[Page 10609]]
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, based upon
completion of a preliminary NEPA screening form. Section 9 of the Act
prohibits the ``taking'' of threatened or endangered species. However,
the Service, under limited circumstances, may issue permits to take
threatened and endangered wildlife species when such taking is
incidental to, and not the purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. 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 NEPA (42
U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Thomas C. Bauer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. E9-5163 Filed 3-10-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-55-P