Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 4, 2004 / Notices 59263

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Availability of Final Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan for Fish Springs 

National Wildlife Refuge, Dugway, UT

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service announces that a 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP) and Summary for Fish Springs 

National Wildlife Refuge is available. 

This CCP, prepared pursuant to the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 and the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, describes how the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service intends to manage this 

Refuge for the next 15 years.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the Plan or 

Summary may be obtained by writing to 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fish 

Springs National Wildlife Refuge, PO 

Box 568, Dugway, Utah, 84022; or 

download from http://mountainprairie.fws.gov/planning.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jay 

Banta, Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Fish Springs National 

Wildlife Refuge, PO Box 568, Dugway, 

Utah, 84022. Phone 435–831–5353; fax 

435–831–5354; or e-mail: 

jay_banta@fws.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background 

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge 

(NWR), comprised of 17,992 acres, is 

located in western Utah in Juab County. 

Springs flowing from the eastern base of 

the Fish Springs Range feed a 10,000-

acre saline marsh divided into nine 

impoundments. The remaining portion 

comprises 6,000 acres of mud and alkali 

flat and 2,000 acres of semidesert 

upland. The Refuge provides the only 

important wetland habitat for a 70-mile 

radius, attracting hundreds of wetlanddependent species during migration. 

Since Refuge establishment, more than 

278 species of birds have been seen at 

Fish Springs NWR, 61 of which nest on 

the Refuge. Fish Springs NWR was 

established by the Migratory Bird 

Conservation Commission in 1959 

‘‘* * * for use as an inviolate sanctuary, 

or for any other management purpose, 

for migratory birds.’’

The availability of the Draft CCP and 

Environmental Assessment (EA) for 30-

day public review and comment was 

announced in the Federal Register on 

July 20, 2004 in Volume 69, Number 

138. The Draft CCP/EA identified and 

evaluated three alternatives for 

managing Fish Springs NWR for the 

next 15 years. Alternative A, the No 

Action Alternative, would have 

continued current management of the 

Refuge. Alternative C (Preferred 

Alternative) emphasizes providing 

habitat for maximum wildlife diversity 

including migratory birds, and native 

mammal, mollusk, invertebrate, and 

amphibian communities. Alternative B, 

Marsh Restoration, would have restored 

the Refuge’s original hydrological 

system and high-desert shrubland 

habitat to a condition resembling their 

historical nature prior to Refuge 

development. 

Based on this assessment and 

comments received, the preferred 

Alternative C was selected for 

implementation. The preferred 

alternative was selected because it best 

meets the purpose and goals of the 

Refuge, as well as the goals of the 

National Wildlife Refuge System. The 

preferred alternative will also benefit 

migratory birds and native mammal, 

mollusk, invertebrate, and amphibian 

communities. Increased efforts in visitor 

services and the addition of a goose 

hunt will result in improved wildlifedependent recreational opportunities. 

Cultural and historical resources will be 

protected.

Dated: September 1, 2004. 

Mary G. Henry, 

Regional Director, Region 6, Denver, 

Colorado.

[FR Doc. 04–22262 Filed 10–1–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Southern Conservation Corporation’s 

Candidate Conservation Agreement 

With Assurances and Enhancement of 

Survival Permit Application for the 

Greater Adams Cave Beetle and Lesser 

Adams Cave Beetle

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service, have received an application 

from Southern Conservation 

Corporation (Applicant) for an 

enhancement of survival permit (ESP) 

pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.), as amended (Act). With 

our assistance, the Applicant proposes 

to implement conservation measures for 

the greater Adams Cave beetle 

(Pseudanophthalmus pholeter) and 

lesser Adams Cave beetle 

(Pseudanophthalmus cataryctos), 

collectively known as the ‘‘the covered 

species,’’ by removing the threats to the 

survival of these species and protecting 

their habitat. We are announcing our 

receipt of the ESP application as well as 

the availability of a proposed Candidate 

Conservation Agreement with 

Assurances (CCAA) that is intended to 

facilitate the implementation of 

conservation measures for the species 

by the Applicant and the Service in 

support of on-going efforts to remove 

threats to their survival and provide 

protection of their habitat.

DATES: Written comments on the CCAA 

and ESP application should be sent to 

the Service’s Regional Office (see 

ADDRESSES) and should be received on 

or before November 3, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review 

the CCAA and ESP application may 

obtain copies by writing the Service’s 

Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta, 

Georgia at the address below. 

Documents will also be available for 

public inspection by appointment 

during normal business hours at the 

Regional Office, 1875 Century 

Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 

30345 (Attn: Endangered Species 

Permits), or Field Supervisor, Fish and 

Wildlife Service, 3761 Georgetown 

Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. 

Written data or comments concerning 

the CCAA or ESP application should be 

submitted to the Regional Office at the 

address listed above and must be 

submitted in writing to be adequately 

considered in the Service’s decisionmaking process. Please reference permit 

number TE–088168–0 in your 

comments, or in requests of the 

documents discussed herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Rick Gooch, Regional CCAA 

Coordinator, (see ADDRESSES above), 

telephone: (404) 679–7124, facsimile: 

(404) 679–7081; or Dr. Michael Floyd, 

Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Kentucky 

Field Office, Frankfort, Kentucky (see 

ADDRESSES above), telephone: (502) 

695–0468.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Review and Comments Solicited 

Individuals wishing copies of the ESP 

application and/or copies of the full text 

of the proposed Agreement should 

contact the office and personnel listed 

in the ADDRESSES section above. 

Documents also will be available for 

public inspection, by appointment, 

during normal business hours at this 

office (see ADDRESSES). We provide this 

notice pursuant to section 10(c) of the 

Act and pursuant to implementing 

regulations for the National 

59264 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 4, 2004 / Notices 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) found 

at (40 CFR 1506.6). All comments 

received on the permit application and 

proposed Agreement, including names 

and addresses, will become part of the 

administrative record and may be 

released to the public. If you wish us to 

withhold your name and/or address, 

you must state this prominently at the 

beginning of your comment. All 

submissions from organizations or 

companies, or from individuals 

representing organizations or 

companies, are available for public 

inspection in their entirety.

Background 

The greater Adams Cave beetle 

(Pseudanophthalmus pholeter) and 

lesser Adams Cave beetle 

(Pseudanophthalmus cataryctos) are 

small, blind, predatory ground beetles 

(Family Carabidae) that are endemic to 

Adams Cave in Madison County, 

Kentucky. They were first collected in 

Adams Cave in 1964 and were later 

described by C. Krekler in 1973. The 

area surrounding Adams Cave is largely 

rural but is developing rapidly due to its 

close proximity to the city of Lexington, 

Kentucky. The cave is located on an 

approximate 1-acre parcel (Lot 3) within 

Adams Place subdivision, 

approximately 6 miles southwest of the 

city of Richmond, Kentucky. 

Construction is occurring on many of 

the building lots in the subdivision. 

Adams Cave is a large cave for the 

Bluegrass Region of Kentucky, with its 

passageways varying in height from 

approximately 5 to 60 feet and 

extending over 1,500 feet in length. The 

terrestrial habitat surrounding Adams 

Cave is dominated by abandoned 

pasture containing scattered groups of 

trees, including black walnut (Juglans 

nigra) and Kentucky coffee tree 

(Gymnocladus dioieus), and small 

clumps of cane (Arundinaria sp.). 

Historically, Adams Cave has 

experienced extensive vandalism and 

was littered with trash and other debris, 

affecting the quality of available habitat 

for cave beetles. In 2002, a specially 

designed cave gate was installed to 

prevent unwanted human entry. Under 

the CCAA, Southern Conservation 

Corporation has agreed to implement 

several conservation measures that will 

reduce and/or eliminate potential 

threats to the species. Southern 

Conservation Corporation will: (1) 

Maintain the Adams Cave property in a 

natural state; (2) maintain the metal gate 

at the entrance to Adams Cave; and (3) 

control and limit access to Adams Cave 

and the enrolled property. 

Implementation of the CCAA is 

expected to protect and conserve habitat 

for the covered species, eliminate 

unauthorized human disturbances 

within Adams Cave that are believed to 

impact the covered species, and provide 

important monitoring data that can be 

used to develop and/or improve 

management strategies for the covered 

species and other cave-dependent 

species. These benefits will be obtained 

through restoration and protection of 

the above- and below-ground habitats 

on the enrolled property. 

We will make our final determination 

after the end of the 30-day comment 

period and will fully consider all 

comments received during the comment 

period. If the final analysis shows the 

CCAA to be consistent with our policies 

and applicable regulations, we will sign 

the CCAA and issue the ESP. The 

proposed ESP would, in compliance 

with the CCAA Policy, only become 

valid on such date as the greater Adams 

Cave beetle and/or lesser Adams Cave 

beetle is listed as a threatened or 

endangered species under the Act. 

This notice also advises the public 

that we have made a preliminary 

determination that issuance of the ESP 

will not result in significant 

environmental, economic, social, 

historical, or cultural impacts and is, 

therefore, categorically excluded from 

review under NEPA, pursuant to 516 

Departmental Manual 2, Appendix 1 

and 516 Departmental Manual 6, 

Appendix 1. We specifically request 

information, views, and opinions from 

the public via this notice. Further, we 

specifically solicit information 

regarding the adequacy of the CCAA as 

measured against our CCAA Policy. 

Author 

The primary author of this notice is 

Rick Gooch (see ADDRESSES section).

Authority: The authority for this action is 

the Endangered Species Act, (16 U.S.C. 1531 

et seq.)

Dated: September 16, 2004. 

Sam D. Hamilton, 

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 04–22261 Filed 10–1–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey 

Request for Public Comments on 

Extension of Existing Information 

Collection To Be Submitted to OMB for 

Review Under the Paperwork 

Reduction Act 

The proposal for the information 

collection described below will be 

submitted to the Office of Management 

and Budget for approval under the 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 

Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Copies of the 

proposed collection of information may 

be obtained by contacting the Bureau’s 

clearance officer at the phone number 

listed below. Comments on the proposal 

should be made within 60 days to the 

Bureau Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Geological Survey, 807 National Center, 

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, 

Virginia, 20192, telephone (703) 648–

7313. 

As required by OMB regualtions at 5 

CFR 1320.8(d)(1), the U.S. Geological 

Survey solicits specific public 

comments as to: 

1. Whether the collection of 

information is necessary faor the proper 

performance of the functions on the 

bureaus, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

2. The accuracy of the bureau’s 

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

3. The quality, utility, and clarity of 

the information to be collected; and 

4. How to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, including the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other forms of 

information technology. 

Title: North American Breeding Bird 

Survey. 

Current OMB Approval Number:

1028–0079. 

Summary: The North American 

Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is a longterm, large-scale avian monitoring 

program that was initiated in 1966 to 

track the status and trends of 

continental bird populations. Each 

spring, interested volunteers conduct 3-

minute point counts of birds along 

roadsides across the United States. Data 

can be submitted electronically via the 

Internet or on hard copy. These data 

provide an index of population 

abundance that can be used to estimate 

population trends and relative 

abundances at various geographic 

scales. Declining population trends act 

as an early warning system to galvanize 

reserach to determine the causes of 

these declines and reverse them before 

populations reach critically low levels. 

The BBS currently lprovides population 

trend estimates for 420 bird species and 

raw data for more than 650 species via 

the web. 

Estimated Annual Number of 

Respondents: 2500. 

Estimated Annual Burden Hours:

12,500 hours. 

Affected Public: Primarily U.S. 

residents.