Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 249 / Friday, December 29, 2023 / Notices 90195 

DATES: The TMAC will meet on 

Tuesday, February 27, 2024, and 

Wednesday, February 28, 2024, from 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard time 

(EST). Please note that the meeting will 

close early if the TMAC has completed 

its business. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held inperson at 400 C Street SW, Washington, 

DC 20472 and virtually using the 

following Microsoft Teams Video 

Communications link (Tuesday Link: 

https://tinyurl.com/y2wt72by; 

Wednesday Link: https://tinyurl.com/ 

r58zen9e). Members of the public who 

wish to attend the in-person or virtual 

meeting must register in advance by 

sending an email to FEMA-TMAC@

fema.dhs.gov (Attn: Brian Koper) by 5 

p.m. EST on Friday, February 23, 2024. 

To facilitate public participation, 

members of the public are invited to 

provide written comments on the issues 

to be considered by the TMAC, as listed 

in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

caption below. Associated meeting 

materials will be available upon request 

after Wednesday, February 21, 2024. To 

receive a copy of any relevant materials, 

please send the request to: FEMATMAC@fema.dhs.gov (Attn: Brian 

Koper). Written comments to be 

considered by the committee at the time 

of the meeting must be submitted and 

received by Thursday, February 22, 

2024, 5 p.m. EST identified by Docket 

ID FEMA–2014–0022, and submitted by 

the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Email: Address the email to FEMATMAC@fema.dhs.gov. Include the 

docket number in the subject line of the 

message. Include name and contact 

information in the body of the email. 

Instructions: All submissions received 

must include the words ‘‘Federal 

Emergency Management Agency’’ and 

the docket number for this action. 

Comments received will be posted 

without alteration at http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. You 

may wish to review the Privacy and 

Security Notice via a link on the 

homepage of http://

www.regulations.gov. 

Docket: For docket access to read 

background documents or comments 

received by the TMAC, go to http://

www.regulations.gov and search for the 

Docket ID FEMA–2014–0022. 

A public comment period will be held 

on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, from 

3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST and Wednesday, 

February 28, 2024, from 12 p.m. to 12:30 

p.m. EST. The public comment period 

will not exceed 30 minutes. Please note 

that the public comment period may 

end before the time indicated, following 

the last call for comments. Contact the 

individual listed below to register as a 

speaker by Monday, February 26, 2024, 

5 p.m. EST. Please be prepared to 

submit a written version of your public 

comment. 

FEMA is committed to ensuring all 

participants have equal access 

regardless of disability status. If you 

require reasonable accommodation to 

fully participate due to a disability, 

please contact the individual listed in 

the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

caption as soon as possible. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Brian Koper, Designated Federal Officer 

for the TMAC, FEMA, 400 C Street SW, 

Washington, DC 20472, telephone 202– 

646–3085, and email brian.koper@

fema.dhs.gov. The TMAC website is: 

https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps/ 

guidance-partners/technical-mappingadvisory-council. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of 

this meeting is given under the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act, Pub. L. 117– 

286, 5 U.S.C. ch. 10. 

In accordance with the Biggert-Waters 

Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012, the 

TMAC makes recommendations to the 

FEMA Administrator on: (1) how to 

improve, in a cost-effective manner, the 

(a) accuracy, general quality, ease of use, 

and distribution and dissemination of 

flood insurance rate maps and risk data; 

and (b) performance metrics and 

milestones required to effectively and 

efficiently map flood risk areas in the 

United States; (2) mapping standards 

and guidelines for (a) flood insurance 

rate maps, and (b) data accuracy, data 

quality, data currency, and data 

eligibility; (3) how to maintain, on an 

ongoing basis, flood insurance rate maps 

and flood risk identification; (4) 

procedures for delegating mapping 

activities to State and local mapping 

partners; and (5) (a) methods for 

improving interagency and 

intergovernmental coordination on 

flood mapping and flood risk 

determination, and (b) a funding 

strategy to leverage and coordinate 

budgets and expenditures across Federal 

agencies. Furthermore, the TMAC is 

required to submit an annual report to 

the FEMA Administrator that contains: 

(1) a description of the activities of the 

Council; (2) an evaluation of the status 

and performance of flood insurance rate 

maps and mapping activities to revise 

and update Flood Insurance Rate Maps; 

and (3) a summary of recommendations 

made by the Council to the FEMA 

Administrator. 

Agenda: The purpose of this meeting 

is for the TMAC members to discuss and 

vote on the content of the 2023 TMAC 

Annual Report. Any related materials 

will be available upon request prior to 

the meeting to provide the public with 

an opportunity to review the materials. 

The full agenda and related meeting 

materials will be available upon request 

by Wednesday, February 21, 2024. To 

receive a copy of any relevant materials, 

please send the request to: FEMATMAC@fema.dhs.gov (Attn: Brian 

Koper). 

Nicholas A. Shufro, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Risk 

Analysis, Planning & Information Directorate, 

Resilience, Federal Emergency Management 

Agency. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28748 Filed 12–28–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–12–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–ES–2023–0191; 

FXES11140800000–234–FF08ESMF00] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Draft Habitat Conservation 

Plan and Draft Environmental 

Assessment; Sacramento Municipal 

Utility District Operations, 

Maintenance, and New Construction 

Habitat Conservation Plan, 

Sacramento County, CA 

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 Sacramento 

Municipal Utility District (applicant) for 

an incidental take permit (permit) under 

the Endangered Species Act and an 

accompanying draft habitat 

conservation plan (plan). We also 

announce the availability of a draft 

environmental assessment pursuant to 

the National Environmental Policy Act. 

We request public comment on the 

application, which includes the 

applicant’s proposed plan, and the 

Service’s draft environmental 

assessment. We invite comment from 

the public and local, State, Tribal, and 

Federal agencies. 

DATES: We must receive your written 

comments on or before January 29, 

2024. 

ADDRESSES: 

Obtaining Documents: The documents 

this notice announces, as well as any 

comments and other materials that we 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
90196 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 249 / Friday, December 29, 2023 / Notices 

receive, will be available for public 

inspection online in Docket No. FWS– 

R8–ES–2023–0191 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 

any of the following methods: 

• Online: https://

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments 

on Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2023–0191. 

• U.S. mail: Public Comments 

Processing; Attn: Docket No. FWS–R8– 

ES–2023–0191; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service; MS: PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg 

Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ian 

Perkins-Taylor, Fish and Wildlife 

Biologist, ian_perkins-taylor@fws.gov 

(by email), or at the Sacramento Fish 

and Wildlife office (by telephone at 

916–414–6585). 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 

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

announce receipt of an application from 

Sacramento Municipal Utility District 

(SMUD; applicant) for a 30-year Permit 

under the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 

et seq.). In support of the application, 

the applicant prepared a draft habitat 

conservation plan (plan) pursuant to 

section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act. The plan 

includes seven covered species that are 

all federally listed as threatened or 

endangered under the Act. These 

species comprise five animals and two 

plants: California tiger salamander 

(Ambystoma californiense) Central 

California distinct population segment; 

giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas); 

valley elderberry longhorn beetle 

(Desmocerus californicus dimorphus); 

vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta 

lynchi); vernal pool tadpole shrimp 

(Lepidurus packardi); Sacramento 

Orcutt grass (Orcuttia viscida); and 

slender Orcutt grass (Orcuttia tenuis). 

The plan also includes a conservation 

strategy to avoid, minimize, and 

mitigate for covered activities. The 

applicant requests the permit for 

incidental take of the five covered 

animal species incidental to the 

applicant’s ongoing operations and 

maintenance activities for the 

applicant’s energy infrastructure in 

Sacramento County and surrounding 

areas, as well as new construction 

activities associated with providing 

energy to its users in Sacramento 

County, California. 

Background 

Section 9 of the Act prohibits ‘‘take’’ 

of fish and wildlife species listed as 

endangered (16 U.S.C. 1538), where take 

is defined 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). Under 

section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 

1539(a)(1)(B)), we may issue permits to 

authorize take of listed fish and wildlife 

species that is incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, carrying out an otherwise 

lawful activity. Regulations governing 

incidental take permits for endangered 

and threatened species are in the Code 

of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 

17.22 and 17.32, respectively. Issuance 

of a permit also must not jeopardize the 

existence of federally listed fish, 

wildlife, or plant species. The permittee 

would receive assurances under our 

‘‘No Surprises’’ regulations (50 CFR 

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

Applicant’s Proposed Activities 

As described in the applicant’s draft 

plan, the applicant is proposing to 

conduct various activities necessary for 

the ongoing operations and maintenance 

of the applicant’s energy infrastructure 

in Sacramento County and surrounding 

areas, as well as some construction of 

new energy infrastructure to replace or 

supplement the existing infrastructure. 

All seven covered species have known 

occurrences and suitable habitat present 

within or near the locations where these 

activities would occur. Therefore, take 

of the five covered animal species and 

adverse effects to the two covered plant 

species could occur in association with 

the proposed activities. The plan 

includes a conservation strategy to 

avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts 

to covered species from the proposed 

activities. Avoidance and minimization 

measures for the covered species will 

reduce the impacts to covered species, 

and the applicant will mitigate for the 

remaining unavoidable impacts. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Compliance 

The draft environmental assessment 

was prepared to analyze the impacts of 

issuing a permit based on the plan and 

to inform the public of the proposed 

action, alternatives, and associated 

impacts and disclose any irreversible 

commitments of resources. The 

proposed permit issuance triggers the 

need for compliance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act. The 

proposed action presented in the draft 

environmental assessment is compared 

to the no-action alternative. The noaction alternative represents estimated 

future conditions to which the proposed 

action’s estimated future conditions can 

be compared. The Service also 

considered eight other alternatives, but 

these were eliminated from further 

consideration because they did not meet 

the purpose and need of the proposed 

action or the applicant’s objectives. 

Next Steps 

The Service will evaluate the 

application and the comments received 

to determine whether to issue the 

requested permit. We will also conduct 

an intra-Service consultation pursuant 

to section 7 of the Act 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 Act have been met. If 

met, the Service will issue the permit. 

Public Availability of Comments 

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 

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 

17.22 and 17.32) and the National 

Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.) and its implementing 

regulations (40 CFR 1500–1508) and the 

Department of the Interior’s National 

Environmental Policy Act regulations 

(43 CFR 46). 

Michael Fris, 

Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and 

Wildlife Office, Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28719 Filed 12–28–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 


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