[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46031-46032]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18908]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2019-N079; FXES11140800000-190-FF08ECAR00]


Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed 
Habitat Conservation Plan for the San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat, City of 
Highland, San Bernardino County, CA; 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 the City of Highland (applicant) for an 
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The 
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally endangered San 
Bernardino kangaroo rat incidental to construction in San Bernardino 
County, California. 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, which is also available 
for review.

DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before October 3, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents by the 
following methods:
     Internet: https://www.fws.gov/carlsbad/HCPs/HCP_Docs.html.
     Telephone: 760-322-2070.
     U.S. Mail: Attn: Assistant Field Supervisor, Palm Springs 
Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 777 East 
Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 208, Palm Springs, CA 92262.
     In-Person: You may examine the documents by appointment 
during regular business hours at the Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife 
Office (address above). Please call to make an appointment (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments on any of the 
documents, you may do so in writing by any of the following methods:
     Online: https://www.fws.gov/carlsbad/HCPs/HCP_Docs.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Palm Springs Fish and Wildlife 
Office (address above).
     Fax: 760-322-4648.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karin Cleary-Rose, by telephone at 
760-322-2070, ext. 406, via email at [email protected], or via 
the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 
announce receipt of an application from the City of Highland, 
California (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 an ITP to take the federally endangered 
San Bernardino kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus) incidental to 
the construction of a storm drain outlet (project) in San Bernardino 
County, California. We request public comment on the application, which 
includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and 
the Service's preliminary determination that the 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, which is also available for public review.

Project

    The applicant requests a 5-year ITP to take the San Bernardino 
kangaroo rat (SBKR) incidental to the temporary impact of 0.10 acres 
(ac) of occupied SBKR foraging and sheltering habitat for the 
construction of storm drain outlet located on a 21-ac parcel, 
Assessor's Parcel Numbers 1201-321-36 and 1201-311-01, in Sections 4, 
Township 1 South, Range 3 West, San Bernardino County, California. The 
applicant proposes to mitigate for take of the SBKR through (1) 
relocation of all SBKR captured on the project area by live-trapping 
and release into pre-established artificial burrows immediately outside 
of the project area and (2) restoration and/or enhancement of 0.14 ac 
of SBKR habitat on the project site.

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 from public review, 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, infrastructure building, 
and the proposed mitigation and minimization measures, would 
individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the 
SBKR 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 
reasonably 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 the permit to the City of Highland.

[[Page 46032]]

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.

Scott Sobiech,
Acting Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Field Office, Pacific Southwest 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-18908 Filed 8-30-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P