[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 10, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28885-28886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-10939]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2016-N031; FF04E00000-167-FXES11150400000]


Department of Defense; Proposed Gopher Tortoise Conservation and 
Crediting Strategy

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability for comment of a proposed ``Gopher Tortoise Conservation 
and Crediting Strategy'' to be implemented in Alabama, Georgia, 
Florida, and South Carolina, where the gopher tortoise occurs but is 
unlisted.

DATES: We must receive any written comments at our Regional Office (see 
ADDRESSES) on or before June 9, 2016.

ADDRESSES: To request further information, review documents, or submit 
written comments, please use the following methods and specify that 
your information request or comments are in reference to the ``DOD 
Gopher Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy.''
     Internet: Documents may be viewed and downloaded on the 
Internet at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/candidateconservation/examples.html.
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``DOD Gopher 
Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy'' in the subject line of 
your message.
     U.S. Mail: Mr. Michael Harris, At-Risk Species 
Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1875 
Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345.
     In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 404-679-7066 
to make an appointment (necessary for viewing or pickup only) during 
regular business hours at the Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional 
Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30345. Written 
comments can be dropped off during regular business hours at the above 
address on or before the closing date of the public comment period (see 
DATES). Note that requests for any documents must be in writing to be 
processed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Harris, At-Risk Species 
Coordinator, at the Regional Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 404-
679-7066. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), 
please call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-
8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    We announce the availability for comment of a proposed ``Gopher 
Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy'' (Strategy) for 
implementation in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina 
(Strategy Area), where the gopher tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) occurs 
but is unlisted. The Strategy Area is within the historic range of the 
species. The Strategy would enable the military services of the 
Department of Defense to generate conservation credits to be used to 
offset impacts to the gopher tortoise from military training

[[Page 28886]]

and operations if the species were to be listed as ``threatened'' or 
``endangered'' under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(Act), in the future.

Strategy

    The Strategy was developed by the Service in conjunction with the 
following State wildlife agencies: Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries 
Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural 
Resources; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; Wildlife 
Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; and, 
the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The Strategy 
describes conservation activities designed to protect and enhance 
habitats for the gopher tortoise on lands that have been permanently 
protected in the Strategy Area. The focus of the conservation 
activities would be the areas where significant gopher tortoise 
populations, as identified through population and habitat analyses 
conducted by the Service and the State wildlife agencies, could be 
conserved.
    Under the Strategy, the military services would voluntarily agree 
to undertake specified conservation activities to conserve gopher 
tortoise populations and habitat within the Strategy Area. The suite of 
conservation activities that could be performed includes land 
acquisition for the permanent protection of populations of the species; 
enhancement, restoration, or maintenance of the species' habitat via 
prescribed fire and thinning to maintain forest habitats and control of 
invasive exotic species; and/or, translocation of gopher tortoises to 
augment existing populations in permanently protected conservation 
areas within the Strategy Area.
    The military services could generate and accumulate Gopher Tortoise 
Conservation Credits (GTCCs) for undertaking the conservation 
activities set forth in the Strategy. Those GTCCs could, in turn, be 
tendered to the Service to offset impacts to the species from training 
operations were the gopher tortoise to be federally-listed as 
``threatened'' or ``endangered'' in the portion of the Strategy Area 
where the impacts occurred. Pursuant to 50 CFR 402.14 (g)(8), during 
formal consultation under section 7 of the Act, the Service must ``give 
appropriate consideration to any beneficial actions taken by the 
Federal agency or applicant, including any actions taken prior to the 
initiation of consultation.''
    We specifically request information, views, and opinions from the 
public via this notice on the proposed Strategy. We will evaluate the 
Strategy under section 7 of the Act as a programmatic action as defined 
in 50 CFR 402.02. As a framework programmatic action, we have 
determined that the Strategy qualifies for categorical exclusion under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with the 
Department of the Interior's NEPA implementing regulations in Part 46 
of Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations (43 CFR sections 46.205, 
46.210, and 46.215). We will conduct independent NEPA evaluations of 
each project undertaken by the military services under this Strategy as 
such is proposed.

Public Comments

    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.

Next Steps

    Prior to making a final decision on whether to approve the 
Strategy, we will evaluate the Strategy and fully consider all comments 
received during the 30-day comment period. We also will conduct an 
intra-Service section 7 consultation to determine whether the Strategy 
meets the requirements of section 7 of the Act. If we determine that 
the requirements are met, we will approve and adopt the Strategy for 
implementation in accordance with the applicable regulatory 
requirements, including 50 CFR 402.14(g)(8).

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 7 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: April 20, 2016.
Mike Oetker,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-10939 Filed 5-9-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P