Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 203 / Monday, October 23, 2023 / Notices 72775 

development in Lake County, Florida. 

We request public comment on the 

application, which includes the 

applicants habitat conservation plan 

(HCP), and on the Service’s preliminary 

determination that this proposed ITP 

qualifies as low-effect, and may qualify 

for a categorical exclusion pursuant to 

the Council on Environmental Quality’s 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) regulations (40 CFR 1501.4), the 

Department of the Interior’s (DOI) NEPA 

regulations (43 CFR 46), and the DOI’s 

Departmental Manual (516 DM 

8.5(C)(2)). To make this preliminary 

determination, we prepared a draft 

environmental action statement and 

low-effect screening form, both of which 

are also available for public review. 

Proposed Project 

The applicants request a 15-year ITP 

to take scrub jays and skinks via the 

conversion of approximately 20.25 acres 

(ac) of occupied nesting, foraging, and 

sheltering scrub-jay habitat and 6.82 ac 

of occupied nesting, foraging, and 

sheltering skink habitat incidental to the 

construction and operation of a mixed 

use development on 325.54 ac on Lake 

County Property Appraiser Alternate 

Key Numbers 3839022, 3839020, 

3853668, 3853667, and 3839020 in 

Sections 5 and 6, Township 22 South, 

and Range 26 East, Lake County, 

Florida. The applicants propose to 

mitigate for take of the scrub-jays and 

skinks through funding contributed in 

2008 for a previous ITP (TE137074–0) 

obtained for this same property. The 

actions authorized under ITP 

(TE137074–0) did not occur, however, 

the mitigation was completed. A total of 

$427,242 was provided and approved by 

USFWS to restore habitat within the 

Ocala National Forest at a 2:1 ratio for 

63.4 ac. This mitigation will now be 

applied towards the take of scrub-jays 

on 20.25± ac of occupied scrub-jay 

habitat and the take of sand skinks on 

the 6.82± ac of occupied sand skink 

habitat at a 2:1 ratio. A remaining 9.26± 

ac of mitigation that was paid for will 

not be applied to any impact for listed 

wildlife species. 

Our Preliminary Determination 

The Service has made a preliminary 

determination that the applicant’s 

proposed project, including the 

construction of the mixed-use 

development and associated 

infrastructure (e.g., electric, water, and 

sewer lines), would individually and 

cumulatively have a minor or negligible 

effect on the scrub-jays and sand skink 

and the environment. Therefore, we 

have preliminarily determined that the 

proposed ESA section 10(a)(1)(B) permit 

would be a low-effect ITP that 

individually or cumulatively would 

have a minor effect on the scrub-jay and 

sand skink and may qualify for 

application of a categorical exclusion 

pursuant to the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s NEPA 

regulations, DOI’s NEPA regulations, 

and the DOI Departmental Manual. A 

low-effect incidental take permit is one 

that would result in (1) minor or 

nonsignificant effects on species 

covered in the HCP; (2) nonsignificant 

effects on the human environment; and 

(3) impacts that, when added together 

with the impacts of other past, present, 

and reasonably foreseeable actions, 

would not result in significant 

cumulative effects to the human 

environment. 

Next Steps 

The Service will evaluate the 

application and the comments to 

determine whether to issue the 

requested permit. We will also conduct 

an intra-Service consultation pursuant 

to section 7 of the ESA to evaluate the 

effects of the proposed take. After 

considering the preceding and other 

matters, we will determine whether the 

permit issuance criteria of section 

10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA have been met. If 

met, the Service will issue ITP number 

PER0863404 to Founders Ridge 

Development, LLC and Founders Ridge 

Development II, LLC (Minneola Town 

Center). 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, be aware that your entire 

comment, including your personal 

identifying information, may be made 

available to the public. While you may 

request that we withhold your personal 

identifying information, we cannot 

guarantee that we will be able to do so. 

Authority 

The Service provides this notice 

under section 10(c) of the Endangered 

Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and 

its implementing regulations (50 CFR 

17.32) and the National Environmental 

Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

its implementing regulations (40 CFR 

1500–1508 and 43 CFR 46). 

Robert L. Carey, 

Manager, Division of Environmental Review, 

Florida Ecological Services Field Office. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23335 Filed 10–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0194; 

FXES11140400000–234–FF04EF4000] 

Receipt of Incidental Take Permit 

Application and Proposed Habitat 

Conservation Plan for the Florida 

Scrub-Jay; Volusia County, FL; 

Categorical Exclusion 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), announce receipt of 

an application from Hector Aponte 

(2098 Laredo Drive) (applicant) for an 

incidental take permit (ITP) under the 

Endangered Species Act. The applicant 

requests the ITP to take the federally 

listed Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma 

coerulescens) incidental to the 

construction of a single-family home in 

Volusia County, Florida. We request 

public comment on the application, 

which includes the applicant’s 

proposed habitat conservation plan 

(HCP), and on the Service’s preliminary 

determination that the proposed 

permitting action may be eligible for a 

categorical exclusion pursuant to the 

Council on Environmental Quality’s 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) regulations, the Department of 

the Interior’s (DOI) NEPA regulations, 

and the DOI Departmental Manual. To 

make this preliminary determination, 

we prepared a draft environmental 

action statement and low-effect 

screening form, both of which are also 

available for public review. We invite 

comment from the public and local, 

State, Tribal, and Federal agencies. 

DATES: We must receive your written 

comments on or before November 22, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: 

Obtaining Documents: You may 

obtain copies of the documents online 

in Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0194 

at https://www.regulations.gov. 

Submitting Comments: If you wish to 

submit comments on any of the 

documents, you may do so in writing by 

one of the following methods: 

• Online: https://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0194. 

• U.S. Mail: Public Comments 

Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–R4– 

ES–2023–0194; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg 

Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
72776 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 203 / Monday, October 23, 2023 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin 

Gawera, by U.S. mail (see ADDRESSES), 

by telephone at 904–731–3121 or via 

email at erin_gawera@fws.gov. 

Individuals in the United States who are 

deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have 

a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, 

TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 

telecommunications relay services. 

Individuals outside the United States 

should use the relay services offered 

within their country to make 

international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 

announce receipt of an application from 

Hector Aponte (2098 Laredo Drive) 

(applicant) for an incidental take permit 

(ITP) under the Endangered Species Act 

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

1531 et seq.). The applicant requests the 

ITP to take federally listed Florida 

scrub-jays (Aphelocoma coerulescens) 

incidental to the construction and 

operation of a single-family home in 

Volusia County. We request public 

comment on the application, which 

includes the applicant’s habitat 

conservation plan (HCP), and on the 

Service’s preliminary determination that 

this proposed ITP qualifies as low effect, 

and may qualify for a categorical 

exclusion pursuant to the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

regulations (40 CFR 1501.4), the 

Department of the Interior’s (DOI) NEPA 

regulations (43 CFR 46), and the DOI’s 

Departmental Manual (516 DM 

8.5(C)(2)). To make this preliminary 

determination, we prepared a draft 

environmental action statement and 

low-effect screening form, both of which 

are also available for public review. 

Proposed Project 

The applicant requests a 10-year ITP 

to take scrub-jays via the conversion of 

approximately 0.20 acres (ac) of 

occupied nesting, foraging, and 

sheltering scrub-jay habitat incidental to 

the construction and operation of a 

single-family home on 1.6 ac on Volusia 

County Alt Key Parcel 2576812 in 

Section 13, Township 18 S, Range 31 E, 

Volusia County. Prior to any clearing 

activities, the applicant proposes to 

mitigate for take of the scrub-jays 

through the contribution of $6,399.54 to 

the Florida Scrub-jay Conservation 

Fund administered by The Nature 

Conservancy. The Service would require 

the applicant to make this contribution 

prior to engaging in any phase of the 

project. 

Our Preliminary Determination 

The Service has made a preliminary 

determination that the applicant’s 

proposed project, including the 

construction of the buildings and 

associated infrastructure (e.g., electric, 

water, and sewer lines), would 

individually and cumulatively have a 

minor or negligible effect on the scrubjays and the environment. Therefore, we 

have preliminarily determined that the 

proposed ESA section 10(a)(1)(B) permit 

would be a low-effect ITP that 

individually or cumulatively would 

have a minor effect on the scrub-jays 

and may qualify for application of a 

categorical exclusion pursuant to the 

Council on Environmental Quality’s 

NEPA regulations, DOI’s NEPA 

regulations, and the DOI Departmental 

Manual. A low-effect incidental take 

permit is one that would result in (1) 

minor or nonsignificant effects on 

species covered in the HCP; (2) 

nonsignificant effects on the human 

environment; and (3) impacts that, 

when added together with the impacts 

of other past, present, and reasonably 

foreseeable actions, would not result in 

significant cumulative effects to the 

human environment. 

Next Steps 

The Service will evaluate the 

application and the comments to 

determine whether to issue the 

requested permit. We will also conduct 

an intra-Service consultation pursuant 

to section 7 of the ESA to evaluate the 

effects of the proposed take. After 

considering the preceding and other 

matters, we will determine whether the 

permit issuance criteria of section 

10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA have been met. If 

met, the Service will issue ITP number 

PER 3184250 to Hector Aponte (2098 

Laredo Drive). 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, email address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, be aware that your entire 

comment, including your personal 

identifying information, may be made 

available to the public. While you may 

request that we withhold your personal 

identifying information, we cannot 

guarantee that we will be able to do so. 

Authority 

The Service provides this notice 

under section 10(c) of the Endangered 

Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and 

its implementing regulations (50 CFR 

17.32) and the National Environmental 

Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 

its implementing regulations (40 CFR 

1500–1508 and 43 CFR 46). 

Robert L. Carey, 

Manager, Division of Environmental Review, 

Florida Ecological Services Field Office. 

[FR Doc. 2023–23338 Filed 10–20–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0193; 

FXES11140400000–234–FF04EF4000] 

Receipt of Incidental Take Permit 

Application and Proposed Habitat 

Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink; 

Orange County, FL; Categorical 

Exclusion 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), announce receipt of 

an application from Orange County 

Parks and Recreation Division (Horizon 

West Regional Park, applicant) for an 

incidental take permit (ITP) under the 

Endangered Species Act. The applicant 

requests the ITP to take the federally 

listed sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) 

incidental to the construction of a 

recreational park in Orange County, 

Florida. We request public comment on 

the application, which includes the 

applicant’s proposed habitat 

conservation plan (HCP), and on the 

Service’s preliminary determination that 

the proposed permitting action may be 

eligible for a categorical exclusion 

pursuant to the Council on 

Environmental Quality’s National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

regulations, the Department of the 

Interior’s (DOI) NEPA regulations, and 

the DOI Departmental Manual. To make 

this preliminary determination, we 

prepared a draft environmental action 

statement and low-effect screening form, 

both of which are also available for 

public review. We invite comment from 

the public and local, State, Tribal, and 

Federal agencies. 

DATES: We must receive your written 

comments on or before November 22, 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: 

Obtaining Documents: You may 

obtain copies of the documents online 

in Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2023–0193 

at https://www.regulations.gov. 

Submitting Comments: If you wish to 

submit comments on any of the 


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