[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 92 (Monday, May 13, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20907-20908]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09711]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2019-0028; FXES11130400000EA-123-FF04EF1000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Receipt of Incidental Take
Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand
Skink, Lake County, FL; Categorical Exclusion
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment and information.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an
application from the City of Groveland, Florida (applicant), to amend
an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act. The 10-year
ITP authorizes take of the federally listed sand skink incidental to
the construction of a fire station and parking lot in Lake County,
Florida. We request public comment on the application and on our
preliminary determination that the proposed amendment of the habitat
conservation plan (HCP) qualifies as ``low-effect'' under the National
Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our
environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which are
also available for review.
DATES: We must receive your written comments by June 12, 2019.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents online
in Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2019-0028 at http://www.regulations.gov.
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the
following methods:
Online: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2019-0028.
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing;
Attn: Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2019-0028; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin M. Gawera, by telephone at 904-
731-3121, via the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339, or via email
at erin_gawera@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
have received an application from the City of Groveland, Florida
(applicant), to amend an incidental take permit no. TE69161C-0 (ITP)
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.). The 10-year ITP authorizes take of the federally listed
sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) incidental to the construction of a fire
station and parking lot in Lake County, Florida. We request public
comment on the application, which includes the proposed habitat
conservation plan (HCP), and on our preliminary determination that the
proposed amendment of the HCP qualifies as ``low-effect'' under the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). To
make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and
low-effect screening form, which are also available for review.
We issued ITP TE69161C-0 to the applicant authorizing take of the
sand skink incidental to the conversion of approximately 1.57 acres of
occupied foraging and sheltering habitat for the construction of a fire
station and parking lot. The station will be constructed within a 4.61-
acre project site located on parcel Number 19-22-25-000100005200 in
Section 19, Township 22 South, Range 25 East, Lake County, Florida.
The applicant is requesting that the Service amend its ITP to
authorize additional take of the sand skink through the conversion of
another 0.41 acre (totaling approximately 1.98 acres) of occupied
foraging and sheltering habitat incidental to the project. The project
includes clearing, infrastructure building, and landscaping associated
with construction. To mitigate for take under the ITP, the applicant
agreed to purchase 3.14 mitigation credits in the Backbone Conservation
Bank or another Service-approved sand skink bank. The applicant
proposes to purchase an additional .82 credit (totaling 3.96 credits)
in the conservation bank to mitigate for additional take of the
species.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments, whether received electronically or via hard copy,
will be posted on http://regulations.gov and become part of the
decision record associated with this action. Before including your
address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying
information in your comment, be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made available
to the public. While you can request that we withhold your personal
identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do
so.
Our Preliminary Determination
We have determined that the applicant's proposal, including the
proposed mitigation and minimization measures, would have minor or
negligible effects on the sand skinks and the environment. Therefore,
we have preliminarily determined that amendment of the ITP would be
``low effect'' and qualify for categorical exclusion under NEPA. A low-
effect HCP is one involving (1) minor or negligible effects on
federally listed or candidate species and their habitats, and (2) minor
or negligible effects on other environmental values or resources.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the application to amend the ITP and
consider all comments received to determine whether to amend the ITP
application. We will also conduct an intra-Service consultation
pursuant to section 7 of the ESA. After considering the above findings,
we will determine whether the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(B) of
the ESA and 50 CFR 13.23 have been met. If met, the Service will issue
an amended ITP no. TE69161C-1 to the applicant for incidental take of
the sand skink.
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10 of the ESA (16
U.S.C.
[[Page 20908]]
1539) and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.
Jay B. Herrington,
Field Supervisor, Jacksonville, FL Field Office, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-09711 Filed 5-10-19; 8:45 am]
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