40784 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2018 / Notices 

• In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or 

Pickup: Call 360–753–5823 to make an 

appointment (necessary for viewing or 

picking up documents only) during 

regular business hours at the above 

address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim 

Romanski, Conservation Planning and 

Hydropower Branch Manager, 

Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see 

ADDRESSES), telephone: 360–753–5823. 

If you use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf, please call the Federal 

Relay Service at 800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Service received an application for an 

ITP pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of 

the ESA. The applicant requests a 3-year 

permit term that would authorize ‘‘take’’ 

of the threatened Yelm pocket gopher 

(Thomomys mazama yelmensis), 

hereafter referred to as Yelm pocket 

gopher, incidental to construction of 

one single-family home on land the 

applicant owns in Thurston County, 

Washington. The application includes a 

HCP that describes actions the applicant 

will take to minimize and mitigate the 

impacts of the taking on the covered 

species. 

Background 

Section 9 of the Endangered Species 

Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531) prohibits 

‘‘take’’ of fish and wildlife species listed 

as endangered or threatened. Under the 

ESA, the term ‘‘take’’ means to harass, 

harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, 

trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to 

engage in any such conduct (16 U.S.C. 

1532(19)). The term ‘‘harm,’’ as defined 

in our regulations, includes significant 

habitat modification or degradation that 

results in death or injury to listed 

species by significantly impairing 

essential behavioral patterns, including 

breeding, feeding, or sheltering (50 CFR 

17.3). The term ‘‘harass’’ is defined in 

our regulations as to intentional or 

negligent actions that create the 

likelihood of injury to listed species to 

such an extent as to significantly disrupt 

normal behavioral patterns, which 

include, but are not limited to, breeding, 

feeding, or sheltering (50 CFR 17.3). 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA 

contains provisions that authorize the 

Service to issue permits to non-Federal 

entities for the take of endangered and 

threatened species caused by otherwise 

lawful activities, provided the following 

criteria are met: (1) The taking will be 

incidental; (2) the applicant will, to the 

maximum extent practicable, minimize 

and mitigate the impact of such taking; 

(3) the applicant will ensure that 

adequate funding for the plan will be 

provided; (4) the taking will not 

appreciably reduce the likelihood of the 

survival and recovery of the species in 

the wild; and (5) the applicant will carry 

out any other measures that the Service 

may require as being necessary or 

appropriate for the purposes of the plan. 

Regulations governing permits for 

endangered and threatened species are 

found in 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32, 

respectively. 

Proposed Action 

The Service proposes to issue the 

requested 3-year ITP based on the 

applicant’s commitment to implement 

the HCP, if permit issuance criteria are 

met. Covered activities include 

construction of a single-family home 

and an agricultural building. The area 

covered under the HCP consists of an 

approximately one-half acre project 

development site and an approximately 

one acre conservation site on land 

owned by the applicant. Take of the 

Yelm pocket gopher would occur within 

the half-acre development site and will 

be offset by granting Thurston County a 

perpetual conservation easement over 

an acre of occupied habitat, for the 

purpose of ensuring that it is 

perpetually managed for the benefit of 

the covered species. Funding for 

management of the conservation 

easement would be assured. The 

applicant may have the conservation 

easement released in the future if it 

purchases credits from a Serviceapproved conservation bank for the 

Yelm pocket gopher, which would 

provide equivalent or greater 

conservation benefits to the species. At 

present, no such conservation bank 

exists. 

Public Comments 

You may submit your comments and 

materials by one of the methods listed 

in ADDRESSES. We specifically request 

information, views, and suggestions 

from interested parties regarding our 

proposed Federal action, including 

adequacy of the HCP pursuant to the 

requirements for permits at 50 CFR parts 

13 and 17 and adequacy of the EAS 

pursuant to NEPA. 

Public Availability of Comments 

All comments and materials we 

receive become part of the public record 

associated with this action. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email address, or other personally 

identifiable information in your 

comments, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

personally identifiable information— 

may be made publicly available at any 

time. While you can ask us in your 

comment to withhold your personally 

identifiable 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. Comments and materials 

we receive will be available for public 

inspection by appointment, during 

normal business hours, at our 

Washington Fish and Wildlife Office 

(see ADDRESSES). 

Authority 

We provide this notice in accordance 

with the requirements of section 10 of 

the ESA and NEPA and their 

implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.32 

and 40 CFR 1506.6, respectively). 

Theresa E. Rabot, 

Deputy Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17668 Filed 8–15–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–ES–2018–N055; 

FXES11130800000–189–FF08EVEN00] 

Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan 

and Categorical Exclusion; Gaver 

Ranch, Castroville, Monterey County, 

California 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, have received an 

application from Midnight Sun, Inc., for 

a 20-year incidental take permit under 

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (Act). The application 

addresses the potential for ‘‘take’’ of the 

federally threatened California redlegged frog and California tiger 

salamander that is likely to occur 

incidental to ongoing agricultural 

activities, flood and erosion control 

activities, and habitat restoration at 

Gaver Ranch near the community of 

Castroville in unincorporated Monterey 

County, California. We invite comments 

from the public on the application 

package, which includes a low-effect 

habitat conservation plan. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by 

September 17, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2018 / Notices 40785 

Document availability: You may 

download a copy of the habitat 

conservation plan, draft environmental 

action statement and low-effect 

screening form, and related documents 

on the internet at http://www.fws.gov/ 

ventura/, or you may request copies of 

the documents by U.S. mail to our 

Ventura office (see address below) or by 

phone (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT). 

Comment submission: Please address 

written comments to Stephen P. Henry, 

Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and 

Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, 

Ventura, CA 93003. You alternatively 

may send comments by facsimile to 

(805) 644–3958. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chad Mitcham, Fish and Wildlife 

Biologist, (805) 677–3328. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have 

received an application from Midnight 

Sun, Inc., for a 20-year incidental take 

permit under the Act. The application 

addresses the potential for ‘‘take’’ of the 

federally threatened California redlegged frog (Rana draytonii) and 

California tiger salamander (Ambystoma 

californiense) likely to occur incidental 

to ongoing agricultural activities, flood 

and erosion control activities, and 

habitat restoration at Gaver Ranch, 

15740 Blackie Road (Assessor Parcel 

Numbers (APNs): 133–012–001 and 

133–012–007), near Castroville in 

unincorporated Monterey County, 

California. We invite comments from 

the public on the application package, 

which includes a low-effect habitat 

conservation plan. This proposed action 

has been determined to be eligible for a 

categorical exclusion under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), as amended. 

Background 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service) added the California redlegged frog to the List of Endangered 

and Threatened Wildlife (‘‘listed’’) as 

threatened on May 23, 1996 (61 FR 

25813), and the Service listed the 

California tiger salamander in central 

California as threatened on August 4, 

2004 (69 FR 47212). This list is found 

in title 50 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations at 50 CFR 17.11. Section 9 

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

its implementing regulations prohibit 

the take of fish or wildlife species listed 

as endangered or threatened. ‘‘Take’’ is 

defined under the Act to include the 

following activities: ‘‘to harass, harm, 

pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, 

capture, or collect, or to attempt to 

engage in any such conduct’’ (16 U.S.C. 

1532); however, under section 

10(a)(1)(B) of the Act, we may issue 

permits to authorize incidental take of 

listed species. The Act defines 

‘‘incidental take’’ as take that is not the 

purpose of carrying out an otherwise 

lawful activity. 

Regulations governing incidental take 

permits for threatened and endangered 

species are provided at 50 CFR 17.32 

and 17.22, respectively. Issuance of an 

incidental take permit and actions 

undertaken through implementation of 

the habitat conservation plan (HCP) 

must not jeopardize the existence of 

federally listed fish, wildlife, or plant 

species. All species covered by an 

incidental take permit receive 

assurances under our ‘‘No Surprises’’ 

regulations (50 CFR 17.22(b)(5) and 

17.32(b)(5)). In addition, the Service has 

issued regulations for these species 

under section 4(d) of the Act. These 

regulations state that incidental take as 

the result of routine ranching activities 

will not be a violation of the take 

provisions of section 9 of the Act. The 

section 4(d) regulations for the 

California tiger salamander are located 

at 50 CFR 17.43(c) and for the California 

red-legged frog at 50 CFR 17.43(d). 

Applicant’s Proposal 

Midnight Sun Inc. (hereafter, the 

applicant), has submitted a low-effect 

HCP in support of their application for 

an incidental take permit (ITP) to 

address take of the California red-legged 

frog and California tiger salamander that 

is likely to occur as the result of direct 

impacts on up to 9.5 acres of suitable 

habitat occupied by the species. Take 

would be associated with ongoing 

agricultural activities, flood and erosion 

control activities, and habitat restoration 

on two existing parcels legally described 

as APNs: 133–012–001 and 133–012– 

007. Ultimately, the project intends to 

improve drainage infrastructure to avoid 

on- and offsite flooding that has been 

occurring since 2011. The current site 

address is 15740 Blackie Road near 

Castroville in unincorporated Monterey 

County, California. This property is 

outside the critical habitat designations 

for these species as set forth in 50 CFR 

17.95(d). 

The applicant is requesting a permit 

for take of the California red-legged frog 

and California tiger salamander that 

would result from ‘‘covered activities’’ 

that are related to ongoing agricultural 

operations. A 20-year ITP is requested to 

authorize take that would occur 

incidental to the proposed project. The 

applicant proposes to avoid, minimize, 

and mitigate impacts to the California 

red-legged frog and California tiger 

salamander associated with the covered 

activities by fully implementing the 

HCP. The following measures will be 

implemented: 

(1) A qualified biologist will conduct 

an education program for all persons 

employed or otherwise working in the 

project area. The program will cover 

species identification and ecology, legal 

protections afforded the species, and 

species-specific conservation measures. 

The education program will be attended 

by all onsite construction personnel, 

and those personnel will be directed to 

cease work and immediately contact a 

biologist permitted to capture and 

relocate the subject species if any are 

observed in an area to be impacted. 

(2) Each day prior to work beginning, 

a designated biologist or biological 

monitor will inspect the work area for 

the covered species. If an individual of 

the covered species is found in an area 

to be impacted, all work in that area will 

cease and a Service-approved biologist 

immediately notified. Work will cease 

until the individual moves from the area 

on its own accord or until the Serviceapproved biologist captures and 

relocates the individual to the nearest 

suitable habitat not affected by project 

activities. 

(3) To the maximum extent 

practicable, construction activities will 

be limited to daylight hours. 

(4) The applicant will not use erosion 

control materials that contain 

monofilament netting or similar 

material that can result in the 

entanglement of the covered species and 

other wildlife. 

(5) Soil stockpiles will be fully 

stabilized to prevent erodible materials 

entering the covered species’ aquatic 

habitats. 

(6) Onsite restoration and 

management of 8.9 acres of upland and 

dispersal habitat will occur in order for 

the covered species to continue to 

utilize the project site. 

(7) Permanent protection of 1.5 acres 

of habitat for the California red-legged 

frog and California tiger salamander will 

be ensured through the purchase of 

multispecies credits at the Sparling 

Ranch Conservation Bank in San Benito 

County, California. The applicant will 

fund up to $1,556,976 to ensure 

implementation of all minimization 

measures, monitoring, and reporting 

requirements identified in the HCP. 

In the proposed HCP, the applicant 

considers two alternatives to the 

proposed action: ‘‘No Action’’ and 

‘‘Redesigned Project.’’ Under the ‘‘No 

Action’’ alternative, an ITP for the 

proposed project would not be issued. 

The proposed conservation strategy 

consisting of onsite management of 8.9 

acres of upland and dispersal habitat 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
40786 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 159 / Thursday, August 16, 2018 / Notices 

and the purchase of conservation credits 

would not be provided to effect recovery 

actions for the impacted species. The 

‘‘No Action’’ alternative would not 

result in needed improvements to 

reduce the risk of on- and offsite 

flooding and would not result in 

benefits for the covered species; 

therefore, the applicant has rejected the 

‘‘No Action’’ alternative. Under the 

‘‘Redesigned Project’’ alternative, the 

applicant would further reduce the area 

of the proposed project to the smallest 

possible footprint; however, the 

Redesigned Project would not 

realistically accomplish the project goal 

of the reduction of on- and offsite 

flooding risk. Under this alternative, the 

applicant would not achieve the desired 

goal of reduced flooding risk, and fewer 

conservation credits would be 

purchased to effect recovery; therefore, 

the applicant has also rejected the 

‘‘Redesigned Project’’ alternative. 

Our Preliminary Determination 

The Service has made a preliminary 

determination that issuance of the 

incidental take permit is neither a major 

Federal action that will significantly 

affect the quality of the human 

environment within the meaning of 

section 102(2)(C) of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.) nor that it will, 

individually or cumulatively, have more 

than a negligible effect on the California 

red-legged frog and California tiger 

salamander. Therefore, in accordance 

with this preliminary determination, the 

permit qualifies for a categorical 

exclusion under NEPA. 

Next Steps 

We will evaluate the permit 

application, including the plan and 

comments we receive, to determine 

whether the application meets the 

requirements of section 10(a)(1)(B) of 

the Act. We will also evaluate whether 

issuance of the ITP would comply with 

section 7(a)(2) of the Act by conducting 

an intra-Service section 7 consultation. 

Public Review 

We provide this notice under section 

10(c) of the Act and the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended, and NEPA’s public 

involvement regulations (40 CFR 

1500.1(b), 1500.2(d), and 1506.6). We 

are requesting comments on our 

determination that the applicant’s 

proposal will have a minor or negligible 

effect on the California red-legged frog 

and California tiger salamander, and 

that the plan qualifies as a low-effect 

HCP as defined by our Habitat 

Conservation Planning Handbook. We 

will evaluate the permit application, 

including the plan and comments we 

receive, to determine whether the 

application meets the requirements of 

section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act. We will 

use the results of our internal Service 

consultation, in combination with the 

above findings, in our final analysis to 

determine whether to issue the permit. 

If the requirements are met, we will 

issue an ITP to the applicant for the 

incidental take of California red-legged 

frog and California tiger salamander. We 

will make the final permit decision no 

sooner than 30 days after the date of this 

notice. 

Public Comments 

If you wish to comment on the permit 

application, HCP, and associated 

documents, you may submit comments 

by one of the methods described in 

ADDRESSES. 

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 view, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 

Authority 

We provide this notice under section 

10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 

and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 

Dated: August 10 2018. 

Stephen P. Henry, 

Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife 

Office, Ventura, California. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17669 Filed 8–15–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[NPS–WASO–NRNHL–DTS#–26141; 

PPWOCRADI0, PCU00RP14.R50000] 

National Register of Historic Places; 

Notification of Pending Nominations 

and Related Actions 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The National Park Service is 

soliciting comments on the significance 

of properties nominated before July 27, 

2018, for listing or related actions in the 

National Register of Historic Places. 

DATES: Comments should be submitted 

by August 31, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent via 

U.S. Postal Service and all other carriers 

to the National Register of Historic 

Places, National Park Service, 1849 C St. 

NW, MS 7228, Washington, DC 20240. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

properties listed in this notice are being 

considered for listing or related actions 

in the National Register of Historic 

Places. Nominations for their 

consideration were received by the 

National Park Service before July 27, 

2018. Pursuant to Section 60.13 of 36 

CFR part 60, written comments are 

being accepted concerning the 

significance of the nominated properties 

under the National Register criteria for 

evaluation. 

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. 

Nominations submitted by State 

Historic Preservation Officers: 

ALABAMA 

Baldwin County 

American Legion Post 199, 700 S Mobile St., 

Fairhope, SG100002858 

INDIANA 

Carroll County 

American House Hotel, 205 Michigan Rd., 

Burlington, SG100002859 

Elkhart County 

Selmer, H. & A., Inc. Factory, 1119 N Main 

St., Elkhart, SG100002860 

Grant County 

Marion PCC & St. Louis Railroad Depot, 1002 

S Washington St., Marion, SG100002861 

Howard County 

Greentown Commercial Historic District, 1/2 

blk. on either side of Meridian St. between 

Walnut and Grant, Greentown, 

SG100002862 

Madison County 

Anderson High School Wigwam, 1229 

Lincoln St., Anderson, SG100002863 

Marshall County 

Arnold, Isaac and Ruth, House, 1003 N Main 

St., Bourbon, SG100002864 

Rush County 

Mount Pleasant Beech Church and Beech 

Cemetery, E side of Cty. Rd. 725 W 

between Cty. Rds. 1000 N & 1100 N, 

Carthage vicinity, SG100002865 

Sullivan County 

Sullivan Courthouse Square Historic District, 

Roughly bounded by Section, Wall, State & 

Harris Sts., Sullivan, SG100002867 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES