[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67390-67392]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-26950]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R5-ES-2013-0090; 50120-1112-0000-F2]
Early Scoping for Proposed Application for Incidental Take Permit
and Habitat Conservation Plan; Pennsylvania Game Commission and
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of initiation of scoping.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), announce our intent to prepare a NEPA document for a pending
Incidental Take Permit (ITP) application and associated draft habitat
conservation plan (HCP) from the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
for forestry activities on State lands that provide potential habitat
for the federally listed endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and
the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Northern long-
eared bats have recently been proposed for listing as endangered under
the ESA. Forestry operations on these lands have the potential to
incidentally take Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats and their
habitat. Therefore, PGC and DCNR are developing an ITP application and
HCP to address these activities.
In advance of receiving the ITP application for this project, the
Service is providing this notice to request information from other
agencies, tribes, and the public on the scope of the NEPA review and
issues to consider in the NEPA analysis and in development of the HCP.
We are also using this opportunity to seek comments on the appropriate
level of NEPA review--whether an environmental assessment (EA) or an
environmental impact statement (EIS) would be most appropriate, based
on potential effects to the human environment.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before
December 12, 2013. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on the closing date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by one of the following
methods:
Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal Web site at:
http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R5-ES-2013-
0090, which is the docket number for this notice. Click on the
appropriate link to locate this document and submit a comment.
By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R5-ES-2013-0090, Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
We request that you send comments by only the methods described
above. We will post all information received on the Web site at: http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section
below for more information).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pamela R. Shellenberger, by mail at
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 315 South Allen Street, Suite 322,
State College, PA 16801, or by telephone at 814-234-4090, extension
241.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We announce our intent to prepare a NEPA
document for a pending ITP application and associated draft HCP from
the PGC
[[Page 67391]]
and DCNR for forestry activities on approximately 3.9 million acres of
State lands. PGC manages 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands, and
DCNR manages 2.2 million acres of State Forests and 295,000 acres of
State Parks. These predominantly forested lands provide potential
foraging, roosting, maternity colony, and fall swarming habitat for all
bat species that occur in Pennsylvania, including the federally listed
endangered Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat. Northern long-
eared bats have recently been proposed for listing as endangered under
the ESA. Forestry operations on these lands have the potential to
incidentally take Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats and their
habitat. Therefore, PGC and DCNR are developing an ITP application and
HCP to address these activities.
In advance of receiving the ITP application for this project, the
Service is providing this notice to request information from other
agencies, tribes, and the public on the scope of the NEPA review and
issues to consider in the NEPA analysis and in development of the HCP.
We are also using this opportunity to seek comments on the appropriate
level of NEPA review--whether an EA or an EIS would be most
appropriate, based on potential effects to the human environment.
Request for Information
We request data, comments, information, and suggestions from the
public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific
community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party on this
notice. We will consider all comments we receive in complying with the
requirements of NEPA and in the development of the HCP and ITP.
We seek comments particularly related to:
(1) Information concerning the range, distribution, population
size, and population trends of Indiana bats, northern long-eared bats,
and other federally listed species in Pennsylvania;
(2) Additional biological information concerning Indiana bats,
northern long-eared bats, and other federally listed species that occur
in Pennsylvania that could be affected by proposed covered activities;
(3) Relevant data and information concerning timber management
practices and bat interactions;
(4) Current or planned activities in the project planning area and
their possible impacts on Indiana bats, northern long-eared bats, and
other federally listed species in Pennsylvania;
(5) The presence of facilities within the project planning area
that are eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, or whether other historical, archeological, or traditional
cultural properties may be present;
(6) The appropriate level of NEPA review, specifically whether an
EA or an EIS would be most appropriate based on potential effects to
the human environment; and
(7) Any other environmental issues that we should consider with
regard to the project planning area and potential ITP issuance.
You may submit your comments and materials considering this notice
by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section.
Background
Indiana bats are listed as an endangered species under the ESA. The
population decline of this species has historically been attributed to
habitat loss and degradation of both winter hibernation habitat and
summer roosting habitat, human disturbance during hibernation, and
possibly pesticides. A recent new threat to Indiana bats is White-nose
Syndrome (WNS), a disease caused by a fungus (Pseudogymnoascus
destructans, previously classified as Geomyces destructans) that
invades the skin of bats. The fungus causes ulcers that alter
hibernation arousal patterns, which can cause emaciation. WNS is
resulting in significant population declines in some parts of the
species' range, including the northeastern and southeastern United
States.
The range of the Indiana bat includes much of the eastern United
States, including Pennsylvania. Winter habitat for Indiana bat includes
caves and mines that support high humidity and cool-but-stable
temperatures. In the summer, Indiana bats roost in trees (dead, dying,
or alive) with exfoliating bark, cracks, crevices, and/or hollows.
During summer, males roost alone or in small groups, while females and
their offspring can roost in larger groups. Indiana bats forage for
insects in and along the edges of forested areas and wooded stream
corridors.
Northern long-eared bats have recently been proposed for listing as
endangered under the ESA. WNS is the predominant threat to the species,
though other threats may include impacts to hibernacula, summer
habitat, and disturbance of hibernating bats. Northern long-eared bats
have been abundant in the eastern United States and are often captured
in summer mist nets surveys and detected during acoustic surveys.
Northern long-eared bats are known to frequent forested habitats
throughout Pennsylvania. Similar to Indiana bats, northern long-eared
bats generally hibernate in caves and mines during the winter. During
the summer, the bats roost in live trees and snags, though are also
known to use human made structures such as barns, sheds, and bat boxes.
Comprehensive forest management strategies on Pennsylvania State
lands create wildlife habitat and enhance forest health and diversity,
while generating revenues from recreation and timber harvest that fund
resource management on these lands. The ability of both PGC and DCNR to
manage these properties in accordance with State law depends on these
forest management strategies.
The Federal action that will be analyzed through NEPA will be the
potential issuance of an ITP to allow incidental take of Indiana bats,
northern long-eared bats, and other federally listed species from
forest management activities that will be described in the HCP. The HCP
will incorporate avoidance, minimization, mitigation, monitoring, and
reporting measures aimed at addressing the impact of the covered
activities to Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats. The project
planning area for the HCP is the 3.9 million acres of largely forested
lands in Pennsylvania owned and managed by PGC and DCNR. The covered
forest management activities in the HCP are anticipated to be as
follows: Timber harvesting, installation of deer fencing, cutting and
collecting of firewood, construction and maintenance of roads and
trails, and use of prescribed fire. The PGC and DCNR do not anticipate
that other forest management activities in the planning area will
result in incidental take of Indiana bats, northern long-eared bats, or
their habitat. In addition, they do not anticipate that other forest
management activities in the planning area will result in incidental
take of any other federally listed species. Potential minimization
measures may include, but are not limited to, protection of roost trees
and surrounding habitat, setback distances from known roost trees,
mapping and avoidance of foraging areas, protection and enhancement of
hibernacula, and protection and enhancement of Indiana bat and northern
long-eared bat roosting and foraging habitat. The duration of the ITP
will be 30 years.
The Service has not made any decision with regard to the
appropriate level of NEPA analysis (i.e., EA or EIS), or developed any
NEPA alternatives to the proposed Federal action (i.e., issuance of an
ITP conditioned on implementation of the HCP). The NEPA
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analysis will assess the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of
the proposed Federal action on the human environment, comprehensively
interpreted to include the natural and physical environment and the
relationship of people with that environment. It will also analyze
several alternatives to the proposed Federal action, to include no
action and other reasonable courses of action (potentially including
minimization and mitigation measures not considered in the proposed
action). Relevant information provided in response to this notice will
aid in developing the draft HCP and NEPA analysis.
Next Steps
In this phase of the project, we are seeking information to assist
development of the NEPA analysis and the HCP, and to inform what level
of environmental analysis would be necessary for project
implementation. We will then develop a draft NEPA document based on the
ITP application, draft HCP, any associated documents, and public
comments received through this early scoping effort. The NEPA process
will vary somewhat, depending on whether the project requires an EA or
an EIS. We may solicit additional public, agency, and Tribal input to
identify the nature and scope of the environmental issues that should
be addressed during NEPA review, following appropriate public notice.
We will then publish a notice of availability for the draft NEPA
document and draft HCP and seek additional public comment before
completing our final analysis to determine whether to issue an ITP.
Public Comments
The Service invites the public to provide comments that will assist
our NEPA analysis during this 30-day public comment period (see DATES).
You may submit comments by one of the methods shown under ADDRESSES.
Public Availability of Comments
We will post all public comments and information received
electronically or via hardcopy on our Web site at: http://regulations.gov. All comments received, including names and addresses,
will become part of the administrative record and will be available to
the public. Before including your address, phone number, electronic
mail address, or other personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your
personal identifying information--will be publicly available. If you
submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying
information, you may request at the top of your document that we
withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authority
This notice is provided pursuant to NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1501.7
and 1508.22).
Dated: November 4, 2013.
Spencer Simon,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Northeast
Region.
[FR Doc. 2013-26950 Filed 11-8-13; 8:45 am]
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