45134 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 5, 2018 / Notices 

term ‘‘ESF–4’’ in the Abstract section; 

accordingly, the term ‘‘ESF–4’’ has been 

removed from the Abstract section. The 

purpose of this notice is to notify the 

public that FEMA will submit the 

information collection abstracted below 

to the Office of Management and Budget 

for review and clearance. 

Collection of Information 

Title: National Catastrophic Resource 

Catalog. 

Type of Information Collection: New 

information collection. 

OMB Number: 1660–NEW. 

Form Titles and Numbers: FEMA 

Form 035–0–1, National Catastrophic 

Resource Catalog. 

Abstract: This information collection 

will help USFA meet the firefighting 

resource requirements before/during a 

national catastrophic disaster response, 

such as an earthquake, hurricane, or 

terroristic act. USFA will pre-identify 

those specialized resources that may be 

available to support a disaster response. 

This collection will be solicited from 

the nation’s fire and emergency services 

on a voluntary basis to establish a 

catalog/database of potential resources 

that could be mobilized to support a 

national catastrophic disaster response. 

Affected Public: Not-for-profit 

institutions; State, Local or Tribal 

Governments. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

3,947. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 

3,947. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 439. 

Estimated Total Annual Respondent 

Cost: $23,728.94. 

Estimated Respondents’ Operation 

and Maintenance Costs: $0. 

Estimated Respondents’ Capital and 

Start-Up Costs: $0. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to the 

Federal Government: $85,824.49. 

Comments 

Comments may be submitted as 

indicated in the ADDRESSES caption 

above. Comments are solicited to (a) 

evaluate whether the proposed data 

collection is necessary for the proper 

performance of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) evaluate the 

accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed collection of 

information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(c) enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) minimize the burden 

of the collection of information on those 

who are to respond, including through 

the use of appropriate automated, 

electronic, mechanical, or other 

technological collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

Rachel Frier, 

Records Management Branch Chief, Office 

of the Chief Administrative Officer, Mission 

Support, Federal Emergency Management 

Agency, Department of Homeland Security. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19143 Filed 9–4–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–45–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–ES–2018–N059; 

FXES1114080000–189–FF08ECAR00] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Coachella Valley 

Association of Governments Incidental 

Take Permit Application for Casey’s 

June Beetle and Proposed Low-Effect 

Habitat Conservation Plan; City of 

Palm Springs, Riverside County, 

California 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), have received 

an application from the Coachella 

Valley Association of Governments 

(applicant) for a 30-year incidental take 

permit (permit) under the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). 

The application addresses the potential 

for ‘‘take’’ of the federally endangered 

Casey’s June beetle that is likely to 

occur incidental to the construction, 

maintenance, and use of a portion of the 

CV Link, which is a multi-modal 

pathway to be built in the City of Palm 

Springs, Riverside 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 October 

5, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: 

Document availability: You may 

download a copy of the habitat 

conservation plan, draft environmental 

action statement and low-effect 

screening form, and related documents 

from the internet at https://

www.fws.gov/carlsbad/HCPs/HCP_

Docs.html, or you may request copies of 

the documents by U.S. mail from our 

Palm Springs office at the address below 

or by phone (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). 

Comment submission: Please address 

written comments to Kennon A. Corey, 

Assistant Field Supervisor, Palm 

Springs Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, 777 East 

Tahquitz Canyon Way, Suite 208, Palm 

Springs, CA 92262. You may 

alternatively send comments via 

electronic mail to fw8psfwocomments@

fws.gov or by facsimile to (760) 322– 

4648. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jenness McBride, Supervisory Fish and 

Wildlife Biologist, (760) 322–2070. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have 

received an application from the 

Coachella Valley Association of 

Governments for a 30-year incidental 

take permit under the ESA. The 

application addresses the potential for 

‘‘take’’ of the federally endangered 

Casey’s June beetle (Dinacoma caseyi) 

likely to occur incidental to the 

construction, maintenance, and use of a 

portion of the proposed CV Link multimodal pathway in the City of Palm 

Springs, Riverside County, California. 

We invite comments from the public on 

the application package, which includes 

a low-effect habitat conservation plan 

(HCP). We have preliminarily 

determined that this proposed action is 

eligible for a categorical exclusion under 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.). The basis for this 

determination is discussed in our draft 

environmental action statement and 

associated low-effect screening form, 

which are also available for public 

review. 

Background 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service) added the Casey’s June beetle 

to the List of Endangered and 

Threatened Wildlife as endangered on 

September 22, 2011 (76 FR 58954). 

Section 9 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.) and its implementing regulations 

in title 50 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) prohibit the take of 

fish or wildlife species listed as 

endangered or threatened. ‘‘Take’’ is 

defined under the ESA 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 ESA, we may issue 

permits to authorize incidental take of 

listed species. ‘‘Incidental taking’’ is 

defined under the ESA implementing 

regulations as taking that is incidental 

to, and not the purpose of, carrying out 

an otherwise lawful activity (50 CFR 

17.3). Regulations governing incidental 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 5, 2018 / Notices 45135 

take permits for endangered and 

threatened species are provided at 50 

CFR 17.22 and 17.32, respectively. 

In addition to meeting the issuance 

criteria under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 

ESA, actions undertaken through 

implementation of the HCP must not 

jeopardize the continued existence of 

federally listed animal or plant species 

(16 U.S.C. 1536). If the permit is issued, 

the permittee will receive assurances 

under our ‘‘No Surprises’’ regulations 

(50 CFR 17.22(b)(5) and 17.32(b)(5)). 

Applicant’s Proposal 

The Coachella Valley Association of 

Governments (applicant) has submitted 

a low-effect HCP in support of its 

application for an incidental take permit 

to address take of the Casey’s June 

beetle that is likely to occur as the result 

of direct impacts to approximately 1.78 

acres of fragmented habitat occupied by 

the species. Take would be associated 

with the development of an 

approximately 2-mile portion of the CV 

Link, which is a 49-mile-long, paved, 

multi-modal pathway to be built 

through the Coachella Valley. 

Construction of the pathway will 

increase recreational opportunities for 

cyclists and pedestrians and provide an 

alternative transportation corridor for 

low-speed, neighborhood electric 

vehicles. This portion of the CV Link 

would involve widening and repaving 

existing sidewalks and paths adjacent to 

patches of habitat occupied by Casey’s 

June beetle in Demuth Park and the 

nearby Tahquitz Creek Golf Course in 

the City of Palm Springs. The applicant 

is requesting a permit for take of Casey’s 

June beetle that would result from 

activities covered under the HCP related 

to the CV Link pathway in this area. 

The applicant’s conservation strategy, 

in part, proposes to mitigate the impacts 

to Casey’s June beetle by dedicating a 

conservation easement on 

approximately 10.38 acres at the 

Tahquitz Creek Golf Course that would 

be restored from golf course landscaping 

to native habitat suitable for Casey’s 

June beetle. A 30-year permit is 

requested to authorize take that would 

occur incidental to construction, 

maintenance, and use of this portion of 

the CV Link pathway as well as to cover 

potential short-term impacts within the 

conservation easement area as a result of 

habitat enhancement, restoration, and 

creation activities. 

The applicant proposes to avoid, 

minimize, and mitigate impacts to the 

Casey’s June beetle associated with the 

covered activities by fully implementing 

the HCP. The following measures would 

be implemented: 

(1) No construction would occur 

during the Casey’s June beetle flight 

season (March 1 to May 31); 

(2) lighting fixtures would be turned 

off or non-insect-attracting lights would 

be used during the flight season; 

(3) no electronic ‘‘bug zappers’’ would 

be used; 

(4) up to five educational kiosks 

would be installed along the pathway; 

(5) approximately 10.38 acres of 

contiguous and nearby mitigation sites 

pre-selected by the Service, in or 

adjacent to Palm Canyon Wash at the 

Tahquitz Creek Golf Course, would be 

preserved under conservation easement 

and managed to enhance, restore, and 

create Casey’s June beetle habitat; 

(6) mitigation sites would be 

dedicated to future translocation of 

Casey’s June beetles from other 

development sites or release of Casey’s 

June beetles from a future Service 

program for controlled propagation of 

Casey’s June beetles; and 

(7) mitigation sites would be 

monitored and managed by a qualified 

land management organization 

approved by the Service. 

The Coachella Valley Association of 

Governments would fund acquisition 

and initial restoration of the mitigation 

sites from its Active Transportation 

Program and would fund a non-wasting 

endowment in the amount of $160,075 

for the long-term management of the 

mitigation sites. 

In the proposed HCP, the applicant 

considers a ‘‘No Project’’ alternative to 

the proposed action. Under the ‘‘No 

Project’’ alternative, a permit for the 

incidental take of Casey’s June beetle 

would not be issued for the CV Link 

project and the proposed conservation 

strategy and subsequent habitat 

restoration would not occur to assist 

recovery actions for Casey’s June beetle. 

The ‘‘No Project’’ alternative would not 

result in upgrading existing sidewalks 

and paths to CV Link standards at 

Demuth Park and Tahquitz Creek Golf 

Course and would not result in 

conservation for Casey’s June beetle; 

therefore, the applicant did not propose 

to utilize the ‘‘No Project’’ alternative. 

Our Preliminary Determination 

The Service has made a preliminary 

determination that approval of the HCP 

and issuance of an incidental take 

permit qualify for categorical exclusion 

under NEPA, as provided by the 

Department of the Interior 

implementing regulations in 43 CFR 

46.205, 46.210, and 46.215, and that the 

HCP qualifies as a ‘‘low-effect’’ plan as 

defined by the Revised Habitat 

Conservation Planning Handbook 

(December 2016). 

We base our determination that a HCP 

qualifies as a low-effect plan on the 

following three criteria: (1) 

Implementation of the HCP would result 

in minor or negligible effects on 

federally listed, proposed, and/or 

candidate species and their habitats; (2) 

implementation of the HCP would result 

in minor or negligible effects on other 

environmental values or resources; and 

(3) impacts of the HCP, considered 

together with those of other past, 

present, and reasonably foreseeable 

similarly situated projects, would not 

result, over time, in cumulative effects 

to environmental values or resources 

that would be considered significant. 

However, based upon our review of 

public comments that we receive in 

response to this notice, this preliminary 

determination may be revised. 

Next Steps 

We will evaluate the proposed HCP 

and comments we receive to determine 

whether the permit application meets 

the requirements and issuance criteria 

under section 10(a) of the ESA. We will 

also evaluate whether issuance of a 

section 10(a)(1)(B) permit would comply 

with section 7(a)(2) of the ESA by 

conducting an intra-Service 

consultation. We will use the results of 

this consultation, in combination with 

the above findings, in our final analysis 

to determine whether or not to issue a 

permit. If the requirements and issuance 

criteria under section 10(a)(1)(B) are 

met, we will issue the permit to the 

applicant for incidental take of Casey’s 

June beetle. 

Public Comments 

If you wish to comment on the permit 

application, proposed HCP, and 

associated documents, you may submit 

comments by any of the methods noted 

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. 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
45136 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 5, 2018 / Notices 

Authority 

We provide this notice under section 

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

and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

G. Mendel Stewart, 

Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife 

Office, Carlsbad, California. 

[FR Doc. 2018–19187 Filed 9–4–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R3–ES–2018–N062; 

FXES11140300000 FF03E00000] 

Habitat Conservation Plan for 

Mitchell’s Satyr and Poweshiek 

Skipperling Butterflies; Categorical 

Exclusion for Indiana and Michigan 

Habitat Restoration and Management 

Activities 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), have received 

applications from the Michigan 

Department of Natural Resources 

(MDNR) and the Indiana Department of 

Natural Resources (IDNR) for incidental 

take permits (ITP) under the Endangered 

Species Act. If approved, the permits 

would authorize the incidental take of 

two federally endangered butterflies, the 

Mitchell’s satyr and the Poweshiek 

skipperling. The MDNR is applying for 

an ITP for take of the Mitchell’s satyr 

and Poweshiek skipperling, while the 

IDNR is applying for an ITP for the 

Mitchell’s satyr only. The ITP 

applications include one habitat 

conservation plan to cover activities 

associated with maintaining, managing, 

and restoring the fen habitats occupied 

by these species. We have made a 

preliminary determination that the HCP 

and permit applications are eligible for 

categorical exclusion under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA). We are accepting comments on 

the applicants’ draft HCP, and our loweffect screening form and environmental 

action statement. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments on or 

before October 5, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Document Availability: 

• Internet: You may obtain copies of 

the documents on the internet at https:// 

www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/ 

permits/hcp/r3hcps.html. 

• U.S. Mail: You can obtain the 

documents by mail from the Michigan 

Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

• In-Person: To view hard copies of 

the documents in person, go to the 

Ecological Services Office (8 a.m. to 4 

p.m.) listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Comment submission: In your 

comment, please specify whether your 

comment addresses the draft HCP, EAS, 

or any combination of the 

aforementioned documents, or other 

supporting documents. You may submit 

written comments by one of the 

following methods: 

• Electronically: Submit by email to 

EastLansing@fws.gov. 

• By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail 

or hand-delivery to U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service; Michigan Ecological 

Services Field Office, 2651 Coolidge 

Rd., Ste. 101, East Lansing, Michigan 

48823. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Carrie Tansy, Michigan Ecological 

Services Field Office, 2651 Coolidge 

Rd., Ste. 101, East Lansing, Michigan 

48823; telephone (517–351–8375), or by 

facsimile (517–351–1443). If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD), please call the Federal 

Information Relay Service at 800–877– 

8339. If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf (TDD), please call the 

Federal Information Relay Service at 

800–877– 8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have 

received applications from the Michigan 

Department of Natural Resources 

(MDNR) and the Indiana Department of 

Natural Resources (IDNR) for 20-year 

incidental take permits (ITP) under the 

ESA. The MDNR is applying for an ITP 

for take of the endangered Mitchell’s 

satyr (Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii) 

and Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma 

poweshiek) butterflies. The State of 

Indiana is applying for an ITP for the 

Mitchell’s satyr only. The applications 

address the potential for ‘‘take’’ of the 

federally endangered butterflies that is 

likely to occur incidental to the 

implementation of habitat management 

activities designed to benefit the 

species. We are requesting comments on 

the proposed HCP and our preliminary 

determination that the plan qualifies as 

eligible for a categorical exclusion under 

the National Environmental Policy Act. 

Background 

We listed the Mitchell’s satyr as 

endangered on June 25, 1991 (56 FR 

28825), and the Poweshiek skipperling 

as endangered on October 24, 2014 (79 

FR 63672). Section 9 of the ESA 

prohibits the ‘‘taking’’ of endangered 

species. However, provided certain 

criteria are met, we are authorized to 

issue permits under section 10(a)(1)(B) 

of the ESA for take of federally listed 

species, when, among other things, such 

a taking is incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. 

Under the ESA, the term ‘‘take’’ means 

to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, 

wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect 

endangered and threatened species, or 

to attempt to engage in any such 

conduct. Our implementing regulations 

define ‘‘harm’’ as 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). 

Harass, as defined, means ‘‘an 

intentional or negligent act or omission 

which creates the likelihood of injury to 

wildlife by annoying it 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). However, 

under specified circumstances, the 

Service may issue permits that allow the 

take of federally listed species, provided 

that the take that occurs is incidental to, 

but not the purpose of, an otherwise 

lawful activity. 

Regulations governing permits for 

endangered and threatened species are 

at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32, respectively. 

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

provisions for issuing such incidental 

take permits to non-Federal entities for 

the take of endangered and threatened 

species, 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 develop a 

proposed HCP and ensure that adequate 

funding for the HCP 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 HCP. 

In addition to meeting other specific 

criteria, actions undertaken through 

implementation of the Habitat 

Conservation Plan (HCP) must not 

jeopardize the continued existence of 

federally listed animal or plant species. 

Applicants’ Proposal 

The MDNR and IDNR (hereafter, the 

applicants) have submitted an HCP in 

support of their applications for ITPs to 

address take of the Mitchell’s satyr and 

Poweshiek skipperling. Covered 

activities include actions necessary to 

maintain, manage, and restore fen 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES