22832 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 83 / Friday, April 30, 2010 / Notices 

Tonopah NV 89049 

Landholding Agency: Energy 

Property Number: 41201020001 

Status: Excess 

Directions: Nellis AFB 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

New Jersey 

3 Tracts 

Delaware Water Nat’l Rec. Area 

Montague Co: Sussex NJ 07827 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020002 

Status: Unutilized 

Directions: Nos. 10839–5, 11233, and 11400 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

8 Tracts 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Walpack NJ 07881 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020003 

Status: Unutilized 

Directions: Nos. 7055–1, 7107–1, 7613, 7820– 

2, 8201, 8215–1, and 8215–2 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

Tract 603–1 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Pahaquarry Co: Warren NJ 07825 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020004 

Status: Unutilized 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

Tract 10208 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Sandyston Co: Sussex NJ 07826 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020005 

Status: Unutilized 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

Oregon 

Painted Hills Quarter 

37375 Bear Creek Rd. 

Mitchell Co: Wheeler OR 97750 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020006 

Status: Unutilized 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

Pennsylvania 

9 Tracts 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Dingmans Ferry Co: Pike PA 18328 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020007 

Status: Unutilized 

Directions: Nos. 1077, 8548, 8548-#51, 10139, 

10552, 10964, 11329, 11904, and 12104 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

3 Bldgs. 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Middle Smithfield Co: Monroe PA 18301 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020008 

Status: Unutilized 

Directions: Bldg Nos. 919, 1359, and 1522 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

Tract 7300 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Bushkill Co: Pike PA 18324 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020009 

Status: Unutilized 

Reasons: Floodway and Extensive 

deterioration 

3 Tracts 

Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Rec. Area 

Milford Co: Pike PA 18337 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020010 

Status: Unutilized 

Directions: Nos. 12415, 12424, and 12848 

Reasons: Floodway and Extensive 

deterioration 

Virginia 

Bldg. SDA–215 

Naval Support Activity 

Norfolk VA 23551 

Landholding Agency: Navy 

Property Number: 77201020006 

Status: Excess 

Reasons: Secured Area and Extensive 

deterioration 

Washington 

Watermaster’s Office 

205 N. Washington Way 

George Co: Grant WA 98848 

Landholding Agency: Interior 

Property Number: 61201020011 

Status: Unutilized 

Reasons: Extensive deterioration 

4 Bldgs. 

Naval Base 

Kitsap WA 

Landholding Agency: Navy 

Property Number: 77201020005 

Status: Unutilized 

Directions: Bldg. Nos. 499, 806, 929, and 

5436 

Reasons: Secured Area 

Land 

Maryland 

Site A: 6.2 acres 

Naval Support Activity 

Indian Head MD 20640 

Landholding Agency: Navy 

Property Number: 77201020003 

Status: Underutilized 

Reasons: Secured Area 

[FR Doc. 2010–9766 Filed 4–29–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R4–R–2009–N284; 40136–1265–0000– 

S3] 

Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife 

Refuge, Highlands and Polk Counties, 

FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability: Draft 

comprehensive conservation plan and 

environmental assessment; request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 

availability of a draft comprehensive 

conservation plan and environmental 

assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Lake 

Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge 

(NWR) for public review and comment. 

In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the 

alternative we propose to use to manage 

this refuge for the 15 years following 

approval of the final CCP. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive your written comments by 

June 1, 2010. 

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of 

the Draft CCP/EA by writing to: Mr. Bill 

Miller, Lake Wales Ridge NWR, Pelican 

Island National Wildlife Refuge 

Complex, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, 

FL 32960; telephone: 561/715–0023. 

You may also access and download the 

document from the Service’s Web site at 

http://southeast.fws.gov/planning under 

‘‘Draft Documents.’’ 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Bill Miller, Lake Wales Ridge NWR, 

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge 

Complex; telephone: 561/715–0023. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we continue the CCP 

process for Lake Wales Ridge NWR. We 

started the process through a notice in 

the Federal Register on June 20, 2008 

(73 FR 35149). For more about the 

refuge and our CCP process, please see 

that notice. 

Lake Wales Ridge NWR is a unit of 

the Merritt Island National Wildlife 

Refuge Complex (NWR Complex) and is 

administered by and co-managed with 

Pelican Island and Archie Carr National 

Wildlife Refuges, colloquially termed 

the Pelican Island National Wildlife 

Refuge Complex (NWR Complex). 

Background 

The CCP Process 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Administration Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd–668ee), as amended by the 

National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997, requires us to 

develop a CCP for each national wildlife 

refuge. The purpose for developing a 

CCP is to provide refuge managers with 

a 15-year strategy for achieving refuge 

purposes and contributing toward the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System, consistent with sound 

principles of fish and wildlife 

management, conservation, legal 

mandates, and our policies. In addition 

to outlining broad management 

direction on conserving wildlife and 

their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities 

available to the public, including 

opportunities for hunting, fishing, 

wildlife observation, wildlife 

photography, and environmental 

education and interpretation. We will 

review and update the CCP at least 


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every 15 years in accordance with the 

Administration Act. 

CCP Alternatives, Including Our 

Proposed Alternative 

We developed three alternatives for 

managing the refuge and chose 

‘‘Alternative B’’ as the proposed 

alternative. A full description of each 

alternative is in the Draft CCP/EA. We 

summarize each alternative below. 

Alternative A—Current Management 

(No Action) 

Alternative A would continue present 

management activities and programs. 

Management emphasis would continue 

to focus on maintaining existing habitats 

for rare, threatened, and endangered 

species through partnerships and 

management agreements. Primary 

management activities would continue 

to include providing infrequent and 

limited habitat management through: (1) 

Application of prescribed fire (Merritt 

Island NWR Complex provides fire 

program staff); (2) rare, threatened, and 

endangered species monitoring, 

utilizing partnerships; (3) litter and 

debris control; and (4) exotic, invasive, 

and nuisance species’ control. 

Alternative A represents the anticipated 

conditions of the refuge for the next 15 

years, assuming current funding, 

staffing, policies, programs, and 

activities continue. 

This alternative would reflect actions 

that include managing habitats for rare, 

threatened, and endangered species. 

Both Federal- and State-listed species 

are found on the refuge. Habitat 

management actions are intended to 

benefit rare, threatened, and endangered 

species, but there is limited active 

management of other species and 

habitats due to the current level of 

resources. As a result, the refuge would 

continue to rely almost entirely on the 

actions and assistance of partners and 

volunteers who conduct a wide array of 

resource management activities, 

including monitoring of key refuge 

resources. 

Management coordination would 

occur primarily between the refuge and 

the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem 

Working Group (LWREWG)—a 

consortium of Federal, State, local, and 

non-governmental land management 

organizations. The LWREWG shares 

natural area management information in 

an effort to increase the understanding 

and awareness of the Lake Wales Ridge 

ecosystem. 

Land acquisition would continue 

based on the availability of willing 

sellers within the refuge’s approved 

acquisition boundary, and where 

opportunities arise, through the 

LWREWG, or other initiatives on a caseby-case basis. Since the refuge is neither 

staffed nor funded, management 

agreements with partner agencies/ 

organizations would be a primary focus. 

The refuge would remain closed, and 

access for management purposes would 

be conducted solely through the refuge’s 

special use permit process. On a caseby-case basis, extremely limited access 

for environmental education and 

interpretation opportunities might 

occur. The refuge would actively 

support key Lake Wales Ridge 

ecosystem partner-managed lands that 

are open to public use by identifying 

and updating links to partner Web sites 

on the refuge’s official Web site. 

The refuge would remain unstaffed 

and administered through the Pelican 

Island NWR Complex. Volunteer 

activities would continue to be 

supported through the Merritt Island 

Wildlife Association and the Pelican 

Island NWR Complex staff. Partnerships 

through the LWREWG and the Service’s 

North and South Florida Ecological 

Services field offices would continue. 

The refuge would continue to 

opportunistically seek funding for 

habitat management, monitoring, and 

other program areas through alternative 

sources. 

Alternative B—Rare, Threatened, and 

Endangered Species (Proposed Action) 

This alternative expands the actions 

under Alternative A with a greater 

amount of habitat management focusing 

primarily on restoring and enhancing 

habitats to benefit the needs of rare, 

threatened, and endangered species. A 

total of 17 plants and 6 animals are 

federally listed species on the 1,842-acre 

refuge; 1 federal candidate species is 

known to occur on the refuge. Some of 

these species are protected nowhere else 

but on refuge lands. In addition, this 

endemic-rich refuge is home to at least 

33 State-listed species, including 5 plant 

and 6 animal species that are not listed 

federally. 

One key to this alternative is a 

focused effort to expand management 

activities through the implementation of 

a frequent, routine prescribed fire 

program to restore pyrogenic habitats to 

pre-fire exclusion conditions. This 

focused approach would provide for the 

restoration of a mosaic of suitable 

habitats, including xeric scrub lands, 

sandhills, open sand patches, and 

ephemeral wetlands necessary to 

maintain and expand populations of the 

refuge’s rare, threatened, and 

endangered species. This restorative 

process may exceed the 15-year life of 

the CCP for some habitats. Once pre-fire 

exclusion conditions are attained, fire 

return intervals would be adapted based 

on rare, threatened, and endangered 

species and habitat responses provided 

through fire effects monitoring. As 

habitats are restored, the refuge would 

investigate potential expansion of rare, 

threatened, or endangered species 

introduction/reintroduction projects, 

coordinating and collaborating with 

partners through the LWREWG to 

identify best management opportunities. 

This alternative would expand the 

monitoring efforts under Alternative A 

to provide additional active efforts to 

monitor rare, threatened, and 

endangered species. Monitoring efforts 

would be increased by the assistance of 

additional staff and trained volunteers, 

and through academic research. Greater 

effort would be made to recruit 

academic researchers to study and 

monitor rare, threatened, and 

endangered species. Under this 

alternative, we would increase efforts to 

control invasive and nuisance species; 

increase coordination with researchers 

and partners to investigate rare, 

threatened, and endangered species’ 

response to changing patterns of 

suitable habitats; and assume a 

leadership role in identifying the 

impacts of climate change on rare, 

threatened, and endangered species. 

This alternative would continue 

pursuing completion of the acquisition 

boundary, based on the availability of 

willing sellers, and prioritizing 

acquisition efforts on unprotected, 

undeveloped inholdings where threats 

of habitat loss and constraints to habitat 

management are greatest. We would 

evaluate a variety of land protection and 

conservation measures, including land 

swaps, to protect high-quality 

properties. 

Expanding public awareness and 

support for the refuge and partnermanaged lands of the Lake Wales Ridge 

ecosystem would be an important 

component of this alternative. Even 

though the refuge would remain closed 

to visitor use, we would implement a 

range of visitor service opportunities 

(e.g., environmental education and 

interpretation, and wildlife observation 

and photography), which would be 

controlled through an approval process. 

We would implement guided tours 

provided by Service staff or Service 

partners on a case-by-case basis and 

permitted through our special use 

permit process. In addition, we would 

develop and conduct an annual refuge 

day where guided tours, information, 

and refuge awareness through 

community outreach would be 

provided. Updated messages on both the 

refuge’s Web site and brochure would 

be provided, focusing on the needs of 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1
22834 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 83 / Friday, April 30, 2010 / Notices 

rare, threatened, and endangered 

species. Further, we would work with 

partners to incorporate these messages 

in information distributed by them. 

We would increase involvement with 

governmental and non-governmental 

partners through the LWREWG and 

would be positioned to increase Service 

presence with other partner 

organizations when opportunities arise. 

Coordination with both the North and 

South Florida Ecological Services field 

offices for funding and recovery 

direction would be expanded to 

optimize listed species management. 

Opportunities to build additional 

support through the Merritt Island 

Wildlife Association, Pelican Island 

Preservation Society, and Friends of the 

Carr Refuge would increase. 

The refuge would gain staff to fulfill 

the goals, objectives, and strategies 

identified in the CCP, and staff would 

be situated to manage all day-to-day 

operations. The Lake Wales Ridge NWR 

is presently administered remotely and 

has no dedicated staff or budget. The 

refuge is approximately 130 miles from 

fire management support (Merritt Island 

NWR Complex) and approximately 100 

miles from its Pelican Island NWR 

Complex management team. This 

situation considerably challenges all 

day-to-day operations and management 

necessary to provide for the needs of 

rare, threatened, and endangered 

species and the habitats they occupy. 

This alternative would propose a 

5-member staff, including a wildlife 

refuge specialist (assistant refuge 

manager), a private lands biologist, a 

botanist/biologist, a biological science 

technician, and a fire/forestry 

technician to manage refuge programs 

and provide a Service presence 

currently lacking in the Lake Wales 

Ridge system of naturally managed 

lands. The proposed staff would be in 

close proximity to refuge lands in order 

to manage day-to-day operations. To 

support operations and maintenance, 

we would enter into memoranda of 

understanding or other agreements with 

partners and/or secure independent 

spaces for equipment storage, 

operational functions, and 

administrative needs. This alternative 

would bolster management by 

investigating opportunities to enter into 

management agreements and other 

options with partner land management 

agencies and organizations, enabling 

partner management of Service 

properties in accordance with the CCP, 

subsequent step-down plans, and 

Service policies. We would continue to 

share facilities, equipment, utilities, and 

staff with Pelican Island and Archie 

Carr National Wildlife Refuges. The 

Merritt Island NWR Complex would 

continue to provide fire program staff. 

Alternative C—Wildlife and Habitat 

Diversity 

This alternative would serve the 

needs of key rare, threatened, and 

endangered species on the refuge, but 

within the larger context of wildlife and 

habitat diversity. Under this alternative, 

focused efforts utilizing prescribed fire 

to restore habitats to pre-fire exclusion 

conditions would be proposed, targeting 

the needs of a wide array of native 

wildlife and habitats to benefit the 

larger Lake Wales Ridge and central 

Florida landscape. We would continue 

to support recovery efforts of key listed 

species and expand efforts to provide 

opportunities targeting the needs of 

neotropical migratory birds, resident 

birds, wading and water birds, 

shorebirds, raptors, cavity-dependent 

species, and other resident species. 

Habitats where pines dominate the 

overstory would be managed to provide 

more pine stems per acre to promote 

habitat for cavity-dependent birds. 

Understory, shrub, and canopy 

vegetation would be managed to provide 

for a diversity of wildlife, and snag 

development would be encouraged to 

provide cavities and perch sites and to 

promote insect development. Where 

appropriate, burn frequencies would be 

reduced to provide for the production of 

saw palmetto for use as forage by 

wildlife, including the Florida black 

bear. We would investigate management 

opportunities with the Atlantic Coast 

Joint Venture and would support 

management of migratory birds. 

Through partnerships, we would 

conduct wading and water bird surveys 

to better understand our management 

role at the landscape level. Management 

to protect important habitat and wildlife 

corridors would increase under this 

alternative and invasive and nuisance 

species control efforts would expand. 

This alternative would expand the 

monitoring efforts under Alternative A. 

Monitoring of neotropical migratory and 

resident birds in addition to other 

resident species would occur. 

Monitoring efforts would be increased 

by the assistance of additional staff and 

trained volunteers, and through 

academic research. We would take a 

leadership role in identifying the 

impacts of climate change on refuge 

resources, coordinating with researchers 

and partners to investigate species 

response to changing patterns of 

suitable habitats. 

Under this alternative, the refuge 

would remain closed to visitor use 

except for limited and guided 

environmental education and 

interpretation and wildlife observation 

and photography opportunities by 

Service staff or volunteers and partners. 

Education, interpretation, and outreach 

messages would focus on the 

importance of the refuge in the 

landscape, and would include listed 

species as key topics. Further, we would 

work with the partners to incorporate 

applicable messages into their visitor 

activities and signage. We would 

develop and conduct an annual refuge 

day to promote refuge awareness. This 

alternative would seek to expand 

partnerships and would work with the 

partners, including the LWREWG 

environmental education subcommittee, 

to expand environmental education and 

interpretation opportunities on refuge 

lands. 

As under Alternative B, we would 

gain staff to be located locally to manage 

all day-to-day operations of the refuge. 

This alternative would propose a 4- 

member staff, including a wildlife 

refuge specialist (assistant refuge 

manager), a private lands biologist, a 

botanist/biologist, and a fire/forestry 

technician. To support operations and 

maintenance, we would enter into 

memoranda of understanding or other 

agreements with the partners and/or 

secure independent spaces for 

equipment storage, operational 

functions, and refuge administrative 

needs. This alternative also would 

bolster management by investigating 

opportunities to enter into management 

agreements and other options with 

partner land management agencies and 

organizations, enabling partner 

management of Service properties in 

accordance with the CCP, subsequent 

step-down plans, and Service policies. 

We would continue to share facilities, 

equipment, utilities, and staff with 

Pelican Island and Archie Carr National 

Wildlife Refuges. The Merritt Island 

NWR Complex would continue to 

provide fire program staff. 

Next Step 

After the comment period ends, we 

will analyze the comments and address 

them. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Before including your address, phone 

number, e-mail address, or other 

personal identifying information in your 

comment, you should be aware that 

your entire comment, including your 

personal identifying information, may 

be made publicly available at any time. 

While you can ask us in your comment 

to withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 83 / Friday, April 30, 2010 / Notices 22835 

Authority 

This notice is published under the 

authority of the National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement Act of 

1997, Public Law 105–57. 

Dated: February 18, 2010. 

Jon Andrew, 

Acting Regional Director. 

[FR Doc. 2010–10117 Filed 4–29–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R8–ES–2010–N087; 1112–0000– 

81440–F2] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Permits, Santa Cruz 

County, CA 

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), have received 

applications from William Menchine 

and Alicia Stanton and the San Lorenzo 

Valley Water District (applicants) for 

incidental take permits under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (Act). We are considering 

issuing permits that would authorize the 

applicants’ take of the Federally 

endangered Mount Hermon June beetle 

(Polyphylla barbata) incidental to 

otherwise lawful activities that would 

result in the permanent loss of 0.05 acre 

(2,182 square feet (sq ft)) of Mount 

Hermon June beetle habitat near Santa 

Cruz, Santa Cruz County, California. We 

invite comments from the public on the 

applications, which include Habitat 

Conservation Plans (HCPs) that fully 

describe the proposed projects and 

measures the applicants would 

undertake to minimize and mitigate 

anticipated take of the species. We also 

invite comments on our preliminary 

determination that the HCPs qualify as 

‘‘low-effect’’ plans, eligible for 

categorical exclusions under the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) of 1969, as amended. We 

explain the basis for this determination 

in our draft Environmental Action 

Statements and associated Low-Effect 

Screening Forms, both of which are also 

available for review. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, please 

send your written comments by June 1, 

2010. 

ADDRESSES: You may download a copy 

of the permit applications, plans, and 

related documents on the Internet at 

http://www.fws.gov/ventura/, or you 

may request documents by U.S. mail or 

phone (see below). Please address 

written comments to Diane K. Noda, 

Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and 

Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, 

Ventura, CA 93003. You may 

alternatively send comments by 

facsimile to (805) 644–3958. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jen 

Lechuga, HCP Coordinator, at the 

Ventura address above, or by telephone 

at (805) 644–1766, extension 224. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Mount Hermon June beetle was 

listed as endangered on January 24, 

1997 (62 FR 3616). Section 9 of the Act 

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and our 

implementing Federal regulations in the 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 

CFR part 17 prohibit the ‘‘take’’ of fish 

or wildlife species listed as endangered 

or threatened. Take of listed fish or 

wildlife is defined under the Act as ‘‘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). However, 

under limited circumstances, we issue 

permits to authorize incidental take (i.e., 

take that is incidental to, and not the 

purpose of, the carrying out of an 

otherwise lawful activity). Regulations 

governing incidental take permits for 

threatened and endangered species are 

at 50 CFR 17.32 and 17.22, respectively. 

The Act’s take prohibitions do not apply 

to Federally listed plants on private 

lands unless such take would violate 

State law. In addition to meeting other 

criteria, an incidental take permit’s 

proposed actions must not jeopardize 

the existence of Federally listed fish, 

wildlife, or plants. 

Reconstruction of the home’s failing 

foundation and construction of a 

retaining wall for the Menchine HCP 

would take place within a 0.44-acre 

parcel (APN 060–361–03) located at 6 

Lyle Way near the city of Santa Cruz, 

Santa Cruz County, California. The 

parcel contains Zayante sand soils and 

vegetation consisting primarily of 

landscaping. The parcel is presumed to 

be occupied by the Mount Hermon June 

beetle, as the species is known to occur 

approximately 650 feet to the north of 

the property. Implementation of the 

project would result in impacts to a total 

of 0.05 acre (1,993 sq ft) of habitat for 

the Mount Hermon June beetle. Impacts 

would result in the permanent loss of 

0.04 acre (1,543 sq ft) and the temporary 

loss of 0.01 acre (450 sq ft) of Mount 

Hermon June beetle habitat. The 

Menchines propose to implement the 

following measures to minimize and 

mitigate for the loss of Mount Hermon 

June beetle habitat within the permit 

area: (1) Applicants will purchase 0.05 

acre (1,993 sq ft) of conservation credits 

at the Ben Lomond Sandhills Preserve 

of the Zayante Sandhills Conservation 

Bank, operated by PCO, LLC; (2) a 

qualified biologist will oversee 

construction and provide worker 

training on the Mount Hermon June 

beetle and requirements of the HCP; (3) 

temporary fencing will be installed to 

demarcate the impact area from the 

remainder of the property; (4) any life 

stages of the Mount Hermon June beetle 

will be captured and relocated if one is 

observed in an area that would be 

impacted; (5) dust control measures will 

be implemented to reduce impacts to 

the Mount Hermon June beetle and its 

habitat; (6) the 0.01-acre (450-sq-ft) area 

of temporary habitat disturbance will be 

revegetated with native Sandhills plant 

species; and (7) all exposed soils will be 

covered with impermeable material if 

construction occurs during the species’ 

flight season. 

The Menchine HCP considers three 

alternatives to the taking of Mount 

Hermon June beetle. The No Action 

alternative would maintain current 

conditions, the project would not be 

implemented, and an incidental take 

permit application would not be 

submitted to the Service. The second 

alternative would involve a redesign of 

the project. The project would be 

reduced in scale under this alternative; 

however, is not practical, as the home’s 

foundation requires repair, and a 

retaining wall is necessary for slope 

stabilization. The third alternative is the 

proposed action, which includes issuing 

an incidental take permit to the 

applicants, who would then implement 

the HCP. 

Construction of a pump house and 

pipeline for the Man ̃ ana Woods HCP 

would take place primarily at 140 Elena 

Court (APN 067–081–55), a 10.6-acre 

parcel, with a small portion crossing 

through 324 Blueberry Drive (APN 067– 

081–41), a 1.8-acre parcel. Both parcels 

are located just southwest of the City of 

Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, 

California. The applicant has received 

authorization from the two landowners 

to implement the project on private 

land. Both parcels contain Zayante sand 

soils with vegetation consisting of 

native and nonnative plant species and 

mixed evergreen forest. The parcels are 

presumed to be occupied by the Mount 

Hermon June beetle, as the species is 

known to occur at several locations 

within 0.75 mile of the project area. 

The Man ̃ ana Woods project would 

result in impacts to a total of 0.05 acre 


wwoods2 on DSK1DXX6B1PROD with NOTICES_PART 1