Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 70 / Tuesday, April 14, 2009 / Notices 17213 

monitoring and adaptive management 

measures. 

Rationale for Decision 

We have selected the preferred 

alternative (Alternative B) for 

implementation based on multiple 

environmental and social factors, 

including potential impacts and benefits 

to covered species and their habitat, the 

extent and effectiveness of minimization 

and mitigation measures, and social and 

economic considerations. 

In order for us to be able to issue an 

ITP, we must ascertain that the RHCP 

meets the criteria set forth in 16 U.S.C. 

1539(a)(2)(A) and (B). We have made 

that determination. These criteria, and 

how the RHCP satisfies these criteria, 

are summarized below: 

1. The taking will be incidental. We 

find that the take will be incidental to 

otherwise lawful activities, including 

the proposed road construction, 

maintenance, and improvement 

projects; utility construction and 

maintenance; school development and 

construction; public or private 

construction and development; and land 

clearing. The take of individuals of 

covered species will be primarily due to 

habitat destruction and/or alteration. 

2. The applicant will, to the 

maximum extent practicable, minimize 

and mitigate the impacts of such 

takings. The County has committed to a 

wide variety of conservation measures, 

land acquisition, management activities, 

monitoring, adaptive management, and 

other strategies designed to avoid and 

minimize harm to the covered species 

and mitigate for any unavoidable loss. 

Impacts to the covered species will be 

minimized and mitigated as described 

in the selected alternative section above. 

3. The applicant will develop an HCP 

and ensure that adequate funding for the 

HCP will be provided. The County has 

developed the RHCP and committed to 

fully funding all of the obligations 

necessary for its implementation. These 

obligations include the cost for purchase 

of GCWA, BCVI, Bone Cave harvestman, 

and Coffin Cave mold beetle habitat, 

management of mitigation lands in 

perpetuity, enforcement of conservation 

easements, and monitoring of species 

populations and habitat. In addition, the 

County has committed to adaptive 

management measures that identify 

areas of uncertainty and questions that 

need to be addressed to resolve this 

uncertainty; developed alternative 

management strategies and determine 

which experimental strategies to 

implement; integrate a monitoring 

program that is able to acquire the 

necessary information for effective 

strategy evaluation; and incorporate 

feedback loops that link implementation 

and monitoring to the decision-making 

process that result in appropriate 

changes in management. To accomplish 

RHCP implementation, the County 

estimated that costs could total up to 

$80.8 million. The County will fund the 

actual costs of implementing the RHCP 

by advance funding from participation 

fees, endowment investment income, 

road improvement mitigation funds, and 

tax benefit financing. 

The Service’s No Surprises 

Assurances are discussed in the RHCP, 

and measures to address changed and 

unforeseen circumstances have been 

identified. Adaptive management in the 

form of conservation, mitigation, or 

management measures and monitoring 

will be implemented to address changed 

circumstances over the life of the permit 

that were able to be anticipated at the 

time of RHCP development. Unforeseen 

circumstances would be addressed 

through the Service’s close coordination 

with the County in the implementation 

of the RHCP. The County has committed 

to a coordination process to address 

such circumstances. 

We have, therefore, determined that 

the County’s financial commitment and 

plan, along with the County’s 

willingness to address changed and 

unforeseen circumstances in a 

cooperative fashion, is sufficient to meet 

this criterion. 

4. The taking will not appreciably 

reduce the likelihood of the survival 

and recovery of the species in the wild. 

As the Federal action agency 

considering whether to issue an ITP to 

the County, we have reviewed the 

issuance of the ITP under section 7 of 

the ESA. Our biological opinion 

concluded that issuance of the ITP will 

not jeopardize the continued existence 

of the GCWA, BCVI, Bone Cave 

harvestman, and Coffin Cave mold 

beetle in the wild. No critical habitat 

has been designated for any of the 

covered species in the action area, and 

thus none will be affected. 

5. The applicant agrees to implement 

other measures that the Service requires 

as being necessary or appropriate for the 

purposes of the HCP. We have 

cooperated with the County in the 

development of the RHCP. We 

commented on draft documents, 

participated in advisory group meetings, 

and worked closely with the County in 

every step of plan and document 

preparation, so that conservation of the 

covered species would be assured and 

recovery would not be jeopardized. The 

RHCP incorporates our 

recommendations for minimization and 

mitigation of impacts, as well as steps 

to monitor the effects of the RHCP and 

ensure success. Annual monitoring, as 

well as coordination and reporting 

mechanisms, have been designed to 

ensure that changes in conservation 

measures can be implemented if 

measures prove ineffective or impacts 

exceed estimates. It is our position that 

no additional measures are required to 

implement the intent and purpose of the 

RHCP to those detailed in the RHCP and 

its associated ITP. 

We determine that the preferred 

alternative best balances the protection 

and management of suitable habitat for 

covered species, while allowing and 

providing a streamlined process for ESA 

compliance for continued development 

in the County. Considerations used in 

this decision include: (1) Mitigation will 

benefit GCWA, BCVI, Bone Cave 

harvestman, and Coffin Cave mold 

beetle, managed for the species in 

perpetuity, as well as other conservation 

measures to protect and enhance 

habitat; (2) mitigation measures species 

will fully offset anticipated impacts of 

development to the species and provide 

recovery opportunities; and (3) the 

RHCP is consistent with the GCWA, 

BCVI, Bone Cave harvestman, and 

Coffin Cave mold beetle recovery plans. 

Thomas L. Bauer, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 2. 

[FR Doc. E9–8388 Filed 4–13–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[NV–930–1430–ET; NVN–83210; 9–08807; 

TAS:14x1109] 

Public Land Order No. 7731; 

Withdrawal of Public Lands for Gold 

Point and Ione Townsites; Nevada 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Public Land Order No. 7731, 

Withdrawal of Public Lands for Gold 

Point and Ione Townsites; Nevada. 

SUMMARY: This order withdraws 

approximately 672 acres of public lands 

from location and entry under the 

United States mining laws for a period 

of 5 years to protect historic and 

cultural resources within the Gold Point 

and Ione Townsites pending special 

legislation that would resolve land 

ownership conflicts. 

DATES: Effective Date: April 10, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jacqueline Gratton, Bureau of Land 

Management, Nevada State Office, P.O. 

Box 12000, 1340 Financial Boulevard, 

Reno, Nevada 89520, 775–861–6532. 

17214 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 70 / Tuesday, April 14, 2009 / Notices 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

withdrawal will preserve the historic 

and cultural resources within the towns 

of Gold Point and Ione in aid of 

legislation. 

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 (2000), it is ordered as follows: 

1. Subject to valid existing rights, the 

following described public lands are 

hereby withdrawn from settlement, sale, 

location, or entry under the United 

States mining laws: 

Mount Diablo Meridian 

T. 7 S., R. 411⁄2 E., 

Sec. 3, SE1⁄4NW1⁄4, N1⁄2NE1⁄4SW1⁄4, 

SW1⁄4NE1⁄4SW1⁄4, W1⁄2SW1⁄4, 

W1⁄2SE1⁄4SW1⁄4, SE1⁄4SE1⁄4SW1⁄4, and 

SW1⁄4SW1⁄4SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 10, N1⁄2NW1⁄4NW1⁄4NE1⁄4, 

N1⁄2NE1⁄4NE1⁄4NW1⁄4, NW1⁄4NE1⁄4NW1⁄4, 

and N1⁄2NW1⁄4NW1⁄4. 

The area described contains 230 acres in 

Esmeralda County. 

T. 13 N., R. 39 E., 

Sec. 32, E1⁄2SE1⁄4SE1⁄4; 

Sec. 33, NE1⁄4SE1⁄4 and S1⁄2; 

Sec. 34, lots 9 to 26, inclusive, and 

S1⁄2NW1⁄4. 

The area described contains 442.02 acres in 

Nye County. 

2. The withdrawal made by this order 

does not alter the applicability of those 

public land laws governing the use of 

lands under lease, license, or permit or 

governing the disposal of their mineral 

or vegetative resources other than under 

the mining laws. 

3. This withdrawal will expire 5 years 

from the effective date of this order 

unless, as a result of a review conducted 

before the expiration date pursuant to 

Section 204(f) of the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 

U.S.C. 1714(f) (2000), the Secretary 

determines that the withdrawal shall be 

extended. 

Dated: April 10, 2009. 

Ken Salazar, 

Secretary of the Interior. 

[FR Doc. E9–8604 Filed 4–10–09; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

National Institute of Corrections 

Solicitation for a Cooperative 

Agreement—Evidence Based Strategic 

Planning in Southern California 

AGENCY: National Institute of 

Corrections, Department of Justice. 

ACTION: Solicitation for a cooperative 

agreement. 

SUMMARY: The National Institute of 

Corrections (NIC), Community 

Corrections Division, is seeking 

applications for the development of 

evidence based strategic plans in four 

Southern California County Probation 

Departments. Efforts to develop initial 

plans in county probation departments 

will happen over a 9-month period, and 

will be carried out in conjunction with 

the NIC Community Corrections 

Division. NIC Community Corrections 

staff will direct and participate in the 

planning efforts to ensure consistency 

with other evidence based planning and 

implementation work coordinated 

through NIC. Note that this particular 

Cooperative Agreement is intended to 

cover only the initial strategic planning 

phase for each site, as described below 

in the section entitled SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

DATES: Applications must be received 

by 4 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be 

sent to: Director, National Institute of 

Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 

5007, Washington, DC 20534. 

Applicants are encouraged to use 

Federal Express, UPS, or a similar 

service to ensure delivery by the due 

date, as mail at NIC is sometimes 

delayed due to security screening. 

Applicants who wish to hand-deliver 

their applications should bring them to 

500 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 

20534, and dial 202–307–3106, ext. 0, at 

the front desk for pickup. 

Faxed or e-mailed applications will 

not be accepted. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A 

copy of this announcement and the 

required application forms can be 

downloaded from the NIC Web page at 

http://www.nicic.gov/ 

cooperativeagreements. 

All technical questions concerning 

this announcement should be directed 

to Pam Davison at 202–353–0484 or at 

pdavison@bop.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background: Since 2002, NIC has 

been involved in evidence based 

planning and implementation initiatives 

in several State and local court and 

community corrections agencies. The 

importance of up front organizational 

development work, encompassed within 

the strategic planning process, has been 

critical to those agencies that have 

desired to maintain continuing service 

enhancements over time. 

Strategic Planning: For purposes of 

this Cooperative Agreement, strategic 

planning includes the following 

activities: 1. On site orientation to 

evidence based information pertaining 

to behavior change, recidivism 

reduction, and organizational 

development processes. 2. Up front 

organizational assessment of each 

participating Probation Department, 

related at a minimum to: (a) Readiness 

for change; (b) Knowledge of evidence 

based principles; (c) Leadership 

prowess; (d) Operational and project 

management skills; and (e) Collaborative 

partnerships. 3. Inventory of risk tools, 

performance evaluation processes and 

data reports. 4. Investigation of each 

agency’s access to data and capability 

for reporting and data analysis. 5. 

Establishment of a planning process and 

documentation framework. 6. Creation 

of adjunct sub-plans as needed that roll 

up to the umbrella plan; such as plans 

specifically aimed at data and outcomes, 

communication, and quality assurance. 

Physical Documentation: Simple 

matrix planning formats and GANTT 

charts with annotations are preferred. 

Scope of Work/Products: At the end of 

the nine-month period, each of the 

participating county probation 

departments should have established a 

strategic planning process that can be 

engaged to support the continuing 

progress of evidence based 

implementation. Tangible products of 

the awardee’s involvement with the 

county and with NIC should at a 

minimum include: (a) Gap analysis 

results for the organization, its 

leadership and management, and its 

offender services; (b) Matrix Planning 

format; (c) Timelines documented on a 

changeable GANTT chart; (d) 

Measureable objectives and goals, 

related ultimately to recidivism 

reduction. 

Budget and Strategy Narratives: The 

applicant’s submission narratives 

should include suggested on-site 

protocols for training, assessing and 

facilitating group planning processes. 

Include costs associated with 

assessment tools, analysis and travel. 

Please also note suggested budget 

adjustments for contingencies, such as 

the possibility that only three counties 

participate; or that an additional fifth 

county participates. 

Application Requirements: An 

application package must include OMB 

Standard Form 425, Application for 

Federal Assistance; a cover letter that 

identifies the audit agency responsible 

for the applicant’s financial accounts as 

well as the audit period or fiscal year 

that the applicant operates under (e.g., 

July 1 through June 30); and an outline 

of projected costs with the budget and 

strategy narratives described in this 

announcement. The following