[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 15, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2174-2176]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-967]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of an Environmental Assessment and Receipt of an 
Application for an Incidental Take Permit for the Natomas Basin Habitat 
Conservation Plan, Sacramento and Sutter Counties, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the City of Sacramento has 
applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an incidental take 
permit pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended. The application has been assigned permit number PRT-
823773. The proposed permit would authorize the incidental take of the 
federally threatened giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas), Aleutian 
Canada goose (Branta canadensis leucopareia), valley elderberry 
longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus), and vernal pool 
fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi); the federally endangered peregrine 
falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum), conservancy fairy shrimp 
(Branchinecta conservatio), longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta 
longiantenna), vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi), and 
palmate bird's beak (Cordylanthus palmatus); the proposed threatened 
slender orcutt grass (Orcuttia tenuis) and hairy orcutt grass (Orcuttia 
pilosa); and the proposed endangered Sacramento orcutt grass (Orcuttia 
viscida). The proposed taking of these species would be incidental to 
development for urban uses within the 55,000-acre Natomas Basin in 
Sacramento and Sutter Counties. The proposed permit also would 
authorize future incidental take of the currently unlisted California 
tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum californiense), Swainson's hawk 
(Buteo swainsoni), greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis tubida), 
bank swallow (Riparia riparia), Boggs Lake hedge-hyssop (Gratiaola 
heterosepala) and Ahart's dwarf flax (Juncus leiospermus var ahartii), 
should any of these species become listed under the Endangered Species 
Act in the future. The permit would be in effect for 50 years.
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also announces the availability 
of an Environmental Assessment for the incidental take permit 
application, which includes the proposed Habitat Conservation Plan 
fully describing the proposed project and mitigation, and the 
accompanying Implementing Agreement. This notice is provided pursuant 
to section 10(a) of the Endangered Species Act and National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). All comments, 
including names and addresses, received will become part of the 
official administrative record and may be made available to the public.


[[Page 2175]]


DATES: Written comments on the permit application, Environmental 
Assessment and Implementing Agreement should be received on or before 
March 3, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the application or adequacy of the 
Environmental Assessment and Implementing Agreement should be addressed 
to, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Field Office, 3310 El 
Camino, Suite 130, Sacramento, California 95821-6340. Please refer to 
permit number PRT-823773 when submitting comments. Individuals wishing 
copies of the application, Environmental Assessment or Implementing 
Agreement for review should immediately contact the above office. 
Documents also will be available for public inspection, by appointment, 
during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Horton, Sacramento Field 
Office, 916-979-2725.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9 of the Endangered Species Act 
prohibits the ``taking'' of a species listed as threatened or 
endangered. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, under limited 
circumstances, may issue permits to take listed species incidental to, 
and not the purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. Regulations 
governing permits for threatened species are promulgated in 50 CFR 
17.32; regulations governing permits for endangered species are 
promulgated in 50 CFR 17.22.

Background

    The Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan addresses development 
within the 55,000-acre Natomas Basin in Sutter and Sacramento Counties. 
The Natomas Basin is subject to several approved or proposed land use 
plans that will convert portions of the Basin to urban uses. Based on 
these plans, approximately 17,500 acres of undeveloped land is expected 
to be urbanized during the 50-year term of the proposed permit. 
Development activities may result in take of covered species and 
permanent disturbance to their habitats. In addition, the proposed 
permit would cover incidental take that occurs during implementation of 
rice farming activities within the permit area. Rice farming may result 
in take of the giant garter snake because rice fields are used as 
habitat by this species.
    The Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan establishes a 
mitigation program for urban development, water system operation, and 
agriculture. The focus of the program is a system of mitigation lands 
which would be managed as wetland and upland habitat for the giant 
garter snake, the Swainson's hawk and other covered species. One-half 
acre of mitigation land would be established for every acre of land 
developed within the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan Area. The 
mitigation land would be acquired and managed by the Natomas Basin 
Conservancy, a non-profit conservation organization that would be 
established at the time the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan is 
implemented. Currently, the City of Sacramento is the only entity 
seeking a section 10(a)(1)(B) permit to cover land use approvals and 
public works activities; however, entities such as the County of 
Sacramento and the County of Sutter, among others, could apply to be 
added to this permit or apply for separate permits in the future.
    Habitat acquisition and management would be funded by one-time 
assessments (``base fees'') on development. The base fee is projected 
to be $2,240.00 (in 1995 dollars, to be adjusted using the Consumer 
Price Index to reflect current dollars at the time of permit issuance) 
per acre of development. All lands developed within the area of the 
proposed permit would be subject to the base fee; no distinction would 
be made between areas with approved land use plans and areas currently 
zoned for agriculture. The base fee also would be adjusted as necessary 
throughout the term of the permit to provide for inflation. In 
addition, the base fee could be adjusted to cover increasing costs of 
mitigation. This adjustment would be limited to increases of no more 
than 10 percent per year (not including adjustments made for 
inflation), with a maximum cumulative base fee increase of 50 percent 
above the base fee at the time of permit issuance.
    Initially, a minimum of 80 percent of the mitigation lands acquired 
to mitigate for the loss of giant garter snake habitat would be located 
within the Natomas Basin; up to 20 percent of the giant garter snake 
mitigation lands could be located in specified areas outside of the 
Natomas Basin. After completion of the yet-to-be-developed Giant Garter 
Snake Recovery Plan, location of the mitigation lands could be shifted 
to a minimum of 50 percent within the Basin and up to 50 percent 
outside of the Basin, as directed by the Giant Garter Snake Recovery 
Plan and approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mitigation 
lands would be managed as a combination of rice farms and marsh 
habitat, with at least 25 percent of the mitigation lands in marsh 
habitat and 25 percent in rice-farm habitat. The remaining 50 percent 
of the giant garter snake mitigation lands would be either marsh or 
rice, as determined by the Giant Garter Snake Recovery Plan.
    The Environmental Assessment considers the environmental 
consequences of four alternatives. Alternative 1, the proposed action, 
consists of the issuance of an incidental take permit to the City of 
Sacramento and implementation of the Habitat Conservation Plan and its 
Implementing Agreement. This alternative is preferred because it 
satisfies the purpose and needs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
and the City of Sacramento, and the impacts of urbanization are 
minimized and mitigated by the establishment of habitat preserves. The 
specifications of the habitat preserves under this alternative ensure 
that long-term wetland and upland habitat values are maintained for the 
giant garter snake, Swainson's hawk, and other species covered by the 
Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan. Alternative 2 proposes a 
variable mitigation ratio in which landowners with documented 
occurrences of covered species or ``high quality'' habitat would be 
required to compensate at a higher ratio than landowners with no 
documented occurrences of covered species or ``poor quality'' habitat. 
Under this alternative, each parcel of land proposed for development 
would need to be inspected and a mitigation ratio assessed based on 
existing habitat quality and/or species utilization. This alternative 
would place a greater emphasis on proving presence or absence of 
covered species, primarily giant garter snake. Because survey 
procedures used to locate giant garter snakes and/or determine 
suitability of habitat are not fully reliable, it is likely that this 
method would not adequately reflect the ecology of the giant garter 
snake and would not effectively address the indirect and cumulative 
impacts of urbanization on the species.
    Alternative 3 is similar to the proposed action except that the 
minimum percentage of mitigation lands to be maintained as managed 
marsh habitat (as opposed to rice-farm habitat) would increase from 25 
to 50 percent. This alternative would likely provide greater habitat 
values than the proposed action because a greater proportion of the 
habitat preserves would be enhanced and managed as marsh. This 
alternative, however, contains a greater risk that the smaller 
proportion of revenue-generating rice lands could result in economic 
instability and consequently have an

[[Page 2176]]

adverse impact on the maintenance and management of the preserve 
system. Under Alternative 4, the no action alternative, the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service would not issue an incidental take permit. Under 
this alternative, development within the Natomas Basin Habitat 
Conservation Plan area would occur with individual development projects 
mitigating for their impacts independently in an unstructured manner. 
The current process of individual consultation on each development 
project has resulted in mitigation which is fragmented over the 
landscape and is likely to be of limited long-term value in providing 
for the conservation of species such as the giant garter snake.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(a) of the Endangered 
Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will 
evaluate the application, associated documents, and comments submitted 
thereon to determine whether the application meets the requirements of 
the National Environmental Policy Act regulations and section 10(a) of 
the Endangered Species Act. If it is determined that the requirements 
are met, a permit will be issued for the incidental take of the listed 
species. The final permit decision will be made no sooner than 45 days 
from the date of this notice.

    Dated: January 7, 1997.
Thomas J. Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 97-967 Filed 1-14-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P