[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28885-28886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10939]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2016-N031; FF04E00000-167-FXES11150400000]
Department of Defense; Proposed Gopher Tortoise Conservation and
Crediting Strategy
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability for comment of a proposed ``Gopher Tortoise Conservation
and Crediting Strategy'' to be implemented in Alabama, Georgia,
Florida, and South Carolina, where the gopher tortoise occurs but is
unlisted.
DATES: We must receive any written comments at our Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES) on or before June 9, 2016.
ADDRESSES: To request further information, review documents, or submit
written comments, please use the following methods and specify that
your information request or comments are in reference to the ``DOD
Gopher Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy.''
Internet: Documents may be viewed and downloaded on the
Internet at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/candidateconservation/examples.html.
Email: michael_harris@fws.gov. Include ``DOD Gopher
Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy'' in the subject line of
your message.
U.S. Mail: Mr. Michael Harris, At-Risk Species
Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1875
Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345.
In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 404-679-7066
to make an appointment (necessary for viewing or pickup only) during
regular business hours at the Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional
Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30345. Written
comments can be dropped off during regular business hours at the above
address on or before the closing date of the public comment period (see
DATES). Note that requests for any documents must be in writing to be
processed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Harris, At-Risk Species
Coordinator, at the Regional Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 404-
679-7066. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD),
please call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
We announce the availability for comment of a proposed ``Gopher
Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy'' (Strategy) for
implementation in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina
(Strategy Area), where the gopher tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) occurs
but is unlisted. The Strategy Area is within the historic range of the
species. The Strategy would enable the military services of the
Department of Defense to generate conservation credits to be used to
offset impacts to the gopher tortoise from military training
[[Page 28886]]
and operations if the species were to be listed as ``threatened'' or
``endangered'' under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(Act), in the future.
Strategy
The Strategy was developed by the Service in conjunction with the
following State wildlife agencies: Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Wildlife
Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; and,
the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The Strategy
describes conservation activities designed to protect and enhance
habitats for the gopher tortoise on lands that have been permanently
protected in the Strategy Area. The focus of the conservation
activities would be the areas where significant gopher tortoise
populations, as identified through population and habitat analyses
conducted by the Service and the State wildlife agencies, could be
conserved.
Under the Strategy, the military services would voluntarily agree
to undertake specified conservation activities to conserve gopher
tortoise populations and habitat within the Strategy Area. The suite of
conservation activities that could be performed includes land
acquisition for the permanent protection of populations of the species;
enhancement, restoration, or maintenance of the species' habitat via
prescribed fire and thinning to maintain forest habitats and control of
invasive exotic species; and/or, translocation of gopher tortoises to
augment existing populations in permanently protected conservation
areas within the Strategy Area.
The military services could generate and accumulate Gopher Tortoise
Conservation Credits (GTCCs) for undertaking the conservation
activities set forth in the Strategy. Those GTCCs could, in turn, be
tendered to the Service to offset impacts to the species from training
operations were the gopher tortoise to be federally-listed as
``threatened'' or ``endangered'' in the portion of the Strategy Area
where the impacts occurred. Pursuant to 50 CFR 402.14 (g)(8), during
formal consultation under section 7 of the Act, the Service must ``give
appropriate consideration to any beneficial actions taken by the
Federal agency or applicant, including any actions taken prior to the
initiation of consultation.''
We specifically request information, views, and opinions from the
public via this notice on the proposed Strategy. We will evaluate the
Strategy under section 7 of the Act as a programmatic action as defined
in 50 CFR 402.02. As a framework programmatic action, we have
determined that the Strategy qualifies for categorical exclusion under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with the
Department of the Interior's NEPA implementing regulations in Part 46
of Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations (43 CFR sections 46.205,
46.210, and 46.215). We will conduct independent NEPA evaluations of
each project undertaken by the military services under this Strategy as
such is proposed.
Public Comments
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
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.
Next Steps
Prior to making a final decision on whether to approve the
Strategy, we will evaluate the Strategy and fully consider all comments
received during the 30-day comment period. We also will conduct an
intra-Service section 7 consultation to determine whether the Strategy
meets the requirements of section 7 of the Act. If we determine that
the requirements are met, we will approve and adopt the Strategy for
implementation in accordance with the applicable regulatory
requirements, including 50 CFR 402.14(g)(8).
Authority
We provide this notice under section 7 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: April 20, 2016.
Mike Oetker,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-10939 Filed 5-9-16; 8:45 am]
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