26850 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 90 / Tuesday, May 9, 2000 / Notices

conducted April–June 2001. The second

detailed interviews will be conducted

September–October 2001. The third and

last detailed interviews will be

conducted January–March 2002.

Description of Respondents:

Individuals.

Estimated Completion Time: We

estimate the average completion time

per respondent to be about 7 minutes for

the screen and 15 minutes for the

detailed interviews. A respondent will

average 2 interviews during the survey

period.

Number of Respondents: It is

estimated that there will be 80,000 total

respondents.

Dated: April 28, 2000.

Jamie Rappaport Clark,

Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 00–11223 Filed 5–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Species

Permit Application

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application.

The following applicant has applied

for a permit amendment to conduct

certain activities with endangered

species. This notice is provided

pursuant to section 10(c) of the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

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

Permit Number TE 809227–13

Applicant: BHE Environmental, Inc.,

Cincinnati, Ohio.

The applicant requests a permit to

take (collect) 33 fish species and 68

mussel species throughout their ranges

in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Regions 3, 4

and 5. Activities are proposed for

studies to identify populations of listed

fish and mussel species and to develop

methods to minimize or avoid project

related impacts to those populations.

The scientific research is aimed at

enhancement of survival of the species

in the wild.

Written data or comments should be

submitted to the Regional Director, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological

Services Operations, 1 Federal Drive,

Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111–4056,

and must be received within 30 days of

the date of this publication.

Documents and other information

submitted with this application are

available for review by any party who

submits a written request for a copy of

such documents to the following office

within 30 days of the date of publication

of this notice: U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Ecological Services Operations,

1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling,

Minnesota 55111–4056. Telephone:

(612/713–5343); FAX: (612/713–5292).

Dated: May 2, 2000.

T.J. Miller,

Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological

Services, Region 3, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

[FR Doc. 00–11542 Filed 5–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of an

Environmental Assessment/Habitat

Conservation Plan and Receipt of

Application for an Incidental Take

Permit for Construction of Commercial

and Residential Development on 110

Acres of the 446-acre Comanche

Canyon Ranch in Travis County, Texas

SUMMARY: Comanche Canyon Ranch,

Inc. (Applicant) has applied to the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for

an incidental take permit pursuant to

section 10(a) of the Endangered Species

Act (Act). The Applicant has been

assigned permit numbers TE–004683–0.

The requested permit, which is for a

period of 30 years, would authorize the

incidental take of the endangered

golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica

chrysoparia), Tooth Cave

pseudoscorpion (Tartarocreagris

texana), Kretschmarr Cave mold Beetle

(Texamaurops reddelli), Bee Creek Cave

harvestman (Texella reddelli), Bone

Cave harvestman (Texella reyesi), Tooth

Cave spider (Neoleptoneta myopica),

and Tooth Cave ground beetle (Rhadine

persephone). The proposed take would

occur as a result of the construction of

commercial and residential structures

with associated streets and utilities on

110 acres of the 446-acre Comanche

Canyon Ranch, Travis County, Texas.

The Service has completed the review

of the draft Environmental Assessment/

Habitat Conservation Plan (EA/HCP) for

the incidental take application. A

determination of jeopardy to the species

or a Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) will not be made until at least

30 days from the date of publication of

this notice. This notice is provided

pursuant to Section 10(c) of the Act and

National Environmental Policy Act

regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

DATES: Written comments on the

application should be received on or

before June 8, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application may obtain a copy by

writing to the Regional Director, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box

1306, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103.

Persons wishing to review the EA/HCP

may obtain a copy by written or

telephone request to Christina Longacre,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Ecological Services Office, 10711 Burnet

Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78758

(512/490–0057). Documents will be

available for public inspection by

written request or by appointment only

during normal business hours (8:00 to

4:30) at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service Office, Austin, Texas. Data or

comments concerning the application

and EA/HCP should be submitted in

writing to the Field Supervisor, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service Office,

Austin, Texas at the above address.

Please refer to permit number TE–

004683–0 when submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Christina Longacre at the above U.S.Fish

and Wildlife Service Office, Austin, TX.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9

of the Act prohibits the ‘‘taking’’ of

endangered species such as the goldencheeked warbler, Bone Cave

harvestman, Tooth Cave spider, Bee

Creek Cave harvestman, Tooth Cave

pseudoscorpion, Tooth Cave ground

beetle and the Kretschmarr Cave mold

beetle. However, the Service, under

limited circumstances, may issue

permits to take endangered wildlife

species incidental to, and not the

purpose of, otherwise lawful activities.

Regulations governing permits for

endangered species are at 50 CFR 17.22.

Applicant

Comanche Canyon Inc. plans to

construct residential and commercial

structures with associated streets and

utilities in Travis County, Texas. This

action will eliminate approximately 26

acres of habitat and indirectly impact 37

additional acres of golden-cheeked

warbler habitat. The Applicant proposes

to compensate for this incidental take of

golden-cheeked warbler habitat by

preserving a minimum of 213 acres onsite.

If any voids are encountered that

contain the listed karst invertebrates,

the Applicant will minimize and

mitigate any impacts determined by the

Service.

Alternatives to this action were

rejected because not developing the

subject property with federally listed

species present would not add preserve

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 90 / Tuesday, May 9, 2000 / Notices 26851

acreage and management to the area and

was not economically feasible.

Domenick R. Ciccone,

Acting Regional Director, Region 2,

Albuquerque, New Mexico.

[FR Doc. 00–11518 Filed 5–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4510–55–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WY–040–00–1060–HI]

Notice of Intent To Gather Excess Wild

Horses During Calendar Year 2000

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), Rock Springs Field

Office, prepared an environmental

assessment for wild horse gathering

inside and outside of wild horse herd

management areas in 1999. The

proposed action to gather excess wild

horses to appropriate management

levels was approved in a decision

record on July 14, 1999. Gathering of

excess wild horses to appropriate

management levels was not completed

in 1999. BLM is scheduled to continue

gathering operations in the year 2000.

The environmental assessment and

decision record are available for review

at the Rock Springs Field Office, 280

Highway 191 North, Rock Springs,

Wyoming. It is also available via the

world wide web at: http://

www.wy.blm.gov/currentnews/

wildhorses/

WILDHORSEADOPTION.HTML The

planned gathering period will extend

from July 15, 2000 until inclement

weather prevents gathering operations.

Up to 800 wild horses may be removed

from four wild horse herd management

areas including Great Divide Basin,

White Mountain, Little Colorado, and

Salt Wells Creek. Excess wild horses

outside of the herd management areas in

the North Baxter/Jack Morrow hills

areas may also be removed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John

(Stan) McKee, Field Manager, Rock

Springs Field Office, 280 Highway 191

North, Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901

(307–352–0201).

Dated: May 3, 2000.

John S. McKee,

Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–11519 Filed 5–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement

Proposed Kykotsmovi Sewer Lagoon—

Public Facility Project

AGENCY: Office of Surface Mining

Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM),

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of application for grant

funding; public comment period for the

Hopi Tribe’s request to fund the Village

of Kykotsmovi Sewer Lagoon—Public

Facility Project.

SUMMARY: OSM is announcing its receipt

of a grant application from the Hopi

Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program,

in Kykotsmovi, Arizona. The Hopi Tribe

is requesting $200,000 from the

Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund to

pay the cost of upgrades to the existing

wastewater infrastructure within the

Village of Kykotsmovi on the Hopi

Indian Reservation. In its application,

the Hopi Tribe proposes paying for a

percentage of the total construction cost

as a public facility project (PFP) to offset

various socioeconomic impacts to the

community that is impacted by the

mining of Hopi coal. The Chairman of

the Hopi Tribe has determined that this

project is necessary to prevent an

imminent threat to human health and

safety.

This notice describes when and where

you may read the Grant Application that

requests funding for the Village of

Kykotsmovi—Sewer Lagoon Public

Facilities Project. It also sets the time

period during which you may send

written comments on the request to

OSM.

DATES: We will accept written

comments until 4 p.m., d.s.t., June 8,

2000.

ADDRESSES: You should mail or handdeliver your written comments to Willis

L. Gainer, Albuquerque Field Office

Director, at the address shown below.

You may preferably read the Hopi

Tribes Grant Application for this

proposed project during normal

business hours Monday through Friday

(excluding holidays) at the same

address. However, OSM will send one

free copy of the grant application to you

if you contact OSM’s Albuquerque Field

Office.

Willis L. Gainer, Director,

Albuquerque Field Office, Office of

Surface Mining Reclamation and

Enforcement, 505 Marquette Avenue

NW., Suite 1200, Albuquerque, New

Mexico 82601–1918.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Willis L. Gainer, Telephone: (505) 248–

5070.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background on Title IV of SMCRA

Title IV of the Surface Mining Control

and Reclamation Act (SMCRA)

established an Abandoned Mine Land

Reclamation (AMLR) Program. The

purpose of the AMLR Program is to

reclaim and restore lands and waters

that were adversely affected by past

mining. The AMLR Program is funded

by a reclamation fee paid by active coal

mining operations. Lands and waters

eligible for reclamation under Title IV

are primarily those that were mined, or

affected by mining, and abandoned or

inadequately reclaimed before August 3,

1977, and for which there is no

continuing reclamation responsibility

under State, Federal, or other laws.

Title IV of SMCRA allows States or

Indian Tribes to submit AMLR plans to

OSM. On behalf of the Secretary, OSM

reviews those plans and considers any

public comments received. If OSM

determines that a State or Indian Tribe

has the ability and necessary legislation

to operate an AMLR program, the

Secretary can approve it. The

Secretary’s approval gives a State or

Tribe exclusive authority to put its

AMLR plan into effect.

Once the Secretary approves a State’s

AMLR plan, the State or Tribe may

apply to OSM for money to fund

specific projects that will achieve the

goals of its approved plan. OSM follows

the requirements of the Federal

regulations at 30 CFR parts 874, 875,

and 886 when we review and approve

such applications.

II. Background on the Hopi AML Plan

The Secretary of the Interior approved

the Hopi Tribe’s AML plan on June 28,

1988. General background information

on the Hopi Tribe AML Plan, including

the Secretary’s findings and disposition

of comments, can be found in the June

28, 1988, Federal Register (53 FR

25262). Subsequent actions concerning

the Hopi Tribe’s AML Plan can be found

at 30 CFR 756.16, 756.17, and 756.18.

Effective June 9, 1994, (59 FR 29721) the

Director approved the Hopi Tribe’s

certification that it had addressed all

known coal-related impacts on the Hopi

Reservation that were eligible for

funding.

As a result, the Hopi Tribe may

submit annual grant requests for AML

funds to address eligible lands, waters,

and facilities impacted by noncoal

mining and construction of new

facilities in accordance with the

provisions of Section 411 of SMCRA.