[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 163 (Thursday, August 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43817-43818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18095]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N101; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole
Skink, Osceola County, FL; Categorical Exclusion
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments and information.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt
of an application from Mattamy Homes (applicant) for an incidental take
permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests
the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink and blue-tailed mole
skink incidental to construction in Osceola County, Florida. We request
public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's
proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and the Service's preliminary
determination that this HCP qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically
excluded, under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make this
determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-
effect screening form, both of which are also available for public
review.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before September 23,
2019.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents by any
of the following methods:
Telephone: Alfredo Begazo, 772-469-4234.
Email: alfredo_begazo@fws.gov.
U.S. mail: Alfredo Begazo, South Florida Ecological
Services Office, Attn Mattamy Homes Permit TE69953C-1, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960-3559.
In-person: The documents may be reviewed by appointment
during normal business hours at the above address. Please call to make
an appointment.
Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288.
Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments on any of the
documents, you may do so in writing via the above email address, U.S.
mail address, or fax number, or you may hand-deliver comments to the
above address during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfredo Begazo, by U.S. mail (see
ADDRESSES) or via phone at 772-469-4234. Individuals who are hearing
impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-
877-8339 for TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce receipt of an application from Mattamy Homes (applicant) for
an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The applicant requests
the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) and
blue-tailed mole skink (Eumeces egregius lividus) (skinks) incidental
to the construction of a residential development (project) in Osceola
County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which
includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and
the Service's preliminary determination that this HCP qualifies as
``low-effect,'' categorically excluded 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, both of which are also available for public review.
Project
Mattamy Homes requests a 5-year ITP to take skinks incidental to
the conversion of approximately 5.04 acres of occupied skink foraging
and sheltering habitat for the construction of a residential
development located on a 83.29-acre parcel in Sections 18 and 19,
Township 25 South, and Range 27 East, Osceola County, Florida. The
applicant proposes to mitigate for take of the skinks by purchasing
credits equivalent to 10.08 acres of skink-occupied habitat from a
Service-approved conservation bank in Osceola County. The Service would
require the applicant to purchase the credits prior to engaging in land
clearing activities on the parcel.
Public Availability of Comments
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 may request that we
withhold your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee
that we will be able to do so.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary determination that the
applicant's project, including land clearing, construction of the
residential
[[Page 43818]]
development, and the proposed mitigation measure would individually and
cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the skinks and the
environment. Therefore, we have preliminarily concluded that the ITP
for this project would qualify for categorical exclusion and the HCP is
low effect under our NEPA regulations at 43 CFR 46.205 and 46.210. A
low-effect HCP is one that would result in (1) minor or negligible
effects on federally listed, proposed, and candidate species and their
habitats; (2) minor or negligible effects on other environmental values
or resources; and (3) impacts that, when considered together with the
impacts of other past, present, and reasonable foreseeable similarly
situated projects, would not over time result in significant cumulative
effects to environmental values or resources.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the application and the comments received
to determine whether to issue the requested permit. We will also
conduct an intra-Service consultation pursuant to section 7 of the ESA
to evaluate the effects of the proposed take. After considering the
above findings, we will determine whether the permit issuance criteria
of section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA have been met. If met, the Service
will issue ITP number TE69953C-1 to Mattamy Homes.
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) (16 U.S.C.
1539(c)) of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.
Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-18095 Filed 8-21-19; 8:45 am]
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