[Federal Register: March 5, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 43)]
[Notices]
[Page 10305-10307]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05mr10-109]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2009-N278; 20124-1112-0000-F2]
Environmental Impact Statement and Habitat Conservation Plan for
the Incidental Take of Seven Federally Listed Species by the Edwards
Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impact
statement and draft habitat conservation plan; announcement of public
scoping meetings; and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the
public that we intend to prepare a draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) to evaluate the impacts of, and alternatives to, the proposed
issuance of an Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act),
section 10(a)(1)(B) permit to one or more members of the Edwards
Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program (the ``Applicant(s)'') for
incidental take of seven Federally listed species from activities
associated with management and use of the Edwards Aquifer. The
Applicant may include, among others, the Edwards Aquifer Authority
(``EAA'').
DATES: Written comments on alternatives and issues to be addressed in
the draft EIS must be received by close of business on June 3, 2010.
Public scoping meetings will be held at seven locations throughout
South Central and South Texas. Public meetings will be held between 6
p.m. and 8 p.m. Exact meeting locations and times will be noticed
within 2 weeks prior to each event in local newspapers and at the
Austin Ecological Services Office Web site, http://www.fws.gov/
southwest/es/AustinTexas/.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments by mail to Mr. Adam Zerrenner, Field
[[Page 10306]]
Supervisor, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnett
Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758-4460; telephone 512/490-0057;
facsimile 512/490-0974; or e-mail luela_roberts@fws.gov. Note that
your information request or comments are in regards to the Edwards
Aquifer Recovery Implementation Programs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor,
Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnett Road, Suite 200,
Austin, TX 78758-4460; telephone 512/490-0057; facsimile 512/490-0974;
or e-mail luela_roberts@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is published in compliance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6)
and section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Service intends to gather the
information necessary to determine impacts and alternatives to support
a decision regarding the potential issuance of an incidental take
permit to the Applicant(s), and the implementation of the supporting
draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).
The Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program (EARIP) is a
collaborative, consensus-based stakeholder process to protect and
contribute to the recovery of the Federally listed species associated
with the San Marcos and Comal Springs, while also protecting the
Edwards Aquifer (also referred to as the Aquifer) as a water supply
source. The EARIP consists of a diverse group of regional stakeholders.
The stakeholders that have executed a Memorandum of Agreement with the
Service regarding participation in the EARIP include: Aquifer Guardian
in Urban Areas, Alamo Cement Company, Bexar County, Bexar Metropolitan
Water District, Carol G. Patterson, City of Garden Ridge, City of New
Braunfels, City of San Marcos, City of Victoria, Comal County, CPS
Energy, Dow Chemical, East Medina Special Utility District, EAA,
Gilleland Farms, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, Greater San Antonio
Chamber of Commerce, Guadalupe Basin Coalition, Guadalupe-Blanco River
Authority, Guadalupe County Farm Bureau, John M. Donahue, PhD, Larry
Hoffman, Mary Q. Kelly, Nueces River Authority, New Braunfels
Utilities, Preserve Lake Dunlap Association, Regional Clean Air and
Water Association, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Water
System, San Marcos River Foundation, South Central Texas Water Advisory
Committee, South Texas Farm and Ranch Club, Texas Bass Federation,
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Department of
Agriculture, Texas Living Waters Project, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, Texas Water Development Board, and Texas Wildlife
Association.
We also announce plans for a series of public scoping meetings
located throughout the region served by the EAA and affected by the
management of the Edwards Aquifer area and a public comment period.
The Service intends to prepare a draft EIS to evaluate the impacts
of, and alternatives to, the proposed issuance of an incidental take
permit under the Act to the Applicant(s). The Applicant(s) proposes to
apply for an incidental take permit through development and
implementation of an HCP. The proposed HCP will include measures
necessary to minimize and mitigate the impacts to the maximum extent
practicable of potential proposed taking of Federally listed species
and the habitats upon which they depend by the management and use of
the Edwards Aquifer and the areas associated with the Comal and San
Marcos springs.
Background
Section 9 of the Act prohibits ``taking'' of fish and wildlife
species listed as endangered or threatened under section 4 of the Act.
Under the Act, the term ``take'' means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt,
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or attempt to engage in
any such conduct. The term ``harm'' is defined in the regulations as
significant habitat modification or degradation that results in death
or injury to listed species by significantly impairing essential
behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering (50 CFR
17.3). The term ``harass'' is defined in the regulations as actions
that create the likelihood of injury to listed species to such an
extent as to significantly disrupt normal behavioral patterns which
include, but are not limited to, breeding, feeding, or sheltering (50
CFR 17.3). However, the Service may, under specified circumstances,
issue permits that allow the take of Federally listed fish and
wildlife, provided that the take occurs incidental to, but not the
purpose of, an otherwise lawful activity. Regulations governing permits
for endangered and threatened species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32,
respectively.
Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act contains provisions for issuing such
incidental take permits to non-Federal entities for the take of
endangered and threatened species, provided the following criteria are
met: (1) The taking will be incidental; (2) The applicant will, to the
maximum extent practicable, minimize and mitigate the impact of such
taking; (3) The applicant will develop a draft HCP and ensure that
adequate funding for the plan will be provided; (4) The taking will not
appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the
species in the wild; and (5) The applicant will carry out any other
measures that we may require as being necessary or appropriate for the
purposes of the habitat conservation plan.
Thus, the purpose of issuing a permit is to allow management and
use of the Edwards Aquifer and the use of areas associated with the
Comal and San Marcos springs, while preserving protected species and
their habitat that are dependent on water from the Aquifer. Adoption of
a multispecies habitat conservation approach, rather than a species-by-
species/project-by-project approach, will reduce the costs of
implementing species minimization and mitigation measures, and
eliminate cost and time-consuming efforts associated with processing
individual incidental take permits for each user of the Edwards
Aquifer. In addition, the multispecies habitat conservation plan
approach provides a program including avoidance, minimization and
mitigation for each species that is coordinated on a landscape level
and provides increased benefits to the covered species. The Service
expects that the Applicant(s) will request permit coverage for a period
of between 20 and 50 years.
Scoping Meetings
The purpose of the scoping meetings is to provide the public with a
general understanding of the background of the proposed HCP and
activities that would be covered by the draft HCP, alternative
proposals under consideration for the draft EIS, and the Service's role
and steps to be taken to develop the draft EIS for the draft HCP. The
meeting format will consist of a one hour open house prior to the
formal scoping meeting that will provide an opportunity to learn about
the proposed action, permit area, and species covered. The open house
will be followed by a formal presentation of the proposed action,
summary of the NEPA process, and presentation of oral comments from
meeting participants. A court reporter will be present at each meeting
and an interpreter will be present when deemed necessary. The primary
purpose of these meetings and public comment period is to solicit
suggestions and information on the scope of issues and alternatives to
consider when drafting
[[Page 10307]]
the EIS. Oral and written comments will be accepted at the meetings.
Comments can also be submitted to persons listed in the addresses
section above.
Once the draft EIS and draft HCP are completed and noticed for
review, there will be additional opportunity for public comment on the
content of these documents through an additional public hearing and
comment period.
Alternatives
The proposed action presented in the draft EIS will be compared to
the No-Action alternative. The No-Action alternative represents
estimated future conditions to which the proposed action's estimated
future conditions can be compared.
No-Action Alternative
Under the no action alternative, the management and use of the
Edwards Aquifer and the use of areas associated with the Comal and San
Marcos springs would continue regardless of whether a 10(a)(1)(B)
permit is sought or issued. The Applicant(s), and those potentially
covered by the permit, would continue to be subject to the take
prohibition of the ESA. Where potential impacts could not be avoided,
and where a Federal nexus exists, measures designed to minimize and
mitigate for the impacts would be addressed through individual formal
or informal consultation with the Service. In the absence of a Federal
nexus, the Applicant(s), and other parties in the region taking actions
that would affect the protected species, would potentially need
individual section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permits on a project-by-
project basis if activities might result in the incidental take of a
Federally protected species within the proposed permit area. This
project-by-project approach would be more time-consuming, less
efficient, and could result in an isolated independent mitigation
approach, which might be less beneficial to the covered species than a
regional permit.
Proposed Alternative
The proposed action is the issuance of an incidental take permit
for the covered species within the proposed permit area for a period of
between 20 and 50 years. The proposed HCP, which must meet the
requirements in section 10(a)(2)(A) of the Act by providing measures to
minimize and mitigate the effects of the potential incidental take of
covered species to the maximum extent practicable, would be developed
and implemented by the Applicant(s). This alternative could allow for a
comprehensive mitigation approach for unavoidable impacts and also
reduce the permit processing effort for the Service.
The actions to be covered under the requested incidental take
permit have yet to be determined. They may include general activities
associated with the management of the Aquifer, pumping from the
Aquifer, actions to protect spring flow, land stewardship, and
recreational activities at and near the San Marcos and Comal springs.
Construction activities covered for new facilities may include
construction of recharge structures, well fields, pipelines, and
related types of activities.
The Applicant(s) expects to apply for an incidental take permit for
seven species listed as endangered or threatened within the permit
area. These species include: Fountain darter (Etheostoma fonticola),
San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana), San Marcos gambusia (Gambusia
georgei), Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni), Peck's cave
amphipod (Stygobromus pecki), Comal Springs dryopid beetle (Stygoparnus
comalensis), and the Comal Springs riffle beetle (Heterelemis
comalensis). Other species that are currently not listed as threatened
or endangered may also be covered. The Service will also evaluate
possible impacts to species not listed here, such as the whooping
crane.
Counties that may be included in the proposed permit area are those
counties within the EAA's jurisdiction to manage the Edwards Aquifer
including all, or portions of, eight counties, including Atascosa,
Bexar, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Medina and Uvalde counties.
Moreover, EAA's organic legislation establishes a five-mile buffer
beyond the jurisdictional boundary, reflecting the existence of a
contributing zone to the aquifer recharge area, in which EAA has
authority to protect water quality. Consequently, the permit area may
also include the eight counties within the EAA's jurisdiction proper
and the portions of the counties that contain the EAA's jurisdictional
five-mile buffer located over the Edwards Aquifer contributing zone.
Species not covered by the proposed incidental take permit may also
be addressed in the draft HCP. These species may include candidate
species and Federally listed species not likely to be affected by the
covered activities. The purpose of addressing the additional species is
to explain why the Applicant believe(s) these species will not be
impacted by the covered activities.
Other alternatives considered will also be addressed in the draft
EIS, including impacts associated with each alternative evaluated will
be discussed in the draft EIS.
Public Availability of Comments
Comments we receive become part of the public record associated
with this action. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail
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 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.
Environmental Review
The Service will conduct an environmental review to analyze the
proposed action, as well as other alternatives evaluated and the
associated impacts of each. The draft EIS will be the basis for the
impact evaluation for each species covered and the range of
alternatives to be addressed. The draft EIS is expected to provide
biological descriptions of the affected species and habitats, as well
as the effects of the alternatives on other resources such as
vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, geology and soils, air quality, water
resources, water quality, cultural resources, land use, recreation,
water use, local economy, and environmental justice.
Following completion of the environmental review, the Service will
publish a notice of availability and a request for comment on the draft
EIS and the Applicant(s)' permit application, which will include the
draft HCP. The draft EIS and draft HCP are expected to be completed and
available to the public in September 2011.
Thomas L. Bauer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2010-4583 Filed 3-4-10; 8:45 am]
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