Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Coastal Region Conservation Program Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan; Central and Southern California
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application for a permit for take of endangered and threatened species that is incidental to, and not the purpose of, ca...
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application for a permit for take of endangered and threatened species that is incidental to, and not the purpose of, carrying out otherwise lawful activities. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act and its implementing regulations as applicable to the species at issue prohibit take of endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. We invite comments on this application which we will take into consideration before issuing a permit.
DATES:
We will receive public comments on the draft Habitat Conservation Plan and draft Environmental Assessment until August 3, 2020.
ADDRESSES:
Obtaining Documents:
You may download a copy of the draft Habitat Conservation Plan and draft Environmental Assessment at
http://www.fws.gov/ventura/
or you may request copies of the documents by U.S. mail (below) or by phone (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
).
Submitting Written Comments:
Please send your written comments using one of the following methods:
U.S. mail:
Stephen P. Henry, Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003.
Chris Dellith, Senior Biologist, by phone at 805-677-3308, email (see
ADDRESSES
), or via the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Southern California Gas Company (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531et seq.). The applicant is requesting an ITP with a 30-year term, for incidental take of 19 wildlife species likely to result from implementation of activities covered by the applicant's Habitat Conservation Plan, and seeking assurances for 22 plant species. The covered species are indicated in the table below. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321et seq.), we advise the public of the availability of the proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and our draft Environmental Assessment.
Common name
Scientific name
Federal
status *
State
status **
Invertebrates (3):
Delhi sands flower-loving fly
Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis
E
El Segundo blue butterfly
Euphilotes battoides allyni
E
Morro shoulderband (banded dune) snail
Helminthoglypta walkeriana
E
Fish (1):
Santa Ana sucker
Catostomus santaanae
T
Amphibians (4):
Arroyo toad
Anaxyrus californicus
E
SSC
California red-legged frog
Rana draytonii
T
SSC
California tiger salamander
Ambystoma californiense
E
T
Mountain yellow-legged frog
Rana muscosa
E
E
( printed page 37106)
Reptiles (2):
Southern rubber boa
Charina bottae umbratical
T
Southwestern pond turtle
Emys marmorata pallida
SSC
Birds (6):
Belding's savannah sparrow
Passerculus sandwichensis beldingi
E
Burrowing owl
Athene cunicularia
BCC
SSC
Coastal California gnatcatcher
Polioptila californica californica
T
SSC
Least Bell's vireo
Vireo bellii pusillus
E
E
Southwestern willow flycatcher
Empidonax traillii extimus
E
E
Western yellow-billed cuckoo
Coccyzus americanus occidentalis
T/BCC
E
Mammals (3):
San Bernardino kangaroo rat
Dipodomys merriami parvus
E
SSC
San Joaquin kit fox
Vulpes macrotis mutica
E
T
Stephens' kangaroo rat
Dipodomys stephensi
E
T
Plants (22):
Braunton's milk-vetch
Astragalus brauntonii
E
California seablite
Suaeda californica
E
Chorro Creek bog thistle
Cirsium fontinale
var.
obispoense
E
E
Conejo dudleya
Dudleya abramsii
spp.
parva
T
Gambel's water cress
Nasturtium gambelii
E
T
Gaviota tarplant
Deinandra increscens
ssp.
villosa
E
E
Indian Knob mountainbalm
Eriodictyon altissimum
E
E
Lompoc yerba santa
Eriodictyon capitatum
E
R
Lyon's pentachaeta
Pentachaeta lyonia
E
E
Marcescent dudleya
Dudleya cymosa
ssp.
marcescens
T
R
Morro manzanita
Arctostaphylos morroensis
T
Nevin's barberry
Berberis nevinii
E
E
Nipomo Mesa lupine
Lupinus nipomensis
E
E
Pismo clarkia
Clarkia speciosa
ssp.
immaculata
E
R
San Fernando Valley spineflower
Chorizanthe parryi
var.
Fernandina
E
Santa Ana River woollystar
Eriastrum densifolium
ssp.
sanctorum
E
E
Santa Monica Mountains dudleya
Dudleya cymosa
ssp.
ovatifolia
T
Seaside bird's beak
Cordylanthus rigidus
ssp.
littoralis
E
Slender-horned spineflower
Dodecahema leptoceras
E
E
Vandenberg monkey flower
Diplacus vandenbergensis
E
Ventura Marsh milk-vetch
Astragalus pycnostachyus
var.
lanosissimus
E
E
Verity's dudleya
Dudleya verity
T
* Federal Status: Endangered (E); Threatened (T); Bird of Conservation Concern (BCC).
** State Status:
Species of Special Concern (SSC); Threatened (T); Endangered (E); Rare (R).
*** Critical Habitat:
Not applicable (N/A); No Critical Habitat Designated or Proposed (NCH).
Background
Section 9 of the ESA prohibits take of fish and wildlife species listed as endangered (16 U.S.C. 1538). By regulation, this take prohibition also applies to certain species listed as threatened. (50 CFR 17.31(a)). Under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)(B)), we may issue permits to authorize take of listed fish and wildlife species that is incidental to, and not the purpose of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activity. Regulations governing permits for listed fish and wildlife species are set forth in 50 CFR parts 17.22 and 17.32.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321et seq.) requires Federal agencies to analyze their proposed actions to determine whether the actions may significantly affect the human environment. In these NEPA analyses, the Federal agency will identify direct, indirect, and cumulative effects, as well as possible mitigation for effects on environmental resources that could occur with implementation of the proposed action and alternatives.
Public Review
If you wish to comment on the draft HCP and draft EA, you may submit comments by one of the methods in
ADDRESSES
.
Any comments we receive will become part of the decision record associated with this action. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, please 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.
Use this for formal legal and research references to the published document.
85 FR 37105
Web Citation
Suggested Web Citation
Use this when citing the archival web version of the document.
“Draft Environmental Assessment and Draft Coastal Region Conservation Program Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan; Central and Southern California,” thefederalregister.org (June 19, 2020), https://thefederalregister.org/documents/2020-13191/draft-environmental-assessment-and-draft-coastal-region-conservation-program-multiple-species-habitat-conservation-plan-.