40796 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2017 / Notices 

between northern and southern sea 

otters. 

Response: As noted in our response to 

Comment 8, we do not believe that the 

SAR is the appropriate document in 

which to discuss threats to the species 

in comprehensive detail. However, we 

have added text that references our most 

recent 5-year review (Service 2015). We 

have also added text clarifying that a 

formal determination of OSP will be 

developed with reference to the entire 

historic range of the subspecies. 

Comment 10: ‘‘Habitat issues’’ should 

be revised to include (1) the spatial 

structure of southern sea otter habitat 

and its contribution in preventing 

recovery of the species and (2) a 

detailed discussion of the risk posed by 

oil spills. 

Response: We have added text 

clarifying the relationship between the 

pace of range expansion, the spatial 

structure of sea otter habitat, and oil 

spill risk. However, as noted in our 

response to Comments 8 and 9, we do 

not believe that the SAR is the 

appropriate document in which to 

discuss threats to the species in 

comprehensive detail. We address oil 

spill risk and the effects of the spatial 

structure of sea otter habitat on 

population growth in our most recent 5- 

year review (Service 2015). We will 

update our assessment of these and 

other factors in the next 5-year review. 

Comment 11: There are recent reports 

of what appear to be increasing rates of 

shooting-related incidents. For example, 

in 2016 alone there were reports of at 

least three sea otters being shot. In 2015, 

a California man was sentenced for 

shooting an air rifle at sea otters. While 

these incidents are more recent than the 

time period of the SAR, which is largely 

through 2014, they do represent the 

most recent available information and 

should be considered for inclusion since 

the Service provided information on 

some deaths as recently as 2016. 

Response: We have added text stating 

that three sea otters died of gunshot 

wounds in 2016. However, we do not 

include these mortalities in the current 

calculation of mean annual mortality 

because they occurred outside the 5- 

year analysis window (2011–2015). 

Additional References Cited 

Chinn, S.M., M.A. Miller, M.T. Tinker, M.M. 

Staedler, F.I. Batac, E.M. Dodd, L.A. 

Henkel. 2016. The high cost of 

motherhood: end-lactation syndrome in 

southern sea otters. Journal of Wildlife 

Diseases 52:307–318. doi: 10.7589/2015– 

06–158. 

Lafferty, K.D. M.T. and Tinker. 2014. Sea 

otters are recolonizing southern 

California in fits and starts. Ecosphere 

5:50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES13- 

00394.1. 

Tinker, M.T. 2014. Models and sea otter 

conservation. Pp. 257–300 in Larson, S., 

G. VanBlaricom and J. Bodkin, eds., Sea 

Otter Conservation. New York: Elsevier. 

Tinker, M.T., and B.B. Hatfield. 2016. 

California sea otter (Enhydra lutris 

nereis) census results, spring 2016. U.S. 

Geological Survey Data Series 1018. 10 

pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ds1018. 

Authority 

The authority for this action is the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) 

Dated: July 26, 2017. 

Gregory Sheehan, 

Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18169 Filed 8–25–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2017–0054; 

FXIA16710900000–156–FF09A30000] 

Foreign Endangered Species and 

Marine Mammals Issuance of Permits 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of issuance of permits. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), have issued 

the following permits to conduct certain 

activities with endangered species, 

marine mammals, or both. We issue 

these permits under the Endangered 

Species Act (ESA) and the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). 

ADDRESSES: Documents and other 

information submitted with these 

applications are available for review, 

subject to the requirements of the 

Privacy Act and Freedom of Information 

Act, by any party who submits a written 

request for a copy of such documents to 

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Division of Management Authority, 

Branch of Permits, MS: IA, 5275 

Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041; 

fax (703) 358–2281. To locate the 

Federal Register notice that announced 

our receipt of the application for each 

permit listed in this document, go to 

www.regulations.gov and search on the 

permit number provided in the tables in 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joyce Russell, (703) 358–2023 

(telephone); (703) 358–2281 (fax); or 

DMAFR@fws.gov (email). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On the 

dates below, as authorized by the 

provisions of the ESA, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we issued 

requested permits subject to certain 

conditions set forth therein. For each 

permit for an endangered species, we 

found that (1) the application was filed 

in good faith, (2) the granted permit 

would not operate to the disadvantage 

of the endangered species, and (3) the 

granted permit would be consistent with 

the purposes and policy set forth in 

section 2 of the ESA. 

Permit No. Applicant Receipt of application Federal Register 

notice 

Permit issuance 

date 

Endangered Species 

50819A .......... Zoological Society of San Diego/San Diego Zoo Global ........ 82 FR 24381; May 26, 2017 .......................... June 30, 2017. 

18137C .......... University of Wisconsin-Madison ............................................ 82 FR 24381; May 26, 2017 .......................... July 3, 2017. 

75285A .......... Michael Ryckamn .................................................................... 82 FR 24381; May 26, 2017 .......................... June 29, 2017. 

14745C .......... Cleveland Metroparks Zoo ...................................................... 82 FR 24381; May 26, 2017 .......................... July 11, 2017. 

06369C .......... Indiana Purdue University ....................................................... 82 FR 14742, March 22, 2017 ....................... July 3, 2017. 

Marine Mammals 

80164B .......... North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management ... 81 FR 95628; December 28, 2016 ................. July 3, 2017. 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 165 / Monday, August 28, 2017 / Notices 40797 

Authority: We issue this notice under the 

authority of the ESA, as amended (16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.), and the MMPA, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 1361 et seq.). 

Joyce Russell, 

Government Information Specialist, Branch 

of Permits, Division of Management 

Authority. 

[FR Doc. 2017–18209 Filed 8–25–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[16XL LLWY9200000.L51010000.ER0000.

LVRWK09K0990.241A.0 4500106832] 

Notice of Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Assessment To 

Reconsider the January 19, 2017, 

Record of Decision Approving 

Segments 8 and 9 for the Gateway 

West Transmission Line Project, Idaho 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (NEPA), and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), and 

the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of 

Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) 

Boundary Modification Act of 2017 

(Modification Act), the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) is reconsidering the 

decision to approve a Right-of-Way 

(ROW) application for Segments 8 and 

9 of the Gateway West 500-kilovolt (kV) 

Transmission Line Project (Project). By 

this Notice the BLM announces the 

beginning of scoping to solicit public 

comments and identify issues associated 

with such reconsideration, including 

the potential amendment of several 

Resource Management Plans (RMPs) 

and Management Framework Plans 

(MFPs) in the project area. The BLM 

analyzed the impacts of the alternative 

that it is reconsidering in the 2016 

Gateway West Final Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). 

The BLM will prepare an Environmental 

Assessment (EA) to reconsider the 

January 19, 2017 Decision, including the 

land use plan amendments associated 

with a specific action alternative 

identified in the Supplemental EIS. 

DATES: Comments on issues may be 

submitted in writing until September 

27, 2017. In order to be included in the 

analysis, all comments must be 

postmarked prior to the close of the 30- 

day scoping period. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

on issues and planning criteria related 

to this EA by any of the following 

methods: 

• Web site: https://www.blm.gov/

gatewaywest 

• Email: blm_id_gateway_west@blm.gov 

• Fax: 208–384–3326 

• Mail: BLM Boise District Office, 3948 

Development Ave., Boise, ID 83705 

Documents pertinent to this proposal 

may be examined at the BLM Boise 

District Office, 3948 Development Ave,, 

Boise, ID 83705. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact 

Courtney Busse by calling 208–373– 

3872 or emailing at cbusse@blm.gov. 

You can also contact Ms. Busse to have 

your name added to the BLM mailing 

list for the Project. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to 

contact Ms. Busse. The FRS is available 

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave 

a message or question with Ms. Busse. 

You will receive a reply during normal 

business hours. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

PacifiCorp, dba Rocky Mountain Power, 

and Idaho Power (Proponents) 

submitted an initial ROW application 

under FLPMA in 2007 to locate 500-kV 

electric transmission lines on Federal 

lands as part of the Project. The original 

Project comprised 10 transmission line 

segments originating at the Windstar 

Substation near Glenrock, Wyoming, 

and terminating at the Hemingway 

Substation near Melba, Idaho. 

After completing NEPA analysis in an 

EIS, the BLM issued a Record of 

Decision (ROD) in November 2013 that 

authorized routes and associated land 

use plan amendments on Federal lands 

for Segments 1 through 7, and Segment 

10, but the BLM deferred a Decision for 

Segments 8 and 9 in southwestern 

Idaho. 

In August 2014, the BLM received 

from the Proponents a revised ROW 

application for Segments 8 and 9 and a 

revised Plan of Development for the 

Project, which the BLM determined 

required additional NEPA analysis 

through a Supplemental EIS. On 

October 7, 2016, the BLM released a 

Final Supplemental EIS that analyzed 

seven alternative ROW routes for 

Segments 8 and 9 and the land use plan 

amendments needed to accommodate 

each alternative route pair. The BLM 

issued a ROD on January 19, 2017, 

selecting the route described as 

Alternative 5 in the Final Supplemental 

EIS. 

Following the Decision, several 

environmental organizations, the State 

of Idaho, and Owyhee County, Idaho, 

appealed the ROW Decision to the 

Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA). 

In a letter to the Secretary of the 

Interior, the Governor of Idaho 

requested that the BLM reconsider the 

January 19, 2017, Decision and select an 

alternative with fewer impacts to State 

and county resources and communities. 

The Proponents also requested that the 

BLM reconsider the January Decision 

and possibly select the alternative 

proposed in their revised application, as 

more cost-effective and providing 

greater system reliability. On April 18, 

2017, the IBLA granted BLM’s Motion to 

Remand the January 19, 2017, Decision 

for reconsideration. The BLM’s Motion 

was unopposed. 

On May 4, 2017, Congress passed the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 

(H.R. 244), which incorporated the 

Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of 

Prey NCA Boundary Modification Act 

(Modification Act) by reference 

(Division G, Title IV, Sec. 431(a)). 

The President signed the 

Appropriations Act into law on May 5, 

2017. The Modification Act directed the 

BLM to issue a ROW grant for the lands 

described in Sec. (b)(2) of the 

Modification Act for portions of 

Gateway West Segments 8 and 9, which 

represent the portions of Alternative 1 

from the Final Supplemental EIS within 

the boundaries of the NCA. The 

Modification Act also removed the 

lands for this ROW from NCA status and 

stipulated that the mitigation framework 

presented in the Final Supplemental EIS 

will apply to the authorized segments. 

The Modification Act (Sec. (c)(1)) 

requires the BLM to issue the ROW (that 

portion in the NCA) within 90 days of 

the enactment of the Appropriations 

Act, or by August 2, 2017. 

In light of the Modification Act’s nondiscretionary direction to issue the 

statutory ROW, the BLM’s 

reconsideration of the January 19, 2017, 

Decision will consider the alternative(s) 

from the Supplemental EIS that align 

with the statutory ROW, so as to meet 

the agency’s purpose and need for 

action, i.e., to respond to the 

Proponents’ ROW application and the 

direction of the Modification Act, and 

the no-action alternative. 

Because the route pairing described as 

Alternative 1 (routes described as 

Revised Proposed 8 and Revised 

Proposed 9) in the Supplemental EIS is 

the only alternative that meets these 

criteria, it will be analyzed as the action 

alternative for reconsideration. 

Furthermore, because the statutory 

ROW directed the BLM to issue a ROW 

grant for certain portions of the routes 

within the NCA boundaries previously 

analyzed in Alternative 1 in the 

Supplemental EIS, the EA and 


asabaliauskas on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with NOTICES