82 FR 46828 - Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan for the San Antonio Water System's Micron and Water Resources Integration Program Water Pipelines; Bexar County, Texas

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 193 (October 6, 2017)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), make available the draft Environmental Assessment (dEA) for the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) draft Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP) for construction of two water pipelines (Micron and Water Resources Integration Program (WRIP)) in Bexar County, Texas. SAWS (applicant) has applied to the Service for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 193 (Friday, October 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46828-46829]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21563]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2017-N092; FXES11120200000-178-FF02ENEH00]


Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Habitat Conservation 
Plan for the San Antonio Water System's Micron and Water Resources 
Integration Program Water Pipelines; Bexar County, Texas

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), make 
available the draft Environmental Assessment (dEA) for the San Antonio 
Water System (SAWS) draft Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP) for 
construction of two water pipelines (Micron and Water Resources 
Integration Program (WRIP)) in Bexar County, Texas. SAWS (applicant) 
has applied to the Service for an incidental take permit (ITP) under 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received or 
postmarked on or before November 6, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Availability of Documents:
    Internet: You may obtain copies of the all documents at the 
Service's Web site at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/AustinTexas/.
    U.S. Mail: A limited number of CD-ROM and printed copies of the 
draft EA and draft HCP are available, by request, from Mr. Adam 
Zerrenner, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, 
Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758-4460; telephone 512-490-0057; fax 512-490-
0974. Please note that your request is in reference to the SAWS dHCP 
(TE 36242C-0).
    The ITP application is available by mail from the Regional 
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1306, Room 6034, 
Albuquerque, NM 87103.
     In-Person: Copies of the dEA and dHCP are also available 
for public inspection and review at the following locations, by 
appointment and written request only, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:
    [cir] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Avenue SW., Room 
6034, Albuquerque, NM 87102.
    [cir] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, 
Austin, TX 78758.
    Comment submission: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Electronically: Submit electronic comments to 
[email protected]. Please note that your request is in reference 
to the SAWS dHCP (TE 36242C-0).
     By hard copy: Mr. Adam Zerrenner, Austin Ecological 
Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758-
4460; telephone 512-490-0057; fax 512-490-0974. Please note that your 
request is in reference to the SAWS dHCP (TE 36242C-0).
    We request that you send comments by only the methods described 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX 
78758 or (512) 490-0057.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), make available 
the draft Environmental Assessment (dEA) for the San Antonio Water 
System (SAWS) draft Habitat Conservation Plan (dHCP) for construction 
of two water pipelines (Micron and Water Resources Integration Program 
(WRIP)) in Bexar County, Texas. SAWS (applicant) has applied to the 
Service for an incidental take permit (ITP; TE 36242C-0) under section 
10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; ESA). The applicant requests a 15-year term permit 
to authorize incidental take of the following five federally listed 
karst invertebrates:

Madla's Cave meshweaver (Cicurina madla)
Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (Cicurina baronia)
Braken Bat Cave meshweaver (Cicurina venii)
ground beetles with no common name (R Rhadine exilis and Rhadine 
infernalis).


[[Page 46829]]


    The proposed take would occur within SAWS's rights-of-way (permit 
area) during construction of two water pipelines (by Micron and WRIP) 
in Bexar County, Texas, as a result of vegetation disturbance; 
excavation; temporary placement of excavated material; permanent 
placement of pipe, casings, and stabilizing materials; backfilling of 
excavated trenches; and restoration of surface conditions (covered 
activities). The permit area is 160.4 acres.

Documents Available for Review

    In accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; NEPA), we advise the public 
that:
    1. We have gathered the information necessary to determine impacts 
and formulate alternatives for the dEA related to potential issuance of 
an ITP to the applicant; and
    2. The applicant has developed a dHCP as part of the application 
for an ITP, which describes the measures the applicant has agreed to 
take to minimize and mitigate the effects of incidental take of the 
covered species to the maximum extent practicable pursuant to section 
10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA.
    As described in the dHCP, the proposed incidental take would occur 
within the rights-of-way of two proposed water pipelines in Bexar 
County, Texas, and would result from activities associated with 
otherwise lawful activities.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action involves the issuance of an ITP by the Service 
for the covered activities in the permit area, pursuant to section 
10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA. The ITP would cover incidental take of the 
covered species associated with construction of the Micron and WRIP 
water pipelines within the permit area.
    To meet the requirements of a section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP, the 
applicant has developed and proposes to implement its dHCP, which 
describes the conservation measures the applicant has agreed to 
undertake to minimize and mitigate for the impacts of the proposed 
incidental take of the covered species to the maximum extent 
practicable, and ensures that incidental take will not appreciably 
reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of these species in 
the wild.
    The applicant proposes to mitigate with the perpetual protection, 
management, and monitoring of 57.6 acres of the undeveloped portion of 
SAWS's Anderson Pump Station, which is adjacent to the proposed 
pipelines.

Alternatives

    Two alternatives to the proposed action we are considering as part 
of this process are:
    1. No Action: No ITP would be issued. Under a No Action 
alternative, the Service would not issue the requested ITP, and SAWS 
would not construct the Micron and WRIP water pipelines. Therefore, the 
applicant would not implement the conservation measures described in 
the dHCP.
    2. Reduced Take and Reduced Mitigation: The Reduced Take and 
Reduced Mitigation alternative is similar to the Proposed Action in 
that the Service would issue an ITP for the proposed projects. However, 
the HCP under this alternative would be modified to cover a reduced 
area of karst zone impacts and thus would subsequently reduce the 
amount of conservation to offset the impacts. All other aspects of the 
proposed project and the HCP would remain the same.

Public Availability of Comments

    Written comments we receive become part of the public record 
associated with this action. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, 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 comment that we withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public disclosure in their 
entirety.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10(c) of the ESA and its 
implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32) and NEPA and its 
implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2017-21563 Filed 10-5-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P