[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 92 (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28034-28035]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-10053]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2020-N077; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole
Skink; Polk County, FL; Categorical Exclusion
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt
of an application from the School Board of Polk County (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 Polk County,
Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes
the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and on 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 June 11,
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. School Board of Polk County Permit TE68779D-0,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960-
3559.
Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288, Attn: Permit number
TE68779D-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.
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 the School Board of Polk County
(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 egregious)
(skinks) incidental to the construction of a high school in Polk
County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which
includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and
on 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
The applicant requests a 5-year ITP to take skinks through the
conversion approximately 10.05 acres (ac) of occupied skink foraging
and sheltering habitat incidental to the construction of a high school
on a 60.65-ac parcel in Sections 11 and 14, Township 26 South, Range 27
East, Polk County, Florida. The applicant proposes to mitigate for take
of the skinks by purchasing credits equivalent to 20.1 ac of skink-
occupied habitat from a Service-approved conservation bank in Polk
County. The Service would require the applicant 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 high
school, 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
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 matters, 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 TE68779D-0 to the School Board of Polk
County for incidental take of skinks.
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) (16 U.S.C.
1539(c))
[[Page 28035]]
of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.
Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. 2020-10053 Filed 5-11-20; 8:45 am]
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