26882 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 106 / Thursday, June 4, 2009 / Notices 

TABLE C—INFLATION RATES (CURRENT AND LOCKED-IN) 

[Derived from BEA data] 

Calendar year 

Implicit price deflator 

for GDP 

(base = 1996) 

Implicit price deflator 

for GDP 

(base = 2000) 

Current annual 

inflation rate 

Locked-in 

annual 

inflation rate 

1994 ............................................................................................. 96.01 .................................. ........................ ........................

1995 ............................................................................................. 98.10 .................................. ........................ ........................

1996 ............................................................................................. 100.00 .................................. ........................ ........................

1997 ............................................................................................. 101.95 .................................. ........................ ........................

1998 ............................................................................................. 103.20 .................................. ........................ ........................

1999 ............................................................................................. 104.65 .................................. ........................ ........................

2000 ............................................................................................. 107.04 100.00 ........................ ........................

2001 ............................................................................................. .................................. 102.40 2.4 2.2 

2002 ............................................................................................. .................................. 104.19 1.7 1.1 

2003 ............................................................................................. .................................. 106.40 2.1 1.7 

2004 ............................................................................................. .................................. 109.46 2.9 2.1 

2005 ............................................................................................. .................................. 113.03 3.3 2.8 

2006 ............................................................................................. .................................. 116.68 3.2 2.9 

2007 ............................................................................................. .................................. 119.82 2.7 2.7 

2008 ............................................................................................. .................................. 122.42 2.2 2.2 

4. Because price thresholds are fixed 

for previous years, the current inflation 

rate displayed on the BEA Web site (see 

Table C above) may not correspond 

precisely to the rate MMS employed to 

calculate previous price thresholds. For 

example, the GDP deflator posted on the 

BEA Web site in March 2008 shows an 

inflation rate for 2004 of 2.9 percent. 

However, back in March 2005, when the 

2004 price threshold was locked in, the 

BEA Web site showed an inflation rate 

of 2.1 percent, which MMS used in a 

change for the deepwater oil price 

threshold for most leases, as shown in 

the first column of the Deepwater Table 

on the Web site, from $32.81/bbl in 

2003 to $33.50/bbl in 2004. The figures 

that were shown on the BEA Web site 

in March of each year were used to 

make the adjustments in the price 

thresholds from year to year. Rounding 

explains any remaining small 

differences between calculated lockedin inflation rates and those rates 

depicted on the MMS Web site. 

Therefore, to replicate the calculation 

for previous price thresholds, use the 

locked-in inflation rate. To replicate the 

calculation for the estimated price 

threshold, prior to March of the 

subsequent year, use the current 

inflation rate. 

Dated: April 20, 2009. 

Chris C. Oynes, 

Associate Director for Offshore Energy and 

Minerals Management. 

[FR Doc. E9–13094 Filed 6–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R4–ES–2009–N0089; 41910–1112– 

0000–F2] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Permit(s); Road 

Construction and Associated Storm 

Water Retention Pond in Lake County, 

FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application 

for an incidental take permit (ITP); 

availability of proposed low-effect 

habitat conservation plans (HCP); 

request for comment/information. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), announce the 

availability of an incidental take permit 

(ITP) application and habitat 

conservation plan (HCP). Lake County 

Public Works (applicant) requests a 5- 

year ITP under the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The 

applicant anticipates taking 

approximately 0.19 acres (ac) of sand 

skink (Neoseps reynoldsi)—occupied 

habitat incidental to realignment of a 

county road (CR) and construction of a 

storm water retention pond in Lake 

County, Florida (project). The 

applicant’s HCP describes the mitigation 

and minimization measures the 

applicant proposes to address the effects 

of the project to the sand skink. 

DATES: We must receive any written 

comments on the ITP application and 

HCP on or before July 6, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the 

application and HCP, you may write the 

Field Supervisor at our Jacksonville 

Field Office, 7915 Baymeadows Way, 

Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256, or 

make an appointment to visit during 

normal business hours. If you wish to 

comment, you may mail or hand deliver 

comments to the Jacksonville Field 

Office, or you may e-mail comments to 

paula_sisson@fws.gov. For more 

information on reviewing documents 

and public comments and submitting 

comments, see SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Paula Sisson, Fish and Wildlife 

Biologist, Jacksonville Field Office (see 

ADDRESSES); telephone: 904–731–3134. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

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. 

Please reference permit number 

TE211384–0 for Lake County Public 

Works in all requests or comments. If 

you do not receive a confirmation from 

us that we have received your e-mail 

message, contact us directly at the 

telephone number listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Background 

Due to the reduction in quality and 

acreage of xeric (bare, scrub-like areas 

with sandy soils, open canopies) upland 

communities, and the rapid 

development occurring in these areas, 

the sand skink is reportedly declining 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 106 / Thursday, June 4, 2009 / Notices 26883 

throughout most of its range. By some 

estimates, as much as 90 percent of the 

scrub ecosystem has already been lost to 

residential development and conversion 

to agriculture, including citrus groves. 

Applicant’s Proposal 

The applicant is requesting take of 

approximately 0.19 ac of occupied sand 

skink habitat incidental to the project. 

The 1.06-ac project is located east of 

State Road 455 within Section 17, 

Township 21 South, Range 26 East, Lake 

County, Florida. The proposed project 

currently includes realignment of a 

portion of CR 455 that does not meet 

government safety standards and will 

include construction of a stormwater 

retention pond to address runoff 

associated with the realigned roadway. 

The applicant proposes to mitigate for 

the take of the sand skink at a ratio of 

2:1 based on Service Mitigation 

Guidelines. The applicant proposes to 

mitigate for 0.19 ac of impacts by 

purchasing 0.40 ac of occupied sand 

skink habitat in Polk County, Florida, 

within the boundaries of the Lake Wales 

Ridge. 

We have determined that the 

applicant’s proposal, including the 

proposed mitigation and minimization 

measures, would have minor or 

negligible effects on the species covered 

in the HCP. Therefore, we are making a 

preliminary determination that the ITP 

is a ‘‘low-effect’’ project and qualifies 

for categorical exclusion under the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), as provided by the Department 

of the Interior Manual (516 DM 2 

Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6 Appendix 1). 

We may revise this preliminary 

determination based on our review of 

public comments we receive in response 

to this notice. A low-effect HCP is one 

involving: (1) Minor or negligible effects 

on federally listed or candidate species 

and their habitats, and (2) minor or 

negligible effects on other 

environmental values or resources. 

We will evaluate the HCP and 

comments we receive to determine 

whether the ITP application meets the 

requirements of section 10(a) of the Act 

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). If we determine 

that the application meets those 

requirements, we will issue the ITP for 

incidental take of the sand skink. We 

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. 

We will use the results of this 

consultation, in combination with the 

above findings, in our final analysis to 

determine whether or not to issue the 

ITP. 

Authority 

We provide this notice under Section 

10 of the Act and NEPA regulations (40 

CFR 1506.6). 

Dated: May 28, 2009. 

David L. Hankla, 

Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office. 

[FR Doc. E9–13033 Filed 6–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R4–R–2009–N0061; 40136–1265– 

0000–S3] 

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 

Lanier County, GA 

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 Banks 

Lake 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 

July 6, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments, questions, 

and requests for information to: Ms. 

Laura Housh, Refuge Planner, 

Okefenokee NWR, Route 2, Box 3330, 

Folkston, GA 31537. The Draft CCP/EA 

is available on compact disk or in hard 

copy. The Draft CCP/EA may also be 

accessed and downloaded from the 

Service’s Internet Site: http:// 

southeast.fws.gov/planning. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Laura Housh; telephone: 912/496–7366, 

ext. 244; fax: 912/496–3322; e-mail: 

laura_housh@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction 

With this notice, we continue the CCP 

process for Banks Lake NWR. We started 

this process through a notice in the 

Federal Register on December 6, 2007 

(72 FR 68892). 

Background 

The National Wildlife Refuge System 

Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C. 

668dd-668ee) (Improvement Act), which 

amended the National Wildlife Refuge 

System Administration Act of 1966, 

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 

every 15 years in accordance with the 

Improvement Act. 

Banks Lake NWR is managed by staff 

of the Okefenokee NWR. The refuge, 

which is part of a larger blackwater 

system, was established in 1985 for the 

protection and conservation of this 

unique environment, as well as for 

migratory and resident wildlife. It totals 

approximately 3,559 acres. 

Development of the CCP began in 

October 2007, with preplanning 

activities such as gathering data and 

information, meeting with Okefenokee 

NWR staff, and preparing for the public 

scoping phase of the planning process. 

A public scoping meeting was held on 

January 24, 2008, in Lakeland, Georgia. 

The following issues were identified by 

the public, intergovernmental partners, 

and the Service: (1) Threats to 

biodiversity, listed species, and 

migratory birds; (2) need for data and 

comprehensive habitat management; (3) 

impacts to water quantity and quality; 

(4) need for an updated acquisition 

boundary; (5) future land acquisition 

needs; (6) drainage easement protection; 

(7) lack of information on refuge 

cultural resources; (8) need for 

increased law enforcement; (9) need for 

increased public use opportunities; and 

(10) need for adequate resources. 

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 is in the 

Draft CCP/EA. We summarize each 

alternative below. 

Alternative A—No Action Alternative 

Federal- and State-listed species, 

incidental sightings of wood storks, and