The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is announcing the availability of an incidental take permit application that includes a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP) for the CEMEX Balcones Quarry Northeast Area Tract in Comal County, Texas. Publication of this notice begins a 60-day comment period. Comments will be accepted until July 13, 2015.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to issue an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, to CEMEX Construction Materials South, LLC. The ITP is for the incidental take of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga [=Dendroica]chrysoparia, GCWA) on the approximately 246-acre Balcones Quarry Northeast Area tract. This tract is located west of the City of New Braunfels and Interstate Highway 35 in southern Comal County, Texas.
News Release (206 KB, PDF)
Draft Habitat Conservation Plan (7.3 MB, PDF)
Draft Environmental Assessment (5.4 MB, PDF)
Federal Register Notice (200 KB, PDF)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is announcing the availability of an incidental take permit application that includes a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP) for the CEMEX Balcones Quarry Northeast Area Tract in Comal County, Texas. Publication of this notice begins a 60-day comment period. CEMEX Construction Materials South, LLC is requesting an incidental take permit to cover activities associated with proposed clearing and implementation of quarrying activities on 199.4 acres within the CEMEX Balcones Quarry Northeast Area tract that may affect the golden-cheeked warbler and its habitat. The incidental take permit, if issued, would be in effect for 15 years. As part of their draft Habitat Conservation Plan, CEMEX proposes to mitigate with the purchase of high quality golden-cheeked warbler habitat. The golden-cheeked warbler is a small, migratory song bird that nests exclusively in central Texas. The bird is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation as a result of urban encroachment and the clearing of juniper. The golden-cheeked warbler was listed as endangered on December 27, 1990. The Service is requesting public comments on the incidental take permit, dHCP and the draft environmental assessment (dEA). Comments will be accepted until July 13, 2015. You may submit written comments by one of the following methods: ? Electronically: Submit electronic comments to FW2_AUES_Consult@fws.gov. Please note that your request is in reference to the CEMEX dHCP. ? By hard copy: Mr. Adam Zerrenner, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758–4460; fax 512–490–0974. Please note that your request is in reference to the CEMEX dHCP. Copies of the dHCP and dEA are available online at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/AustinTexas/. For additional information contact, Mr. Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, by mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758-4460; or by phone at 512-490-0057.
