[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32437-32438]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11536]
[[Page 32437]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0057; FXES11140400000-212-FF04EF4000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink, Lake 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 Zenodro Homes, Inc (Sunrise Pointe and
Tranquility at Hidden Forest) (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 the construction
of two residential developments in Lake 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 30,
2022.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents online
in Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0057 at https://www.regulations.gov.
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.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0057.
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS-R4-ES-2022-0057; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin M. Gawera, by U.S. mail (see
ADDRESSES), or via phone at 904-731-3121. Individuals in the United
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce receipt of an application from Zenodro Homes, Inc (Sunrise
Pointe and Tranquility at Hidden Forest) (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 two residential developments (project) in Lake County,
Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes
the applicant's 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 10-year ITP to take sand skinks through
the conversion of approximately 9.18 acres (ac) of occupied sand skink
foraging and sheltering habitat incidental to the construction of
residential developments located on two properties within the Hidden
Forest development: Sunrise Pointe, a 10-ac property within Section 25,
Township 24 South, Range 26 East, Lake County, Florida; parcel ID
number 25-24-26-0003-000-04100. And Tranquility, a 25.15-ac property
within Section 25, Township 24 South, Range 26 East, Lake County,
Florida; Parcels ID numbers 25-24-26-0003-000-01700, 25-24-26-0003-000-
01500, 25-24-26-0003-000-01800, and 25-24-26-0003-000-01900. The two
developments total 35.15 ac. The applicant proposes to mitigate for
take of 3.5 ac of occupied sand skink foraging and sheltering habit
associated with construction of Sunrise Pointe by the purchase of 7.0
credits and for take of 5.68 ac of occupied sank skink foraging and
sheltering habitat associated with construction of Tranquility by the
purchase of 11.36 credits (totaling 18.40 credits). The credits would
be purchased from the Lake Livingston Conservation Bank or another
Service-approved Conservation Bank. The Service would require the
applicant to purchase the credits for each development prior to
engaging in activities associated with that development on the
respective 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 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, infrastructure building,
landscaping, and ground disturbance and site preparation activities,
along with the proposed mitigation measures--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 that
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 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 and other 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 PER0028829 to Zenodro Homes, Inc
(Sunrise Pointe and Tranquility at Hidden Forest).
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) of the ESA (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.32)
and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
[[Page 32438]]
seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6 and 43 CFR
46.305).
Robert L. Carey,
Division Manager, Environmental Review, Florida Ecological Services
Office.
[FR Doc. 2022-11536 Filed 5-27-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P