Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 15 / Monday, January 26, 2009 / Notices 4455 

conjunction with surveys throughout 

the range of each species in California 

for the purpose of enhancing their 

survival. 

Permit No. TE–203835 

Applicant: Rachel M. Posten, Long 

Beach, California 

The applicant requests a permit to 

take (harass by survey and monitor 

nests) the southwestern willow 

flycatcher (Empidonax trailli extimus) 

and take (monitor nests) the least Bell’s 

vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) in 

conjunction with surveys and 

monitoring activities throughout the 

range of the species in California for the 

purpose of enhancing its survival. 

Permit No. TE–148554 

Applicant: Amber S. Oneal, Costa Mesa, 

California 

The applicant requests an amendment 

to take (harass by survey) the 

southwestern willow flycatcher 

(Empidonax trailli extimus) in 

conjunction with surveys throughout 

the range of the species in California, 

Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and 

Utah for the purpose of enhancing its 

survival. 

Permit No. TE–809232 

Applicant: Bio-West Incorporated, 

Logan, Utah 

The applicant requests an amendment 

to remove/remove to possession the 

Nitrophila mohavensis (Amargosa 

Niterwort) from federal lands in 

conjunction with genetic research 

sampling for the purpose of enhancing 

their survival. 

Permit No. TE–204452 

Applicant: Bureau of Land Management, 

Hollister, California 

The applicant requests a permit to 

remove/remove to possession the 

Caulanthus californicus (California 

jewelflower) and Monolopia congdonii 

(San Joaquin wooly-threads) from 

federal lands in conjunction with a seed 

bank collection and viability analysis 

for the purpose of enhancing their 

survival. 

Permit No. TE–204436 

Applicant: Johanna M. Kisner, Orcutt, 

California 

The applicant requests a permit to 

take (survey, capture, and release) the 

tidewater goby (Eucyclogobius 

newberryi), in conjunction with surveys 

and population monitoring throughout 

the range of the species in California, for 

the purpose of enhancing its survival. 

Permit No. TE–204468 

Applicant: Michael J. Walgren, 

Woodland Hills, California 

The applicant requests a permit to 

take (harass by survey and handle) the 

Morro shoulderband snail 

(Helminthoglypta waleriana) in 

conjunction with surveys throughout 

the range of the species in California, for 

the purpose of enhancing its survival. 

We solicit public review and 

comment on each of these recovery 

permit applications. Comments and 

materials we receive will be available 

for public inspection, by appointment, 

during normal business hours at the 

address listed in the ADDRESSES section 

of this notice. 

Dated: January 16, 2009. 

Amedee Brickey, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 8, 

Sacramento, California. 

[FR Doc. E9–1599 Filed 1–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R1–ES–2008–N0342; 14420–1113– 

1SPB–F3] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Permit Application; Safe 

Harbor Agreement for Northern Idaho 

Ground Squirrel, Adams County, ID 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Receipt of application; notice of 

availability. 

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service 

(Service) announces the receipt of an 

application for an enhancement of 

survival permit (Permit) pursuant to 

section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 

The Permit application includes a 

proposed Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA) 

for the threatened northern Idaho 

ground squirrel (Spermophilus 

brunneus brunneus) between Hixon 

Properties Incorporated (applicant) and 

the Service. The term of the proposed 

SHA is 10 years, and the requested term 

of the permit is 15 years. The Service 

has made a preliminary determination 

that the proposed SHA and Permit 

application are eligible for categorical 

exclusion under the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA). The basis for this preliminary 

determination is contained in an 

Environmental Action Statement. The 

Service is accepting comments on the 

Permit application, the proposed SHA, 

and the Environmental Action 

Statement. 

DATES: We will accept comments 

received on or before February 25, 2009. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments 

concerning this notice should be 

addressed to Kendra Womack, Snake 

River Fish and Wildlife Office, 1387 S 

Vinnell Way, Room 368, Boise, ID 

83709. You may also submit written 

comments by facsimile, at 208–378– 

5262, or by electronic mail to 

fw1srbocomment@fws.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kendra Womack at 208–378–5243. If 

you use a telecommunications device 

for the deaf (TDD), you may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Document Availability 

Copies of the Permit application, the 

draft SHA, and the Environmental 

Action Statement are available for 

public inspection, by appointment, at 

the Snake River Fish and Wildlife Office 

(see ADDRESSES), or they may be viewed 

on the internet at the following address: 

http://www.fws.gov/idaho. The Service 

is furnishing this notice to provide the 

public, other State and Federal agencies, 

and interested Tribes an opportunity to 

review and comment on the draft SHA, 

Permit application, and Environmental 

Action Statement. 

Background 

Under Safe Harbor Agreements, 

participating property owners 

voluntarily undertake management 

activities on their properties to enhance, 

restore, or maintain habitat benefitting 

species listed under the Act (16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.). Safe Harbor Agreements 

encourage private and other non-Federal 

property owners to implement 

conservation efforts for listed species by 

assuring property owners they will not 

be subjected to increased property use 

restrictions if their efforts attract listed 

species to their property or increase the 

numbers or distribution of listed species 

already on their property. Application 

requirements and issuance criteria for 

enhancement of survival permits 

through Safe Harbor Agreements can be 

found in 50 CFR 17.22(c). 

The area to be covered under the 

proposed SHA (Covered Area) is 

approximately 7,783 acres (ac) (3,150 

hectares (ha)) and is located just north 

of Bear, Adams County, Idaho. Northern 

Idaho ground squirrels currently occupy 

approximately 714-ac (289-ha) of the 

7,783-ac (3,150-ha) Covered Area. Due 

to normal population fluctuations and 

the difficulty of identifying current 

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