Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 35 / Monday, February 23, 2015 / Notices 9475 

Permit No. TE–56489B 

Applicant: Jonathan T. Koehler, Napa, 

California 

The applicant requests a permit to 

take (live-capture, handle, remove/

relocate, and release) the California 

freshwater shrimp (Syncaris pacifica) in 

conjunction with survey, population 

monitoring, and restoration activities in 

Napa County, California, for the purpose 

of enhancing the species’ survival. 

Permit No. TE–15544A 

Applicant: Christine L. Beck, San Diego, 

California 

The applicant requests a permit 

renewal to take (locate and monitor 

nests) the least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii 

pusillus), and take (survey, locate and 

monitor nests, capture, handle, band, 

and release) the California least tern 

(Sternula antillarum browni) (Sterna a. 

browni) in conjunction with surveys and 

population monitoring activities 

throughout the range of the species in 

California for the purpose of enhancing 

the species’ survival. 

Permit No. TE–824123 

Applicant: SWCA Environmental 

Consultants, San Luis Obispo, California 

The applicant requests a permit 

renewal to take (locate, handle, remove/ 

relocate, and release) the Morro 

shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta 

walkeriana) in conjunction with survey 

and habitat enhancement activities, and 

a permit amendment to take (survey, 

capture, handle, and release) the giant 

kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ingens), 

Tipton kangaroo rat (Dipodomys 

nitratoides nitratoides), and Fresno 

kangaroo rat (Dipodomys nitratoides 

exilis) in conjunction with survey and 

population monitoring activities 

throughout the range of the species in 

California for the purpose of enhancing 

the species’ survival. 

Permit No. TE–057065B 

Applicant: Steven G. Morris, 

Huntington Beach, California 

The applicant requests a permit to 

take (harass by survey) the southwestern 

willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii 

extimus) in conjunction with survey 

activities throughout the range of the 

species in California for the purpose of 

enhancing the species’ survival. 

Permit No. TE–082233 

Applicant: Marcus C. England, Los 

Angeles, California 

The applicant requests a permit 

amendment to take (harass by survey, 

locate and monitor nests) the 

southwestern willow flycatcher 

(Empidonax traillii extimus), and take 

(locate and monitor nests) the least 

Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) in 

conjunction with surveys and 

population monitoring activities 

throughout the range of the species in 

California for the purpose of enhancing 

the species’ survival. 

Permit No. TE–787037 

Applicant: Marie Simovich, San Diego, 

California 

The applicant requests a permit 

amendment to take (collect cysts, 

juveniles, and adults) the San Diego 

fairy shrimp (Branchinecta 

sandiegonensis) in conjunction with 

voucher collection, species 

identification, and genetic analysis in 

San Diego County, California, for the 

purpose of enhancing the species’ 

survival. 

Public Comments 

We invite public review and comment 

on each of these recovery permit 

applications. Comments and materials 

we receive will be available for public 

inspection, by appointment, during 

normal business hours at the address 

listed in the ADDRESSES section of this 

notice. 

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. 

Michael Long, 

Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest 

Region, Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03600 Filed 2–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R1–ES–2015–N007; 

FXES11120100000–156–FF01E00000] 

Draft Candidate Conservation 

Agreement With Assurances, Receipt 

of Application for an Enhancement of 

Survival Permit for the Greater SageGrouse on Oregon Department of State 

Lands, and Draft Environmental 

Assessment 

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 Oregon 

Department of State Lands (DSL) for an 

enhancement of survival (EOS) permit 

under the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (ESA). The permit 

application includes a draft candidate 

conservation agreement with assurances 

(CCAA) for the greater sage-grouse, 

addressing rangeland management 

activities on Oregon State Trust Lands 

administered by DSL. The Service also 

announces the availability of a draft 

environmental assessment (EA), 

prepared pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA), addressing the proposed CCAA 

and issuance of an EOS permit. We 

invite comments from all interested 

parties on the application, including the 

draft CCAA and the draft EA. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be received from 

interested parties no later than March 

25, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: To request further 

information or submit written 

comments, please use one of the 

following methods, and note that your 

information request or comments are in 

reference to the DSL CCAA. 

• Internet: Documents may be viewed 

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

oregonfwo/. 

• Email: Jeff_Everett@fws.gov. Include 

‘‘DSL CCAA’’ in the subject line of the 

message. 

• U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife 

Office, 2600 SE 98th Ave., Suite 100, 

Portland, OR 97266. 

• Fax: 503–231–6195, Attn: DSL 

CCAA. 

• In-Person Viewing or Pickup: 

Documents will be available for public 

inspection by appointment during 

normal business hours at the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and 

Wildlife Office, 2600 SE 98th Ave., 

Suite 100, Portland, OR. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff 

Everett or Jennifer Siani, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and 

Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES), 

telephone: 503–231–6179. If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf, 

please call the Federal Information 

Relay Service at 800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have 

received an application from DSL for an 

EOS permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) 

the ESA for incidental take of sagegrouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). 

The permit application includes a draft 


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9476 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 35 / Monday, February 23, 2015 / Notices 

CCAA prepared by the Service and the 

DSL to conserve the greater sage-grouse 

and its habitat on Oregon State Trust 

lands administered by DSL. 

Background Information 

Private and other non-Federal 

property owners are encouraged to enter 

into CCAAs, in which they voluntarily 

undertake management activities on 

their properties to enhance, restore, or 

maintain habitat benefiting species that 

are proposed for listing under the ESA, 

candidates for listing, or species that 

may become candidates or proposed for 

listing. Through a CCAA and its 

associated EOS permit, the Service 

provides assurances to property owners 

that they will not be subjected to 

increased land use restrictions if the 

covered species become listed under the 

ESA in the future, provided certain 

conditions are met. 

Application requirements and 

issuance criteria for EOS permits for 

CCAAs are found in the Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22(d) 

and 17.32(d), respectively. See also our 

joint policy on CCAAs, which we 

published in the Federal Register with 

the Department of Commerce’s National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration, National Marine 

Fisheries Service (64 FR 32726; June 17, 

1999). 

On March 23, 2010, the Service 

determined that listing the greater sagegrouse under the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1538) 

was warranted, but precluded by the 

need to address higher priority species 

first. In anticipation of the potential 

listing of sage-grouse under the ESA, the 

DSL requested assistance from the 

Service in developing a sage-grouse 

CCAA for rangeland management 

activities on Oregon State Trust lands. 

Proposed Action 

The Service proposes to approve the 

draft CCAA and to issue an EOS permit, 

both with a term of 30 years, to the DSL 

for incidental take of greater sage-grouse 

caused by covered activities, if permit 

issuance criteria are met. Covered 

activities on DSL lands would include 

sage-grouse conservation, rangeland 

treatments, livestock management, 

recreation, and existing agricultural 

operations. Covered activities may be 

conducted by DSL or their authorized 

agents including lessees of DSL lands. 

The area covered under the proposed 

CCAA is approximately 633,000 acres of 

Oregon State Trust Lands located in 

Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, 

Lake, Malheur, and Union Counties, 

Oregon. The covered lands encompass 

approximately 380,705 acres of lowdensity sage-grouse habitat (or 

preliminary general habitat/PGH) and 

approximately 153,107 acres of core 

area sage-grouse habitat (or preliminary 

priority habitat/PPH). Sage-grouse 

currently use habitats on these lands for 

lekking (communal breeding displays), 

late-brood rearing, and wintering. 

The draft CCAA describes all of the 

threats to sage-grouse that have been 

identified on the covered lands, 

including: Loss and fragmentation of 

sagebrush habitat; large wildfires, as 

well as lack of fire in some areas; 

encroachment of junipers and other 

conifers; improper grazing; invasive 

plants; vegetation treatments that reduce 

or degrade sagebrush habitat; 

degradation of riparian areas; drought, 

as well as catastrophic flooding; 

disturbance from recreation and other 

activities; predation; West Nile virus; 

wild horses and burros; and insecticide 

use. The CCAAs also describe 

conservation measures the DSL would 

implement to address each threat. 

Under the CCAA, the DSL would 

prepare a Sage Grouse Habitat 

Assessment (SGHA), which would serve 

as a site-specific plan, for each land 

parcel under DSL administration. The 

SGHA would include conservation 

measures from the draft CCAA that 

would address all threats occurring on 

that parcel of land. The Service will 

review submitted SGHAs and approve 

them through a letter of concurrence if 

the SGHAs are consistent with the 

CCAA, EOS permit terms and 

conditions, and the CCAA standard. 

Should the sage-grouse become listed, 

take authorization would be effective 

once a minimum of 25 percent of the 

covered lands have completed and 

approved SGHAs. The amount of 

incidental take authorized will be 

proportional to the acres of habitat 

where SGHAs are being properly 

implemented. DSL staff will implement 

many of the conservation measures 

identified in the SGHAs, but measures 

directly related to grazing operations 

may be included as lessee 

responsibilities in their annual 

operating plans. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Compliance 

Approval of a CCAA and issuance of 

an EOS permit are Federal actions that 

trigger the need for compliance with 

NEPA. Pursuant to NEPA, we have 

prepared a draft EA to analyze the 

environmental impacts related to the 

issuance of an EOS permit for sagegrouse and implementation of the 

conservation measures under the 

proposed CCAA. 

The EA analyses two alternatives: The 

proposed action, which is described 

above, and the ‘‘no action’’ alternative. 

Under the no action alternative, the 

Service would not enter into the CCAA 

with DSL, nor issue the EOS permit. 

The Service also considered, but did not 

analyze in detail, two additional 

alternatives. The first of these would 

have required DSL to implement all 

grazing CMs immediately upon 

approval of the CCAA. This alternative 

was rejected, because immediate 

implementation would have to proceed 

prior to having the benefit of the 

completed SGHAs. The second 

additional alternative was a substantial 

reduction in the amount of cattle 

grazing on DSL lands. This alternative 

was rejected because it would be 

contrary to the economic purposes of 

State Trust Lands and could eventually 

lead to lands being used for other 

purposes less compatible with 

conservation of sage-grouse habitat. 

Public Comments 

You may submit your comments and 

materials by one of the methods listed 

in the ADDRESSES section. We request 

data, information, opinions, or 

suggestions from the public, other 

concerned governmental agencies, the 

scientific community, Tribes, industry, 

or any other interested party on our 

proposed permit action. We particularly 

seek comments on the following: (1) 

Biological information and relevant data 

concerning the greater sage-grouse; (2) 

current or planned activities in the 

subject area and their possible impacts 

on the greater sage-grouse; (3) 

identification of any other 

environmental issues that should be 

considered with regard to the proposed 

permit action; and (4) information 

regarding the adequacy of the draft 

CCAA pursuant to the requirements for 

permits at 50 CFR parts 13 and 17. 

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 (PII) in your 

comments, you should be aware that 

your entire comment—including your 

PII—may be made publicly available at 

any time. While you can ask us in your 

comment to withhold your PII from 

public review, we cannot guarantee that 

we will be able to do so. Comments and 

materials we receive, as well as 

supporting documentation we use in 

preparing the EA, will be available for 

public inspection by appointment, 

during normal business hours, at our 

Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (see 

ADDRESSES). 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 35 / Monday, February 23, 2015 / Notices 9477 

Next Steps 

After completion of the EA based on 

consideration of public comments, we 

will determine whether adoption of the 

proposed CCAA warrants a finding of 

no significant impact or whether an 

environmental impact statement should 

be prepared. We will evaluate the 

proposed CCAA as well as any 

comments we receive, to determine 

whether implementation of the 

proposed CCAA would meet the 

requirements for issuance of an EOS 

permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the 

ESA. We will also evaluate whether the 

proposed permit action would comply 

with section 7 of the ESA by conducting 

an intra-Service section 7 consultation. 

We will consider the results of this 

consultation, in combination with the 

above findings, in our final analysis to 

determine whether or not to issue an 

EOS permit to the DSL. We will not 

make our final decision until after the 

end of the 30-day public comment 

period, and we will fully consider all 

comments we receive during the public 

comment period. 

Authority 

We provide this notice in accordance 

with the requirements of section 10 of 

the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and 

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

implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 

and 40 CFR 1506.6, respectively). 

Dated: February 10, 2015. 

Richard Hannan, 

Deputy Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. 

[FR Doc. 2015–03565 Filed 2–20–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R1–ES–2015–N001; 

FXES11120100000F2–156–FF01E00000] 

Draft Environmental Assessment and 

Draft Habitat Conservation Plan for the 

Fender’s Blue Butterfly on Private 

Lands in Yamhill County, Oregon 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), have received 

an application from the Yamhill Soil 

and Water Conservation District (SWCD) 

for an incidental take permit (permit) 

under the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, as amended (ESA). The permit 

application includes a draft Habitat 

Conservation Plan (HCP) addressing 

private land management activities 

within upland prairie in Yamhill 

County, Oregon, that may result in the 

incidental take of the federally 

endangered Fender’s blue butterfly. The 

Service also announces the availability 

of a draft environmental assessment 

(EA) addressing the proposed HCP and 

issuance of a permit that was prepared 

in accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA). We invite comments 

from all interested parties on the permit 

application, including the HCP and the 

EA. 

DATES: Written comments on the HCP 

and the EA must be received from 

interested parties no later than March 

25, 2015. 

ADDRESSES: To request further 

information or submit written 

comments, please use one of the 

following methods, and note that your 

information request or comments are in 

reference to the Yamhill SWCD HCP. 

• Internet: Documents may be viewed 

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

oregonfwo/ToolsForLandowners/

HabitatConservationPlans/. 

• Email: OFWOcomment@fws.gov. 

Include ‘‘Yamhill SWCD HCP’’ in the 

subject line of the message or 

comments. 

• U.S. Mail: State Supervisor, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, 2600 SE 98th 

Ave., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97266. 

• Fax: 503–231–6195, Attn: Yamhill 

SWCD HCP. 

• In-Person Viewing or Pickup: 

Comments and materials received will 

be available for public inspection, by 

appointment, during normal business 

hours at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 2600 SE 98th Ave., Suite 100, 

Portland, OR 97266. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Richard Szlemp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 

503–231–6179; facsimile: 503–231– 

6195. If you use a telecommunications 

device for the deaf, please call the 

Federal Information Relay Service at 

800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

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

et seq.) prohibits the take of fish and 

wildlife species listed as endangered or 

threatened under section 4 of the ESA. 

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 carry out 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). 

Under specified circumstances, the 

Service may issue permits that authorize 

take of federally listed species, provided 

the take 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 prepare a 

conservation plan that, to the maximum 

extent practicable, identifies the steps 

the applicant will take to 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. 

Proposed Action 

The Service proposes to approve the 

HCP and to issue a permit, both with a 

term of 50 years, to the SWCD for 

incidental take of the federally 

endangered Fender’s blue butterfly 

(Icaricia icarioides fenderi) caused by 

covered activities, if permit issuance 

criteria are met. The permit would allow 

the SWCD to issue certificates of 

inclusion to private landowners wanting 

coverage under the HCP for incidental 

take of the Fender’s blue butterfly. 

Private landowners who wish to be 

covered under the permit may apply for 

a certificate of inclusion to the permit 

after signing a cooperative agreement 

with the SWCD. This will allow 

landowners within identified butterfly 

habitat in Yamhill County to continue to 

perform otherwise lawful activities that 

have the potential to impact the 

Fender’s blue butterfly. To compensate 

for take impacts, the SWCD will work 


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