[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 2757]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00630]
[[Page 2757]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N004; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for Sand Skink; Polk 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 Ernie Caldwell Properties, LLC (applicant) for
an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink
incidental to construction in Polk 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 February 18,
2020.
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. Sunbeam Properties, Inc. Permit TE54008D-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 regular business hours at the above address. Please call to make
an appointment.
Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288, Attn: Permit number
TE54008D-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: 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, announce
receipt of an application from Ernie Caldwell Properties, 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) incidental to the construction of a residential
development project in Polk 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
Ernie Caldwell Properties, LLC, requests a 10-year ITP to take sand
skink by converting approximately 7.81 acres of occupied skink foraging
and sheltering habitat incidental to construction of a residential
development on a 122.57-acre parcel in Section 15, Township 26 South,
Range 27 East, Polk County, Florida. The applicant proposes to mitigate
for take of the sand skink by purchasing credits equivalent to 15.62
acres of skink-occupied habitat from a Service-approved mitigation bank
in Polk County. The Service would be required to purchase the credits
prior to engaging in any phase of the project.
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 development, and the proposed mitigation measure, would
individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the
sand skink and the environment. Therefore, we have preliminarily
concluded that the ITP for this project would qualify for categorical
exclusion and the HCP would be 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 result in
significant cumulative effects to environmental values or resources
over time.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the application and the comments 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
preceding 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 TE54008D-0 to Ernie Caldwell Properties,
LLC for incidental take of sand skink.
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. 2020-00630 Filed 1-15-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P