Receipt of an Application and Availability of an Environmental Assessment for an Incidental Take Permit for Capital Improvement Projects within Charlotte County, FL

The Charlotte County Board of Commissioners (Applicant) requests an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) for the take of the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub- jay). The Applicant anticipates taking 84.2 acres of occupied scrub-jay breeding, foraging, and sheltering habitat, incidental to otherwise lawful activities of road construction and community redevelopment (Projects) in Charlotte County, Florida. The development of this habitat is expected to result in the take of 11 families of scrub-jays. The Applicant's habitat conservation plan (HCP) describes the mitigation and minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the Projects to the scrub-jay. These measures are outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.