Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan for the Olympia Subspecies of the Mazama Pocket Gopher, Thurston County, Washington

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), received an application from Mr. Steven McLain (applicant) for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The applicant requests an ITP that would authorize ``take'' of the threatened Olympia subspecies of the Mazama pocket gopher incidental to otherwise lawful construction of a single-family home in Thurston County, Washington. The application includes a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) with measures to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the taking on the covered species. We have also prepared a draft Environmental Action Statement (EAS) for our preliminary determination that the HCP and permit decision may be eligible for categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We invite comments from all interested parties regarding the permit application, draft HCP, and the draft EAS.