4456 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 

population levels, the agreed upon 

baseline for the property is 714 acres 

and the applicant would be allowed to 

return his property to this baseline 

condition at the end of the permit term. 

This proposed SHA is intended to 

result in a net conservation benefit by 

maintaining northern Idaho ground 

squirrel habitat within a 714-ac (289-ha) 

baseline area, allowing access to 

researchers affiliated with the Service or 

Idaho Department of Fish and Game 

(IDFG); requiring notification of the 

Service and IDFG prior to activities that 

will result in ‘‘take’’ of the species so 

that they may capture and relocate 

affected individuals if appropriate; 

allowing the Service and IDFG 

personnel access to the property to 

conduct ground squirrel conservation 

activities approved by the applicant 

such as habitat maintenance and 

enhancement, ground squirrel surveys, 

and translocation of ground squirrels; 

and establishing some limits on the 

conduct of chemical rodent control in 

the squirrel management area. In 

addition, the applicant may also work 

with the Service and others to 

implement timber-related habitat 

enhancement measures that will 

potentially increase habitat for squirrels 

within the covered area. 

The biological goal of ground squirrel 

conservation measures in the SHA is to 

expand the northern Idaho ground 

squirrel population at this site within 

and beyond the 714-ac (289-ha) baseline 

area by reducing threats and enhancing 

habitat for the species. The proposed 

SHA is intended to contribute to the 

recovery of the northern Idaho ground 

squirrel by reducing threats, expanding 

and increasing the viability of the 

ground squirrel population at this site, 

improving habitat conditions, and 

potentially facilitating translocation of 

ground squirrels to other sites in need 

of population supplementation, as 

appropriate. 

Consistent with the Service’s Safe 

Harbor policy, under the proposed SHA 

and the proposed Permit, we would 

authorize incidental take of northern 

Idaho ground squirrels as a result of the 

following covered activities within the 

Covered Area provided they are carried 

out in accordance with the terms of the 

SHA: livestock husbandry; farming 

operations; logging; recreation; 

construction of buildings and roads that 

does not diminish the baseline area; 

existing residential use; and fire 

management activities. 

We provide this notice pursuant to 

section 10(c) of the Act and the 

implementing regulations for NEPA (40 

CFR 1506.6). We will evaluate the 

Permit application, associated 

documents, and comments submitted 

thereon to determine whether the 

Permit application meets the 

requirements of section 10(a) of the Act 

and to ensure adequate NEPA 

compliance. If we determine that all of 

these requirements are met, we will sign 

the proposed SHA and issue an 

enhancement of survival permit under 

section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act to the 

applicant for take of northern Idaho 

ground squirrels incidental to otherwise 

lawful activities in accordance with the 

terms of the SHA. We will not make our 

final decision until after the end of the 

30-day public comment period and will 

fully consider all comments received 

during the public comment period. 

Dated: December 19, 2008. 

Jeffery L. Foss, 

Field Supervisor, Snake River Fish and 

Wildlife Office, Boise, Idaho. 

[FR Doc. E9–1604 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Geological Survey 

Notice of an Open Meeting of the 

Advisory Committee on Water 

Information (ACWI) 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of a 

meeting of the ACWI. This meeting is to 

discuss broad policy-related topics 

relating to national water initiatives, 

and the development and dissemination 

of water information, through reports 

from ACWI subgroups. The agenda will 

include status of a proposal from the 

ACWI Subcommittee on Ground Water; 

discussion of a new Extreme Storms 

subgroup proposed within the 

Subcommittee on Hydrology; status of 

the National Monitoring Network for 

U.S. Coastal Waters and their 

Tributaries; request for ACWI approval 

of an update to the Water Quality Data 

Elements User Guide that would 

include physical habitat elements; 

discussion of ACWI participation in the 

National Environmental Status and 

Trends indicators project; and updates 

on recent activities of the Methods and 

Data Comparability Board. 

The ACWI was established under the 

authority of the Office of Management 

and Budget Memorandum M92–01 and 

the Federal Advisory Committee Act. 

The purpose of the ACWI is to provide 

a forum for water information users and 

professionals to advise the Federal 

Government on activities and plans that 

may improve the effectiveness of 

meeting the Nation’s water information 

needs. Member organizations help to 

foster communications between the 

Federal and non-Federal sectors on 

sharing water information. 

Membership, limited to 35 

organizations, represents a wide range 

of water resources interests and 

functions. Representation on the ACWI 

includes all levels of government, 

academia, private industry, and 

professional and technical societies. For 

more information on the ACWI, its 

membership, subgroups, meetings and 

activities, please see the Web site at: 

http://ACWI.gov. 

DATES: The formal meeting will convene 

at 9 a.m. on February 10, 2009, and will 

adjourn at 12 noon on February 11, 

2009. The meeting will be followed by 

a public forum on the National 

Environmental Status and Trends 

Indicators project, which will begin at 1 

p.m. on February 11, 2009 and adjourn 

at 12 noon on February 12, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in 

the Reston, Virginia, area, within a few 

miles of Dulles International Airport. 

Information on the exact location can be 

obtained from Ms. Wendy E. Norton, 

ACWI Executive Secretary, whose 

contact information is shown below. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Wendy E. Norton, ACWI Executive 

Secretary and Chief, Water Information 

Coordination Program, U.S. Geological 

Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 

417, Reston, VA 20192. Telephone: 703– 

648–6810; Fax: 703–648–5644; e-mail: 

wenorton@usgs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

meeting is open to the public. Up to a 

half hour will be set aside for public 

comment. Persons wishing to make a 

brief presentation (up to 5 minutes) are 

asked to provide a written request with 

a description of the general subject to 

Ms. Norton at the above address no later 

than February 3, 2009. It is requested 

that 65 copies of a written statement be 

submitted at the time of the meeting for 

distribution to members of the ACWI 

and placement in the official file. Any 

member of the public may submit 

written information and (or) comments 

to Ms. Norton for distribution at the 

ACWI meeting. 

Dated: January 16, 2009. 

Katherine Lins, 

Chief, Office of Water Information. 

[FR Doc. E9–1624 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4311–AM–P