[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56468-56469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23016]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N145; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]
Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole
Skink; Polk 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 Sunbeam Properties, Inc. (applicant) for an
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink and
blue-tailed mole skink incidental to construction in Polk County,
Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes
the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and 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
[[Page 56469]]
low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for public
review.
DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before November 21,
2019.
ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents
by any of the following methods:
Telephone: Alfredo Begazo, 772-469-4234.
Email: alfredo_begazo@fws.gov.
U.S. mail: Alfredo Begazo, South Florida Ecological
Services Office, Attn. Sunbeam Properties, Inc. Permit TE48273D-0, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960-3559.
In-person: The documents may be reviewed by appointment
during regular business hours at the above address. Please call to make
an appointment.
Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288, Attn: Permit number
TE48273D-0.
Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments on any of the
documents, you may do so in writing via the above email address, U.S.
mail address, or fax number, or you may hand-deliver comments to the
above address during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfredo Begazo, by U.S. mail (see
ADDRESSES) or via phone at 772-469-4234. Individuals who are hearing
impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-
877-8339 for TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce
receipt of an application from Sunbeam Properties, Inc. (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) and
blue-tailed mole skink (Eumeces egregious) (skinks) incidental to the
construction of a residential development project in Polk County,
Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes
the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and 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
Sunbeam Properties, Inc. requests a 5-year ITP to take skinks
incidental to the conversion of approximately 6.78 acres of occupied
skink foraging and sheltering habitat for the construction of a
residential development located on a 150-acre parcel in Section 13,
Township 25 South, Range 26 East, Polk County, Florida. The applicant
proposes to mitigate for take of the skinks by purchasing credits
equivalent to 13.56 acres of skink-occupied habitat from a Service-
approved mitigation bank in Polk County. The Service would require the
applicant to purchase the credits prior to engaging in land clearing
activities on the 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, construction of the
residential development, and the proposed mitigation measure, would
individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the
skinks and the environment. Therefore, we have preliminarily concluded
that the ITP for this project would qualify for categorical exclusion
and 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 over time
result in significant cumulative effects to environmental values or
resources.
Next Steps
The Service will evaluate the application and the comments received
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
above findings, 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 TE48273D-0 to Sunbeam Properties, Inc. for
incidental take of skinks.
Authority
The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) (16 U.S.C.
1539(c)) of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.
Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office, Southeast
Region.
[FR Doc. 2019-23016 Filed 10-21-19; 8:45 am]
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