Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 37 / Friday, February 24, 1995 / Notices 10399

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. N–95–3862; FR–3846–N–03]

Funding Availability for Fiscal Year

1995 for Innovative Project Funding

Under the Innovative Homeless

Initiatives Demonstration Program;

Notice of Waiver

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of waiver.

SUMMARY: This notice announces a

waiver, granted by the Secretary, of the

minimum 30-day application period

required under section 102(a) of the

HUD Reform Act for the Innovative

Homeless Initiatives Demonstration,

which was announced in the Federal

Register notice, published on January

25, 1995 (60 FR 4996). A notice

extending the deadline for applications

was published in the Federal Register

on January 27, 1995 (60 FR 5434).

DATES: February 24, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David Pollack, Director, Program

Development Division, Office of Special

Needs Assistance Programs, Office of

Community Planning and Development,

Department of Housing and Urban

Development, 451 Seventh Street SW.,

Room 7262, Washington, DC 20410.

Telephone (202) 708–1234 (voice) or

(202) 708–9300 or 1–800–877–8339

(only the 800 number is a toll-free

number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

102(a) of the HUD Reform Act (42 U.S.C.

3545(a)) sets out the requirements for

notice to the public regarding assistance

available from HUD. Section 102(a)(3)

requires Federal Register publication of

selection criteria not less than 30 days

before the deadline for applications or

requests for assistance. On January 25,

1995, the Department announced the

availability of $25 million in funds

under the Innovative Homeless

Initiatives Demonstration Program,

which was authorized by the HUD

Demonstration Act of 1993 (Pub.L. 103–

120, approved October 27, 1993). The

January 25, 1995 notice (NOFA)

announced that all applications

received at HUD Headquarters, Office of

Community Planning and Development,

at the address shown in the Addresses

section of the January 25, 1995 NOFA

by 6 p.m. local time on February 6,

1995, would be considered for funding.

In a notice published in the Federal

Register on January 27, 1995 (60 FR

5434), the application deadline date was

extended until 6:00 p.m. local time on

February 13, 1995, with the same

requirements as listed above. The time

period was less than the 30-day

minimum application requirement

under section 102(a)(3).

Section 102(a)(5) of the Reform Act

permits the Secretary to waive the

minimum 30-day application period ‘‘if

the Secretary determines that the waiver

is required for appropriate response to

an emergency.’’ The Secretary is also

required to publish, in the Federal

Register, his reasons for granting such a

waiver.

The Department established a short

application period for this NOFA in an

effort to make funding quickly available

to applicants who are in need of funding

to assist homeless persons, especially

during this time when harsh weather

conditions necessitate greater and more

immediate assistance to homeless

persons. The Secretary determined that

the continuing tragedy of homelessness,

the desperate need for innovative

solutions, the availability of funding

under the Innovative Homeless

Initiatives Demonstration, the

unprecedented demand for assistance

from HUD to fight homelessness, and

the harsh weather conditions, when

considered in combination, demonstrate

that an emergency existed that justified

the granting of a waiver of the 30-day

application period required under

section 102 of the HUD Reform Act.

Dated: February 21, 1995.

Henry G. Cisneros,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 95–4628 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–32–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

Meeting of ‘‘Exxon Valdez’’ Oil Spill

Public Advisory Group

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Department of the

Interior, Office of the Secretary is

announcing a public meeting of the

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory

Group to be held on Thursday and

Friday, March 23–24, 1995, at 8:30 a.m.

in the first floor conference room, 645

‘‘G’’ Street, Anchorage, Alaska.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Douglas Mutter, Department of the

Interior, Office of Environmental Policy

and Compliance, 1689 ‘‘C’’ Street, Suite

119, Anchorage, Alaska, (907) 271–

5011.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Public Advisory Group was created by

Paragraph V.A.4 of the Memorandum of

Agreement and Consent Decree entered

into by the United States of America

and the State of Alaska on August 27,

1991 and approved by the United States

District Court for the District of Alaska

in settlement of United States of

America v. State of Alaska, Civil Action

No. A91–081 CV. The agenda will

include the orientation of new Public

Advisory Group members, the review of

habitat protection efforts, the review of

restoration activities, and discussion of

long-range restoration science planning.

Dated: February 17, 1995.

Willie R. Taylor,

Director, Office of Environmental Policy and

Compliance.

[FR Doc. 95–4632 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–RG–M

Fish and Wildlife Service

Finding of No Significant Impact for an

Incidental Take Permit for the

Proposed Barton Creek Property

Development, Southwest of Austin,

Travis County, TX

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) has prepared an

Environmental Assessment for issuance

of a Section 10(a)(1)(B) permit for the

incidental take of the Federally

endangered golden-cheeked warbler

(Dendroica chrysoparia) during the

construction and operation of a

residential/commercial development in

southwest Travis County, Texas.

Proposed Action

The proposed action is the issuance of

a permit under Section 10(a)(1)(2) of the

Endangered Species Act to authorize the

incidental take of the golden-cheeked

warbler.

The Applicant plans to construct

single-family, multi-family, and villa

residences and commercial

development on 4,684 acres southwest

of Austin, Travis Country, Texas. The

proposed development will comply

with all local, State, and Federal

environmental regulations addressing

environmental impacts associated with

this type of development. Details of the

mitigation are provided in the FM

Properties Operating Company

(Applicant) Barton Creek Property

development Environmental

Assessment/Habitat Conservation Plan.

Guarantees for implementation are

provided in the Implementing

Agreement and Habitat Maintenance

Agreement. These conservation plan

actions ensure that the criteria
10400 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 37 / Friday, February 24, 1995 / Notices

established for issuance of an incidental

take permit will be fully satisfied.

Alternatives Considered

1. Proposed action,

2. No action,

3. Alternate project design,

4. Wait for the City of Austin’s Regional

Conservation Plan.

Determination

Based upon information contained in

the Environmental Assessment/Habitat

Conservation Plan, the Service has

determined that this action is not a

major Federal action which would

significantly affect the quality of the

human environment with the meaning

of Section 102(2)(c) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Accordingly, the preparation of an

Environmental Impact Statement on the

proposed action is not warranted.

It is my decision to issue the Section

10(a)(1)(B) permit for the construction

and operation of the Barton Creek

Property development, southwest of

Austin, Travis County, Texas.

John G. Rogers,

Regional Director, Region 2, Albuquerque,

New Mexico.

[FR Doc. 95–4541 Filed 2–23–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

Availability of an Environmental

Assessment and an Application for an

Incidental Take Permit to Implement

the Red-cockaded Woodpecker ‘‘Safe

Harbor’’ Program in the Sandhills

Region of North Carolina

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service’s (Service) Red-cockaded

Woodpecker Recovery Coordinator

(Applicant) is seeking an incidental take

permit pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (Act). The permit would

authorize the take of the federally

endangered red-cockaded woodpecker

Picoides borealis (RCW) at some point

in the future, incidental to such lawful

activities as timber harvesting,

residential development, etc., on private

and other public land (excluding

Federal land and the Sandhills Game

Lands, which are managed by the North

Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission) in the six-county

Sandhills Region of North Carolina.

Specifically, the plan area boundary

includes land south of N.C. Highway

24/27 in Moore County; east of U.S.

Highway 220 and north of U.S. Highway

74 in Richmond County; north of U.S.

Highways 74 and 401 in Scotland

County; north of U.S. Highway 401 in

Hoke County; west of Interstate 95 in

Cumberland County; and south of N.C.

Highway 27 and west of U.S. Highway

401 in Harnett County. The permit

would authorize incidental take only on

land that is enrolled in the proposed

‘‘safe harbor’’ program, which is

described in the Supplementary

Information Section below.

The Service also announces the

availability of an environmental

assessment (EA) and habitat

conservation plan (HCP) for the

incidental take application. Copies of

the EA or HCP may be obtained by

making a request to the Regional Office

address below. This notice also advises

the public that the Service has made a

preliminary determination that issuing

the incidental take permit is not a major

Federal action significantly affecting the

quality of the human environment

within the meaning of Section 102(2)(C)

of the National Environmental Policy

Act of 1969, as amended. The Finding

of No Significant Impact is based on

information contained in the EA and

HCP. The final determination will be

made no sooner than 30 days from the

date of this notice. This notice is

provided pursuant to Section 10(c) of

the Act and National Environmental

Policy Act Regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

DATES: Written comments on the permit

application, EA, and HCP should be

sent to the Regional Permit Coordinator

in Atlanta, Georgia, at the address

shown below and should be received on

or before March 27, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application, HCP, and EA may

obtain a copy by writing the Service’s

Southeast Regional Office, 1875 Century

Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia 30345.

Documents will also be available for

public inspection by appointment

during normal business hours at the

Regional Office; the Sandhills Field

Office in Southern Pines, North

Carolina; or the Asheville, North

Carolina, Field Office. Written data or

comments concerning the application,

EA, or HCP should be submitted to the

Regional Office. Please reference permit

number PRT–798839 in such comments.

Regional Permit Coordinator, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, 1875 Century

Boulevard, Suite 210, Atlanta, Georgia

30345 (Telephone 404/679–7110, Fax

404/679–7280).

Sandhills RCW Biologist, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 119, 225 N.

Bennett Street, Southern Pines, North

Carolina 28388 (Telephone/Fax 910/

695–3323).

Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 330 Ridgefield Court,

Asheville, North Carolina 28806

(Telephone 704/665–1195, Fax 704/

665–2782).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Mark Cantrell at the Sandhills Redcockaded Woodpecker Field Office in

Southern Pines, North Carolina; Ms.

Janice Nicholls at the Asheville Field

Office, Asheville, North Carolina; or Mr.

Rick G. Gooch at the Southeast Regional

Office, Atlanta, Georgia.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Sandhills area of North Carolina

supports one of the largest remaining

populations of federally endangered

red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCWs) in

the nation and is identified in the RCW

recovery plan as 1 of the 15 populations

across the species’ range that must be

viable in order to recover the species.

Unlike the other 14 recovery

populations, however, a significant

portion (approximately 30 percent) of

the Sandhills RCW groups known are on

private land and could potentially

contribute to a Sandhills recovery

population. RCWs on private land in the

Sandhills have declined significantly

over the past decade. Thus, the recovery

of the RCW in the Sandhills is likely to

be influenced significantly by the land

management decisions of private

landowners.

The Service and several other

agencies/organizations are working

cooperatively to develop an overall

conservation strategy for the Sandhills

RCW population and the longleaf pine

ecosystem. One component of this

strategy is a habitat conservation plan

that will implement the proposed ‘‘safe

harbor’’ program. The Service

recognizes that landowners presently

have no legal or economic incentive to

undertake proactive management

actions, such as hardwood midstory

removal, prescribed burning, or

protecting future cavity trees, that will

benefit and help recover the RCW.

Indeed, landowners actually have a

disincentive to undertake these actions

because of land use limitations that

could result if their management

activities attract RCWs. However, some

Sandhills landowners may be willing to

take or permit actions that would

benefit the RCW on their property if the

possibility of future land use limitations

could be reduced or eliminated.

Thus, the Service is proposing the

‘‘safe harbor’’ program, which is

designed to encourage voluntary RCW

habitat restoration or enhancement

activities by relieving a landowner who

enters into a cooperative agreement with

the Service from any additional