[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8986-8987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03692]
[[Page 8986]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R3-ES-2016-N012]; [FVES59420300000F2 14X FF03E00000]
Michigan Department of Natural Resources; Application for
Enhancement of Survival Permit; Proposed Programmatic Candidate
Conservation Agreement With Assurances for the Eastern Massasauga
Rattlesnake in Michigan
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Receipt of application; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce
receipt from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) of an
application for an enhancement of survival permit under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended. The requested permit would authorize
take of eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus), 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 MDNR, the Michigan Department
of Military and Veterans Affairs (MDMVA), and the Service. The
requested term of the proposed CCAA and permit is 25 years. We are
accepting comments on the permit application and the draft CCAA.
DATES: We will accept comments on the application and draft CCAA on or
before March 24, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Document Availability: This draft CCAA, permit application,
and final environmental assessment are available on the Internet at
http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-FWS-R3-ES-2016-
0009. Supporting documentation, including the draft CCAA, permit
application, and final environmental assessment, are available for
public inspection during normal business hours at: U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, East Lansing Field Office, 3001 Coolidge Rd, # 400,
East Lansing, Michigan 48823.
To submit comments on the application and draft CCAA, go to http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R3-ES-2016-0009,
which is the docket number for this Notice of Availability. Then click
on the Search button. Please ensure that you have located the correct
document before submitting your comments. You may submit a comment by
clicking on ``Comment Now!''
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Hicks, Field Supervisor, East
Lansing Field Office (see ADDRESSES); by telephone (517-351-6274), or
by facsimile (517-351-1443). If you use a telecommunications device for
the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal Information Relay Service at
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), announce receipt from the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR) and Michigan Department of Military and Veterans
Affairs (MDMVA) 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 eastern massasauga
rattlesnake (EMR) 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 MDNR,
MDMVA, and the Service. The requested term of the proposed CCAA and
permit is 25 years. We are accepting comments on the permit application
and the proposed CCAA.
Background
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).
Service policy guidance for CCAAs was published in the Federal Register
on June 17, 1999 (64 FR 32726).
Proposed Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances
The proposed EMR CCAA is a programmatic agreement between the
Service, the MDNR, and the MDVA to further the conservation of the
eastern massasauga rattlesnake on non-Federal lands. The purpose of
this CCAA is to encourage non-Federal landowners in Michigan to manage
their properties in ways that are consistent with the long-term
sustainability and persistence of EMR. On September 30, 2015, the
Service proposed to list the EMR as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act (Act). Although there are several factors that
are affecting the species' status, loss of habitat continues to be the
primary threat to this species, either through development or through
changes in habitat structure due to vegetative succession.
Most viable populations of EMR in the State of Michigan occur on
land managed by the MDNR and the MDMVA. Implementation of the CCAA will
facilitate identification and minimization of threats on these
properties. Education and outreach efforts are proposed to raise
awareness and increase understanding about the species for all
stakeholders, reduce persecution or indiscriminate killing, and promote
conservation of the species. The conservation goal of this CCAA on the
part of the Service, the MDNR, the MDMVA and other cooperators is to
maintain viable populations of EMR on public and private land by
reducing threats and managing and restoring habitat for EMR.
Populations of EMR continue to persist throughout most of the
species' historical range in Michigan. Therefore, the proposed EMR CCAA
framework is based on two categories of management approaches for the
species. Both categories contain common measures to conserve EMR,
including protections for the species from collection and persecution.
The first category encompasses lands considered most important to the
long-term sustainability of EMR, which will be managed with strategies
designed to protect EMR populations while also creating and restoring
suitable habitat needed to sustain EMR populations. The strategies for
this category include EMR-protective specifications for wetlands,
prescribed fire use, water-level manipulations, vegetation management
(e.g., cutting, mowing, use of chemicals), oil/gas/mineral leasing, and
forest management. The second category comprises land that is generally
not suitable habitat for the species or where EMR management is not be
a priority (e.g., campgrounds). The strategies for this category
include measures to minimize the potential for human-EMR interactions
(e.g., keeping grass mowed in developed areas) as well as measures to
help protect individual snakes (e.g., safe relocation methods).
National Environmental Policy Act Determination
As required by NEPA, we previously evaluated potential impacts to
the
[[Page 8987]]
human environment that could result from issuance of the requested
permit for the EMR CCAA, and we do not foresee any significant impacts.
We completed an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No
Significant Impact on a Proposal to Implement Candidate Conservation
Agreements and Conservation Measures for Eastern Massasaugas in
Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin (see http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/permits/enhancement/ccaa/index.html).
Participating in the EMR CCAA is strictly a voluntary action for
landowners.
Next Steps
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 MDNR and
MDMVA for take of EMR. 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
Written comments we receive become part of the public record
associated with this action. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that the entire comment, including
your personal identifying information, may be made 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 ESA (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and
17.32), and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) and its implementing
regulations (40 CFR 1506.6; 43 CFR part 46).
Dated: February 8, 2016.
Lynn M. Lewis,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-03692 Filed 2-22-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P