44652 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 

The Federal Register notice that 

solicited public comment on the 

information collection for a period of 60 

days was published on May 22, 2018 at 

83 FR 23719. 

A. Overview of Information Collection 

Title of Information Collection: 

Survey to Assess Operational and 

Capacity Status of Housing Counseling 

Agencies after a Disaster. 

OMB Approved Number: 2502–0615. 

Type of Request: Reinstatement 

without change of a previously 

approved collection. 

Form Number: None. 

Description of the need for the 

information and proposed use: This 

Disaster Survey collects post-disaster 

information needed for the Office of 

Housing Counseling to determine the 

ability of the housing counseling 

agencies to perform their required 

functions during the disaster recovery 

period. Responses are required from 

HUD participating housing counseling 

agencies for HUD to assess the operating 

and capacity status of HUD participating 

housing counseling agencies in the 

aftermath of major disasters. The 

information collected will help HUD to 

identify and provide recovery support 

and assistance to HUD participating 

housing counseling agencies and their 

clients. Response is mandatory. 

Respondents (i.e. affected public): 

Not-for-profit institutions, State, Local 

or Tribal Government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

100.00. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

200.00. 

Frequency of Response: 200.00. 

Average Hours per Response: 0.50. 

Total Estimated Burdens: 100.00. 

B. Solicitation of Public Comment 

This notice is soliciting comments 

from members of the public and affected 

parties concerning the collection of 

information described in Section A on 

the following: 

(1) Whether the proposed collection 

of information is necessary for the 

proper performance of the functions of 

the agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(2) The accuracy of the agency’s 

estimate of the burden of the proposed 

collection of information; 

(3) Ways to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and 

(4) Ways to minimize the burden of 

the collection of information on those 

who are to respond: Including through 

the use of appropriate automated 

collection techniques or other forms of 

information technology, e.g., permitting 

electronic submission of responses. 

HUD encourages interested parties to 

submit comment in response to these 

questions. 

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35. 

Dated: August 22, 2018. 

Inez C. Downs, 

Department Reports Management Officer, 

Office of the Chief Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19001 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–R3–ES–2018–0037; 

FXES11130300000–189–FF03E00000] 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan; 

Receipt of an Application for an 

Incidental Take Permit for Midwestern 

Bat and Bird Species; MidAmerican 

Energy Company, Iowa 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Endangered Species Act, as amended 

(ESA), and the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA), we, the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service (Service), 

announce the availability of a draft 

habitat conservation plan (HCP) in 

support of an application from 

MidAmerican Energy Company 

(applicant) for an incidental take permit 

(ITP) for the federally endangered 

Indiana bat, federally threatened 

northern long-eared bat, and federally 

protected bald eagle; also included in 

the permit would be the little brown bat 

and tricolored bat. The take is expected 

to result from operation of wind 

turbines in 22 counties in Iowa. Also 

available for review is the Service’s draft 

environmental impact statement (DEIS), 

which was prepared in response to the 

application. We are seeking public 

comments on the draft HCP and DEIS. 

DATES: 

Submitting Comments: We will accept 

hardcopy comments received or 

postmarked on or before October 1, 

2018. Comments submitted online at 

https://www.regulations.gov/ (see 

ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 

p.m. Eastern Time on October 15, 2018. 

Public Involvement: The Service will 

announce future meetings and any other 

public involvement activities at least 15 

days in advance through public notices, 

media releases, mailings, and/or online 

postings at https://www.fws.gov/ 

midwest/rockisland/te/MidAmerican

HCP.html. 

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents for 

Review: The documents this notice 

announces, as well as any comments 

and other materials that we receive, will 

be available for public inspection online 

in Docket No. FWS–R3–ES–2018–0037 

at http://www.regulations.gov. 

Submitting Comments: You may 

submit comments by one of the 

following methods: 

• Online: http://www.regulations.gov. 

Follow the instructions for submitting 

comments on Docket No. FWS–R3–ES– 

2018–0037. 

• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public 

Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 

FWS–R3–ES–2018–0037; U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service; MS: BPHC; 5275 

Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041– 

3803. 

We will post all comments on http:// 

www.regulations.gov. This generally 

means that we will post online any 

personal information that you provide 

(see Public Availability of Comments 

under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). We 

request that you send comments by only 

the methods described above. 

Reviewing EPA comments on the draft 

HCP and DEIS: See EPA’s Role in the 

EIS Process under SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amber Schorg or Kraig McPeek, by 

phone at 309–757–5800. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Service has received an incidental take 

permit (ITP) application from the 

MidAmerican Energy Company in 

accordance with the requirements of the 

Endangered Species Act, as amended 

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

applicant has prepared a draft habitat 

conservation plan (HCP) in support of 

the ITP application and is seeking 

authorization for take of the federally 

endangered Indiana bat, federally 

threatened northern long-eared bat, and 

federally protected bald eagle, in 

addition to the little brown bat and 

tricolored bat. Little brown bat and 

tricolored bat are not federally 

protected, but they are currently being 

evaluated for protection under ESA. The 

applicant has chosen to include these as 

covered species, and they will be treated 

as if they were ESA listed. The ITP, if 

issued, would authorize incidental take 

of these species that may occur as a 

result of the operation of wind facilities 

in 22 Iowa counties over a 30-year 

permit term. The draft HCP describes 

how impacts to the covered species will 

be minimized and mitigated. The draft 

HCP also describes the covered species’ 

life history and ecology, biological goals 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 44653 

and objectives, the estimated take and 

its potential impact on covered species’ 

populations, adaptive management and 

monitoring, and mitigation measures. 

The Service has prepared a draft 

environmental impact statement (DEIS) 

in response to the ITP application in 

accordance with requirements of the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). We are 

making the draft HCP and the DEIS 

available for public review and 

comment. 

Background 

Section 9 of the ESA and its 

implementing regulations prohibit the 

‘‘take’’ of animal species listed as 

endangered or threatened. Take is 

defined under the ESA as to ‘‘harass, 

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

trap, capture, or collect listed animal 

species, or to attempt to engage in such 

conduct’’ (16 U.S.C. 1538). Under 

section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA, the 

Service may issue permits to authorize 

incidental take of listed species. 

Incidental take is defined by the ESA as 

take that is incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, carrying out an otherwise 

lawful activity. 

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

contains provisions for issuing 

incidental take permits to non-Federal 

entities for the incidental take of 

endangered and threatened species, 

provided the following criteria are met: 

(a) The taking will be incidental; (b) the 

applicant will minimize and mitigate, to 

the maximum extent practicable, the 

impact of such taking; (c) the applicant 

will develop an HCP and ensure that 

adequate funding for the plan will be 

provided; (d) the taking will not 

appreciably reduce the likelihood of the 

survival and recovery of the species in 

the wild; and (e) the applicant will carry 

out any other measures that the 

Secretary of the Interior may require as 

being necessary or appropriate for the 

purposes of the HCP. An applicant may 

choose to cover nonlisted species in the 

HCP, and these species will be treated 

as ESA-listed species. 

Proposed Action 

We propose to issue a 30-year permit 

for incidental take of the Indiana bat, 

northern long-eared bat, bald eagle, little 

brown bat, and tricolored bat if the 

MidAmerican HCP meets all the section 

10(a)(1)(B) permit issuance criteria. The 

permit would authorize the take of these 

species incidental to the applicant’s 

operation of wind projects. 

Applicant’s Project 

MidAmerican Energy currently 

operates 22 Projects in Iowa, consisting 

of 2,021 turbines that vary by type and 

project. Detailed descriptions of the 

projects are found in section 2.0 of the 

HCP. All projects and turbines are 

within the range of the northern longeared bat, little brown bat, tricolored 

bat, and eagle. Four projects have 

turbines within Indiana bat range (375 

turbines). MidAmerican has developed 

a conservation program to avoid, 

minimize, and mitigate for impacts to 

covered species. Bald eagle-specific 

avoidance and minimization measures 

will include carrion removal in the 

vicinity of projects and livestock 

operator outreach. Reductions in 

scavenging opportunities are expected 

to reduce eagle use near wind projects. 

Bat-specific minimization measures 

were informed by extensive species 

presence-absence surveys, migration 

telemetry studies, and mortality 

monitoring. Minimization measures will 

include blade feathering below 

manufacturer’s cut-in speed at all 

projects from March 15 through 

November 15 from sunset to sunrise. 

Additionally, 4 projects (265 turbines) 

that are expected to have the highest 

risk to covered bat species and all bats 

will be feathered below 5.0 meters per 

second (m/s) July 15 through September 

30 from sunset to sunrise when 

temperatures are below 10 degrees 

Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). Blade 

feathering consists of turning turbine 

blades parallel to the prevailing wind 

direction to reduce rotation of the 

turbine rotors, which in turn reduces 

the likelihood of bat-turbine collisions. 

MidAmerican will conduct an annual 

monitoring program at each project 

throughout the life of the permit to 

confirm take permit compliance. 

MidAmerican has committed to fully 

offsetting the impacts of the taking for 

all covered bat species through habitat 

restoration, preservation, and 

enhancement, as well as restoration and 

preservation of at-risk occupied 

artificial roost structures. Measures to 

offset the impacts to taking of bald 

eagles will include funding local or 

regional eagle rehabilitation, a toxic 

substance education and abatement 

program, and protection of key eagle 

nesting or foraging habitat. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

In compliance with NEPA (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), the Service has prepared 

a DEIS, in which we analyze the 

proposed action and a reasonable range 

of alternatives to the proposed action. 

Seven alternatives are analyzed in the 

DEIS. 

• No-action alternative: No permit 

would be issued, and no HCP would be 

implemented. 

• Alternative A: 5.0 m/s cut-in speed 

across all turbines for the entire bat 

active season. 

• Alternative B: 5.0 m/s cut-in speed 

during fall bat migration at all turbines 

and at turbines within 1,000 ft of 

suitable habitat for Indiana and northern 

long-eared bats during the entire bat 

active season. 

• Alternative C: 5.0 m/s cut-in speed 

during fall bat migration. 

• Alternative D: Manufacturer’s cut-in 

speed for the entire bat active season. 

• The applicant’s HCP alternative. 

• Participation in the Midwest Wind 

MSHCP alternative. 

The environmental consequences of 

each alternative were analyzed to 

determine if significant environmental 

impacts would occur. 

EPA’s Role in the EIS Process 

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. Therefore, EPA is 

publishing a notice in the Federal 

Register announcing this DEIS, as 

required under section 309 of the Clean 

Air Act. The publication date of EPA’s 

notice of availability is the official 

beginning of the public comment 

period. EPA’s notices are published on 

Fridays. 

EPA serves as the repository (EIS 

database) for EISs prepared by Federal 

agencies. All EISs must be filed with 

EPA, which publishes a notice of 

availability on Fridays in the Federal 

Register. You may search for EPA 

comments on EISs, along with EISs 

themselves, at https://cdxnodengn.

epa.gov/cdx-enepa-public/action/eis/ 

search. 

Public Availability of Comments 

We will post on http://regulations.gov 

all public comments and information 

received electronically or via hardcopy. 

Written comments we receive become 

part of the administrative 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 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
44654 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 170 / Friday, August 31, 2018 / Notices 

made available for public disclosure in 

their entirety. 

Authority 

We provide this notice under section 

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

and its implementing regulations (50 

CFR 17.22) and the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 

4371 et seq.) and its implementing 

regulations (40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR part 

46). 

Charles M. Wooley, 

Acting Regional Director, Midwest Region. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18989 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCO956000 L14400000.BJ0000 18X] 

Notice of Filing of Plats of Survey, 

Colorado 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of official filing. 

SUMMARY: The plats of survey of the 

following described lands are scheduled 

to be officially filed in the Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM), Colorado 

State Office, Lakewood, Colorado, 30 

calendar days from the date of this 

publication. The surveys, which were 

executed at the request of the U.S. 

Forest Service and the BLM, are 

necessary for the management of these 

lands. 

DATES: Unless there are protests of this 

action, the plats described in this notice 

will be filed on October 1, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit written 

protests to the BLM Colorado State 

Office, Cadastral Survey, 2850 

Youngfield Street, Lakewood, CO 

80215–7093. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Randy Bloom, Chief Cadastral Surveyor 

for Colorado, (303) 239–3856; rbloom@

blm.gov. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

may call the Federal Relay Service at 1– 

800–877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The Service is available 24 hours 

a day, seven days a week, to leave a 

message or question with the above 

individual. You will receive a reply 

during normal business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The plat 

and field notes of the dependent 

resurvey in Township 14 South, Range 

99 West, Sixth Principal Meridian, 

Colorado, were accepted on July 5, 

2018. 

The plat, in 4 sheets, incorporating 

the field notes of the dependent 

resurvey in Township 2 South, Range 73 

West, Sixth Principal Meridian, 

Colorado, was accepted on July 9, 2018. 

The plat, in 2 sheets, incorporating 

the field notes of the dependent 

resurvey and subdivision of section 23 

in Township 41 North, Range 2 East, 

New Mexico Principal Meridian, 

Colorado, was accepted on July 23, 

2018. 

The plat, in 2 sheets, incorporating 

the field notes of the dependent 

resurvey and subdivision of section 27 

in Township 4 South, Range 72 West, 

Sixth Principal Meridian, Colorado, was 

accepted on August 9, 2018. 

A person or party who wishes to 

protest any of the above surveys must 

file a written notice of protest within 30 

calendar days from the date of this 

publication at the address listed in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. A 

statement of reasons for the protest may 

be filed with the notice of protest and 

must be filed within 30 calendar days 

after the protest is filed. If a protest 

against the survey is received prior to 

the date of official filing, the filing will 

be stayed pending consideration of the 

protest. A plat will not be officially filed 

until the day after all protests have been 

dismissed or otherwise resolved. Before 

including your address, phone number, 

email address, or other personal 

identifying information in your protest, 

please be aware that your entire protest, 

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. 

Authority: 43 U.S.C. Chap. 3. 

Randy A. Bloom, 

Chief Cadastral Surveyor. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18991 Filed 8–30–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNVC01000.L19200000.ET0000; 

LRORF1709600; MO# 4500124053] 

Public Land Order No. 7873; 

Withdrawal of Public Land for Land 

Management Evaluation Purposes; 

Nevada 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Public Land Order. 

SUMMARY: This order withdraws 

694,838.84 acres of public land in 

Churchill, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, and 

Pershing Counties, Nevada from all 

forms of appropriation under the public 

land laws, including location and entry 

under the United States mining laws, 

and leasing under the mineral and 

geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid 

existing rights, for four years for land 

management evaluation purposes. In 

addition, 68,809.44 acres of Federal 

land in the Dixie Valley area (Churchill 

County, Nevada) are withdrawn from 

leasing under the mineral leasing laws. 

Including the 8,722.47 acres of 

Department of the Navy (DON) lands, 

the total Federal land withdrawn by this 

Public Land Order is 772,370.75 acres. 

Non-Federal lands totaling 66,160.53 

acres are described within the 

withdrawal area. Any current or future 

Federal estate interest in these nonFederal lands are subject to this 

withdrawal. 

DATES: This Public Land Order takes 

effect on August 31, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Colleen Dingman, BLM, Carson City 

District Office, 775–885–6168; address: 

5665 Morgan Mill Rd., Carson City, NV 

89701; email: cjdingman@blm.gov. 

Persons who use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800– 

877–8339 to contact the above 

individual during normal business 

hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a 

day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 

or question with the above individual. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

withdrawal keeps the lands identified 

below from the specified forms of 

appropriation in order to maintain the 

current environmental baseline, relative 

to mineral exploration and development 

for land management evaluation, subject 

to valid existing rights, to allow the 

DON time to complete its environmental 

evaluations under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The 

DON’s environmental evaluations and 

NEPA analysis are for a potential 

legislative withdrawal of these acres of 

land at Naval Air Station Fallon that the 

DON intends to propose to Congress to 

withdraw and reserve for military use. 

Order 

By virtue of the authority vested in 

the Secretary of the Interior by Section 

204 of the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 

1714, it is ordered as follows: 

1. Subject to valid existing rights, the 

following described public lands are hereby 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES