[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44837-44838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20568]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2017-N085; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Receipt of
Applications for Incidental Take Permits; Availability of Low-Effect
Proposed Habitat Conservation Plans and Associated Documents; Polk
County, FL
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments and information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability for comment of three incidental take permit (ITP)
applications and three proposed habitat conservation plans (HCPs).
Three applicants request ITPs under the Endangered Species Act of 1973,
as amended (Act). The applicants--Hanover Capital Partners, LLC;
Palmetto Babson Park--Scenic Hwy. 17, LLC; and 17-92, LLC--anticipate
taking feeding, breeding, and sheltering habitat used by the sand skink
and blue-tailed mole skink incidental to land preparation and
construction in Polk County, Florida. The applicants' proposed HCPs
describe proposed mitigation measures to address the effects of
development on the species.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on the incidental take
permit applications and habitat conservation plans on or before October
26, 2017.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents: You may obtain a copy of the incidental take
permit (ITP) applications and habitat conservation plans (HCPs) by
writing to Alfredo Begazo, South Florida Ecological Services Office;
Attn: Permit numbers TE32251C-0, TE32252C-0, and TE32249C-0; U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service; 1339 20th Street; Vero Beach, FL 32960-3559. In
addition, we will make the ITP applications and HCPs available for
public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the
South Florida Ecological Services Office address.
Submitting Comments: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for information
on how to submit your comments on the ITP applications and HCPs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alfredo Begazo, South Florida
Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES); telephone: 772-469-4234.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce the availability of three incidental take permit (ITP)
applications and proposed habitat conservation plans (HCPs), under
section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; Act). The applicants anticipate taking
feeding, breeding, and sheltering habitat used by the sand skink
(Neoseps reynoldsi) and blue-tailed mole skink (Eumeces egregius)
(skinks) incidental to land preparation and construction in Polk
County, Florida. The applicants' HCPs describe proposed mitigation
measures to address the effects of development on the two covered skink
species. The Service listed the skinks as threatened in 1987 (November
6, 1987; 52 FR 42658, effective December 7, 1987.
Applicants' Proposed Projects
We received applications from the applicants for incidental take
permits, along with proposed HCPs. Each applicant is requesting an ITP
under the Act. If we approve these applications, the following take
could occur:
Hanover Capital Partners, LLC (ITP TE32251C-0) anticipates
taking 3.65 ac of skink breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat,
incidental to land preparation and construction in Section 14, Township
26 South, Range 27 East;
Palmetto Babson Park--Scenic Hwy. 17, LLC (ITP TE32252C-0)
anticipates taking 1.27 ac of skink breeding, feeding, and sheltering
habitat, incidental to land preparation and construction in Section 33,
Township 30 South, Range 28 East; and
17-92, LLC (ITP TE32249C-0) anticipates taking 2.64 ac of
skink breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat, incidental to land
preparation and construction in in Section 12, Township 26 South, Range
27 East and Section 7, Township 26 South, Range 28 East.
All affected properties are in Polk County, Florida.
The applicants currently have neither timeframes for development
nor specific site plans; however, development of these parcels would
likely include construction of one or more structures and parking
areas, and installation of associated utilities.
The applicants propose to mitigate for impacts to skinks by
purchasing credits from a Service-approved conservation bank as
follows:
Hanover Capital Partners, LLC proposes to purchase the
equivalent of 7 ac of credits;
Palmetto Babson Park--Scenic Hwy. 17, LLC proposes to
purchase the equivalent of 2.54 ac of credits; and
[[Page 44838]]
17-92, LLC proposes to purchase the equivalent of 5.28 ac
of credits.
Our Preliminary Determination
The Service has made a preliminary determination that the
applicants' projects, including the mitigation measures, will
individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the
species covered in the HCPs. Therefore, we have determined that the
incidental take permits for these projects are ``low effect'' and
qualify for categorical exclusions under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by 43 CFR 46.205 and 43 CFR 46.210. We
base our preliminary determination that issuance of the ITPs qualifies
as low-effect on the following three criteria: (1) Implementation of
the projects would result in minor or negligible effects on federally
listed, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats; (2)
Implementation of the projects would result in minor or negligible
effects on other environmental values or resources; and (3) Impacts of
the projects, considered together with the impacts of other past,
present, and reasonably foreseeable similarly situated projects, would
not result, over time, in cumulative effects to environmental values or
resources that would be considered significant. This preliminary
determination may be revised based on our review of public comments
that we receive in response to this notice.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the HCPs and comments submitted thereon
to determine whether the applications meet the requirements of section
10(a) of the Act. The Service will also evaluate whether issuance of
the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITPs complies with section 7 of the Act by
conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation for each project.
The results of these consultations, in combination with the above
findings, will be used in the final analysis to determine whether or
not to issue the ITPs. If it is determined that the requirements of the
Act are met, the ITPs will be issued.
Submitting Comments
If you wish to comment on the ITP applications or HCPs, you may
submit comments by any one of the following methods:
Email: alfredo_begazo@fws.gov. Use ``Attn: Permit numbers TE32251C-
0, TE32252C-0, and TE32249C-0'' as your message subject line.
Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288, ``Attn.: Permit numbers
TE32251C-0, TE32252C-0, and TE32249C-0.''
U.S. mail: See ADDRESSES.
In-person drop-off: You may drop off comments or request
information during regular business hours at the address in ADDRESSES.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comments, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
request in your comments that your personal identifying information be
withheld from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able
to do so.
Authority
We provide this notice under section 10 of the Endangered Species
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
Dated: September 6, 2017.
Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-20568 Filed 9-25-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P