Notice of Availability of a Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment for the Lalamilo Wind Farm Repowering Project, Island of Hawaii, Hawaii

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the Lalamilo Wind Company, LLC (applicant), for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The applicant is requesting an ITP to authorize take of the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat and the endangered Hawaiian petrel. If issued, the ITP would authorize incidental take of these two species that may occur as a result of the operation of the Lalamilo Wind Farm Repowering Project (project). The ITP application includes a draft habitat conservation plan (HCP) describing the actions and the measures the applicant will implement to avoid, minimize, mitigate, and monitor incidental take of the two species. The Service also announces the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that has been prepared in response to the ITP application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We are making the ITP application, including the draft HCP and the draft EA, available for public review and comment.