[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60112-60113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30099]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Receipt of an 
Application Submitted by the On Top of the World, Incorporated for an 
Incidental Take Permit for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in Association With 
Land Development Activities on Their Property in Marion County, FL

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On Top of the World, Incorporated (Applicant) has applied to 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take 
permit (ITP) pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. The proposed ITP would authorize the 
incidental take of a federally endangered species, the red-cockaded 
woodpecker Picoides borealis (RCW) known to occur on property owned by 
the Applicant in Marion County, Florida. The Applicant is requesting an 
ITP in order to conduct land development activities for economic 
reasons. The Applicant's Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was submitted 
for a portion of the 5,690 acres owned by the Applicant called the 
Central Site. The Applicant's project, known as Ocala Sandhills, is 
located in approximately 9 miles west of Ocala just north of State Road 
200, Marion County, Florida. The proposed ITP would authorize 
incidental take of a four RCW groups (currently consisting of 8 
breeding adults, 1 female helper, and 6 fledglings) in exchange for 
mitigation elsewhere as described further in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION Section below.
    The Service also announces the availability of an environmental 
assessment (EA) and HCP for the incidental take application. Copies of 
the EA and/or HCP may be obtained by making a request to the Regional 
Office (see ADDRESSES). This notice also advises the public that the 
Service has made a preliminary determination that issuing the ITP 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, (NEPA) as amended. The 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) 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 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 Service's Regional Office (see ADDRESSES) and should be 
received on or before December 26, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the application, HCP, and EA may 
obtain a copy by writing the Service's Southeast Regional Office, 
Atlanta, Georgia. Documents will also be available for public 
inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the Regional 
Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 30345 
(Attn: Endangered Species Permits), or at Jacksonville, Florida, Field 
Office, 6620 Southpoint Drive, South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 
32216-0912). Written data or comments concerning the application, EA, 
or HCP should be submitted to the Regional Office. Comments must be 
submitted in writing to be processed. Please reference permit under 
PRT-822026 in such comments, or in requests of the documents discussed 
herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick G. Gooch, Regional Permit 
Coordinator, (see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 404/679-7110; or Dr. L. 
Karolee Owns, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Jacksonville Field Office, 
(see ADDRESSES above), telephone: 904/232/2580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RCW is a territorial, non-migratory 
cooperative breeding bird species. RCWs live in social units called 
groups which generally consist of a breeding pair, the current year's 
offspring, and one or more helpers (normally adult male offspring of 
the breeding pair from previous years). Groups maintain year-round 
territories near their roost and

[[Page 60113]]

nest trees. The RCW is unique among the North American woodpeckers in 
that it is the only woodpecker that excavates its roost and nest 
cavities in living pine trees. Each group member has its own cavity, 
although there may be multiple cavities in a single pine tree. The 
aggregate of cavity trees is called a cluster. RCWs forage almost 
exclusively on pine trees and they generally prefer pines greater than 
10 inches diameter at breast height. Foraging habitat is contiguous 
with the cluster. The number of acres required to supply adequate 
foraging habitat depends on the quantity and quality of the pine stems 
available.
    The RCW is endemic to the pine forests of the Southeastern United 
States and was once widely distributed across 16 States. The species 
evolved in a mature fire-maintained ecosystem. The RCW has declined 
primarily due to the conversion of mature pine forests to young pine 
plantations, agricultural fields, and residential and commercial 
developments, and to hardwood encroachment in existing pine forests due 
to fire suppression. The species is still widely distributed (presently 
occurs in 13 Southeastern States), but remaining populations are highly 
fragmented and isolated. Presently, the largest known populations occur 
on federally owned lands such as military installations and national 
forests.
    Based upon a range-wide assessment and estimate conducted in 1994, 
the State of Florida contains about 1,285 RCW groups; 1,063 occurring 
on Federal lands, 128 occurring on State lands, and an estimated 94 on 
private lands.
    There has not been a complete inventory of RCWs in Florida so it is 
difficult to precisely assess the species' overall status in the State. 
However, the known populations on Federal properties are regularly 
monitored and generally considered stable. While several new active RCW 
clusters have been discovered on private lands over the past few years, 
many previously documented RCW clusters have been lost. It is expected 
that the RCW population on private lands in Florida will continue to 
decline, especially those from small tracts isolated from other RCW 
populations.
    The RCW population on the Applicant's property currently consists 
of 15 birds (8 breeding adults, 1 female helper, and 6 fledglings). The 
nearest known RCW groups to the Ocala Sandhills population are found 
greater than 15 miles away; several single family/bird groups on 
private lands west and northwest; large populations on both the Goethe 
and Withlacoochee State Forests northwest and southwest, respectively 
from the site; and a small population of about 7 groups on the Ocala 
National Forest east of the Applicant's property.
    The Applicants propose to harvest the timber at Ocala Sandhills in 
association with land development and alteration activities associated 
with construction of a mixed use residential, commercial, and golf 
course community.
    The EA considers the environmental consequences of three 
alternatives, including the proposed action. The proposed action 
alternative is issuance of the ITP and implementation of the HCP as 
submitted by the Applicant. The HCP provides for an off-site mitigation 
strategy focusing on enhancing clusters in designated recruitment 
stands in the Ocala National Forest over a 5-year period. During the 
first 5 years of the permit/HCP, the Applicant would conserve the 
habitat necessary to support/stabilize the existing RCW population. 
Juvenile RCWs produced by the Applicant's population will be 
translocated to these sites and monitored. At the completion of the 
translocation efforts for the juveniles, any remaining adults would 
also be moved to the Ocala National Forest. In addition, the Applicant 
will assist the Ocala National Forest by financially supporting 
selected hardwood control efforts at the recipient sites. The HCP will 
involve monitoring the mitigation clusters for a specified time period 
to determine success of the habitat enhancement efforts. The HCP 
provides a funding source for the above-mentioned mitigation measures.
    As stated above, the Service has made a preliminary determination 
that the issuance of this ITP is not a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the 
meaning of Section 102(2)(C) of NEPA and will result in the FONSI. This 
preliminary information may be revised due to public comment received 
in response to this notice and is based on information contained in the 
EA and HCP. An appropriate excerpt from the FONSI reflecting the 
Service's finding on the application is provided below:
    Based on the analysis conducted by the Service, it has been 
determined that:
    1. Issuance of an ITP would not have significant effects on the 
human environment in the project area.
    2. The proposed take is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity.
    3. The Applicants have ensured that adequate funding will be 
provided to implement the measures proposed in the submitted HCP.
    4. Other than impacts to endangered and threatened species as 
outlined in the documentation of this decision, the indirect impacts 
which may result from issuance of the ITPs are addressed by other 
regulations and statutes under the jurisdiction of other government 
entities. The validity of the Service's ITPs are contingent upon the 
Applicants' compliance with the terms of their permits and all other 
laws and regulations under the control of State, local, and other 
Federal governmental entities.
    The Service will also evaluate whether the issuance of either 
Section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP complies with Section 7 of the Act by 
conducting an intra-Service Section 7 consultation. The results of the 
biological opinion, in combination with the above findings, will be 
used in the final analysis to determine whether or not to issue either 
ITP.

    Dated: November 18, 1996.
Jerome M. Butler,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 96-30099 Filed 11-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P