[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 207 (Monday, October 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67767-67768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23591]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-ES-2020-N127; FXES11140100000-201-FF01E00000]
Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Environmental
Assessment for the Tumwater East Distribution Center and Tumwater West
Conservation Site, Thurston County, Washington
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, received an
application from Puget Western, Incorporated, for an incidental take
permit pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The application includes
a habitat conservation plan (HCP), which describes the actions the
applicant will take to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the taking
of the threatened Olympia subspecies of the Mazama pocket gopher that
may occur incidental to the otherwise lawful commercial development of
applicant-owned land in the City of Tumwater, Thurston County,
Washington. We also announce the availability of a draft environmental
assessment addressing the HCP and proposed permit. We invite comments
from all interested parties.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please submit written comments by
November 25, 2020.
ADDRESSES: To request further information or submit written comments,
please use one of the following methods, and note that your information
request or comments are in reference to ``Tumwater Distribution Center
HCP'':
Internet: You may view or download copies of the
HCP and draft EA and obtain additional information at http://www.fws.gov/wafwo/.
Email: wfwocomments@fws.gov. Include ``Tumwater
Distribution Center HCP'' in the subject line of the message.
U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn:
FWS-R1-ES-2020-N127; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Washington Fish
and Wildlife Office, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, WA 98503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Romanski, Conservation Planning
and Hydropower Branch Manager, Washington Fish and Wildlife Office (see
ADDRESSES); telephone: 360-753-5823. If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf, please call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), received an application from Puget Western, Incorporated,
including its wholly owned subsidiaries Tumwater West Conservation Site
LLC, Tumwater East I-5 Distribution Center LLC, and Tumwater East I-5
Commercial LLC (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant
to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The applicant requests an ITP
that would authorize ``take'' of the threatened Olympia subspecies of
the Mazama pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama pugetensis; hereafter
referred to as the Olympia pocket gopher) incidental to otherwise
lawful commercial warehouse construction and associated infrastructure
improvements for stormwater and transportation safety in Thurston
County, Washington. The application includes a habitat conservation
plan (HCP), which describes the actions the applicant will take to
minimize and mitigate the impacts of the taking on the covered species.
The Service also announces the availability of a draft environmental
assessment (EA) addressing the HCP and proposed ITP. As the EA was
developed prior to the Council on Environmental Quality's issuance of
updated regulations implementing NEPA which went into effect on
September 14, 2020 (40 CFR 1506.13), the EA was completed under the
previous regulations in the interest of time and efficiency. We invite
comments from all interested parties regarding the ITP application,
including the HCP and draft EA.
Background
Section 9 of the ESA prohibits ``take'' of fish and wildlife
species listed as endangered or threatened. Under the ESA, the term
``take'' means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap,
capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct (16
U.S.C. 1532(19)). The term ``harm,'' as defined in our regulations,
includes significant habitat modification or degradation that results
in death or injury to listed species by significantly impairing
essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding, or
sheltering (50 CFR 17.3). The term ``harass'' is defined in our
regulations as to carry out actions that create the likelihood of
injury to listed species to such an extent as to significantly disrupt
normal behavioral patterns, which include, but are not limited to,
breeding, feeding, or sheltering (50 CFR 17.3).
Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA contains provisions that authorize
the
[[Page 67768]]
Service to issue permits to non-Federal entities for the take of
endangered and threatened species caused by otherwise lawful
activities, provided the following criteria are met: (1) The taking
will be incidental; (2) the applicant will, to the maximum extent
practicable, minimize and mitigate the impact of such taking; (3) the
applicant will ensure that adequate funding for the plan will be
provided; (4) the taking will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of
the survival and recovery of the species in the wild; and (5) the
applicant will carry out any other measures that the Service may
require as being necessary or appropriate for the purposes of the HCP.
Regulations governing permits for endangered and threatened species are
found at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32, respectively.
Proposed Action
In this case, the applicant is requesting an ITP with a 20-year
term that would authorize take of the Olympia pocket gopher incidental
to otherwise lawful construction of commercial warehouse(s) and
associated infrastructure improvements for stormwater and
transportation safety. The application includes an HCP that describes
the actions the applicant will take to minimize and mitigate the
impacts of the taking on the covered species.
The applicant is proposing development activities and conservation
site measures on approximately 151.2 acres of land. Development
activities include construction of a warehouse distribution and
commercial center and associated infrastructure improvements for
stormwater and transportation safety. The area covered under the
applicant's HCP consists of a project development site totaling 83.7
acres located southwest of the intersection of 93rd Ave. SW and Kimmie
St. SW in the City of Tumwater, Thurston County, Washington. Portions
of the approximately 79-acre project site and the 4.7 acres of adjacent
roads are suitable for and/or occupied by the Olympia pocket gopher.
Take of the Olympia pocket gopher would occur on approximately 22 acres
of occupied habitat. Impacts to suitable habitat may result in
additional impacts to Olympia pocket gopher if that habitat becomes
occupied before construction. The applicant's HCP will provide
offsetting mitigation for impacts to the Olympia pocket gopher at the
67.5-acre Tumwater West property. The Service proposes to issue the
requested 20-year permit based on the applicant's commitment to
implement the HCP, if permit issuance criteria are met.
National Environmental Policy Act Compliance
The proposed issuance of a permit is a Federal action that triggers
the need for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Pursuant to the
requirements of NEPA, we have prepared a draft EA to analyze the
environmental impacts of a reasonable range of alternatives to the
proposed Federal permit action. As the EA was developed prior to the
Council on Environmental Quality's issuance of updated regulations
implementing NEPA which went into effect on September 14, 2020 (40 CFR
1506.13), the EA was completed under the previous regulations in the
interest of time and efficiency.
Alternatives analyzed in the EA include a no-action alternative and
the proposed alternative. Under the no-action alternative, the proposed
Federal action of issuing the permit would not proceed. Because there
is no way to avoid all impacts to the listed species at the project
site, the commercial development would not be constructed under the no-
action alternative. The proposed alternative is implementation of the
HCP and issuance of the requested 20-year permit, as described above.
Public Comments
You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods
listed in the ADDRESSES section. We specifically request information,
views, and opinions from interested parties regarding our proposed
Federal action, including on the adequacy of the HCP pursuant to the
requirements for permits at 50 CFR parts 13 and 17 and the adequacy of
the draft EA pursuant to the requirements of NEPA.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments and materials we receive become part of the public
record associated with this action. Before including your address,
phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable
information in your comments, you should be aware that your entire
comment--including your personally identifiable information--may be
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your
comment to withhold your personally identifiable information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations
or businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their
entirety.
Next Steps
After public review and completion of the EA, we will determine
whether the proposed action warrants a finding of no significant impact
or whether an environmental impact statement should be prepared. We
will evaluate the permit application, associated documents, and any
comments received, to determine whether the permit application meets
the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA. We will also
evaluate whether issuance of the requested section 10(a)(1)(B) permit
would comply with section 7 of the ESA by conducting an intra-Service
section 7 consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the ESA on anticipated
ITP actions. The final NEPA and permit determinations will not be
completed until after the end of the 30-day comment period and will
fully consider all comments received during the comment period. If we
determine that all requirements are met, we will issue an incidental
take permit under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA to the applicant for
the take of the covered species, incidental to otherwise lawful covered
activities.
Authority
We provide this notice in accordance with the requirements of
section 10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq.) and their implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 40 CFR
1506.6, respectively).
Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-23591 Filed 10-23-20; 8:45 am]
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