59768 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 197 / Thursday, October 13, 2005 / Notices 

alternative (not to issue the ITP) and 

two action alternatives that would 

require issuance of an ITP. The no 

action alternative would ultimately 

result in loss of sand skink and bluetail 

mole skink habitat within the project 

vicinity due to habitat degradation. The 

no action alternative could also expose 

the Applicant to violations under 

section 9 of the Act. 

An action alternative considered in 

the EA would be the issuance of the ITP 

for the development as approved by 

local government authorities, with offsite mitigation for project impacts to 

occupied sand skink habitat. Under this 

alternative, the acquisition of up to 

201.0 acres of suitable skink habitat 

would be required. This alternative 

would also result in the loss of 89.7 

acres of occupied sand skink habitat at 

the development site. 

The second action alternative 

(proposed project) would be issuance of 

the ITP according to the HCP as 

submitted and described above. This 

alternative, which includes a 

modification of the Applicant’s 

currently approved development plan, 

would affect about 18.59 acres of 

occupied sand skink habitat in Polk 

County, Florida. The mitigation 

measures for the proposed action 

alternative include enhancement and 

management of 32.50 acres of suitable 

habitat, and restoration and 

management of 38.64 acres of low 

quality habitat in Polk County, Florida. 

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. 

The Service will evaluate the HCP 

and comments submitted thereon to 

determine whether the application 

meets the requirements of section 

10(a)(1)(B) of the Act. If it is determined 

that those requirements are met, the ITP 

will be issued for incidental take of the 

sand skink and bluetail mole skink. The 

Service will also evaluate whether 

issuance of the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP 

complies with section 7 of the Act by 

conducting an intra-Service 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: September 27, 2005. 

Cynthia K. Dohner, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 05–20498 Filed 10–12–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Receipt of a Revised Application for an 

Incidental Take Permit for the Florida 

Scrub-Jay Resulting From 

Construction of a Multi-Home 

Subdivision in Marion County, FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Southern Multicapital 

Corporation (Applicant) requests an 

incidental take permit (ITP) for a 

duration of ten years, pursuant to 

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

Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended 

(U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Applicant 

anticipates destroying about 93 acres of 

occupied Florida scrub-jay 

(Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub-jay) 

habitat in Section 21, Township 16 

South, Range 21 East, Marion County, 

Florida. Habitat destruction would be 

expected due to vegetation clearing and 

the subsequent construction of 

infrastructure and single-family homes. 

Up to four scrub-jay families could be 

taken as a result of the Applicant’s 

proposed actions. 

This ITP application was previously 

announced in the Federal Register on 

June 14, 2005. On July 29, 2005, the 

Applicant withdrew the Habitat 

Conservation Plan (HCP) that was part 

of the application, in order to make 

modifications. The Service suspended 

processing the application pending 

receipt of a modified HCP. The 

Applicant submitted the current HCP on 

August 1, 2005. 

The Applicant’s HCP describes the 

mitigation and minimization measures 

proposed to address the effects of the 

proposed project on the scrub-jay. These 

measures are outlined in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below. We announce the availability of 

the ITP application, HCP, and an 

environmental assessment. Copies of the 

application, HCP, and environmental 

assessment may be obtained by making 

a request to the Southeast Regional 

Office (see ADDRESSES). Requests must 

be in writing to be processed. This 

notice is provided pursuant to section 

10 of the Act and National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 

DATES: Written comments on the ITP 

application, HCP, and environmental 

assessment should be sent to the 

Service’s Southeast Regional Office (see 

ADDRESSES) and should be received on 

or before December 12, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review 

the application, HCP, and 

environmental assessment may obtain a 

copy by writing the Service’s Southeast 

Regional Office at the address below. 

Please reference permit application 

number TE098004–1 in such requests. 

Documents will also be available for 

public inspection by appointment 

during normal business hours either at 

the Southeast Regional Office, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, 1875 Century 

Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 

30345 (Attn: Endangered Species 

Permits), or at the Jacksonville Field 

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

6620 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310, 

Jacksonville, Florida 32216–0912 (Attn: 

Field Supervisor). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

David Dell, Regional HCP Coordinator, 

Southeast Regional Office (see 

ADDRESSES above), at (404) 679–7313, 

facsimile: (404) 679–7081; or Mr. Mike 

Jennings, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, 

Jacksonville Field Office (see ADDRESSES

above), at (904) 232–2580. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you 

wish to comment, you may submit 

comments by any one of several 

methods. Please reference permit 

application number TE098004–1 in 

such comments. You may mail 

comments to the Service’s Southeast 

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 e-mail message. 

If you do not receive a confirmation 

from us that we have received your email message, contact us directly at 

either telephone number listed above 

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

Finally, you may hand-deliver 

comments to either Service office listed 

above (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 addresses 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 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 197 / Thursday, October 13, 2005 / Notices 59769 

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. 

The Florida scrub-jay (scrub-jay) is 

geographically isolated from other 

species of scrub-jays found in Mexico 

and the western United States. The 

scrub-jay is found exclusively in 

peninsular Florida and is restricted to 

xeric uplands (well-drained, sandy soil 

habitats supporting a growth of oakdominated scrub). Increasing urban and 

agricultural development has resulted in 

habitat loss and fragmentation, which 

has adversely affected the distribution 

and numbers of scrub-jays. The total 

estimated population is between 7,000 

and 11,000 individuals. 

The decline in the number and 

distribution of scrub-jays in central 

Florida has been exacerbated by 

agricultural land conversions and urban 

growth in the past 50 years. Much of the 

historic commercial and residential 

development has occurred on the dry 

soils that previously supported scrubjay habitat. Based on existing soils data, 

much of the current scrub-jay habitat of 

central Florida occurs in what was once 

the coastal sand dunes created over the 

millennia due to rising and falling 

oceans. These ancient dunes are most 

prevalent from southern Highlands 

County north to Marion County. Much 

of this area of Florida was settled early 

because few wetlands restricted urban 

and agricultural development. Due to 

the effects of urban and agricultural 

development over the past 100 years, 

much of the remaining scrub-jay habitat 

is now relatively small and isolated. 

What remains is largely degraded, due 

to interruption of the natural fire regime 

that is needed to maintain xeric uplands 

in conditions suitable for scrub-jays. 

Residential construction would take 

place within Section 21, Township 16 

South, Range 21 East, Marion County, 

Florida. Surveys conducted by the 

Applicant indicated that scrub-jays 

occupied 93 of the 137 acres proposed 

to be developed as a residential 

community. The clearing of vegetation 

for infrastructure and home 

construction would destroy feeding, 

breeding, and sheltering habitat of the 

scrub-jay. 

The Applicant has not proposed to 

minimize impacts to scrub-jays at the 

proposed construction site because 

small, on-site scrub-jay preserves may 

actually harm scrub-jays by 

concentrating birds into an area where 

predators may attack them, increasing 

their susceptibility to collisions with 

automobiles, and increasing the 

incidence of competition with other 

more urban-adapted bird species. 

Instead of protecting habitat within the 

future residential community, the 

Applicant is proposing to acquire 158 

acres, of which 102 acres is considered 

suitable for scrub-jays. The U.S. Forest 

Service has tentatively agreed to accept 

fee title and management 

responsibilities for the 158 acres which 

would be acquired by the Applicant. 

Although the Forest Service must work 

through processes and procedures prior 

to accepting the land donation and 

agreeing to restoration and management 

of the tract, it does not anticipate any 

issues to arise that would prevent this 

from happening. In addition, the 

acquisition and subsequent transfer of 

fee title would allow the U.S. Forest 

Service access to an additional 87 acres 

it currently owns but has been unable to 

manage due to restricted access. 

In combination with the acquisition of 

the 158 acres described above, the 

Applicant proposes to contribute 

$366,758 to the Florida Scrub-jay 

Conservation Fund (Fund), 

administered by the National Fish and 

Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Through 

an agreement between the Service and 

NFWF, scrub-jay mitigation funds 

deposited into the Fund are available for 

the conservation of Florida scrub-jays. 

Conservation efforts may include habitat 

acquisition, habitat restoration and 

habitat management. 

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 

environmental assessment and HCP. 

The Service will evaluate the HCP 

and comments submitted thereon to 

determine whether the application 

meets the requirements of section 

10(a)(1)(B) of the Act. If it is determined 

that those requirements are met, the ITP 

will be issued for incidental take of the 

Florida scrub-jay. The Service will also 

evaluate whether issuance of the section 

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

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

results of this consultation, in 

combination with the above findings, 

will be used in the final analysis to 

determine whether or not to issue the 

ITP. 

Dated: September 27, 2005. 

Cynthia K. Dohner, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 05–20500 Filed 10–12–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Meeting of the Trinity 

Adaptive Management Working Group 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 10(a)(2) of 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

U.S.C. App), this notice announces a 

meeting of the Trinity Adaptive 

Management Working Group (TAMWG). 

The TAMWG affords stakeholders the 

opportunity to give policy, management, 

and technical input concerning Trinity 

River restoration efforts to the Trinity 

Management Council. Primary 

objectives of the meeting will include: 

History of restoration efforts on the 

Trinity River; Introduction to the Trinity 

River Restoration Program (TRRP); 

TAMWG priorities, procedures, 

organization, operations and interaction 

with other TRRP entities; and status of 

wildlife in TRRP policy and budget. 

Completion of the agenda is dependent 

on the amount of time each item takes. 

The meeting could end early if the 

agenda has been completed. The 

meeting is open to the public. 

DATES: The Trinity Adaptive 

Management Working Group will meet 

from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, 

November 4, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Weaverville Victorian Inn, 1709 

Main Street, Weaverville, CA 96093. 

Telephone: (530) 623–4432. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mike Long of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, 

1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, California 

95521, (707) 822–7201. Mike Long is the 

working group’s Designated Federal 

Official. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: For 

background information and questions 

regarding the Trinity River Restoration 

Program, please contact Douglas 

Schleusner, Executive Director, Trinity 

River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 

1300, 1313 South Main Street, 

Weaverville, California 96093, (530) 

623–1800.