[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 138 (Monday, July 20, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42837-42838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17705]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2015-N123; FF08ENVD00-FXES11120888ENR0-156]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Nevada Department 
of Wildlife; Application for Enhancement of Survival Permit; Proposed 
Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances for the 
Relict Leopard Frog; Clark County, Nevada

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Receipt of application; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce 
receipt from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) of an application 
for an enhancement of survival permit (permit) under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The requested permit would 
authorize take of the relict leopard frog (RLF) resulting from certain 
land use and conservation activities, should the species be listed as 
endangered or threatened in the future. The permit application includes 
a proposed programmatic candidate conservation agreement with 
assurances (CCAA) between NDOW and the Service. The requested term of 
the proposed CCAA and permit is 30 years. In accordance with the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we have 
prepared a draft low-effect screening form supporting our determination 
that the proposed action qualifies as a categorical exclusion under 
NEPA. We are accepting comments on the permit application, proposed 
CCAA, and draft NEPA compliance documentation.

DATES: Written comments on the permit application, proposed 
programmatic CCAA, and draft NEPA compliance documentation must be 
received on or before August 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: Persons wishing to review the 
application, the proposed CCAA, the draft NEPA compliance 
documentation, or other related documents may obtain copies by written 
or telephone request to Jeri Krueger, by mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Reno Fish and Wildlife Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite 
234, Reno, NV 89502, or by phone at 775-861-6300. Copies of these 
documents may also be obtained on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/nevada/protected_species/amphibians/species/relict_leopard_frog.html.
    Submitting Comments: Please address written comments to Michael J. 
Senn, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southern Nevada 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 
89130. You may also send comments by facsimile to 702-515-5231. Please 
note that your information request or comment is in reference to the 
Programmatic CCAA for the Relict Leopard Frog, Clark County, Nevada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeri Krueger, Reno Fish and Wildlife 
Office, at the address or telephone number listed above under 
ADDRESSES.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Document Availability

    You may obtain copies of the permit application, proposed CCAA, 
draft NEPA compliance documentation, and other related documents from 
the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Copies of 
these documents are also available for public inspection, by 
appointment, during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), at 
the Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines 
Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130.

Background Information

    Enhancement of survival permits issued for CCAAs encourage non-
Federal landowners to implement conservation measures for species that 
are, or are likely to become, candidates for Federal listing as 
endangered or threatened by assuring landowners they will not be 
subjected to increased property use restrictions if the covered species 
becomes listed in the future. Application requirements and issuance 
criteria for enhancement of survival permits issued for CCAAs are in 
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 17.32(d). 
The policy

[[Page 42838]]

for CCAAs was published in the Federal Register on June 17, 1999 (64 FR 
32726).

Proposed Project

    The proposed RLF CCAA is a programmatic agreement between the 
Service and NDOW to further the conservation of the RLF on non-Federal 
lands or on lands under the management authority of a non-Federal 
entity. A RLF Conservation Agreement and Strategy (CAS) that directs 
the implementation of conservation actions on Federal land was 
completed and approved in 2005, and is being implemented by the RLF 
Conservation Team, which is comprised of representatives from the 
signatory agencies of the CAS. One of the primary goals of the CAS is 
to establish additional populations of RLF within its historic range to 
secure species persistence into the future. However, the CAS does not 
provide a mechanism to establish populations on non-Federal lands while 
providing regulatory assurances to the landowner in the event the 
species becomes listed in the future. The proposed programmatic CCAA 
would provide these assurances to non-Federal landowners, thus 
promoting opportunities to implement conservation actions and increase 
RLF distribution on non-Federal land.
    Under the proposed RLF CCAA, NDOW would establish a program in 
which individual landowners would enroll their property. To enroll in 
the program, a landowner would enter into a cooperative agreement (CA) 
with NDOW that contains a site-specific management plan for the 
enrolled lands. NDOW would then issue the landowner a Certificate of 
Inclusion that would authorize a certain level of take of RLF under 
NDOW's permit as described in the CCAA and CA if the species becomes 
listed under the ESA in the future. The CA would specify conservation 
measures to address known threats to the RLF which may include, but are 
not limited to, translocation of RLF, fencing, deepening a tank or 
pool, removal of non-native aquatic predators, maintenance of suitable 
habitat conditions, enhancement of dispersal corridors, vegetation 
enhancement, and public education. The CA would also specify measures 
to minimize the incidental take of RLF that might occur as a result of 
implementing the conservation measures or conducting other land use 
activities.
    NDOW seeks to enroll lands in Clark County, Nevada, that are 
associated with the Virgin, Muddy, and Colorado River drainages within 
or in close proximity to the historic range of the RLF, identified as 
the Potential Management Zone in the CAS and CCAA. The proposed CCAA 
would include properties that have existing, historic, or potentially 
suitable habitat for RLF. Such habitats may include reliable and 
protected water supplies and water quality, limited or controllable 
public access, accessibility for management actions and RLF 
translocations or removal, permanent ponds and/or wetland areas, 
natural springs, spring outflows or reaches of springbrooks and streams 
that represent suitable habitat for any or all life stages of RLF. An 
enrolled property may include all or some combination of suitable 
habitat types, or the potential to create those habitats.
    As required by NEPA, we evaluated impacts to the human environment 
that would result from issuance of the requested permit, and we do not 
foresee any significant effects. Therefore, we are proposing to 
categorically exclude this action from further analysis under NEPA. 
Entering into a cooperative agreement is strictly a voluntary action 
for landowners, and the activities to be covered under the permit are 
generally activities already occurring on these properties.
    We will evaluate the permit application, associated documents, and 
comments we receive to determine whether the permit application meets 
the requirements of the ESA, NEPA, and implementing regulations. If we 
determine that all requirements are met, we will sign the proposed CCAA 
and issue a permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA to NDOW for 
take of RLF. We will not make our final decision until after the end of 
the 30-day public comment period, and we will fully consider all 
comments we receive during the public comment period.

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments we receive become part of the public record. Requests 
for copies of comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom 
of Information Act, NEPA, and Service and Department of Interior 
policies and procedures. Before including your address, phone number, 
email address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee we will be able to 
do so.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10(c) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 
17.32), and the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4371 et 
seq.) and its implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: July 14, 2015.
Michael J. Senn,
Field Supervisor, Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, Las Vegas, 
Nevada.
[FR Doc. 2015-17705 Filed 7-17-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P