Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 118 / Monday, June 19, 2000 / Notices 37997

organizations or businesses, available

for public inspection in their entirety.

DATES: Written comments on the ITP

application, draft EA, and HCP should

be sent to the Service’s Regional Office

(see ADDRESSES) and should be received

on or before July 19, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application, HCP, and draft EA may

obtain a copy by writing the Service’s

Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta,

Georgia. 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,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Post

Office Box 2676, Vero Beach, Florida

32961–2676.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

David Dell, Regional HCP Coordinator,

(see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 404/

679–7313, facsimile: 404/679–7081; or

Mr. Mike Jennings, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, South Florida Ecosystem

Office, Vero Beach, Florida (see

ADDRESSES above), telephone: 561/562–

3909.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sand

skinks and bluetail mole skinks are

restricted to dry, sandy uplands (xeric

communities) in southcentral

peninsular Florida. These areas are

predominated by deep, well drained

soils, and drought tolerant plant species.

Sand and bluetail mole skinks are found

primarily in sandy areas within xeric

uplands. Sand skinks are mostly found

on the soil surface or under leaf litter.

Bluetail mole skinks are fossorial and

remain underground throughout their

life.

Due to its high elevation and

tendency to remain dry, historic skink

habitat was favored by early settlers and

subsequently attracted urban and

agricultural development. Human

settlement has resulted in an estimated

85 percent loss of xeric communities,

which has likely adversely affected the

distribution and numbers of sand and

bluetail mole skinks.

Quantification of historic or current

population size and distribution of

skinks is difficult because these species

are difficult to survey; they are small

and hard to locate due to their semi-

(sand skink) to completely fossorial

(bluetail mole skink) habits. Although

widespread, definitive surveys are

usually not practicable for these species,

existing soils data can provide insight

into the distribution of suitable habitat

and the subsequent loss of such habitat

to anthropogenic causes.

Much of the historic skink habitat

occurred along a 100-mile stretch of

parallel ancient dunes that were

situated on a north-south axis from

Orange to Highlands counties. This area

is exposed to frequent lightning strikes

which resulted in the evolution of plant

and animal species that became

dependant on frequent fires to persist.

Due to the effects of urbanization and

agricultural development, historic skink

habitat has been reduced in size and has

become fragmented. As a consequence

of habitat fragmentation, much of the

remaining habitat for skinks is poor

quality due to the lack of periodic fires

brought on by post-settlement fire

exclusion.

Sand skinks and bluetail mole skinks

are currently known from 115 and 36

locations, respectively, including the

Project site. Issuance of the Permit to the

Applicant would result in a loss of 0.9

percent (1⁄115) of the known localities of

sand skinks and 2.8 percent (1⁄36) of

known localities of bluetail mole skinks.

These figures probably overestimate the

percentage loss since not all potentially

suitable habitat throughout the range of

these species has been surveyed. The

effects that loss of sand skinks and

habitat within the Project site will have

on the local population of skinks is not

known.

Construction of the Project’s

infrastructure and facilities will result

in death of, or injury to, sand skinks and

bluetail mole skinks, incidental to the

carrying out of these otherwise lawful

activities. Habitat alteration associated

with the proposed commercial

development will reduce the availability

of feeding, nesting, and sheltering

habitat for these species.

The draft EA considers the

environmental consequences of two

action alternatives, both of which would

require issuance of an ITP. The

preferred alternative would affect about

20.7 acres suitable sand and bluetail

mole skink habitat. The reduced take

alternative would affect about 15 acres

of suitable sand and bluetail mole skink

habitat. The no action alternative (not

issue the ITP) may result in loss of

habitat for federally listed species

described above and exposure of the

Applicant under Section 9 of the Act.

The proposed action alternative is

issuance of the ITP according to the

HCP as submitted and described above.

Under the proposed alternative, two

mitigation alternatives exists, both of

which will result in the acquisition,

protection, and management suitable

skink habitat off-site. Habitat acquisition

and management will be achieved

through one of two mitigation

alternatives; fee-simple purchase of a

minimum of 41.7 acres of suitable skink

habitat or deposit of sufficient funds

into an escrow account to acquire and

manage a minimum of 41.7 acres of

suitable skink habitat. Under the first

mitigation alternative, the Permittee

would purchase habitat adjacent to

Archbold Biological Station (ABS) (a

non-profit conservation and research

facility in southern Highlands County)

and subsequently transfer title of such

lands to ABS. ABS would assume

responsibility for perpetual management

of the acquired habitat. Under the

second mitigation alternative, the

Permittee would escrow sufficient funds

to acquire and manage a minimum of

41.7 acres of suitable skink habitat

adjacent to ABS. The Nature

Conservancy (TNC) would act as

intermediary in this case and use the

escrowed funds to acquire suitable

skink habitat and subsequently convey

fee-title of acquired habitat to ABS. A

conservation easement of the acquired

lands would also be developed between

TNC and ABS.

As stated above, the Service has made

a preliminary determination that the

issuance of the ITP is not a major

Federal action significantly effecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of Section 102(2)(C)

of NEPA. This preliminary

determination may be revised due to

public comment received in response to

this notice and is based on information

contained in the draft EA and HCP.

The Service will also evaluate

whether the issuance of a Section

10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with Section 7

of the Act by conducting an intraService Section 7 consultation. The

results of the biological opinion, in

combination with the above findings,

will be used in the final analysis to

determine whether or not to issue the

ITP.

Dated: June 12, 2000.

Sam D. Hamilton,

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 00–15369 Filed 6–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[Docket No. OR–020–1020–DE; G–0247]

Meeting Notice for the Southeast

Oregon Resource Advisory Council

SUMMARY: The Southeast Oregon

Resource Advisory Council will meet at

the Bureau of Land Management, Burns

District Office, HC 74–12533 Hwy 20

West, Hines, Oregon 97738, 8:00 a.m. to

37998 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 118 / Monday, June 19, 2000 / Notices

5:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time (PDT),

on Thursday, July 20, 2000, and conduct

an access and restoration field tour from

8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on Friday, July

21, 2000. Topics to be discussed by the

Council include Interim Sage Grouse

Guidelines update, Steens Mountain

Designation update, Owyhee River

Canyon Litigation update, Off-Highway

Vehicle Strategy, Southeastern Oregon

Resource Management Plan update,

Lakeview Resource Management Plan

(RMP) update, and such other matters as

may reasonably come before the

Council. The entire meeting is open to

the public. Public comment is

scheduled for 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

PDT on Thursday, July 20, 2000.

An optional BLM Lakeview RMP field

tour will meet on Wednesday, July 19,

2000, at 7:00 a.m. at the BLM Lakeview

Interagency Office to participate in

discussions and issues concerning the

Lakeview RMP. Additional information

concerning the Lakeview RMP optional

field tour may be obtained from Dwayne

Sykes, RMP Team Leader, Lakeview

Interagency Office, 1300 South G Street,

Lakeview, Oregon 97630, (541) 947–

2177, or Duayne_ Sykes@or.blm.gov.

The Southeast Oregon Resource

Advisory Council will meet again the

following dates in the year 2000.

DATES: 10/19–20/2000.

PLACE/LOCATION: Lakeview District

Office, BLM; Lakeview, Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Additional information concerning the

Southeast Oregon Resource Advisory

Council may be obtained from

Holly_LaChapelle, Resource Assistant,

Burns District Office, HC 74–12533 Hwy

20 West, Hines, Oregon, 97738, (541)

573–4501, or Holly

LaChapelle@or.blm.gov or from the

following web site <http://

www.or.blm.gov/SEOR–RAC>.

Dated: June 8, 2000.

Craig M. Hansen,

Three Rivers Resource Area Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–15335 Filed 6–16–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–70–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places;

Notification of Pending Nominations

Nominations for the following

properties being considered for listing

in the National Register were received

by the National Park Service before June

10, 2000.

Pursuant to § 60.13 of 36 CFR Part 60

written comments concerning the

significance of these properties under

the National Register criteria for

evaluation may be forwarded to the

National Register, National Park Service,

1849 C St. NW, NC400, Washington, DC

20240. Written comments should be

submitted by July 5, 2000.

Carol D. Shull,

Keeper of the National Register.

ARKANSAS

Cleveland County

Federal Building, 20 Magnolia St., Rison,

00000752

GEORGIA

Appling County

United States Post Office—Baxley, Georgia,

124 Tippins St., Baxley, 00000755

De Kalb County

United States Post Office—Decatur, Georgia,

141 Trinity Place, Decatur, 00000753

Troup County

Stark Mill and Mill Village Historic District,

Roughly bounded by Lincoln, Askew,

Church, Keith, and Brazil Sts, Whaley Ave.

and the Hogansville city limits,

Hogansville, 00000754

IDAHO

Canyon County

Dorman, Henry W. and Ida Frost, House, 114

Logan St., Caldwell, 00000756

KANSAS

Dickinson County

Brewer Scout Cabin, Solomon City Park, 100

E. 4th St., Solomon, 00000770

Doniphan County

St. Martha’s AME Church and Parsonage, SW

corner of Main and Canada, Highland,

00000757

Johnson County

McCarthy, John, House, 19700 Sunflower

Rd., Edgerton, 00000758

MAINE

Aroostook County

Maple Grove Friends Church, West Side of

Rte 1–A, 0.25 mi. N of jct with Upcountry

(Fairmount Rd.), Maple Grove, 00000764

Monticello Grange #338, Main St., 0.7 mi. S

of jct. with Muckatee Rd., Monticello,

00000760

Hancock County

St. Mary’s-By-The-Sea, 20 S. Shore Rd.,

Northeast Harbor, 00000761

Sagadahoc County

Mill Cove School, West Side of Berrys Mill

Rd., 0.1 mi S. of jct. with Hill Rd., Bath,

00000763

Somerset County

Pittston Farm, West End of Seboomook Lake,

at Confluence with the S. Branch of

Penobscot R., Pittston Academy Grant,

00000762

Washington County

Union Church, (former), Main St., 0.1 mi NE

of jct. with Addison Rd., Columbia Falls,

00000759

NEBRASKA

Buffalo County

Kearney Junior High School, 300 W. 24th St.,

Kearney, 00000766

Cedar County

Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Complex, 106 W. 889th Rd., Bow Valley,

00000765

Chase County

Balcony House, 1006 Court St., Imperial,

00000767

Hall County

Gloe Brothers Service Station, 609 E. 11th St.,

Wood River, 00000768

NORTH CAROLINA

Lee County

Hawkins Avenue Historic District, (Lee

County MPS) Roughly bounded by Hill

Ave., First St., Charlotte Ave., and Horner

Blvd., Sanford, 00000771

TENNESSEE

Haywood County

Republican Primitive Baptist Church, (Rural

African-American Churches in Tennessee

MPS) 350 Raymond Taylor Rd.,

Brownsville, 00000769

TEXAS

Bexar County

Lavaca Historic District, Roughly bounded by

S. Alamo St., S. Presa St., alley bet.

Camargo St., Callahan Ave., Labor St., and

Garfield Alley, San Antonio, 00000773

San Antonio City Cemeteries Historic

District, Old, Roughly bounded by Nevada,

New Braunfels, Paso Hondo, Palmetto,

Potomac, St. James, Pine, E. Commerce,

Dakota, Monumenta–San Antonio,

00000772

VIRGINIA

Newport News Independent city

First Baptist Church—Newport News, 119

29th St., Newport News, 00000774

WEST VIRGINIA

Mason County

McCausland, Gen. John, House (Boundary

Increase), Grape Hill, Leon, 00000778

Mineral County

Stewart’s Tavern, Short Gap Rd., Short Gap,

00000776

Morgan County

Sunset Hill, Flat Mountian Rd., Alderson,

00000777

Putnam County

Putnam County Courthouse, 3389 Winfield

Rd., Winfield, 00000775