81 FR 16200 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Eastern Collier Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan; Collier County, Florida
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 58 (March 25, 2016)
Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 58 (March 25, 2016)
| Page Range | 16200-16202 | |
| FR Document | 2016-06792 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 2016)] [Notices] [Pages 16200-16202] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-06792] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R4-ES-2016-N037]; [40120-1112-0000-F2] Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Eastern Collier Multi- Species Habitat Conservation Plan; Collier County, Florida AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of intent; announcement of public meeting. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we intend to gather information necessary to prepare a draft environmental impact statement (dEIS) related to an anticipated permit application from nine Collier County, Florida, landowners (prospective applicants) for the incidental take of federally listed species. The permit application would include an Eastern Collier Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (ECMSHCP) prepared [[Page 16201]] in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We provide this notice to (1) describe the anticipated action; (2) advise other Federal and State agencies, affected Tribes, and the public of our intent to prepare a dEIS; (3) announce the initiation of a public scoping period; and (4) obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues and alternatives to be included in the dEIS as well as any other written data, views, or arguments with respect to the anticipated permit application. DATES: Comments: We must receive any written comments at our Field Office (see ADDRESSES) on or before April 25, 2016. Public Meetings: One public scoping meeting will be held on April 12, 2016: From 5 to 7 p.m. ADDRESSES: Public Meeting: University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Collier County Extension, 14700 Immokalee Road, Naples, Florida. Document Availability: Documents will be available for public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the South Florida Ecological Services Office, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Documents are also available at: www.easterncollierHCPEIS.com. Comments: For how and where to submit comments, see Public Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth McDonald, ([email protected]) Project Manager, at the South Florida Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 772/469-4284. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), we announce our intention to gather information necessary to prepare a dEIS on the anticipated permit application under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Department of the Army, through its bureau the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will be a cooperating agency in the development of the dEIS. Background Section 9 of the Act and the Service's implementing regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR Part 17 prohibit the ``take'' of federally listed ``endangered'' and ``threatened'' species (16 U.S.C. 1538). The Act defines the term ``take'' as to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect listed species or to attempt to engage in such conduct (16 U.S.C. 1532). ``Harm'' includes an act that actually kills or injures a listed species and may include significant habitat modification or degradation that actually kills or injures a species by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding, and sheltering (50 CFR 17.3). Under section 10(a)(1)(B) (16 U.S.C. 1539) of the Act, the Service may issue permits authorizing ``incidental take'' of listed species. ``Incidental take'' is defined as take otherwise prohibited but incidental to, and not the purpose of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activity (50 CFR 17.3). Regulations governing incidental take permits for endangered species and threatened species, respectively, are found in 50 CFR 17.22 and 50 CFR 17.32. Eastern Collier Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (ECMSHCP) The prospective applicants intend to seek an incidental take permit (ITP) that would authorize take resulting from the residential and commercial development and earth mining activities described in the ECMSHCP on certain lands (``covered lands''). The ECMSHCP would include measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate for incidental take with an emphasis on preserving some of the lands to maintain the viability and continued existence of populations of federally- listed threatened and endangered species. The ECMSHCP also would include a funding mechanism for the avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures, such as land acquisition, habitat mitigation, establishment of wildlife crossings, ecological restoration, land management, and actions to assist in the conservation of species through research. The proposed term of the ITP would be 50 years. The prospective applicants are expected to seek incidental take authorization for the following federally listed species: The Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), Audubon's crested caracara (Polyborus plancus) (alternatively identified as the northern crested caracara (Caracara cheriway)), wood stork (Mycteria americana), red- cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), Everglade snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi), Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus), and Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) (``covered species''). The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), which is a candidate species, would also be included as a covered species for which the prospective applicants would seek incidental take authorization. The prospective applicants' ECMSHCP would also cover the following State listed and unlisted species: The burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus), Florida sandhill crane (Grus canadensis pratensis), little blue heron (Egretta caerulea), Southeastern American kestrel (Falco sparverius paulus), tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor), and the Big Cypress fox squirrel (Sciurus niger avicennia). The covered lands of the ECMSHCP encompass approximately 152,124 acres in northeastern Collier County, Florida, that surround the town of Immokalee. The covered lands are bordered to the south by the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge and Big Cypress National Preserve, to the north and east by the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, and to the northwest by the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The prospective applicants are expected to propose a conservation strategy in the ECMSHCP that would preserve a large portion of the covered lands as habitat for the covered species while conducting activities on smaller, clustered portions of the covered lands. Biologically, the ECMSHCP would focus on maintaining areas of high- value habitat for the covered species while engaging in residential and commercial development and earth mining on 45,000 acres of the lands. The prospective applicants also would maintain suitable habitat within the impacted areas to ensure the availability of corridors for dispersal of the covered species. Draft Environmental Impact Statement The dEIS will consider a range of alternatives, including the proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an ITP to the prospective applicants, no action (non-issuance of an ITP), variations in the scope and location of the covered activities or a combination of both. It will also provide a detailed description of the proposed action and alternatives, as well as identify and analyze the potential significance of direct and indirect impacts from the proposed action and alternatives to biological resources, land use, air quality, water quality, water resources, economics, and other environmental resources. We also will consider different strategies for avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating the impacts of incidental take from the proposed action. The primary purpose of the scoping process is to allow the public to identify important issues associated with the proposed action. Public Comments Outside of the public scoping meeting, we will accept comments in written form only. To assist us in identifying the full range of issues related to the prospective permit [[Page 16202]] application, we invite written comments from interested parties. Any comments submitted to us after the public meeting must be in writing. Please reference the ECMSHCP in such comments. Comments may be submitted by any one of the following methods: U.S. mail: South Florida Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES). Email: [email protected]. Please include your name and return mailing address in your email message. If you do not receive a confirmation from us that we received your email, contact us directly at either of the telephone numbers listed (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Hand delivery: To the South Florida Ecological Services Office (ADDRESSES). Availability of Public 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 publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so. Reasonable Accommodation Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and participate in the public meeting should contact Vickie Scott at 813/ 675-6546 by no later than one week before the public meeting. Information regarding this proposed action is available in alternative formats upon request. Authority We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). Dated: March 2, 2016. Mike Oetker, Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region. [FR Doc. 2016-06792 Filed 3-24-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
![16200 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2016 / Notices
We may not conduct or sponsor and a Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish Title: Annual Certification of Hunting
person is not required to respond to a and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 and Sport Fishing Licenses Issued, 50
collection of information unless it Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041– CFR 80, subpart D.
displays a currently valid OMB control 3803 (mail), or hope_grey@fws.gov Service Form Numbers: 3–154a and
number. However, under OMB (email). Please include ‘‘1018–0007’’ in 3–154b.
regulations, we may continue to the subject line of your comments. Type of Request: Extension of a
conduct or sponsor this information FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To currently approved collection.
collection while it is pending at OMB. request additional information about Estimated Number of Respondents:
DATES: You must submit comments on this ICR, contact Hope Grey at 56.
or before April 25, 2016. hope_grey@fws.gov (email) or 703–358–
2482 (telephone). You may review the Description of Respondents: States,
ADDRESSES: Send your comments and ICR online at http://www.reginfo.gov. territories (Commonwealth of Puerto
suggestions on this information Follow the instructions to review Rico, Commonwealth of the Northern
collection to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior collections Mariana Islands, Guam, U.S. Virgin
Department of the Interior at OMB– under review by OMB. Islands, and American Samoa), and
OIRA at (202) 395–5806 (fax) or District of Columbia.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
(email). Please provide a copy of your Information Collection Request obtain or retain a benefit.
comments to the Service Information OMB Control Number: 1018–0007. Frequency of Collection: Annually.
Completion
Number of time per Total annual
Activity responses response burden hours
(hours)
FWS Form 3–154a ...................................................................................................................... 56 12 672
FWS Form 3–154b ...................................................................................................................... 56 20 1,120
Totals .................................................................................................................................... 112 ........................ 1,792
Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden address the information collection Dated: March 21, 2016.
Cost: None. requirements. We did not make any Tina A. Campbell,
Abstract: The Pittman-Robertson changes to our requirements. Chief, Division of Policy, Performance, and
Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669 Management Programs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Request for Public Comments Service.
et seq.) and the Dingell-Johnson Sport
Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777 et [FR Doc. 2016–06781 Filed 3–24–16; 8:45 am]
We again invite comments concerning
seq., except 777e–1) provide authority this information collection on: BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
for Federal assistance to the States for
• Whether or not the collection of
management and restoration of fish and
wildlife. These Acts and our regulations information is necessary, including DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
in the Code of Federal Regulations whether or not the information will
have practical utility; Fish and Wildlife Service
(CFR) at 50 CFR 80, subpart D, require
that States, territories, and the District of • The accuracy of our estimate of the [FWS–R4–ES–2016–N037]; [40120–1112–
Columbia annually certify their hunting burden for this collection of 0000–F2]
and fishing license sales. States, information;
territories, and the District of Columbia Draft Environmental Impact Statement;
• Ways to enhance the quality, utility, Eastern Collier Multi-Species Habitat
that receive grants under these Acts use and clarity of the information to be
FWS Forms 3–154a (Part I–Certification) Conservation Plan; Collier County,
collected; and Florida
and 3–154b (Part II–Summary of
Hunting and Sport Fishing Licenses • Ways to minimize the burden of the
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Issued) to certify the number of hunting collection of information on Interior.
and fishing licenses sold and the respondents.
ACTION: Notice of intent; announcement
amount of sales. We use the information Comments that you submit in of public meeting.
collected to apportion and distribute response to this notice are a matter of
funds according to the formula specified public record. Before including your SUMMARY: Under the National
in each Act. address, phone number, email address, Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we,
Comments Received and Our Responses or other personal identifying the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
information in your comment, you advise the public that we intend to
Comments: On December 23, 2015, should be aware that your entire gather information necessary to prepare
we published in the Federal Register a draft environmental impact statement
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
comment, including your personal
(80 FR 79924) a notice of our intent to identifying information, may be made (dEIS) related to an anticipated permit
request that OMB renew approval for publicly available at any time. While application from nine Collier County,
this information collection. In that Florida, landowners (prospective
you can ask OMB and us in your
notice, we solicited comments for 60 applicants) for the incidental take of
comment to withhold your personal
days, ending on February 22, 2016. We federally listed species. The permit
received one comment in response to identifying information from public application would include an Eastern
this notice. The respondent objected to review, we cannot guarantee that it will Collier Multiple Species Habitat
the Wildlife Restoration Act, but did not be done. Conservation Plan (ECMSHCP) prepared
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![16202 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 58 / Friday, March 25, 2016 / Notices
application, we invite written comments Reasonable Accommodation SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
from interested parties. Any comments Persons needing reasonable Wildlife Service (Service), have issued
submitted to us after the public meeting accommodations in order to attend and the following permits to conduct certain
must be in writing. Please reference the participate in the public meeting should activities with endangered species,
ECMSHCP in such comments. contact Vickie Scott at 813/675–6546 by marine mammals, or both. We issue
Comments may be submitted by any no later than one week before the public these permits under the Endangered
one of the following methods: meeting. Information regarding this Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal
U.S. mail: South Florida Ecological proposed action is available in Protection Act (MMPA).
Services Office (see ADDRESSES). alternative formats upon request. ADDRESSES: Brenda Tapia, U.S. Fish and
Email: comments- Wildlife Service, Division of
Authority Management Authority, Branch of
eastcollierhcp@fws.gov. Please include
your name and return mailing address We provide this notice under section Permits, MS: IA, 5275 Leesburg Pike,
in your email message. If you do not 10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) Falls Church, VA 22041; fax (703) 358–
receive a confirmation from us that we and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 2281.
received your email, contact us directly Dated: March 2, 2016. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
at either of the telephone numbers listed Mike Oetker, Brenda Tapia, (703) 358–2104
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region. (telephone); (703) 358–2281 (fax);
Hand delivery: To the South Florida [FR Doc. 2016–06792 Filed 3–24–16; 8:45 am] DMAFR@fws.gov (email).
Ecological Services Office (ADDRESSES). BILLING CODE 4333–15–P SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On the
Availability of Public Comments dates below, as authorized by the
provisions of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531
Before including your address, phone DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR et seq.), as amended, and/or the MMPA,
number, email address, or other as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), we
personal identifying information in your Fish and Wildlife Service issued requested permits subject to
comment, be aware that your entire [Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2016–0054; certain conditions set forth therein. For
comment—including your personal FXIA16710900000–156–FF09A30000] each permit for an endangered species,
identifying information—may be made we found that (1) The application was
publicly available at any time. While Endangered Species; Marine filed in good faith, (2) The granted
you may ask us in your comment to Mammals; Issuance of Permits permit would not operate to the
withhold your personal identifying AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, disadvantage of the endangered species,
information from public review, there is Interior. and (3) The granted permit would be
no guarantee that we will be able to do consistent with the purposes and policy
ACTION: Notice of issuance of permits.
so. set forth in section 2 of the ESA.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Permit
Permit No. Applicant Receipt of application Federal Register notice issuance date
59838B .............. The Wild Animal Sanctuary ........................................ 80 FR 47947; August 10, 2015 .................................. 10/13/2015
63281B .............. University of Tennessee ............................................. 80 FR 53323; September 3, 2015 .............................. 11/5/2015
63550B .............. Houston Zoo, Inc ........................................................ 80 FR 55868; September 17, 2015 ............................ 12/11/2015
756101 .............. Rare Species Conservatory Foundation .................... 80 FR 55868; September 17, 2015 ............................ 01/04/2016
676508 .............. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom ..................................... 80 FR 55868; September 17, 2015 ............................ 1/21/2016
64786B .............. Peter Langegger ......................................................... 80 FR 58768; September 30, 2015 ............................ 01/13/2015
76168B .............. Luke Snyder ................................................................ 80 FR 58768; September 30, 2015 ............................ 11/10/2015
75313B .............. Wildlife & Environmental Conservation, Inc ............... 80 FR 58768; September 30, 2015 ............................ 12/01/2015
63829B .............. City of Bridgeton/Cohanzick Zoo ................................ 80 FR 58768; September 30, 2015 ............................ 12/26/2015
64101B .............. University of Colorado ................................................ 80 FR 58768; September 30, 2015 ............................ 12/11/2015
78222B .............. Michael Long .............................................................. 80 FR 62089; October 15, 2015 ................................ 11/24/2015
76169B .............. Joshua Braun .............................................................. 80 FR 62089; October 15, 2015 ................................ 11/25/2015
74563B .............. Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Res- 80 FR 62089; October 15, 2015 ................................ 12/08/2015
toration.
66556B .............. Abilene Zoological Gardens ....................................... 80 FR 62089; October 15, 2015 ................................ 12/09/2015
77387B .............. St. Catherines Island Foundation ............................... 80 FR 62089; October 15, 2015 ................................ 12/15/2015
59839B .............. The Wild Animal Sanctuary ........................................ 80 FR 62089; October 15, 2015 ................................ 12/11/2015
61197B .............. Megan Cattau ............................................................. 80 FR 64441; October 23, 2015 ................................ 12/02/15
68848B .............. Toledo Zoological Gardens ........................................ 80 FR 68554; November 5, 2015 ............................... 02/10/16
68850B .............. Toledo Zoological Gardens ........................................ 80 FR 68554; November 5, 2015 ............................... 02/09/16
73299B .............. Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society .............. 80 FR 68554; November 5, 2015 ............................... 02/18/2016
71725B .............. Fox Brown Outfitters ................................................... 80 FR 68554; November 5, 2015 ............................... 3/11/2016
78797B .............. David Hessler ............................................................. 80 FR 70249; November 13, 2015 ............................. 02/11/2016
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
79073B .............. Margaret Williams ....................................................... 80 FR 70249; November 13, 2015 ............................. 02/11/2016
71096B .............. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium ................................. 80 FR 70249; November 13, 2015 ............................. 02/25/2016
677611 .............. Sacramento Zoological Society, dba Sacramento 80 FR 70249; November 13, 2015 ............................. 2/24/2016
Zoo.
71724B .............. Fox Brown Outfitters ................................................... 80 FR 70249; November 13, 2015 ............................. 3/11/2016
66999B .............. Angelica Rodriquez/American Museum of Natural 80 FR 70249; November 13, 2015 ............................. 2/23/2016
History.
80785B .............. Kevin Poynter ............................................................. 80 FR 73207; November 24, 2015 ............................. 1/27/2016
75301B .............. Big Cat Rescue Corporation ....................................... 80 FR 73207; November 24, 2015 ............................. 3/16/2016
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Document Created: 2018-02-02 15:18:06
Document Modified: 2018-02-02 15:18:06
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of intent; announcement of public meeting. | |
| Dates | Comments: We must receive any written comments at our Field | |
| Contact | Kenneth McDonald, ([email protected]) Project Manager, at the South Florida | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 16200 |
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