31170 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2018 / Notices 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William A. Lavy, Director, Program 

Administration Division, Office of 

Recapitalization, Office of Multifamily 

Programs, Department of Housing and 

Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street 

SW, Room 6230, Washington, DC 20410; 

telephone 202–708–0614. (This is not a 

toll-free number.) Individuals with 

speech or hearing impairments may 

access this number through TTY by 

calling the toll-free Federal Relay 

Service at 1–800–877–8339. To assure a 

timely response, HUD recommends that 

requests for further information be 

submitted electronically to the email 

address rad@hud.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

RAD, authorized by the Consolidated 

and Further Continuing Appropriations 

Act, 2012 (Pub. L. 122–55, signed 

November 18, 2011) (2012 

Appropriations Act), allows for the 

conversion of assistance under the 

public housing, Rent Supplement (Rent 

Supp), Rental Assistance (RAP), 

Moderate Rehabilitation (Mod Rehab), 

and Mod Rehab Single Room 

Occupancy (SRO) programs 

(collectively, ‘‘covered programs’’) to 

long-term, renewable assistance under 

Section 8. The most recent version of 

the RAD program notice is PIH 2012– 

32/Housing 2017–03, REV–3, located at 

https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/ 

RAD_Notice_Rev3_Final.docx. 

II. Key Changes 

The following highlights key changes 

to the RAD program that are included in 

the Supplemental Program Notice: 

First Component (Public Housing 

Conversions) 

1. Expands the rent setting flexibility 

referred to as Rent Bundling in the 

current RAD program notice PIH 2012– 

32/Housing 2017–03 to permit PHAs to 

rent bundle between RAD Project-Based 

Voucher (PBV) and non-RAD PBV 

projects. Under this provision, rents of 

non-RAD PBV contracts are reduced by 

the equivalent increase to the RAD PBV 

initial contract rents. 

2. Permits PHAs to establish projectspecific utility allowances for Covered 

Projects. When a RAD conversion 

results in the reduction of one or more 

utility components used to establish the 

utility allowance, HUD will permit the 

RAD contract rent to be increased by a 

portion of the utility savings. 

3. Provides alternative developer fee 

limits when a PHA adopts a waiting list 

preference for households exiting 

homelessness. 

4. Establishes that HUD will 

disapprove a proposed conversion 

where a PHA is using 24 CFR 970.17(b) 

or 970.17(c) to dispose of other units at 

a proposed project and HUD determines 

that the PHA’s use of both RAD and 

disposition under those sections 

undermines the unit replacement 

requirements of the RAD program. 

5. Creates a streamlined conversion 

option for PHAs that have a very small 

public housing portfolio of 50 units or 

less that will not involve any 

rehabilitation, new construction, or 

relocation. 

III. New Waivers and Alternative 

Requirements 

The RAD Statute provides that 

waivers and alternative requirements 

authorized under the First Component 

must be published by notice in the 

Federal Register no later than 10 days 

before the effective date of such notice. 

Under the Second Component of RAD, 

HUD is authorized to waive or alter the 

provisions of subparagraphs (C) and (D) 

of section 8(o)(13) of the United States 

Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f) 

(the 1937 Act). 

HUD has previously published its 

waivers and alternative requirements for 

RAD, on July 26, 2012 (77 FR 43850), 

July 2, 2013 (78 FR 39759), June 26, 

2015 (80 FR 36830), and January 19, 

2017 (82 FR 6615). This notice only 

includes waivers and alternative 

requirements not previously published 

or that have changed from previous 

publications. Although waivers or 

alternative requirements under the 

Second Component are not subject to a 

Federal Register publication 

requirement, the new Second 

Component waivers and alternative 

requirements are included in this notice 

as a matter of convenience. 

The new waiver and alternative 

requirement is: 

1. PBV Site-Specific Utility 

Allowances. Provisions affected: 24 CFR 

983.301(f)(2)(ii), 24 CFR 983.2(c)(6)(iii) 

and 24 CFR 982.517; RAD 

Implementation Notice, Attachment 1C: 

Calculation of HAP Contract Rents for 

Conversions of Assistance from Public 

Housing to PBRA or PBV. Waiver: HUD 

has determined that the specified 

sections of its regulations will not apply 

to RAD conversions to Project Based 

Vouchers (PBV). Alternative 

requirements: The Utility Allowance 

shall be calculated in the manner 

specified in Housing Notice H–2015–04 

(June 22, 2015) unless PIH promulgates 

utility allowance guidance specific to 

the PBV program. The Project Owner 

may carry out all activities of owners 

and management agents associated with 

Housing Notice 2015–04, but the PHA 

must ensure that the Utility Allowance 

is calculated correctly. 

IV. Revised Program Notice 

Availability 

The RAD Supplemental Notice (PIH 

2018–11/H 2018–05) can be found on 

RAD’s website, www.hud.gov/RAD. 

V. Finding of No Significant Impact 

A Finding of No Significant Impact 

(FONSI) with respect to the 

environment has been made in 

accordance with HUD regulations in 24 

CFR part 50, which implemented 

section 102(2)(C) of the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)). The FONSI is 

available for public inspection during 

regular business hours in the 

Regulations Division, Office of General 

Counsel, Department of Housing and 

Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, 

Room 10276, Washington, DC 20410– 

0500. Due to security measures at the 

HUD Headquarters building, please 

schedule an appointment to review the 

FONSI by calling the Regulations 

Division at (202) 708–3055 (this is not 

a toll-free number). Individuals with 

speech or hearing impairments may 

access this number via TTY by calling 

the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877– 

8339. 

Dated: June 22, 2018. 

Dominique Blom, 

General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public 

and Indian Housing. 

Brian Montgomery, 

Assistant Secretary for Housing, Federal 

Housing Commissioner. 

[FR Doc. 2018–14210 Filed 7–2–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2017–0105; 

FXES11140200000–189–FF02ENEH00] 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the American Electric Power American 

Burying-Beetle Habitat Conservation 

Plan in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and 

Texas 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability: Notice of 

receipt of a permit application; and 

announcement of public meetings. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the 

availability of the environmental impact 

statement (EIS) and habitat conservation 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2018 / Notices 31171 

plan (HCP) for incidental take permit 

(ITP) application under the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended. 

American Electric Power (AEP) 

requested a 30-year American burying 

beetle (ABB) ITP in Oklahoma, 

Arkansas, and Texas. If granted, the ITP 

would authorize ABB take resulting 

from AEP’s electrical lines and support 

facilities repair, maintenance, and 

construction, as well as activities 

carried out as part of the HCP’s 

conservation strategy. 

DATES: Comments: We will accept 

comments received or postmarked on or 

before August 17, 2018. Comments 

submitted electronically at http://

www.regulations.gov (see Public 

Participation under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION) must be received by 11:59 

p.m. Eastern time on the closing date. 

Any comments we receive after the 

closing date may not be considered in 

the final decision on these actions. 

ADDRESSES: See Public Participation 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for 

how to obtain documents for review and 

submit comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jonna Polk, Field Supervisor, via U.S. 

mail at Oklahoma Ecological Services 

Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 9014 E 21st St., Tulsa, OK 

74129; or via phone at 918–581–7458. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

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

announce the availability of several 

documents related to an incidental take 

permit (ITP) application under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

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

American Electric Power (AEP) 

requested a 30-year American burying 

beetle (Nicrophorus americanus; ABB) 

ITP in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. 

If granted, the ITP would authorize ABB 

incidental take resulting from AEP’s 

electrical lines and support facilities 

repair, maintenance, and construction, 

as well as activities carried out as part 

of the HCP’s conservation strategy. In 

addition to this notice of the 

environmental impact statement (EIS), 

the Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) is publishing a notice announcing 

the EIS, as required under the Clean Air 

Act, section 309 (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.; 

see EPA’s Role in the EIS Process 

below). 

Background 

Section 9 of the ESA and its 

implementing regulations prohibit 

‘‘take’’ of fish and wildlife species listed 

as threatened or endangered. However, 

section 10(a) authorizes us to issue 

permits to take listed wildlife species 

where take is incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, otherwise lawful activities 

and where the applicant meets certain 

statutory requirements. 

We prepared a notice of intent (NOI) 

to prepare a EIS for American Electric 

Power’s (AEP) habitat conservation plan 

(HCP), which was published in the 

Federal Register on January 19, 2017 

(82 FR 6625). We held four public 

scoping meetings throughout the Plan 

Area in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas 

in February 2017. We incorporated 

issues identified during the initial 

scoping meetings into the EIS, dated 

March 2018. You can find a summary of 

the comments we received during the 

scoping period in the EIS, Appendix D. 

Proposed Action 

Our proposed Federal action 

evaluated in the EIS is approving AEP’s 

HCP and issuing an incidental take 

permit (ITP) under section 10(a)(1)(B) of 

the ESA. The ITP would authorize ABB 

incidental take that may result from 

covered activities in the plan area over 

the 30-year ITP term. 

EPA’s Role in the EIS Process 

In addition to our publication of this 

notice, EPA is publishing a notice in the 

Federal Register announcing the EIS for 

American Electric Power’s Americanburying Beetle Habitat Conservation 

Plan in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas, 

as required under the Clean Air Act, 

section 309. The EPA’s publication date 

of the notice of availability is the official 

beginning of the public comment 

period. The EPA is charged with 

reviewing all Federal agencies’ EISs and 

commenting on the adequacy and 

acceptability of the environmental 

impacts of proposed actions in EISs. 

The EPA also serves as the repository 

(EIS database) for EISs which Federal 

agencies prepare. All EISs must be filed 

with EPA, which publishes a notice of 

availability on Fridays in the Federal 

Register. For more information, see 

https://www.epa.gov/nepa. You may 

search for EPA comments on EISs, along 

with EISs themselves, at https://

cdxnodengn.epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/ 

action/eis/search. 

Public Participation 

Public Meetings 

We will hold four public meetings, 

one each in McAlester, OK; Texarkana, 

TX; Little Rock, AR; and Tulsa, OK, 

during the public comment period. The 

dates, times, and specific locations of 

the meetings will be announced in local 

newspapers at least two weeks before 

the meetings and will also be posted on 

our Oklahoma website, at https://

www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Oklahoma/. 

The public meetings will be physically 

accessible to people with disabilities. 

Please direct requests for reasonable 

accommodations (e.g., auxiliary aids or 

sign language interpretation) to Larry 

Levesque, by phone at 918–382–4509 or 

via email at laurence_levesque@fws.gov, 

at least 5 working days prior to the date 

of the meeting you wish to attend. 

Obtaining Documents for Review 

• Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) and Habitat Conservation Plan 

(HCP): You may obtain copies of the EIS 

and HCP by any of the following 

methods. 

Internet: 

• http://www.regulations.gov (search 

for Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2017– 

0105). 

• http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ 

Oklahoma (search for permit number 

TE81211C–0). 

U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor (at the 

address in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT; reference ‘‘OKES HCP EIS; 

TE81211C–0’’). 

In-Person: Copies of the EIS and HCP 

are also available for public inspection 

and review at the following locations, 

by appointment and written request 

only, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.: 

• Oklahoma Ecological Services Field 

Office (at the address in FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). 

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 500 

Gold Avenue SW, Room 6034, 

Albuquerque, NM 87102 (telephone: 

505–248–6920). 

• Department of the Interior, Natural 

Resources Library, 1849 C St. NW, 

Washington, DC 20240. 

• Incidental Take Permit Application: 

You may obtain copies of the incidental 

take permit application by any of the 

following methods. 

U.S. Mail: Regional Director, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1306, 

Room 6034, Albuquerque, NM 87103 

(attention: Environmental Review 

Branch). 

Email: fw2_HCP_Permits@fws.gov. 

• Public Comments: View submitted 

comments on http://

www.regulations.gov in Docket No. 

FWS–R2–ES–2017–0105. 

• Comments on the EIS from the 

Environmental Protection Agency: For 

how to view comments on the EIS from 

the Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), or for information on EPA’s role 

in the EIS process, see EPA’s Role in the 

EIS Process under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

Submitting Comments 

You may submit written comments by 

one of the following methods: 

• Internet: http://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
31172 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2018 / Notices 

instructions for submitting comments 

on Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2017–0105. 

• Hard Copy: Submit by U.S. mail or 

hand-delivery to Public Comments 

Processing, Attn: FWS–R2–ES–2017– 

0105; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Headquarters, MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg 

Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. 

• Public Meetings: We will also 

accept written and oral comments at 

four public meetings, to be announced. 

We request that you submit comments 

by only the methods described above. 

We will post all information received on 

http://www.regulations.gov. This 

generally means we will post any 

personal information you provide us 

(see Public Availability of Comments). 

Public Availability of Comments 

Written comments we receive become 

part of the public 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. 

Authority: We provide this notice under 

section 10(c) of the ESA and its 

implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 

17.32) and NEPA and its implementing 

regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 

Amy L. Lueders, 

Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–14254 Filed 7–2–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–HQ–FAC–2018–N074; FF09F42300– 

FVWF97920900000–XXX] 

Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership 

Council; Call for Nominations 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Call for nominations. 

SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior 

(Secretary) seeks nominations for 

individuals to be considered for 

membership on the Sport Fishing and 

Boating Partnership Council (Council). 

DATES: Written nominations must be 

postmarked by July 24, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Please address your 

nomination letters to Mr. Greg Sheehan, 

Principal Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. Submit your 

nomination letters via U.S. mail or 

hand-delivery to Linda Friar, Designated 

Federal Officer; Sport Fishing and 

Boating Partnership Council; U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg 

Pike, Mailstop 3C016A–FAC; Falls 

Church, VA 22041–3803. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Linda Friar, at the above address, via 

email at linda_friar@fws.gov, or by 

telephone at (703) 358–2056. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Secretary seeks nominations for 

individuals to be considered for 

membership on the Council. The 

Council advises the Secretary, through 

the Director, on aquatic conservation 

endeavors that benefit recreational 

fishery resources and recreational 

boating and that encourage partnerships 

among industry, the public, and 

government. The Council conducts its 

operations in accordance with the 

provisions of the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). The 

Council functions solely as an advisory 

body. Current members’ terms expire 

August 29, 2018. 

Council Duties 

The Council’s duties and 

responsibilities, where applicable, are as 

follows: 

a. Providing advice that will assist the 

Secretary in carrying out the authorities 

of the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956. 

b. Fulfilling responsibilities 

established by Executive Order 12962: 

(1) Monitoring specific Federal 

activities affecting aquatic systems and 

the recreational fisheries they support. 

(2) Reviewing and evaluating the 

relation of Federal policies and 

activities to the status and conditions of 

recreational fishery resources. 

c. Recommending policies or 

programs to increase public awareness 

and support for the Sport Fish 

Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. 

d. Recommending policies or 

programs that foster conservation and 

ethics in recreational fishing and 

boating. 

e. Recommending policies or 

programs to stimulate angler and boater 

participation in the conservation and 

restoration of aquatic resources through 

outreach and education. 

f. Advising how the Secretary can 

foster communication and coordination 

among government, industry, anglers, 

boaters, and the public. 

g. Providing recommendations for 

implementation of Secretary’s Order 

3347—Conservation Stewardship and 

Outdoor Recreation, and Secretary’s 

Order 3356—Hunting, Fishing, 

Recreational Shooting, and Wildlife 

Conservation Opportunities and 

Coordination with States, Tribes, and 

Territories. 

h. Providing recommendations for 

implementation of regulatory reform 

initiatives and policies specified in 

section 2 of Executive Order 13777— 

Reducing Regulation and Controlling 

Regulatory Costs; Executive Order 

12866—Regulatory Planning and 

Review, as amended; and section 6 of 

Executive Order 13563—Improving 

Regulation and Regulatory Review. 

Council Makeup 

The Director of the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, and the President of 

the Association of Fish and Wildlife 

Agencies are ex officio members. The 

Council may consist of no more than 18 

members and up to 16 alternates 

appointed by the Secretary for a term 

not to exceed 3 years. Appointees will 

be selected from among, but not limited 

to, the following national interest 

groups: 

a. State fish and wildlife resource 

management agencies (two members— 

one a Director of a coastal State, and one 

a Director of an inland State); 

b. Saltwater and freshwater 

recreational fishing organizations; 

c. Recreational boating organizations; 

d. Recreational fishing and boating 

industries; 

e. Recreational fishery resources 

conservation organizations; 

f. Tribal resource management 

organizations; 

g. Aquatic resource outreach and 

education organizations; and 

h. The tourism industry. 

Nomination Method and Eligibility 

Members will be senior-level 

representatives of recreational fishing, 

boating, and aquatic resources 

conservation organizations, and must 

have the ability to represent their 

designated constituencies. Nominations 

should include a resume that provides 

contact information and a description of 

the nominee’s qualifications that would 

enable the Department of the Interior to 

make an informed decision regarding 

the candidate’s suitability to serve on 

the Council. Current members are 

eligible to be renominated and 

reappointed to the Council. Individuals 

who are federally registered lobbyists 

are ineligible to serve on all FACA and 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES