Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 160 / Monday, August 23, 2021 / Notices 47143 

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 

We provide this notice under section 

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

and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 

Stephen P. Henry, 

Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife 

Office, Ventura, California. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17975 Filed 8–20–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2021–N027; 

FXES11140800000–212] 

Endangered and Threatened Species; 

Receipt of an Enhancement of Survival 

Permit Application and Safe Harbor 

Agreement for Bluff Lake, San 

Bernardino County, California 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Wildlands Conservancy 

(applicant) has submitted a safe harbor 

agreement (SHA) and applied to the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 

for an enhancement of survival permit 

pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. 

The Service is considering issuance to 

the applicant of a 30-year permit that 

would authorize take of the federally 

endangered mountain yellow-legged 

frog and unarmored threespine 

stickleback (a fish species). We have 

prepared a draft environmental action 

statement (EAS) for our preliminary 

determination that the SHA and permit 

decision may be eligible for categorical 

exclusion under the National 

Environmental Policy Act. We invite 

comments from the public on the 

aforementioned documents. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before September 22, 

2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may view or download 

copies of the draft SHA and draft EAS 

and obtain additional information on 

the internet at https://www.fws.gov/ 

carlsbad/, or obtain hard copies by 

calling the phone number listed below. 

You may submit comments or requests 

for more information by any of the 

following methods: 

• Email: fw8cfwocomments@fws.gov. 

Include ‘‘Bluff Lake SHA’’ in the subject 

line of the message. 

• U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish 

and Wildlife Office, 2177 Salk Avenue, 

Suite 250, Carlsbad, CA 92008. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jesse Bennett, by telephone at 760–431– 

9440 or by electronic mail at Jesse_

Bennett@fws.gov. If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD), please call the Federal 

Information Relay Service at 800–877– 

8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Wildlands Conservancy (applicant) has 

applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) for an enhancement of 

survival permit pursuant to section 

10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Service is 

considering issuance to the applicant of 

a 30-year permit that would authorize 

take of the federally endangered 

mountain yellow-legged frog (Rana 

muscosa) and unarmored threespine 

stickleback (a fish species; Gasterosteus 

aculeatus williamsoni) through a safe 

harbor agreement (SHA). The purpose of 

this SHA is for the applicant to manage 

habitat for the species at Bluff Lake in 

San Bernardino County, California. The 

applicant seeks to provide for the longterm recovery of the species in the wild 

through the maintenance and/or 

enhancement of suitable habitat that can 

accommodate reestablishment of the site 

from captive populations or other extant 

locations that may be present within the 

historic range of the species. We have 

prepared a draft environmental action 

statement (EAS) for our preliminary 

determination that the SHA and permit 

decision may be eligible for categorical 

exclusion under the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 

We invite comments from the public 

on the permit application, draft SHA, 

and draft EAS, which are available for 

review. The SHA describes the 

proposed project and the measures that 

the applicant would undertake to avoid 

and minimize take of the covered 

species. 

Background 

SHAs are intended to encourage 

private or other non-Federal property 

owners to implement beneficial 

conservation actions for species listed 

under the ESA. SHA permit holders are 

assured that they will not be subject to 

increased property use restrictions as a 

result of their proactive actions to 

benefit listed species. Incidental take of 

listed species is authorized under a 

permit pursuant to the provisions of 

section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. For an 

applicant to receive a permit through an 

SHA, the applicant must submit an 

application form that includes the 

following: 

1. The common and scientific names 

of the listed species for which the 

applicant requests incidental take 

authorization; 

2. A description of how incidental 

take of the listed species pursuant to the 

SHA is likely to occur, both as a result 

of management activities and as a result 

of the return to baseline; and 

3. A description of how the SHA 

complies with the requirements of the 

Service’s Safe Harbor Policy (64 FR 

32717, June 17, 1999). 

For the Service to issue a permit, we 

must determine that: 

1. The take of listed species will be 

incidental to an otherwise lawful 

activity and will be in accordance with 

the terms of the SHA; 

2. The implementation of the terms of 

the SHA is reasonably expected to 

provide a net conservation benefit to the 

covered species by contributing to its 

recovery, and the SHA otherwise 

complies with the Service’s Safe Harbor 

Policy; 

3. The probable direct and indirect 

effects of any authorized take will not 

appreciably reduce the likelihood of 

survival and recovery in the wild of any 

listed species; 

4. Implementation of the terms of the 

SHA is consistent with applicable 

Federal, State, and Tribal laws and 

regulations; 

5. Implementation of the terms of the 

SHA will not be in conflict with any 

ongoing conservation or recovery 

programs for listed species covered by 

the permit; and 

6. The applicant has shown capability 

for and commitment to implementing 

all of the terms of the SHA. 

The Service’s Safe Harbor Policy and 

Safe Harbor Regulations (68 FR 53320; 

69 FR 24084) provide important terms 

and concepts for developing SHAs. The 

policy and regulations are available at 

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/lawspolicies/regulations-and-policies.html. 

Proposed Action 

The applicant’s permit application 

includes a draft SHA, which covers 60 

acres owned by the applicant in San 

Bernardino County, California. The 

proposed term of the permit and the 

SHA is 30 years. The permit would 

authorize incidental take of the two 

species that may occur while pursuing 


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47144 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 160 / Monday, August 23, 2021 / Notices 

conservation actions that are expected 

to provide a net benefit to these species. 

We have prepared a draft EAS for our 

preliminary determination that the SHA 

and permit decision may be eligible for 

categorical exclusion under NEPA. We 

invite the public to review and 

comment on the permit application, 

draft SHA, and draft EAS. 

This SHA provides for the 

management of mountain yellow-legged 

frog and unarmored threespine 

stickleback habitat at Bluff Lake, San 

Bernardino County, California. Bluff 

Lake occurs within the U.S. Geological 

Survey 7.5-minute series Big Bear Lake 

topographic quadrangle (township 2 

north, range 1 west, section 34). When 

fully implemented, the SHA and 

requested enhancement of survival 

permit will allow the Applicant to 

return habitat conditions to baseline 

after the end of the 30-year term of the 

SHA and permit, if so desired by the 

applicant. 

The SHA describes the management 

activities to be undertaken by the 

applicant, and the net conservation 

benefits expected to the mountain 

yellow-legged frog and unarmored 

threespine stickleback. Upon approval 

of this SHA, and consistent with the 

Service’s Safe Harbor Policy published 

in the Federal Register on June 17, 1999 

(64 FR 32717), the Service would issue 

a permit to the applicant authorizing 

take of the mountain yellow-legged frog 

and unarmored threespine stickleback 

incidental to the implementation of the 

management activities specified in the 

SHA; incidental to other lawful uses of 

the enrolled property including normal, 

routine land management activities; and 

to return to pre-SHA conditions 

(baseline). 

Under the SHA, the applicant will 

allow the release of mountain yellowlegged frogs and unarmored threespine 

stickleback on the property. This release 

may involve the temporary placement of 

small enclosures. The applicant will 

further undertake management activities 

to benefit the mountain yellow-legged 

frog and unarmored threespine 

stickleback. This will include 

maintaining or improving habitat 

conditions on the property, throughout 

the duration of the SHA, except in the 

event of a natural disaster such as a 

wildfire or severe drought. The 

applicant will also minimize the 

potential impact of recreation and 

nonnative species management. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Compliance 

The development of the draft SHA 

and the proposed issuance of an 

enhancement of survival permit are 

Federal actions that trigger the need for 

compliance with the NEPA (43 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.). We have prepared a draft 

EAS to assess the probable scope of 

impacts of permit issuance and 

implementation of the SHA on the 

human environment. We have made a 

preliminary determination that issuing 

the permit and implementing the SHA 

would have minor or negligible impacts 

to the environment, and thus the 

proposed SHA and permit actions are 

eligible for categorical exclusion under 

NEPA. The basis for our preliminary 

determination is contained in the EAS, 

which is available for public review (see 

ADDRESSES). 

Next Steps 

We will evaluate the permit 

application, associated documents, and 

comments we receive to determine 

whether the permit application meets 

the requirements of the ESA, NEPA, and 

implementing regulations. If we 

determine that all requirements are met, 

we will sign the proposed SHA and 

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

of the ESA to the applicant. We will not 

make our final decision on the permit 

application until after the end of the 

public comment period, and we will 

fully consider all comments we receive 

during the comment period. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Written comments we receive become 

part of the public record associated with 

this action. Before including your 

address, phone number, email address, 

or other personal identifying 

information in your comment, you 

should be aware that the entire 

comment, including your personal 

identifying information, may be made 

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. 

Authority 

We provide this notice under section 

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

and its implementing regulations (50 

CFR 17.22 and 17.32), and NEPA (42 

U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its 

implementing regulations (40 CFR 

1506.6; 43 CFR 46). 

Scott Sobiech, 

Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife 

Office, Carlsbad, California. 

[FR Doc. 2021–17977 Filed 8–20–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Office of the Secretary 

[212D0102DM DS61100000 

DLSN00000.000000 DX61101; OMB Control 

Number 1094–0001] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; the Alternatives Process 

in Hydropower Licensing 

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Office 

of Environmental Policy and 

Compliance, Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection; 

request for comment. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, 

the Office of the Secretary, Office of 

Environmental Policy and Compliance, 

Department of the Interior (we, OS– 

OEPC) are proposing to renew an 

information collection. 

DATES: Interested persons are invited to 

submit comments on or before 

September 22, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Send written comments on 

this information collection request (ICR) 

to the Office of Management and 

Budget’s Desk Officer for the 

Department of the Interior by email at 

OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov; or via 

facsimile to (202) 395–5806. Please 

provide a copy of your comments to Dr. 

Shawn Alam, Office of Environmental 

Policy and Compliance, U.S. 

Department of the Interior, MS 2629– 

MIB, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 

20240; or by email to Shawn_Alam@

ios.doi.gov. Please reference OMB 

Control Number 1094–0001 in the 

subject line of your comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request additional information about 

this ICR, contact Dr. Shawn Alam by 

email at Shawn_Alam@ios.doi.gov, or by 

telephone at (202) 208–5465. You may 

also view the ICR at http://

www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, we provide the 

general public and other Federal 

agencies with an opportunity to 

comment on new, proposed, revised, 

and continuing collections of 

information. This helps us assess the 

impact of our information collection 

requirements and minimize the public’s 

reporting burden. It also helps the 

public understand our information 

collection requirements and provide the 

requested data in the desired format. 

On April 5, 2021, we published a 

Federal Register notice with a 60-day 


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