Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices 6033

Alabama, in Baldwin and Mobile 

Counties. The refuge is divided into five 

separate management units along the 

Fort Morgan Peninsula and Little 

Dauphin Island. Although the refuge 

was established in 1980, to date, only 

6,978 acres have been acquired within 

the acquisition boundary totaling 

approximately 12,570 acres, including 

the 575 acres leased from the State of 

Alabama. The Service has management 

jurisdiction along the shoreline above 

mean high tide except on Little Dauphin 

Island, which contains 560 acres of 

submerged bottoms. The potential 

wildlife habitat values of beach/dune, 

maritime forest, and estuarine habitats 

provided the impetus to purchase the 

properties. 

Management efforts since 1985 have 

emphasized acquiring land, securing 

staff to operate the refuge, and initiating 

conservation programs that benefit 

endangered wildlife species. However, 

Service acquisition of key properties, 

such as inholdings and beach/dune 

habitat, may not be realized within the 

15-year planning period due to budget 

constraints and landowner preferences. 

The five units within the acquisition 

boundary have a significant ‘‘edge,’’

which contributes to the predation of 

birds, sea turtles, and beach mice. Edge 

effect is the tendency of a transitional 

zone between communities to support 

more species and higher population 

densities than any of the surrounding 

communities. 

Current conservation management 

projects for the refuge include: 

recruiting and training staff and 

improving existing facilities; managing 

habitats to reduce the threats and 

problems associated with species of 

concern; acquiring land to complete 

refuge boundaries; assisting in sea turtle 

and Alabama beach mouse recovery; 

and defining research within the beach/

dune area and involving partners and 

volunteers to accomplish this research.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Cail, Refuge Manager, Bon 

Secour National Wildlife Refuge, 

telephone: 251/540–7720; fax: 251/540–

7301, or mail (write to Refuge Manager 

at address in ADDRESSES section).

Authority: This notice is published under 

the authority of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Improvement Act of 1997, Pub. L. 

105–57.

Dated: January 6, 2005. 

Cynthia K. Dohner, 

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 05–2182 Filed 2–3–02; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Preparation of an Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Joint Water 

Agency Natural Communities 

Conservation Plan (NCCP): 

Subregional Plan and Subarea Plans, 

San Diego, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 

advises the public that we intend to 

gather information necessary to prepare, 

in coordination with the Joint Water 

Agency (consisting of Helix Water 

District, Padre Dam Municipal Water 

District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, and 

the Sweetwater Authority) (hereafter 

collectively referred to as the 

Applicants), a joint Environmental 

Impact Statement/Environmental 

Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for a Natural 

Communities Conservation Program 

Subregional Plan (SRP) and three 

Subarea Plans (SAPs). The combination 

of the Joint Water Agency SRP and 

individual SAPs would serve as a 

multiple species Habitat Conservation 

Plan under Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 

Federal Endangered Species Act, as 

amended in 1982 (ESA). 

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 and 

alternatives to be included in the EIS/

EIR.

DATES: Public scoping meetings will be 

held on: Tuesday, February 8, 2005 from 

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, 

February 9, 2005 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

Written comments should be received 

on or before March 7, 2005.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be 

held at the following locations: (1) 

Tuesday, February 8, 2005, at the 

Sweetwater Authority Reynolds 

Desalination Facility, 3066 North 

Second Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91912; 

and (2) Wednesday, February 9, 2005, at 

the Padre Dam Municipal Water District 

Board Room, 10887 Woodside Avenue, 

Santee, CA 92072. 

Information, written comments, or 

questions related to the preparation of 

the EIS/EIR and NEPA process should 

be submitted to Erin Fernandez, Fish 

and Wildlife Biologist, Carlsbad Fish 

and Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley 

Road, Carlsbad, California 92009 

(facsimile 760–431–5902).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Erin 

Fernandez at (760) 431–9440.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Reasonable Accommodation 

Persons needing reasonable 

accommodations in order to attend and 

participate in the public meeting should 

contact Erin Fernandez as soon as 

possible (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT). In order to allow sufficient 

time to process requests, please call no 

later than 1 week before the public 

meeting. Information regarding this 

proposed action is available in 

alternative formats upon request. 

Background 

Section 9 of the Federal ESA (16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and Federal 

regulations prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of a fish 

or wildlife species listed as endangered 

or threatened. Under the ESA, the 

following activities are defined as take: 

harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, 

wound, kill, trap, capture or collect 

listed animal species, or attempt to 

engage in such conduct (16 U.S.C. 

1538). However, under section 10(a) of 

the ESA, we may issue permits to 

authorize ‘‘incidental take’’ of listed 

species. ‘‘Incidental take’’ is defined by 

the ESA as take that is incidental to, and 

not the purpose of, carrying out an 

otherwise lawful activity. Regulations 

governing permits for threatened species 

and endangered species, respectively, 

are at 50 CFR 17.32 and 50 CFR 17.22. 

Take of listed plant species is not 

prohibited under the ESA and cannot be 

authorized under a section 10 permit. 

We propose to include plant species on 

the permit in recognition of the 

conservation benefits provided for them 

under the plan. 

The purpose of the EIS/EIR is to 

analyze the impacts of the proposed 

implementation of the SRP and three 

SAPs. The Federal need for the SRP and 

three SAPs is to meet the criteria for 

incidental take authorization of species 

on the covered species list. 

The proposed SRP would 

comprehensively address how 

participating water agencies will 

manage their lands to conserve natural 

habitats and species while continuing to 

provide their mandated water services 

to the public. The proposed SRP would 

serve as an ‘‘umbrella document’’ to 

guide the preparation of Natural 

Communities Conservation Program 

subarea plans by each participating 

water agency. The combination of the 

6034 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 23 / Friday, February 4, 2005 / Notices 

Joint Water Agency SRP and individual 

SAPs would serve as a multiple species 

Habitat Conservation Plan under 

Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Federal ESA.

The Service and the California 

Department of Fish and Game may issue 

take authorization permits for 

individual SAPs with conditions or 

modifications. The proposed SRP would 

consist of several key components 

including an implementation process 

and structure, preserve management 

guidelines, and a covered species list. A 

total of 80 species are proposed for 

coverage under the SRP. The proposed 

SRP would strive to anticipate and 

cover the effects on biological resources 

of all currently foreseeable actions of the 

participating water agencies over the 

next 75 years. The proposed SRP would 

address the following groups of 

foreseeable projects and covered 

actions: facilities operation and 

maintenance, planned or conceptual 

projects, and potential future projects. 

The proposed planning area 

encompasses approximately 8,600 acres 

(13.5 square miles) of land in northern, 

eastern, and southern San Diego County 

cumulatively owned by the 

participating water agencies. These 

lands are located in the unincorporated 

County area, and in the cities of Santee, 

El Cajon, La Mesa, and Chula Vista. In 

general, ownerships consist of land used 

directly for water production, 

collection, storage, treatment, and 

distribution as well as easements used 

primarily for water and wastewater 

distribution pipelines. These facilities 

consist of open water reservoirs, water 

tanks, water, reclaimed water, and 

wastewater treatment plants, pump 

stations, pipelines, and access roads. In 

addition, the agencies also have 

maintenance trails and roadways, 

maintenance yards, and sedimentation 

ponds. In some situations, watershed 

protection lands provide recreational 

facilities, including camp grounds, golf 

courses, boat docks and ramps, fishing 

piers, hiking trails, and interpretive 

signage. These lands are operated in 

cooperation with other agencies such as 

the County and City of San Diego. 

Components of the proposed 

conservation program are now under 

consideration by the Service and the 

Applicants. 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/

Environmental Impact Report 

The Applicants, the Service, and the 

California Department of Fish and Game 

have selected A.D. Hinshaw Associates 

to prepare the Draft EIS/EIR. The joint 

document will be prepared in 

compliance with NEPA and the 

California Environmental Quality Act 

(CEQA). Although A.D. Hinshaw 

Associates will prepare the EIS/EIR, the 

Service will be responsible for the scope 

and content of the document for NEPA 

purposes, and the Sweetwater Authority 

will be responsible for the scope and 

content of the EIR for CEQA purposes. 

The EIS/EIR will consider the 

proposed action (i.e., the issuance of a 

section 10(a)(1)(B) permit under the 

Federal ESA), and a reasonable range of 

alternatives. 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. Additionally, a No Action 

alternative will be considered. Under 

the No Action alternative, the Service 

would not issue a section 10(a)(1)(B) 

permit. 

The EIS/EIR will also identify 

potentially significant impacts on 

biological resources, recreation, and 

other environmental issues that could 

occur directly or indirectly with 

implementation of the proposed action 

and 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 1500–1508), other 

applicable regulations, and Service 

procedures for compliance with those 

regulations. This notice is being 

furnished in accordance with 40 CFR 

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. The primary purpose of the 

scoping process is to identify important 

issues raised by the public, related to 

the proposed action. Written comments 

from interested parties are invited to 

ensure that the full range of issues 

related to the proposed action is 

identified. While written comments are 

encouraged, we will accept both written 

and oral comments at the public 

meeting. In addition, you may submit 

written comments by mail or facsimile 

transmission (see ADDRESSES). All 

comments received, including names 

and addresses, will become part of the 

official administrative record, and may 

be made available to the public.

Dated: January 31, 2005. 

Ken McDermond, 

Deputy Manager, California/Nevada 

Operations Office, Sacramento, California.

[FR Doc. 05–2141 Filed 2–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[MT–020–05–1610–DO–036E] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Resource 

Management Plan Revision and 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

Eastern Montana

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior, Montana, Miles City Field 

Office.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

Resource Management Plan Revision 

and Environmental Impact Statement 

for Eastern Montana, initiate public 

scoping and request comments on 

Planning Criteria. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701), as 

amended; the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321), as 

amended; and the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), 

the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

will revise two Resource Management 

Plans (RMPs) by combining the Powder 

River and Big Dry RMPs (to be called 

the ‘‘Miles City Field Office RMP’’) and 

preparing an Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) to evaluate the effects of 

land and mineral management options. 

The RMP and EIS are scheduled for 

completion by December 2007.

DATES: Written and electronic comments 

on the scope of the RMP, preliminary 

issues, and planning criteria may be 

submitted for 30 days from the date of 

this notice. Public scoping meetings will 

be held in Ashland, Baker, Broadus, 

Glendive, Jordan, Miles City, Terry, 

Billings and Sidney, Montana. Meeting 

locations and dates for each town will 

be announced through local news 

media, newsletters and the BLM public 

outreach Web site http://

www.mt.blm.gov/mcfo/.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the following methods: 

Web site: http://milescityrmp.com.

Mail: ‘‘Miles City RMP Comments’’, 

P.O. Box 219, Miles City, MT 59301–

0219. 

Fax: (918) 382–7582.