Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 202 / Thursday, October 20, 2005 / Notices 61153 

equipment, aftermarket marine 

equipment, and prevention through 

people will meet to discuss various 

issues relating to recreational boating 

safety. All meetings will be open to the 

public. 

DATES: NBSAC will meet on Saturday, 

November 12, 2005, from 1 p.m. to 5 

p.m., on Monday, November 14, 2005, 

from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on 

Tuesday, November 15, 2005, from 8:30 

a.m. to 12 noon. The Prevention 

Through People Subcommittee will 

meet on Sunday, November 13, 2005, 

from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The Boats 

and Associated Equipment 

Subcommittee will meet on Sunday, 

November 13, 2005, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 

p.m. The Recreational Boating Safety 

Strategic Planning Subcommittee will 

meet on Monday, November 14, 2005, 

from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon. These 

meetings may close early if all business 

is finished. On Sunday, November 13, a 

Subcommittee meeting may start earlier 

if the preceding Subcommittee meeting 

has closed early. Written material and 

requests to make oral presentations 

should reach the Coast Guard on or 

before Tuesday, October 25, 2005. 

Requests to have a copy of your material 

distributed to each member of the 

committee or subcommittees in advance 

of the meeting should reach the Coast 

Guard on or before Tuesday, October 25, 

2005. 

ADDRESSES: NBSAC will meet at the 

Crowne Plaza, 1480 Jefferson Davis 

Highway, Arlington, VA 22202. The 

subcommittee meetings will be held at 

the same address. Send written material 

and requests to make oral presentations 

to Ms. Jeanne Timmons, Executive 

Director of NBSAC, Commandant (G–

OPB–1), telephone 202–267–1077, U.S. 

Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second 

Street SW., Washington, DC 20593–

0001. This notice is available on the 

Internet at http://dms.dot.gov or at the 

Web site for the Office of Boating Safety 

at URL address www.uscgboating.org. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Jeanne Timmons, Executive Director of 

NBSAC, telephone 202–267–1077, fax 

202–267–4285. You may obtain a copy 

of this notice by calling the U.S. Coast 

Guard Infoline at 1–800–368–5647. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice of 

these meetings is given under the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2. 

Tentative Agendas of Meetings 

National Boating Safety Advisory 

Council (NBSAC). The agenda includes 

the following: 

(1) Remarks—Rear Admiral Gary T. 

Blore, Director of Operations Policy and 

Council Sponsor. 

(2) Swearing in of recent appointees 

(includes new members and continued 

members). 

(2) Chief, Office of Boating Safety 

Update on NBSAC Resolutions and 

Recreational Boating Safety Program 

report. 

(3) Executive Director’s report. 

(4) Chairman’s session. 

(5) Report from TSAC Liaison. 

(6) Report from NAVSAC Liaison. 

(7) Coast Guard Auxiliary report. 

(8) National Association of State 

Boating Law Administrators Report. 

(9) Wallop Breaux reauthorization 

update. 

(10) National Transportation Safety 

Board report. 

(11) Update on Personal Flotation 

Devices (PFDs) on the market for 

children, including Swimsuit Style 

(12) Prevention Through People 

Subcommittee report. 

(13) Boats and Associated Equipment 

Subcommittee report. 

(14) Recreational Boating Safety 

Strategic Planning Subcommittee report. 

Prevention Through People 

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the 

following: Discuss current projects and 

new issues impacting prevention 

through people. 

Boats and Associated Equipment 

Subcommittee. The agenda includes the 

following: Discuss current projects and 

new issues impacting boats and 

associated equipment. 

Recreational Boating Safety Strategic 

Planning Subcommittee. The agenda 

includes the following: Discuss current 

projects and new issues impacting 

Recreational Boating Safety Strategic 

Planning. 

Procedural 

All meetings are open to the public. 

At the Chairs’ discretion, members of 

the public may make oral presentations 

during the meetings. If you would like 

to make an oral presentation at a 

meeting, please notify the Executive 

Director of your request no later than 

Tuesday, October 25, 2005. Written 

material for distribution at a meeting 

should reach the Coast Guard no later 

than Tuesday, October 25, 2005. If you 

would like a copy of your material 

distributed to each member of the 

committee or subcommittee in advance 

of a meeting, please submit 25 copies to 

the Executive Director no later than 

Tuesday, October 25, 2005. 

Information on Services for Individuals 

With Disabilities 

For information on facilities or 

services for individuals with disabilities 

or to request special assistance at the 

meetings, contact the Executive Director 

as soon as possible. 

Dated: October 14, 2005. 

James M. Hass, 

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Acting Director 

of Operations Policy. 

[FR Doc. 05–21008 Filed 10–19–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Amendment of an Incidental Take 

Permit and the 1997 Habitat 

Conservation Plan for Kern County 

Waste Facilities, Kern County, CA 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of intent. 

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 

Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 

advises the public that we intend to 

gather information necessary to prepare, 

in coordination with the Kern County 

Waste Management Department 

(KCWMD), a joint Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement/Environmental 

Impact Report (EIS/EIR) on the 

Amendment to the Kern County Waste 

Facilities Habitat Conservation Plan and 

permit number 830963 (Amendment 1). 

Amendment 1 is being prepared under 

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

Species Act of 1973, as amended, (ESA). 

Amendment 1 addresses potential take 

of threatened and endangered species at 

Kern County waste facilities due to the 

proposed expansion of the permit area, 

new covered activities, and an increase 

in the number of species covered by 

Permit 830963. The term of Permit 

830963 shall remain at 50 years, 

expiring in 2047. KCWMD intends to 

request an ESA permit amendment for 

5 species federally listed as threatened 

or endangered and 14 unlisted species 

that may become listed during the term 

of the permit. 

The Service provides this notice to: 

(1) Describe the proposed action and 

possible alternatives; (2) advise other 

Federal and State agencies, affected 

Tribes, and the public of our intent to 

prepare an EIS/EIR; (3) announce the 

initiation of a public scoping period; 

and (4) obtain suggestions and 

information on the scope of issues to be 

included in the EIS/EIR. Written 

comments will be accepted at the public 

meeting. In addition, you may submit 

61154 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 202 / Thursday, October 20, 2005 / Notices 

written comments by mail or facsimile 

transmission. 

DATES: Two public meetings will be 

held on: Wednesday, November 9, 2005 

from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday, 

November 10, 2005 from 6 p.m. to 8 

p.m. Written comments should be 

received on or before November 21, 

2005. 

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be 

held at the following locations: 

Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at 2700 

‘‘M’’ Street, First Floor Conference 

Room, Bakersfield, CA 93301; and, 

Thursday, November 10, 2005 at the 

Mojave Veterans Building, 15580 ‘‘O’’

Street, Mojave, CA 93501. Written 

comments, or questions related to the 

preparation of the EIS/EIR and NEPA 

process should be submitted to Lori 

Rinek, Division Chief, Endangered 

Species Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife 

Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W–2605, 

Sacramento, California 95825; FAX 

(916) 414–6713. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Sheila Larsen, Fish and Wildlife 

Biologist, or Lori Rinek, Division Chief, 

Endangered Species Program, at the 

Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office at 

(916) 414–6600. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Reasonable Accommodation 

Persons needing reasonable 

accommodations in order to attend and 

participate in the public meeting should 

contact Lori Rinek as soon as possible 

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

In order to allow sufficient time to 

process requests, please call no later 

than one week before the public 

meeting. Information regarding this 

proposed action is available in 

alternative formats upon request. 

Background 

Section 9 of the ESA and Federal 

regulations prohibit the take of fish and 

wildlife species listed as endangered or 

threatened (16 U.S.C. 1538). The term 

‘‘take’’ means to harass, harm, pursue, 

hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, 

or collect, or to attempt to engage in any 

such conduct (16 U.S.C. 1532). Harm 

includes significant habitat modification 

or degradation that actually kills or 

injures listed wildlife by significantly 

impairing essential behavioral patterns, 

including breeding, feeding, and 

sheltering [50 CFR 17.3(c)]. Under 

limited circumstances, the Service may 

issue permits to authorize incidental 

take of listed fish or wildlife; i.e., take 

that is incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, otherwise lawful activity. 

Regulations governing incidental take 

permits for threatened and endangered 

species are found in 50 CFR 17.32 and 

17.22, respectively. 

Although take of listed plant species 

is not prohibited under the ESA, and 

therefore cannot be authorized under an 

incidental take permit, plant species 

may be included on a permit in 

recognition of the conservation benefits 

provided to them under a habitat 

conservation plan. All species included 

on an incidental take permit would 

receive assurances under the Services 

‘‘No Surprises’’ regulation [50 CFR 

17.22(b)(5) and 17.32(b)(5)]. 

Permit number 830963 (issued 

October 24, 1997) provides for 

incidental take of 5 federally-listed 

threatened or endangered animals: San 

Joaquin kit fox (Vulpes macrotis 

mutica), Tipton kangaroo rat 

(Dipodomys nitratoides nitratoides), 

giant kangaroo rat, (Dipodomys ingens), 

blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia 

silus), desert tortoise (Gopherus 

agassizii); one plant, the Hoover’s 

eriastrum (Eriastrum hooverii); and, one 

unlisted animal, the San Joaquin 

antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus 

nelsoni), should it be listed during the 

50-year term of the permit. Incidental 

take was permitted at 17 KCWMD 

facilities, including active and closed 

sanitary landfills and solid waste 

transfer stations. The total permit area 

was 2,063 acres, of which 1,151 acres of 

habitat were expected to be impacted. 

Activities covered by the original permit 

included excavation and on-going 

operation of sanitary landfills, which 

included activities that would result in: 

inadvertent burial during waste 

handling; species contact with 

potentially toxic materials, such as 

contact with contaminant-laden surface 

and subsurface leachates from in-place 

refuse and exposure to toxic gas 

emissions from in-place refuse; traffic, 

noise, lights, and other disturbance; and 

exposures to substantially elevated 

bacterial levels in decomposing refuse. 

In addition, potential for habitat loss 

and direct take of individuals at solid 

waste transfer stations was addressed. 

Amendment 1 to permit number 

830963 is needed because: (a) KCWMD 

has been given responsibility for 

remediating numerous historical ‘‘burn 

dumps’’ that were capped and 

abandoned several decades ago and 

must now be brought up to current 

regulatory standards; (b) KCWMD must 

acquire and manage large buffer zones 

around existing and new facilities; (c) 

KCWMD must expand facility capacity 

in some areas; and (d) there is a 

reasonable likelihood that additional 

species may be listed in the foreseeable 

future and would need to be addressed. 

Under Amendment 1, KCWMD 

proposes to add approximately 10,500 

to 11,000 acres to the existing 2,063-acre 

permit area. 

KCWMD is not requesting coverage 

for Hoover’s eriastrum under 

Amendment 1 as it has been delisted. 

However, KCWMD is still required to 

perform all of its obligations to protect 

and conserve Hoover’s eriastrum as 

described in the original permit. Under 

Amendment 1, KCWD proposes to 

extend the geographic scope and scope 

of permitted activities for the remaining 

5 species covered by the original permit. 

Under Amendment 1, KCWMD also 

requests coverage for 13 additional 

species that may be listed in the future: 

Le Conte’s thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei 

lecontei), short-nosed kangaroo rat 

(Dipodomys nitratoides brevinasus), San 

Joaquin pocket mouse (Perognathus 

inornatus), Mohave ground squirrel 

(Spermophilis mohavensis), Tulare 

grasshopper mouse (Onychomys 

torridus tularensis), western burrowing 

owl (Athene cunicularia), loggerhead 

shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), California 

horned lizard (Phrynosoma frontalis 

coronata), Bakersfield smallscale 

(Atriplex tularensis), lesser saltscale 

(Atriplex minuscule), Lost Hills saltbush 

(Atriplex vallicola), heartscale (Atriplex 

cordulata), and desert cymopterus 

(Cymopterus deserticola). Species may 

be added or deleted during the course 

of the development of the Amendment 

1 proposal based on further analysis, 

new information, agency consultation, 

and public comment. 

Under Amendment 1, KCWMD 

proposes to include up to 13,000 noncontiguous acres at numerous locations 

in Kern County, including the 2,063 

acres covered by the original permit. 

The boundaries of the Amendment 1 

area are generally defined as the area of 

KCWMD’s 11 active and retired waste 

facilities, transfer stations, and burn 

dumps, including a 660 to 1320-foot 

buffer zone around these facilities. The 

proposed Amendment 1 area also 

includes a number of small (1 to 40- 

acre) historical burn dumps which 

KCWMD is remediating and 

maintaining to meet current health and 

safety standards. 

Amendment 1 would address the 

following proposed covered activities: 

(a) Potential expansion of necessary 

facilities including transfer stations, 

landfills, and buffer zones; (b) 

construction of roads, drainage 

facilities, monitoring wells, temporary 

and permanent soil stockpiles, facilities 

for management of landfill gas, 

recycling facilities, waste transfer 

facilities, fences, and other operational 

facilities within the active and inactive 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 202 / Thursday, October 20, 2005 / Notices 61155 

landfill area and buffer zones; (c) longterm operation of waste facilities, 

followed by closure of those facilities 

and long-term post-closure maintenance 

of surrounding buffer areas; (d) 

remediation of burn dumps, primarily 

by re-capping and fencing; (e) 

monitoring, maintenance of facilities, 

management of dust and runoff, 

management of wind-blown trash, and 

other routine maintenance and 

management in buffer zones; and (f) the 

potential development of compatible 

facilities in buffer zones and remediated 

burn dumps (such as recycling or waste 

processing facilities, or other types of 

facilities compatible with the operation 

and zoning of sanitary landfills, transfer 

stations, and burn dumps). No new 

landfills would be sited. 

The effects of proposed covered 

activities are expected to be minimized 

and mitigated through participation in a 

conservation program that would be 

fully described in Amendment 1 to the 

original Habitat Conservation Plan. The 

focus of this proposed conservation 

program is to provide long-term 

protection of covered species by 

protecting biological communities in 

areas of high ecological value within 

Kern County. Components of the 

proposed conservation program are now 

under consideration by the Service and 

KCWMD. These components will likely 

include: avoidance and minimization 

measures, monitoring, adaptive 

management, and mitigation measures 

consisting of preservation, restoration 

and enhancement of habitat. 

Environmental Impact Statement/ 

Report 

KCWMD and the Service have 

selected Jud Monroe, Environmental 

Planning and Documentation (Monroe), 

to prepare the Draft EIS/EIR. The joint 

document will be prepared in 

compliance with NEPA and the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA). Although Monroe will prepare 

the EIS/EIR, the Service will be 

responsible for the scope and content of 

the document for NEPA purposes, and 

KCWMD will be responsible for the 

scope and content of the document for 

CEQA purposes. 

The EIS/EIR will consider the 

proposed action of amending permit 

number 830963, no action (no permit 

amendment), and a reasonable range of 

alternatives, including operational 

alternatives for KCWMD facilities that 

would involve different levels of 

incidental take from those likely to 

occur under the proposed action. A 

detailed description of the proposed 

action and alternatives will be included 

in the EIS/EIR. It is anticipated that 

several alternatives will be developed, 

which may vary by the level of 

conservation, impacts caused by the 

proposed activities, permit area, covered 

species, or a combination of these 

factors. 

The EIS/EIR will also identify 

potentially significant impacts on 

biological resources, land use, air 

quality, water quality, mineral 

resources, water resources, economics, 

and other environmental resources that 

could occur directly or indirectly with 

implementation of the proposed action 

or alternatives. For all potentially 

significant impacts, the EIS/EIR will 

identify mitigation measures, where 

feasible, to reduce these impacts to a 

level below significance. 

Environmental review of the EIS/EIR 

will be conducted in accordance with 

the requirements of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 

4321 et seq.), its implementing 

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), 

other applicable regulations, and 

Service procedures for compliance with 

those regulations. We are publishing 

this notice in accordance with Section 

1501.7 of NEPA to obtain suggestions 

and information from other agencies 

and the public on the scope of issues 

and alternatives to be addressed in the 

EIS/EIR. More specifically, we provide 

this notice: (1) To describe the proposed 

action and possible alternatives; (2) to 

advise other Federal and State agencies, 

affected Tribes, and the public of our 

intent to prepare an EIS/EIR; (3) to 

announce the initiation of a public 

scoping period; and (4) to obtain 

suggestions and information on the 

scope of issues to be included in the 

EIS/EIR. The primary purpose of the 

scoping process is to identify, rather 

than to debate, significant issues related 

to the proposed action. We invite 

written comments from interested 

parties to ensure that the full range of 

issues related to the permit request is 

identified. All comments received, 

including names and addresses, will 

become part of the official 

administrative record and may be made 

available to the public. 

Dated: October 14, 2005. 

Ken McDermond, 

Deputy Manager, California/Nevada 

Operations Office, Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. 05–20967 Filed 10–19–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[OR–027–1020–PI–020H; G–06–0004] 

Notice of Public Meetings, Steens 

Mountain Advisory Council 

AGENCY: Department of the Interior, 

Bureau of Land Management, Burns 

District Office. 

ACTION: Notice of public meetings for 

the Steens Mountain Advisory Council. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Steens 

Mountain Cooperative Management and 

Protection Act of 2000, the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976, 

and the Federal Advisory Committee 

Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the 

Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 

and the Steens Mountain Advisory 

Council will meet as indicated below. 

DATES: The Steens Mountain Advisory 

Council will meet at the Bureau of Land 

Management, Burns District Office, 

28910 Hwy 20 West, Hines, Oregon 

97738 on October 27 and 28, 2005, and 

December 8 and 9, 2005. Meetings will 

begin at 8 a.m., local time, each day and 

will end at approximately 4:30 p.m., 

local time. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Steens Mountain Advisory Council was 

appointed by the Secretary of the 

Interior on August 14, 2001, pursuant to 

the Steens Mountain Cooperative 

Management and Protection Act and 

rechartered in August 2005. The Steens 

Mountain Advisory Council’s purpose is 

to provide representative counsel and 

advice to the Bureau of Land 

Management regarding (1) new and 

unique approaches to management of 

the land within the bounds of the Steens 

Mountain Cooperative Management and 

Protection Area, (2) cooperative 

programs and incentives for landscape 

management that meet human needs, 

maintain and improve the ecological 

and economic integrity of the area, and 

(3) preparation and implementation of a 

management plan for the Steens 

Mountain Cooperative Management and 

Protection Area. 

Topics to be discussed at these 

meetings include operating protocols, 

vice-chair election, Transportation/ 

Travel Plan, North Steens Ecosystem 

Restoration Project Environmental 

Impact Statement, Wildland Juniper 

Management Area, cooperative 

management agreements, 

implementation plan, on-the-ground 

projects update, monitoring, 

nondevelopment easements, and other 

matters that may reasonably come 

before the Steens Mountain Advisory 

Council.