37900 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

[I.D. 071098F]

Receipt and Availability of

Applications for Permits to Allow

Incidental Take of Threatened and

Endangered Species by The Pacific

Lumber Company and its Subsidiaries,

Scotia Pacific Holding Company and

Salmon Creek Corporation, on Lands

in Humboldt County, California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior; National Marine Fisheries

Service, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of receipt and

availability for public comment.

SUMMARY: The Pacific Lumber Company

and its wholly-owned subsidiaries,

Scotia Pacific Holding Company and

Salmon Creek Corporation (collectively,

the Companies), have applied to the

Fish and Wildlife Service and the

National Marine Fisheries Service

(collectively, the Services) for an

incidental take permit from each of the

Services pursuant to section 10(a) of the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (ESA). The federally listed

species for which the Companies have

requested permits are the northern

spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina),

marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus

marmoratus), American peregrine

falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum), bald

eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus),

western snowy plover (Charadrius

alexandrinus nivosus), and coho salmon

(Oncorhynchus kisutch). The

Companies have also requested that 30

currently proposed and other unlisted

species be included on the permits,

should the species be listed in the future

under the ESA. The proposed take

would occur incidental to timber

harvest and other proposed activities on

the Companies lands in Humboldt

County, California. The applications

have been assigned Fish and Wildlife

Service permit number PRT–828950 and

National Marine Fisheries Service

permit number 1157. The Services

announce the availability for public

comment of the permit applications,

including the associated proposed

Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and

proposed Implementation Agreement.

All comments received will become part

of the public record and may be

released. This notice is provided

pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA.

The proposed Plan is, among other

things, also intended to satisfy the

requirements for a Sustained Yield Plan

under California State law and the

requirements for an incidental take

permit under section 2081(b) of the

California Endangered Species Act. The

Services are currently developing, with

the California Department of Forestry

and the California Department of Fish

and Game, a joint Draft Environmental

Impact Statement/Environmental

Impact Report, in accordance with the

National Environmental Policy Act and

California Environmental Quality Act.

The Services plan to release the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement/

Environmental Impact Report in August

and to hold several public hearings on

it in September.

DATES: Written comments on the permit

application, Plan, and Implementation

Agreement must be received on or

before October 13, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the

application, Plan, and Implementation

Agreement should be addressed to Mr.

Bruce Halstead, Fish and Wildlife

Service, 1125 16th Street, Room 209,

Arcata, California 95521–5582. Written

comments may be sent by facsimile to

(707) 822–8411. Please refer to permit

number PRT–828950 and number 1157

when submitting comments. Please see

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for

additional information on the

availability of the Plan and

Implementation Agreement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Bruce Halstead, Fish and Wildlife

Service, (707) 822–7201, or Mr. Craig

Wingert, National Marine Fisheries

Service, (562) 980–4020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Companies own and manage

commercial forest land in northern

California. The Pacific Lumber

Company, and its corporate parent,

signed an agreement on September 28,

1996, with the United States and the

State of California. The agreement

created a framework for the transfer of

approximately 7,500 acres of private

forest lands, including the Headwaters

Forest (approximately 4500 acres) and

the Elk Head Forest (approximately

1125 acres) to State and Federal

ownership. As originally structured, the

Agreement anticipated an exchange of

these lands and timber for Federal and

State assets with a value of $300 million

and a portion of the Elk River Property

to be acquired by the United States for

up to $80 million.

The agreement also called for, among

other things, development and

submission by the Companies, and

processing by the Services, of

applications pursuant to section 10 of

the ESA for incidental take permits,

accompanied by a habitat conservation

plan. Under terms of the agreement, the

Companies were to develop a multispecies habitat conservation plan for

lands currently within their ownership,

as well as certain other lands which

would be acquired by the Companies

under the framework envisioned by the

agreement.

On November 14, 1997, Congress

enacted PL 105–83. In that legislation,

Congress appropriated monies to satisfy

the federal funding obligations for land

acquisitions anticipated in the

September 1996 agreement. The

authorization for the expenditure of

these funds expires March 1, 1999, and

is effective only when, among other

things, an incidental take permit is

issued covering the Pacific Lumber

property.

On February 27, 1998, the parties to

the September 1996 agreement signed a

‘‘Pre-Permit Application Agreement in

Principle,’’ setting forth principles to

guide the Companies in developing the

Plan prior to its submission to and

evaluation by the Services in

accordance with the ESA and the

National Environmental Policy Act.

Under section 9 of the ESA and its

implementing regulations, A ‘‘taking’’ of

threatened and endangered species is

prohibited. However, the Services,

under limited circumstances, may issue

permits to take threatened or

endangered wildlife species if such

taking is incidental to, and not the

purpose of, otherwise lawful activities.

Regulations governing permits for

threatened and endangered species are

codified in 50 CFR 17.22, 17.32, 222.22,

and 222.24–28.

In the Plan, the Companies address

species conservation and ecosystem

management on approximately 211,700

acres of land, primarily in the coastal

redwood zone of Humboldt County,

California, currently owned by the

Companies or to be acquired as part of

the Headwaters transaction, and also

any additional lands within one mile of

the boundaries of these lands, no more

than 25,000 acres of which may be

covered by the permit. Most of the

Companies currently-owned lands occur

in a largely contiguous block. The
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices 37901

duration of the proposed permit and

Plan is 50 years.

The proposed Plan addresses 36

species for which the Companies seek

coverage under section 10 of the ESA.

The Plan focuses on six species due to

their listing status, occurrence on the

property, and likelihood to be affected

by activities proposed by the

Companies. The six focus species are

identified here.

The proposed permit and Plan would

authorize take of northern spotted owls

associated with management activities

in northern spotted owl habitat on the

Companies lands. There are currently

more than 140 northern spotted owl

sites on the Companies’ lands within

the planning area, and approximately 70

owl sites within one mile of the

Companies’ ownership. The Plan would

allow incidental take of northern

spotted owls consistent with providing

adequate nesting, roosting, and foraging

habitat necessary to maintain a viable

breeding owl population on the

Companies’ lands throughout the permit

period.

The proposed permit and Plan would

also authorize take associated with

management activities within marbled

murrelet habitat and establish a system

of Marbled Murrelet Conservation Areas

designed to protect most of the highest

quality old-growth redwood forest

murrelet habitat on the property.

Coho salmon, chinook salmon

(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), cutthroat

trout (Oncorhynchus clarki), and

steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are

the other focus species. In addressing

conservation needs of these species for

properly functioning aquatic conditions,

the proposed Plan includes a riparian

buffer strategy, a road strategy, stream

monitoring, and a hillslope/erosion

control strategy. Under the Plan, the

Companies may, at their option,

conduct subsequent watershed analysis

to tailor mitigation prescriptions to site

specific conditions.

The American peregrine falcon, bald

eagle, and western snowy plover are

included in the permit application to

cover circumstances where these listed

species may occur on the property and

at some point be affected by the

Companies’ proposed covered activities.

Other currently unlisted species also

addressed in the Plan and proposed for

inclusion on the permit are the foothill

yellow-legged frog (Rana boylei), redlegged frog (Rana aurora), southern

torrent salamander (Rhyacotriton

variegatus), tailed frog (Ascaphus truei),

northwestern pond turtle (Clemmys

marmorata marmorata), bank swallow

(Riparia riparia), double-crested

cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), great

blue heron (Ardea herodias), great egret

(Casmerodius albus), snowy egret

(Egretta thula), black-crowned night

heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), sharpshinned hawk (Accipiter striatus),

Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperi),

northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis),

ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis), osprey

(Pandion haliaetus), yellow warbler

(Dendroica petechia), yellow-breasted

chat (Icteria virens), burrowing owl

(Speotyto cunicularia), golden eagle

(Aquila chrysaetos), pileated

woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus),

purple martin (Progne subis), Vaux’s

swift (Chaetura vauxi), California red

tree vole (Arborimus pomo), Humboldt

martin (Martes americana

humboldtensis), Pacific fisher (Martes

pennanti pacificia), and the Pacific

lamprey (Lampetra tridentata).

Information supporting inclusion of the

Pacific lamprey on the permit is limited.

The National Marine Fisheries Service

will consider all information available

at the close of the comment period to

determine whether permit coverage can

be provided for the Pacific lamprey.

The Services invite the public to

comment on the proposed Habitat

Conservation Plan and the draft

Implementing Agreement. Public Law

105–83 specifies a deadline of March 1,

1999, for completion of the entire

process of purchasing the Headwaters.

In order to meet that deadline, the

Services anticipate that they will not be

able to extend the public comment

period.

Additional Addresses

Copies of the multi-volume plan and

Implementing Agreement containing

over 1000 pages, or portions thereof, can

be obtained at the following copy

centers for duplication and mailing

charges: Sir Speedy, 601 North Market

Boulevard, 350, Sacramento, California

95834, (916) 927–7171; Kinko’s, 2021

Fifth Street, Eureka, California 95501,

(707) 445–3334; Kinko’s, Stanyan Street

and Geary Boulevard, San Francisco,

California 94118, (415) 750–1193; and

Kinko’s, 835 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite

100, Los Angeles, California 90017,

(213) 892–1700. The Implementation

Agreement and major portions of the

plan that could be practicably

reproduced electronically will be

available at The California

Environmental Resources Evaluation

System website at http://

www.ceres.ca.gov/ and through the Fish

and Wildlife Service website at http://

www.r1.fws.gov/text/species.html.

Copies of the Implementing Agreement

and those portions of the plan that can

be electronically reproduced will be

available on compact disc which, along

with paper copies of a detailed

summary, can be obtained by contacting

the Fish and Wildlife Service, 1125 16th

Street, Room 209, Arcata, California

95521–5582, (707) 822–7201.

The documents are also available for

review at the following government

offices and libraries.

Government Offices

California Department of Forestry and

Fire Protection, Humboldt-Del Norte

Ranger Unit, 118 South Fortuna

Boulevard, Fortuna, California 95540,

(707) 725–4413; California Department

of Forestry and Fire Protection, CoastCascade Region Headquarters, 135

Ridgeway Avenue, P.O. Box 670, Santa

Rosa, California 95401, (707) 576–2959;

California Department of Forestry and

Fire Protection, State Headquarters,

1416 Ninth Street, Room 1516–4A,

Sacramento, California 95814, (916)

653–5843; Fish and Wildlife Service,

Coastal California Fish and Wildlife

Office, 1125 16th Street, Room 209,

Arcata, California 95521–5582, (707)

822–7201; Fish and Wildlife Service,

Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office,

3310 El Camino Avenue, Suite 120,

Sacramento, California 95821–6310,

(916) 979–2710; National Marine

Fisheries Service, 777 Sonoma Avenue,

Room 325, Santa Rosa, California

95404–6515, (310) 980–4001; and

California Department of Fish and

Game, 619 Second Street, Eureka,

California 95501, (707) 441–5672.

Libraries

Alameda Free Library, 2264 Santa

Clara Avenue, Alameda, California

94501–4506, (510) 748–4669; Alameda

County Library, 2450 Stevenson

Boulevard, Fremont, California 94538–

2326, (510) 505–7001; Anaheim Public

Library, 500 W. Broadway, Anaheim,

California 92805–3699, (714) 765–1810;

Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge

Street, Berkeley, California 94704–1491,

(510) 644–6100; California State Library,

Information and Reference Center, 914

Capitol Mall, Room 301, Sacramento,

California 95814, (916) 654–0261;

Colusa County Free Library, 738 Market

Street, Colusa, California 95932–2398,

(530) 458–7671; Contra Costa County

Library, 1750 Oak Park Boulevard,

Pleasant Hill, California 94523–4497,

(510) 646–6423; Del Norte County

Library District, 190 Price Mall,

Crescent City, California 95531–4395,

(707) 464–9793; Humboldt County

Library, 1313 Third Street, Eureka,

California 95501–1088, (707) 269–1900;

Humboldt State University Library,

Humboldt State University, Arcata,

California 95521, (707) 826–4939; Lake

County Library, 1425 N. High Street,
37902 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 134 /Tuesday, July 14, 1998 / Notices

Lakeport, California 95453–3800, (707)

263–8816; Long Beach Public Library,

101 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach,

California 90822–1097, (562) 570–6291;

Los Angeles Public Library, 630 W. Fifth

Street, Los Angeles, California 90071–

2097, (213) 228–7515; County of Los

Angeles Public Library, 7400 E. Imperial

Highway, Downey, California 90242–

7011, (562) 940–8462; Marin County

Free Library, 3501 Civic Center Drive,

San Rafael, California 94903–4188, (415)

499–6051; Mendocino County Library,

105 N. Main Street, Ukiah, California

95482–4482, (707) 463–4491; Menlo

Park Public Library, 800 Alma Street,

Menlo Park, California 94025–3460,

(650) 858–3460; Mountain View Public

Library, 585 Franklin Street, Mountain

View, California 94041–1998, (650)

903–6335; National City Public Library,

200 E. 12th Street, National City,

California 91950–3314, (619) 336–4280;

Newport Beach Public Library, 1000

Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach,

California 92660, (714) 717–3800;

Oakland Public Library, 125 14th Street,

Oakland, California 94612–4397, (510)

238–3633; Ontario City Library, 215 E.

C Street, Ontario, California 91764–

4198, (909) 988–8481; Orange Public

Library (under renovation), El Modena

Branch Library (alternative), 380 S.

Hewes, Orange, California 92869, (714)

288–2471; Orange County Public

Library, 1501 E. St. Andrew Place, Santa

Ana, California 92705, (714) 566–3000;

Oxnard Public Library, 251 South A

Street, Oxnard, California 93030–5750,

(805) 385–7500; Palo Alto City Library,

1213 Newell Road, Palo Alto, California

94303–2999, (650) 329–2516; Pasadena

Public Library, 285 E. Walnut Street,

Pasadena, California 91101–1598, (626)

744–4033; Redwood City Public Library,

1044 Middlefield Road, Redwood City,

California 94063–1868, (650) 780–7061;

Sacramento Public Library, 828 I Street,

Sacramento, California 95814–2589,

(916) 264–2770; San Bruno Public

Library, 701 Angus Avenue W., San

Bruno, California 94066–3490, (650)

877–8878; San Francisco Public Library,

100 Larkin Street, San Francisco,

California 94102–4796, (415) 557–4400;

San Jose Public Library, 180 W. San

Carlos Street, San Jose, California

95113–2096, (408) 277–4822; San Mateo

Public Library, 55 W. Third Avenue,

San Mateo, California 94402–1592, (650)

377–4685; San Mateo County Library,

25 Tower Road, San Mateo, California

94402–4000, (650) 312–5258; San Rafael

Public Library, 1100 E Street, San

Rafael, California 94901–1907, (415)

485–3323; Santa Barbara Public Library,

40 E. Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara,

California 93101, (805) 962–7653; Santa

Clara Public Library, 2635 Homestead

Road, Santa Clara, California 95051–

5322, (408) 984–3236; Santa Clara

County Library, 1095 N. Seventh Street,

San Jose, California 95112–4446, (408)

293–2326; Santa Cruz Public Library,

224 Church Street, Santa Cruz,

California 95060–3873, (408) 429–3532;

Santa Monica Public Library, 1343 Sixth

Street, Santa Monica, California 90401–

1610, (310) 458–8608; Shasta County

Library, 1855 Shasta Street, Redding,

California 96001–0460, (530) 225–5769;

Siskiyou County Free Library, 719

Fourth Street, Yreka, California 96097–

3381, (530) 842–8175; Sonoma County

Library, Third and E Streets, Santa Rosa,

California 95404–4400, (707) 545–0831;

South San Francisco Public Library, 840

W. Orange Avenue, South San

Francisco, California 94080–3124, (650)

829–3872; Tehama County Library, 645

Madison Street, Red Bluff, California

96080–3383, (530) 527–0607; Trinity

County Free Library, 211 N. Main Street,

Weaverville, California 96093–1226,

(530) 623–1373; Ventura County Library

Services, 800 S. Victoria Avenue,

Ventura, California 93009, (805) 662–

6756; Central Library, 801 SW. 10th

Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205, (503)

248–5123; Houston Public Library, 500

McKinney Street, Houston, Texas

77002, (713) 247–2222; National

Clearinghouse Library, 624 Ninth Street,

NW, 600, Washington, D.C. 20425, (202)

376–8110; and New York Public

Library, 455 Fifth Avenue, New York,

New York 10016, (212) 340–0849.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531–1544, and 4201–

4245.

Dated: July 6, 1998.

Michael J. Spear,

Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife

Service, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

Dated: July 7, 1998.

David L. Evans,

Deputy Assistant Administrator for Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service, National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

[FR Doc. 98–18845 Filed 7–13–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–F

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

Request for Public Comments on

Proposed Information Collection

Submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget for Review Under the

Paperwork Reduction Act

The proposed collection of

information described belo0w has been

submitted to the Office of Management

and Budget for approval under the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Copies of the

proposed collection of information may

be obtained by contracting the Bureau’s

clearance officer at the phone number

listed below. OMB has up to 60 days to

approve or disapprove the information

collection, but may respond after 30

days; therefore, public comments

should be submitted to OMB within 30

days in order to assure their maximum

consideration. Comments and

suggestions on the proposal should be

made directly to the Desk Officer for the

Interior Department, Office of

Information and Regulatory Affairs,

Office of Management and Budget,

Washington, DC 20503 and to the

Bureau clearance officer, U.S.

Geological Survey, 807 National Center,

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston,

Virginia, 20192, telephone (703) 648–

7313.

Specific public comments are

requested as to:

1. Whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

bureau, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

2. The accuracy of the bureau’s

estimate of the burden of the collection

of information, including the validity of

the methodology and assumptions used;

3. The quality, utility, and clarity of

the information to be collected; and

4. How to minimize the burden of the

collection of information on those who

are to respond, including the use of

appropriate automated, electronic,

mechanical, or other form of

information technology.

Title: User Survey for National

Biological Information Infrastructure.

OMB Approval Number: New

Collection.

Abstract: The U.S. Geological Survey

is leading the cooperative development

of the National Biological Information

Infrastructure (NBII). The NBII is a

distributed electronic federation of

biological data and information which is

available publicly on the Internet/World

Wide Web (http://www.nbii.gov).

Internet users from government

agencies, non-government

organizations, universities, and from the

general public use the NBII to locate and

access data and information on

biological resources and resource issues.

In order to better understand the

requirements of NBII users and to

continue to make improvements to the

NBII system, both in content and in

functionality, a voluntary survey will be

conducted whereby visitors to the NBII

World Wide Web site will have the

opportunity (optional) to provide