[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 167 (Monday, August 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59238-59239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20671]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2016-N111; FXES11130200000-167-FF02ENEH00]


Draft Safe Harbor Agreement Amendment and Application for an 
Enhancement of Survival Permit for the Phoenix Reach of the Rio Salado 
Environmental Restoration Project

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: The City of Phoenix (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service (Service) for an amendment to their enhancement of 
survival permit pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act), as 
amended. The requested amendment would authorize incidental take of the 
yellow-billed cuckoo as a result of operation and maintenance 
activities associated with the Rio Salado Project. We invite the public 
to review and comment on the permit application and the associated 
draft safe harbor agreement amendment (amendment).

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received on or 
before September 28, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents
     Internet: You may obtain copies of the documents on the 
Service's Web site at http://www.fws.gov/arizonaes/.
     U.S. Mail: Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Arizona Ecological Services Office, 9828 North 31st Avenue, 
#C3, Phoenix, Arizona 85051-2517 (602-242-0210). You may also obtain a 
copy by telephone request to the Field Supervisor.
     In-Person: Copies of the application, draft amendment, or 
other related documents are also available for public inspection and 
review at the following locations, by appointment and written request 
only, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:
    [cir] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Avenue SW., Room 
6034, Albuquerque, NM 87201.
    [cir] Arizona Ecological Services Office, 9828 North 31st Avenue, 
#C3, Phoenix, Arizona 85051-2517 (602-242-0210).
    Persons wishing to review the application may obtain a copy by 
writing to the Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. 
Box 1306, Room 4102, Albuquerque, NM 87103, Attention: Branch Chief, 
Environmental Review.
    Comment submission: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Electronically: [email protected].
     By hard copy: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona 
Ecological Services Office, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, North 
31st Avenue, #C3, Phoenix, AZ 85021-4951; or by fax to 602-242-2513.
    Please refer to permit number TE205294-1 when submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nichole Engelmann, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 
85021-4951, 602/242-0210 x237, or by email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Phoenix (applicant) has applied 
to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an amendment to 
their enhancement of survival permit pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of 
the Endangered Species Act (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended. 
The requested amendment, which will expire on June 8, 2061, to coincide 
with the expiration date of the original permit (50 years from the 
issuance date of June 8, 2011), would authorize incidental take of the 
yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) as a result of operation and 
maintenance activities associated with the Rio Salado Project. We 
invite the public to review and comment on the permit application and 
the associated draft safe harbor agreement amendment (amendment).
    The applicant plans to continue to conduct operation and 
maintenance activities associated with the Rio Salado Project, 
including maintenance of vegetation, roads, trails, water delivery

[[Page 59239]]

system, flood control capacity, and storm water facilities. The Rio 
Salado Project, Phoenix Reach, is a cooperative project between the 
applicant and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to restore, enhance, and 
maintain 595 acres of native riparian and wetland vegetation along the 
Salt River from 24th Street to 19th Avenue.
    Section 9 of the Act prohibits the ``taking'' of threatened or 
endangered species. However, the Service, under limited circumstances, 
may issue permits to take threatened and endangered wildlife species 
when such taking is incidental to, and not the purpose of, otherwise 
lawful activities.
    The Service has made a preliminary determination that the approval 
of the draft amendment and permit amendment application qualify for 
categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), as provided by the Department of the 
Interior implementing regulations at 43 CFR 46.205, 46.210, and 46.215.

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 your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you can request in your comment that we withhold 
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will not consider anonymous 
comments. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from 
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of 
organizations or businesses, will be made available for public 
disclosure in their entirety.

Authority

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

Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2016-20671 Filed 8-26-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P