[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 201 (Monday, October 19, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63244-63245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-26444]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-ES-2015-N172; FXHC1122XPSAGEG-156-FF06E13000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Enhancement of 
Survival Permit Applications; Greater Sage-Grouse Umbrella Candidate 
Conservation Agreement With Assurances for Wyoming Ranch Management

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have 
received applications for enhancement of survival permits (EOS permits) 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), pursuant to 
the Greater Sage-grouse Umbrella Candidate Conservation Agreement with 
Assurances for Wyoming Ranch Management (Umbrella CCAA). The permit 
applications, if approved, would authorize incidental take associated 
with implementation of specified individual Candidate Conservation 
Agreements with Assurances (individual CCAAs) developed in accordance 
with the Umbrella CCAA. We invite the public to comment on the EOS 
permit applications described below. The Act requires that we invite 
public comment before issuing these permits.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by 
November 18, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submitting Comments: Send written comments by one of the 
following methods. Please specify the permit(s) you are commenting on 
by relevant number(s) (e.g., Permit No. TE-XXXXXX).
     U.S. mail: Tyler Abbott, Wyoming Ecological Services Field 
Office (ESFO), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 5353 Yellowstone Road, 
Suite 308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: Tyler Abbott, (307) 772-2358.
    Reviewing Documents: You may review copies of the enhancement of 
survival permit applications during regular business hours at the 
Wyoming ESFO (see address above). You may also request hard copies by 
telephone at (307) 772-2374, ext. 231, or by letter to the Wyoming 
ESFO. Please specify the permit(s) you are interested in by relevant 
number(s) (e.g., Permit No. TE-XXXXXX).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tyler Abbott, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, (307) 772-2374, ext. 231 (phone); [email protected] 
(email).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    A Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances is an agreement 
with the Service in which private and other non-Federal landowners 
voluntarily agree to undertake management activities and conservation 
efforts on their properties to enhance, restore, or maintain habitat to 
benefit species that are proposed for listing under the Act, that are 
candidates for listing, or that may become candidates. The Service and 
several State, Federal, and local partners developed the Umbrella CCAA 
(available at http://www.fws.gov/wyominges) to provide Wyoming ranchers 
with the opportunity to voluntarily conserve greater sage-grouse and 
its habitat while carrying out their ranching activities. The Umbrella 
CCAA was made available for public review and comment on February 7, 
2013 (see 78 FR 9066), and was executed by the Service on November 8, 
2013.
    Pursuant to the Umbrella CCAA, ranchers in Wyoming may apply for an 
EOS permit under the Act by agreeing to implement certain conservation 
measures for the greater sage-grouse on their properties. These 
conservation measures are specified in individual CCAAs for their 
properties, which are developed in accordance with the Umbrella CCAA 
and are subject to the terms and conditions stated in that agreement. 
Landowners consult with the Service and other participating agencies to 
develop an individual CCAA for their property, and submit it to the 
Service for approval with their EOS permit application. If we approve 
the individual CCAA and EOS permit application, we will issue an EOS 
permit, under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 
that authorizes incidental take of greater sage-grouse that results 
from activities covered by the individual CCAA, should the species 
become listed. Through the Umbrella CCAA and the individual CCAA and 
EOS permit, we also provide assurances to participating landowners 
that, if the greater sage-grouse is listed, and so long as they are 
properly implementing their individual CCAA, we will not require any 
conservation measures with respect to greater sage-grouse in addition 
to those provided in the individual CCAA or impose additional land, 
water, or financial commitments or restrictions on land, water, or 
resource use in connection with the species. The EOS permit would 
become effective on the effective date of listing of the greater sage-
grouse as endangered or threatened, and would continue through the end 
of the individual CCAA's 20-year term. Regulatory requirements and 
issuance criteria for EOS permits through a CCAA are found in 50 CFR 
17.22(d) and 17.32(d), as well as 50 CFR part 13.

Applications Available for Review and Comment

    We invite local, State, and Federal agencies and the public to 
comment on the following EOS permit applications. The Umbrella CCAA, as 
well as the individual CCAAs submitted with the permit applications, 
are also available for review, subject to the requirements of the 
Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 
552). The following applicants request approval of EOS permits for the 
greater sage-grouse, pursuant to the Umbrella CCAA, for the purpose of 
enhancing the species' survival.

Permit Application Number TE73336B-0

Applicant: Heward's 7E Ranch LLC, Carbon and Albany Counties, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73339B-0

Applicant: Spring Gulch Cattle Co., Hot Springs County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73341B-0

Applicant: Garrett Ranch Co., Natrona County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73342B-0

Applicant: Madeleine S. Murdock, Sublette County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73343B-0

Applicant: William Matthew Harber, Sublette County, Wyoming.

[[Page 63245]]

Permit Application Number TE40463B-1

Applicant: HIP Investments LLC, Johnson County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73344B-0

Applicant: Huish Outdoors, Sublette County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73357B-0

Applicant: M and D Land Company, Natrona County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73359B-0

Applicant: Merle Jay Clark, Crook County, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE73361B-0

Applicant: Charles R. Firnekas, Natrona, Johnson, and Washakie 
Counties, Wyoming.

Permit Application Number TE74947B-0

Applicant: Flitner Ranch Limited Partnership, Big Horn County, Wyoming.

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments and materials we receive in response to these requests 
will become part of the public record, and will be available for public 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the address 
listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.
    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 in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10(c) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 
1539(c)).

    Dated: September 16, 2015.
Michael G. Thabault,
Assistant Regional Director, Mountain-Prairie Region.
[FR Doc. 2015-26444 Filed 10-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P