[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56471-56472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23015]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N146; FXES11140400000-190-FF04EF2000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink, Blue-Tailed Mole Skink,
and Florida Scrub-Jay, Highlands 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), announce receipt
of an application from Palmetto Lake Placid-Lakes Blvd., LLC
(applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered
Species Act. The applicant requests an ITP to take the federally listed
sand skink, blue-tailed mole skink, and Florida scrub-jay incidental to
construction in Highlands 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 by November 21, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents
by any of the following methods:
Telephone: Heather Hitt, 772-469-4267.
Email: heather_hitt@fws.gov.
U.S. mail: Heather Hitt, South Florida Ecological Services
Field Office, Attn: Permit number TE50012D-0, 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: Heather Hitt, 772-562-4288, Attn.: Permit number
TE50012D-0.
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: Heather Hitt, by U.S. mail (see
ADDRESSES) or via phone at 772-469-4267. 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, announce
receipt of an application from Palmetto Lake Placid-Lakes Blvd., LLC
(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) and Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)
(scrub-jays) incidental to the construction of a commercial development
(project) in Highlands 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
Palmetto Lake Placid-Lakes Blvd., LLC requests a 5-year ITP to take
skinks and scrub-jays incidental to the conversion of approximately
1.51 acres of occupied skink and scrub-jay foraging and sheltering
habitat for the construction of a commercial development located on a
151-acre parcel in Sections 10 and 15, Township 37 South, Range 29
East, Highlands County, Florida. The applicant proposes to mitigate for
take of the skinks and scrub-jays by purchasing credits equivalent to
3.02 acres of skink-occupied habitat from the Backbone Conservation
Bank and to 3.02 acres of scrub-jay occupied habitat from the Tippen
Bay Scrub-Jay Conservation Bank. 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
[[Page 56472]]
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
commercial development, and the proposed mitigation measure, would
individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on
skinks, scrub-jays, 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 TE50012D-0 to Palmetto Lake Placid-Lakes Blvd.,
LLC.
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. 2019-23015 Filed 10-21-19; 8:45 am]
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