Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 2, 2001 / Notices 21999

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of an Environmental

Assessment and Receipt of an

Application for an Incidental Take

Permit for a Phased Residential

Development Project, in Lake County,

Florida

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Lakewood Development Partnership

(Applicant), seeks an incidental take

permit (ITP) from the Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service), pursuant to Section

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

Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. The ITP

would authorize the take of three

families of the threatened Florida scrubjay, Aphelocoma coerulescens and the

threatened eastern indigo snake,

Drymarchon corais couperi, in Lake

County, Florida, for a period of ten (10)

years. The proposed taking is incidental

to land clearing activities and

development on a multi-phase project

site (Project). The Project contains about

37 acres of occupied Florida scrub-jay

habitat, and the potential exists for the

Project to provide about 47 acres of

habitat to the eastern indigo snake. A

more detailed description of the

mitigation and minimization measures

to address the effects of the Project to

the Florida scrub-jay and eastern indigo

snake is provided in the Permittee’s

HCP, the Service’s draft Environmental

Assessment (EA), and in the

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section

below.

The Service also announces the

availability of a draft environmental

assessment (EA) and HCP for the

incidental take permit application.

Copies of the EA and/or HCP may be

obtained by making a request to the

Regional Office (see ADDRESSES).

Requests must be in writing to be

processed. This notice also advises the

public that the Service has made a

preliminary determination that issuing

the ITP is not a major Federal action

significantly affecting the quality of the

human environment within the meaning

of Section 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), as amended. The Finding of No

Significant Impact (FONSI) is based on

information contained in the EA and

HCP. The final determination will be

made no sooner than 60 days from the

date of this notice. This notice is

provided pursuant to Section 10 of the

Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR

1506.6).

The Service specifically requests

information, views, and opinions from

the public via this Notice on the federal

action, including the identification of

any other aspects of the human

environment not already identified in

the Service’s EA. Further, the Service

specifically solicits information

regarding the adequacy of the HCP as

measured against the Service’s ITP

issuance criteria found in 50 CFR Parts

13 and 17.

If you wish to comment, you may

submit comments by any one of several

methods. Please reference permit

number TE038105–0 in such comments.

You may mail comments to the

Service’s Regional Office (see

ADDRESSES). You may also comment via

the internet to ‘‘david_dell@fws.gov’’.

Please submit comments over the

internet as an ASCII file avoiding the

use of special characters and any form

of encryption. Please also include your

name and return address in your

internet message. If you do not receive

a confirmation from the Service that we

have received your internet message,

contact us directly at either telephone

number listed below (see FURTHER

INFORMATION). Finally, you may hand

deliver comments to either Service

office listed below (see ADDRESSES). Our

practice is to make comments, including

names and home addresses of

respondents, available for public review

during regular business hours.

Individual respondents may request that

we withhold their home address from

the administrative record. We will

honor such requests to the extent

allowable by law. There may also be

other circumstances in which we would

withhold from the administrative record

a respondent’s identity, as allowable by

law. If you wish us to withhold your

name and address, you must state this

prominently at the beginning of your

comments. We will not; however,

consider anonymous comments. We

will make all submissions from

organizations or businesses, and from

individuals identifying themselves as

representatives or officials of

organizations or businesses, available

for public inspection in their entirety.

DATES: Written comments on the ITP

application, draft EA, and HCP should

be sent to the Service’s Regional Office

(see ADDRESSES) and should be received

on or before July 2, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application, HCP, and draft EA may

obtain a copy by writing the Service’s

Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta,

Georgia. Documents will also be

available for public inspection by

appointment during normal business

hours at the Regional Office, 1875

Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta,

Georgia 30345 (Attn: Endangered

Species Permits), or Field Supervisor,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Ecological Services Field Office, 6620

Southpoint Drive, South, Suite 310,

Jacksonville, Florida 32216–0192.

Written data or comments concerning

the ITP renewal or HCP should be

submitted to the Regional Office. Please

reference permit number TE038105–0 in

requests of the documents discussed

herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

David Dell, Regional HCP Coordinator,

(see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 404/

679–7313, facsimile: 404/679–7081; or

Mr. Miles A. Meyer, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, Jacksonville Field Office,

Florida (see ADDRESSES above),

telephone: 904/232–2580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Florida scrub-jay is geographically

isolated from other subspecies of scrubjays found in Mexico and the Western

United States. The Florida scrub-jay is

found exclusively in peninsular Florida

and is restricted to scrub habitat. The

total estimated population is between

7,000 and 11,000 individuals. Due to

habitat loss and degradation throughout

the State of Florida, it has been

estimated that the Florida scrub-jay

population has been reduced by at least

half in the last 100 years. Surveys have

indicated that three families of Florida

scrub-jays (17 individuals) utilize

habitat associated with the abandoned

citrus groves and vegetated edge of the

Palatlakaha River on the Project site.

Construction of the Project’s

infrastructure and residential lots will

likely result in death of, or injury to,

Florida scrub-jays incidental to the

carrying out of these otherwise lawful

activities. Habitat alteration associated

with property development will reduce

the availability of habitat used for

feeding and shelter.

Historically, the eastern indigo snake

occurred throughout Florida and into

the coastal plain of Georgia, Alabama,

and Mississippi. Georgia and Florida

currently support the remaining,

endemic populations of eastern indigo

snake. Over most of its range, the

eastern indigo snake frequents a

diversity of habitat types such as pine

flatwoods, scrubby flatwoods, xeric

sandhill communities, tropical

hardwood hammocks, edges of

freshwater marshes, agricultural fields,

coastal dunes and human altered

habitats. Due to its relatively large home

range, this snake is especially

vulnerable to habitat loss, degradation,

and fragmentation. The wide

22000 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 85 / Wednesday, May 2, 2001 / Notices

distribution and territory size

requirements of the eastern indigo snake

makes evaluation of status and trends

very difficult. Surveys for this species

on site were negative, however the

habitat is suitable. If any eastern indigo

snakes are present, construction of the

Project’s infrastructure and residential

lots may result in their death or injury

incidental to the carrying out of these

otherwise lawful activities.

The draft EA considers the

environmental consequences of two

alternatives. The no action alternative

may result in loss of habitat for Florida

scrub-jay and eastern indigo snake and

exposure of the Applicant under Section

9 of the Act. The proposed action

alternative is issuance of the ITP with

on-site mitigation. The on-site

preservation alternative would restore

and preserve 71 acres of unoccupied

habitat and 10 acres of occupied habitat

adjacent to the Palatlakaha River. The

affirmative conservation measures

outlined in the HCP to be employed to

offset the anticipated level of incidental

take to the protected species are the

following:

1. The impacts associated with the

proposed project include 27 acres of

permanent impacts associated with

infrastructure and lot development. To

mitigate for the proposed impacts to

occupied habitat the applicant will

restore and preserve habitat within two

areas of the project site. Approximately

27 acres of unoccupied scrub habitat

and 10 acres of occupied habitat will be

enhanced and preserved along the

Palatlakaha River. Additionally, a 54-

acre parcel located west of the

Palatlakaha River will be restored and

preserved as scrub habitat. This amount

is based on mitigation at a ratio of 3:1

(three acres restored for every one acre

impacted). Management will be

conducted on a regular basis by the

applicant. After initial habitat

restoration of the 81-acre mitigation

area, the property would then be set

apart through an easement, requiring

preservation and management for

Florida scrub-jays and eastern indigo

snakes into perpetuity.

2. No construction activities would

occur within 150 feet of an active

Florida scrub-jay nest during the nesting

season.

3. The HCP provides a funding

mechanism for these mitigation

measures.

As stated above, the Service has made

a preliminary determination that the

issuance of the ITP is not a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of Section 102(2)(C)

of NEPA. This preliminary information

may be revised due to public comment

received in response to this notice and

is based on information contained in the

EA and HCP. An appropriate excerpt

from the FONSI reflecting the Service’s

finding on the application is provided

below:

Based on the analysis conducted by

the Service, it has been determined that:

1. Issuance of an ITP would not have

significant effects on the human

environment in the project area.

2. The proposed take is incidental to

an otherwise lawful activity.

3. The Applicant has ensured that

adequate funding will be provided to

implement the measures proposed in

the submitted HCP.

4. Other than impacts to endangered

and threatened species as outlined in

the documentation of this decision, the

indirect impacts which may result from

issuance of the ITP are addressed by

other regulations and statutes under the

jurisdiction of other government

entities. The validity of the Service’s

ITP is contingent upon the Applicant’s

compliance with the terms of the permit

and all other laws and regulations under

the control of State, local, and other

Federal governmental entities.

The Service will also evaluate

whether the issuance of a Section

10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with Section 7

of the Act by conducting an intraService Section 7 consultation. The

results of the biological opinion, in

combination with the above findings,

will be used in the final analysis to

determine whether or not to issue the

ITP.

Dated: April 19, 2001.

Judy L. Pulliam,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 01–10938 Filed 5–1–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[WO–220–1020–ML–01–24 1A]

OMB Approval Number 1004–0051;

Information Collection Submitted to

the Office of Management and Budget

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

The Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) has submitted the proposed

collection of information listed below to

the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) for approval under provisions of

the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.

3501 et seq.). On December 19, 2000, the

BLM published a notice in the Federal

Register (65 FR 79420) requesting

comments on this proposed collection.

The comment period ended on February

20, 2001. The BLM received one

comment from the public in response to

that notice. You may obtain copies of

the proposed collection of information

and related forms and explanatory

material by contacting the BLM

Information Collection Clearance Officer

at the telephone number listed below.

The OMB is required to respond to

this request within 60 days but may

respond after 30 days. For maximum

consideration your comments and

suggestions on the requirement should

be made within 30 days directly to the

Office of Management and Budget,

Interior Department Desk Office, (1004–

0051), Office of Information and

Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC

20503. Please provide a copy of your

comments to the Bureau Information

Clearance Officer (WO–630), 1849 C St.,

NW., Mail Stop 401 LS, Washington, DC

20240.

Nature of Comments: We specifically

request your comments on the

following:

1. Whether the collection of

information is necessary for the proper

functioning of the BLM, including

whether the information will have

practical utility;

2. The accuracy of the BLM’s estimate

of the burden of collecting the

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

collecting the information on those who

are to respond, including the use of

appropriate automated electronic,

mechanical, or other forms of

information technology.

Title: Actual Grazing Use Report (43

CFR 4130).

OMB Approval Number: 1004–0051.

Bureau Form Number: 4130–5.

Abstract: Respondents (permittees or

lessees) supply BLM with information

on the actual amount of livestock

grazing use on the public lands within

a specified time frame. BLM uses the

information for billing purposes and

program monitoring.

Frequency: Annual reporting as

required.

Description of Respondents:

Respondents are holders of grazing

permits and leases on public lands that

BLM administers.

Estimated Completion Time: 25

minutes.

Annual Responses: 15,000.

Filing Fee per Response: 0.

Annual Burden Hours: 6,250.

Bureau Clearance Officer: Michael

Schwartz, (202) 452–5033.