Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices 83607 

Application No. Applicant, city, state Species Location Take activity Permit action 

TE–829554 ........... Barbara Kus, San Diego, California.• Southwestern willow 

flycatcher (Empidonax traillii 

extimus).

• Least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii 

pusillus).

CA, NV, NM, 

AZ.

Play taped vocalizations, monitor nests, capture, collect genetic samples, handle, band, 

conduct training workshops, 

and remove brown-headed 

cowbird (Molothrus ater) eggs 

and chicks from parasitized 

nests.

Renew. 

TE–29522A ........... Kenneth Gilliland, Ventura, California.• California tiger salamander 

(Santa Barbara County and 

Sonoma County Distinct Population Segments (DPSs)) 

(Ambystoma californiense).

CA .................... Capture, handle, release, monitor nests, remove brownheaded cowbird (Molothrus 

ater) eggs and chicks from 

parasitized nests, translocate, 

erect nest exclosures, collect 

infertile eggs, swab, mark, 

and attach radio transmitters.

Renew and amend. 

• Least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii 

pusillus).

• California least tern (Sterna 

antillarum browni).

• Arroyo (=arroyo southwestern) toad (Anaxyrus 

californicus).

PER0002114 ......... Scott Whitman ........................... • California tiger salamander 

(Santa Barbara County and 

Sonoma County Distinct Population Segments (DPSs)) 

(Ambystoma californiense).

CA .................... Capture, handle, release, and 

collect vouchers.

New. 

• Conservancy fairy shrimp 

(Branchinecta conservatio).

• Longhorn fairy shrimp 

(Branchinecta longiantenna).

• Vernal pool tadpole shrimp 

(Lepidurus packardi).

TE–67253D ........... City of Eureka, Eureka, California.• Behren’s silverspot butterfly 

(Speyeria zerene behrensii).

CA .................... Capture, handle, captive breed, 

captive rear, translocate, and 

release.

Amend. 

PER0002166 ......... Danielle Dillard, College Station, 

Texas.

• Giant kangaroo rat 

(Dipodomys ingens).

CA .................... Capture, handle, examine for 

mites, collect fecal samples, 

and humanely euthanize for 

disease research.

New. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Written comments we receive become 

part of the administrative 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. 

Next Steps 

If we decide to issue permits to any 

of the applicants listed in this notice, 

we will publish a notice in the Federal 

Register. 

Authority 

We publish this notice under section 

10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.). 

Angela Picco, 

Regional Endangered Species Program 

Manager, Pacific Southwest Region, 

Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28180 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–HQ–ES–2020–N146; 

FXHC11140900000–212–FF09E33000; OMB 

Control Number 1018–0148] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Land-Based Wind Energy 

Guidelines 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service), are proposing to renew an 

information collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before February 

22, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the 

information collection request (ICR) by 

mail to the Service Information 

Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/ 

3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, 

VA 22041–3803 (mail); or by email to 

Info_Coll@fws.gov. Please reference 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) Control Number 1018–0148 in 

the subject line of your comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request additional information about 

this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum, 

Service Information Collection 

Clearance Officer, by email at Info_

Coll@fws.gov, or by telephone at (703) 

358–2503. Individuals who are hearing 

or speech impaired may call the Federal 

Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 for 

TTY assistance. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et 

seq.) and its implementing regulations 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
83608 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices 

at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information 

collections require approval under the 

PRA. We may not conduct or sponsor 

and you are not required to respond to 

a collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

As part of our continuing effort to 

reduce paperwork and respondent 

burdens, we invite the public and other 

Federal agencies to comment on new, 

proposed, revised, and continuing 

collections of information. This helps us 

assess the impact of our information 

collection requirements and minimize 

the public’s reporting burden. It also 

helps the public understand our 

information collection requirements and 

provide the requested data in the 

desired format. 

We are especially interested in public 

comment addressing the following: 

(1) Whether or not the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether or not the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the 

burden for this collection of 

information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and 

(4) How might the agency minimize 

the burden of the collection of 

information on those who are to 

respond, including through the use of 

appropriate automated, electronic, 

mechanical, or other technological 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology, e.g., permitting 

electronic submission of response. 

Comments that you submit in 

response to this notice are a matter of 

public record. We will include or 

summarize each comment in our request 

to OMB to approve this ICR. 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 ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Abstract: As wind energy production 

increased, both developers and wildlife 

agencies recognized the need for a 

system to evaluate and address the 

potential negative impacts of wind 

energy projects on species of concern. 

As a result, the Service worked with the 

wind energy industry, conservation 

nongovernmental organizations, Federal 

and State agencies, Tribes, and 

academia to develop the voluntary 

Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines 

(Guidelines; http://www.fws.gov/ 

windenergy) to provide a structured, 

scientific process for addressing wildlife 

conservation concerns at all stages of 

land-based wind energy development. 

Released in 2012, the Guidelines 

promote effective communication 

among wind energy developers and 

Federal, State, Tribal, and local 

conservation agencies. When used in 

concert with appropriate regulatory 

tools, the Guidelines are the best 

practical approach for conserving 

species of concern. 

The Guidelines discuss various risks 

to species of concern from wind energy 

projects, including collisions with wind 

turbines and associated infrastructure; 

loss and degradation of habitat from 

turbines and infrastructure; 

fragmentation of large habitat blocks 

into smaller segments that may not 

support sensitive species; displacement 

and behavioral changes; and indirect 

effects such as increased predator 

populations or introduction of invasive 

plants. The Guidelines assist developers 

in identifying species of concern that 

may potentially be affected by proposed 

projects, including but not limited to: 

• Migratory birds; 

• Bats; 

• Bald and golden eagles, and other 

birds of prey; 

• Prairie chickens and sage grouse; 

and 

• Species that have been identified as 

candidates, or proposed or listed under 

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

The Guidelines follow a tiered 

approach. The wind energy developer 

begins at Tier 1 or Tier 2, which entails 

gathering of existing data to help 

identify any potential risks to wildlife 

and their habitats at proposed wind 

energy project sites. The developer then 

proceeds through subsequent tiers, as 

appropriate, to collect information in 

increasing detail until the level of risk 

is adequately ascertained to inform the 

developer’s decision on whether or not 

to develop the site. Many projects may 

not proceed beyond Tier 1 or 2, when 

developers become aware of potential 

barriers, including high risks to wildlife. 

Developers would only have an interest 

in adhering to the Guidelines for those 

projects that proceed beyond Tier 1 or 

2. 

At each tier, wind energy developers 

and operators should retain 

documentation to provide to the 

Service. Such documentation may 

include copies of correspondence with 

the Service, results of pre- and postconstruction studies conducted at 

project sites, bird and bat conservation 

strategies, or any other record that 

supports a developer’s adherence to the 

Guidelines. The extent of the 

documentation will depend on the 

conditions of the site being developed. 

Sites with greater risk of impacts to 

wildlife and habitats will likely involve 

more extensive communication with the 

Service and longer durations of pre- and 

post-construction studies than sites with 

little risk. 

Distributed or community-scale wind 

energy projects are unlikely to have 

significant adverse impacts to wildlife 

and their habitats. The Guidelines 

recommend that developers of these 

small-scale projects conduct the desktop 

analysis described in Tier 1 or Tier 2 

using publicly available information to 

determine whether they should 

communicate with the Service. Since 

such project designs usually include a 

single turbine associated with existing 

development, conducting a Tier 1 or 

Tier 2 analysis for distributed or 

community-scale wind energy projects 

should incur limited non-hour burden 

costs. For such projects, if there is no 

potential risk identified, a developer 

will have no need to communicate with 

the Service regarding the project or to 

conduct studies described in Tiers 3, 4, 

and 5. 

Adherence to the Guidelines is 

voluntary. Following the Guidelines 

does not relieve any individual, 

company, or agency of the responsibility 

to comply with applicable laws and 

regulations (i.e., species protected by 

the Endangered Species Act and/or Bald 

and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 

U.S.C. 668–668c)). 

This information collection was first 

approved by OMB in 2012 and 

subsequently renewed twice, in 2015 

and 2018. 

Title of Collection: Land-Based Wind 

Energy Guidelines. 

OMB Control Number: 1018–0148. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Developers and operators of wind 

energy facilities. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. 

Frequency of Collection: On occasion. 

Total Estimated Annual Nonhour 

Burden Cost: $36,870,000. Costs will 

depend on the size and complexity of 

issues associated with each project. 

These expenses may include, but are not 

limited to: Travel expenses for site 

visits, studies conducted, and meetings 

with the Service and other Federal and 

State agencies; training in survey 

methodologies; data management; 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices 83609 

special transportation, such as allterrain vehicles or helicopters; 

equipment needed for acoustic, 

telemetry, or radar monitoring; and 

carcass storage. 

Requirement 

Annual 

number of 

respondents 

Number of 

responses 

each 

Total 

annual 

responses 

Completion 

time per 

response 

(hours) 

Total annual 

burden 

hours 

Tier 1 (Desktop Analysis): 

Reporting ...................................................................... 40 1 40 25 1,000 

Recordkeeping .............................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ 1 40 

Tier 2 (Site characterization): 

Reporting ...................................................................... 35 1 35 155 5,425 

Recordkeeping .............................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ 3 105 

Tier 3 (Pre-construction studies): 

Reporting ...................................................................... 30 1 30 3,100 93,000 

Recordkeeping .............................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ 5 150 

Tier 4 (Post-construction fatality monitoring and habitat 

studies): 

Reporting ...................................................................... 45 1 45 3,600 162,000 

Recordkeeping .............................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ 5 225 

Tier 5 (Other post-construction studies): 

Reporting ...................................................................... 10 1 10 2,100 21,000 

Recordkeeping .............................................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ 5 50 

Totals ..................................................................... 160 ........................ 160 ........................ 282,995 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor and a person is not required to 

respond to a collection of information 

unless it displays a currently valid OMB 

control number. 

The authority for this action is the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). 

Dated: December 17, 2020. 

Madonna Baucum, 

Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–28259 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–R3–ES–2019–0101; 

FXES11130300000–190–FF03E00000] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for the 

Ozark Hellbender 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for public comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, announce the 

availability of the draft recovery plan for 

the Ozark hellbender, a salamander 

species. We request review and 

comment on this draft recovery plan 

from local, State, and Federal agencies, 

and the public. 

DATES: We must receive comments by 

January 21, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: 

Document availability: The draft 

recovery plan, along with any comments 

and other materials that we receive, will 

be available for public inspection at 

http://www.regulations.gov in Docket 

No. FWS–R3–ES–2019–0101. 

Submitting Comments: You may 

submit comments by one of the 

following methods: 

• Internet: http://

www.regulations.gov. Search for and 

submit comments on Docket No. FWS– 

R3–ES–2019–0101. 

• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public 

Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 

FWS–R3–ES–2019–0101; U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: 

JAO/1N; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls 

Church, VA 22041–3803. 

For more information, see Availability 

of Public Comments under 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Herrington, by phone at 573–234– 

2132, via email at karen_herrington@

fws.gov, or via the Federal Relay Service 

at 800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 

announce the availability of the draft 

recovery plan for the endangered Ozark 

hellbender (Cryptobranchus 

alleganiensis bishopi) for public review 

and comment. The Ozark hellbender is 

a large, strictly aquatic salamander 

found only in southern Missouri and 

northern Arkansas. The draft recovery 

plan includes objective, measurable 

criteria and management actions as may 

be necessary for removal of the species 

from the Federal List of Endangered and 

Threatened Wildlife. We request review 

and comment on this draft recovery 

plan from local, State, and Federal 

agencies, and the public. 

Recovery Planning 

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.), requires the development 

of recovery plans for listed species, 

unless such a plan would not promote 

the conservation of a particular species. 

Also pursuant to section 4(f) of the Act, 

a recovery plan must, to the maximum 

extent practicable, include (1) a 

description of site-specific management 

actions as may be necessary to achieve 

the plan’s goals for the conservation and 

survival of the species; (2) objective, 

measurable criteria that, when met, 

would support a determination under 

section 4(a)(1) that the species should be 

removed from the List of Endangered 

and Threatened Species; and (3) 

estimates of the time and costs required 

to carry out those measures needed to 

achieve the plan’s goal and to achieve 

intermediate steps toward that goal. 

Species Background 

The Ozark hellbender is endemic to 

the White River drainage in northern 

Arkansas and southern Missouri 

(Johnson 2000), historically occurring in 

portions of the Spring, White, Black, 

Eleven Point, and Current Rivers and 

some of their tributaries (Bryant Creek, 

the North Fork White River, and Jacks 

Fork) (LaClaire 1993). Currently, 

populations of Ozark hellbenders are 

known to occur in Bryant Creek, the 

North Fork White River, the Eleven 

Point River, and the Current River, with 


jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES