59766 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 197 / Thursday, October 13, 2005 / Notices 

shrub, forested lands, and grasslands 

would not be restored and managed. 

Moist-soil impoundments, currently 

managed for waterfowl and shorebirds, 

would be converted to fishing ponds for 

public use. Hunting seasons would be 

aligned with state regulations to allow 

for maximum use. All-terrain vehicle 

use would continue to disperse hunters, 

with additional funding used to 

maintain the maximum number of trails 

and roads for access. 

Auto tours, canoe trails, foot trails, 

and observation towers would be added 

for environmental education and 

watchable wildlife programs. Additional 

staff would be used for developing and 

presenting both on- and off-site outreach 

and interpretation programs. 

A visitor center and headquarters 

office would be constructed at Yazoo 

National Wildlife Refuge. Two new 

subheadquarters and visitor contact 

stations would be constructed at 

Panther Swamp and Morgan Brake 

Refuges. The new subheadquarters at 

Panther Swamp Refuge would be 

relocated off either Highway 49 or River 

Road, to provide greater visibility and 

access to the public. 

Land acquisition within the current 

acquisition boundary would continue 

with emphasis on those lands that could 

provide additional public use 

opportunities and greater access to 

current refuge lands by the public. 

Alternative D. Interior Forest Habitat 

Emphasis 

Under this alternative, all suitable 

Complex lands would be reforested in 

support of migratory birds and other 

wildlife dependent on interior forest 

habitats. Most refuge management 

actions would be directed toward 

creating and managing the largest 

amount of interior and corridor forest 

habitat (for Louisiana black bear, 

neotropical migratory songbirds, and 

other interior forest wildlife) and 

reducing forest fragmentation, while 

supporting the overall primary purposes 

for the Complex of preserving wintering 

habitat for mallards, pintails, and wood 

ducks, and providing production habitat 

for wood ducks and other migratory 

birds dependent on forested habitats. 

Other national, regional, and state goals 

to protect and restore shorebird, 

grassland, and scrub/shrub bird 

populations would be supported 

secondarily in habitats that were not 

suitable for reforestation. Step-down 

waterfowl objectives, established by the 

Lower Mississippi Joint Venture, in 

support of the North American 

Waterfowl Management Plan, for 

unharvested crops and moist soil would 

not be met. However, wintering 

waterfowl would potentially benefit 

from additional flooded timber habitat, 

including mast and invertebrate 

production. 

Open habitat for geese would not be 

maintained on Yazoo National Wildlife 

Refuge and farming would be 

eliminated throughout the Complex. 

Eliminating farming would eliminate 

goose use, maximize the amount of 

forests and forested corridor habitats, 

and minimize forest fragmentation. A 

forest management plan, designed to 

address this alternative’s primary goals 

by creating spatially and specifically 

diverse woodlands, would be developed 

and implemented. Quality wildlifedependent recreation activities (e.g., 

hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, 

and environmental education and 

interpretation) would be provided. An 

environmental education plan, 

incorporating aggressive and proactive 

promotion of on- and off-site programs, 

would be developed and implemented. 

Improvements would be made to 

interior and exterior roads to provide 

all-weather vehicular access to a broad 

segment of the public; however, existing 

and proposed roads and trails would be 

evaluated for their impacts on forest 

fragmentation. Wildlife observation 

sites/platforms; interpretive trails, 

boardwalks, and kiosks; and restrooms 

would be provided at specific sites to 

allow for fully accessible interpretation 

and environmental education programs. 

Fishing would be provided on Panther 

Swamp, Hillside, Morgan Brake, and 

Mathews Brake National Wildlife 

Refuges. 

Under this alternative, the complex 

would continue to seek, from willing 

sellers, acquisition of all inholdings 

within the present acquisition 

boundary. Highest priority would be 

given to those lands that may be 

reforested to contribute to the interior 

forest objectives. Lands would be made 

available for compatible wildlifedependent public recreation and 

environmental education opportunities. 

Additionally, the Complex would 

concentrate on all future off-refuge 

programs and partnerships within the 

‘‘Conservation Partners Focus Area,’’

with an emphasis on contributing to 

interior forest habitat. 

Authority: This notice is published under 

the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997, Public 

Law 105–57. 

Dated: April 7, 2005. 

Jacquelyn B. Parrish, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 05–20491 Filed 10–12–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Receipt of an Application for an 

Incidental Take Permit for Sand Skinks 

and Bluetail Mole Skinks Resulting 

From the Proposed Construction of a 

Planned Unit Development in Polk 

County, FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: Oakmont Grove Venture, 

L.L.C. (Applicant) requests an incidental 

take permit (ITP) pursuant to section 

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

Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The requested term 

of the ITP is nine years. The Applicant 

anticipates take of the threatened sand 

skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) and bluetail 

mole skink (Eumeces egregius lividus) 

incidental to the development of 

approximately 18.59 acres of sand skink 

habitat and the restoration, 

enhancement, and management of 71.14 

acres of sand skink habitat on-site 

associated with the construction of a 

planned unit development (project). 

Bluetail mole skinks have not been 

observed on the Oakmont project site, 

but they are known to share habitats 

occupied by sand skinks. Therefore, 

incidental take of the bluetail mole 

skink could occur in the same areas that 

are occupied by the sand skink. The 

proposed project would occur in 

Sections 3, 9, 10, and 15, Township 26 

South, Range 27 East, Polk County, 

Florida. 

The Applicant’s Habitat Conservation 

Plan (HCP) describes the mitigation and 

minimization measures proposed to 

address the effects of the project on the 

sand skink and bluetail mole skink. 

These measures are also outlined in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section 

below. We announce the availability of 

the ITP application, HCP, and 

Environmental Assessment (EA). Copies 

of the application, HCP, and EA 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, EA, and HCP 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 ITP application, EA, and HCP may 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 197 / Thursday, October 13, 2005 / Notices 59767 

obtain a copy by writing the Service’s 

Southeast Regional Office, at the 

address below. Please reference permit 

application number TE098035–0 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 

South Florida Ecological Services 

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, Florida 

32960–3559 (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. 

Spencer Simon, Fish and Wildlife 

Biologist, South Florida Ecological 

Services Office (see ADDRESSES above), 

at 772–562–3909, extension 345. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you 

wish to comment, you may submit 

comments by any one of several 

methods. Please reference permit 

application number TE098035–0 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 the Service that we have received 

your e-mail 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 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. 

The sand skink is endemic to the 

sandy ridges of central Florida, 

occurring in Highlands, Lake, Marion, 

Orange, Osceola, Polk, and Putnam 

counties. Principal populations occur 

on the Lake Wales and Winter Haven 

Ridges in Highlands, Lake, and Polk 

counties. The sand skink is widespread 

in xeric uplands with sandy substrates, 

but appears to be most abundant in 

ecotonal areas, typically between high 

pine and scrub. These areas are exposed 

to frequent lightning strikes which 

resulted in the evolution of plant and 

animal species that became dependent 

on frequent fires to persist. Due to the 

effects of urbanization and agricultural 

development, historic skink habitat has 

been reduced in size and has become 

fragmented. As a consequence of habitat 

fragmentation, much of the remaining 

habitat for skinks is poor quality due to 

the lack of periodic fires; fire exclusion 

has been practiced since settlement of 

the area. 

Except for a few locations where 

intensive research has been conducted, 

there is very little information about the 

presence or abundance of sand skinks, 

as well as the status and trends of this 

species in South Florida. Current 

research indicates that densities of sand 

skinks per acre range from 371 to 419 

in habitats consisting of sand live oak 

with open groundcover, from 145 to 194 

in habitats consisting of improved 

pasture with a mosaic of open sandy 

patches, and 81 in habitats consisting of 

sand live oak with moderate ground 

cover. 

Sand skink occupation of all suitable 

habitats within the project site was 

determined by observation of sign 

(tracks and disturbance of the sand 

surface) during site evaluations 

conducted in April 2003. Unsuitable 

areas were also surveyed for sign, and 

were considered habitat for 

minimization and mitigation purposes if 

sign was observed. Based upon 

estimates of sand skink densities in 

various habitats as described in 

scientific literature, the theoretical sand 

skink population on the Oakmont 

project site is between 17,615 and 

20,507 skinks. The theoretical 

population loss due to direct impacts of 

the Oakmont project would be between 

2,756 and 3,141 skinks. 

The bluetail mole skink occupies 

xeric upland habitats of the Central 

Ridge in peninsular Florida. It requires 

open, sandy patches interspersed with 

scrub vegetation. Much of the bluetail 

mole skink’s habitat has been destroyed 

or degraded due to residential, 

commercial, and agricultural 

development. Very little information is 

known about the dispersal, population 

densities, and life history characteristics 

of bluetail mole skinks. 

Bluetail mole skinks have not been 

observed on the Oakmont project site, 

but they are known to share habitats 

occupied by sand skinks. Therefore, it is 

considered likely that the proposed 

development, restoration, and 

management activities could result in 

incidental take of the bluetail mole 

skink. Since the proposed preservation, 

restoration, and management plan for 

the scrub communities on the Oakmont 

project site supports the recovery goals 

established by the Service for the 

bluetail mole skink, the project would 

be anticipated to maintain or improve 

available suitable habitat for this species 

on-site. 

The project site is bounded on the 

north by County Road 54 and on the 

south by Bowen Road, and is west of 

State Road 547 in Polk County. The 

scrub habitat present on the Oakmont 

project site consists of small, remnants 

of scrub habitat that have been isolated 

and fragmented by adjacent 

development and agricultural uses of 

the site, larger tracts of relatively 

undisturbed and unmanaged habitat 

(some of which have transitioned into 

closed canopied systems), as well as 

areas that have been incorporated into 

improved pasture areas for cattle 

grazing. 

Land clearing in preparation for a 

planned unit development would 

destroy scrub habitat and would likely 

result in take of sand skinks and bluetail 

mole skinks, incidental to the carrying 

out of these otherwise lawful activities. 

Habitat alteration associated with the 

proposed planned unit development 

would reduce the availability of feeding, 

breeding, and sheltering habitat for 

these species. 

The Applicant’s HCP describe the 

following minimization and mitigation 

strategy that would be employed by the 

Applicant to offset the impacts of the 

project to the sand skink and bluetail 

mole skink: 

(1) The Applicant would enhance and 

manage 32.50 acres of occupied oak 

scrub sand skink habitat. 

(2) The Applicant would restore and 

manage 38.64 acres of occupied, low 

quality sand skink habitat. 

(3) The Applicant would monitor the 

project site for five years to evaluate 

both the vegetative composition and 

structure, and the presence of sand 

skinks within the preserved and 

restored scrub habitats. 

The EA considers the environmental 

consequences of the no action 

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