[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 72 (Monday, April 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18155-18156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-07676]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2017-N019; FXES11140400000-178-FF04E00000]


Threatened Wildlife; Incidental Take Permit Application and 
Environmental Assessment for Road Construction Activities; Hernando and 
Citrus Counties, FL

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), 
we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the receipt and 
availability of a proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and 
accompanying documents for activities associated with the construction 
of the Suncoast Parkway 2, a four-lane limited-access toll facility 
(project) in Citrus and Hernando Counties, Florida. If issued, the 
permit would authorize take of the federally threatened eastern indigo 
snake (indigo snake) and the Federal candidate gopher tortoise 
incidental to project construction. We invite the public to comment on 
these documents.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by 
May 17, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: Documents are available for public 
inspection by appointment during regular business hours at either of 
the following locations:
     Atlanta Regional Office, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345.
     North Florida Ecological Services Office, Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 
32256-7517.
    Submitting Comments: Submit comments by one of the following 
methods. Please reference TE97201B-0 in all comments. For additional 
guidance, please see Public Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    U.S. mail: You may mail comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service's 
Atlanta Regional Office.
    Hand-delivery: You may hand-deliver comments to the Atlanta or the 
Jacksonville Office.
    Email: You may email comments to [email protected]. Please include 
your name and return address in your email message. If you do not 
receive a confirmation from us that we have received your email 
message, contact us directly at either telephone number in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Dell, Regional HCP 
Coordinator, (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 404-679-7313; or Jay 
Herrington, Field Supervisor, at the North Florida Ecological Services 
Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 904-731-3191. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal 
Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
receipt and availability of a proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), 
accompanying incidental take permit (ITP) application, and 
environmental assessment (EA) related to an application from Florida's 
Turnpike Enterprise (applicant), a unit of the Florida Department of 
Transportation (FDOT), for a permit associated with construction of the 
Suncoast Parkway 2, a limited-access toll facility (project) in 
Hernando and Citrus Counties, Florida. We invite the public to comment 
on these documents.
    The applicant's proposed HCP describes the mitigation and 
minimization measures proposed to address the impacts resulting from 
take of the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon courais cooperi) and 
gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), the covered species, incidental 
to the project. Per the

[[Page 18156]]

National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; NEPA), the 
EA analyzes the take of the covered species and the environment. The 
applicant requests a 10-year ITP under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act, 
as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Environmental Assessment

    The EA assesses the likely environmental impacts associated with 
the project, including the environmental consequences of the no-action 
alternative and the proposed action alternative. The proposed action 
alternative is issuance of the ITP and implementation of the HCP as 
submitted by the applicant. The applicant anticipates direct impacts to 
approximately 700 acres of indigo snake and gopher tortoise suitable 
habitat incidental to project construction.

Habitat Conservation Plan

    The minimization and mitigation measures proposed in the HCP 
include an extensive network of wildlife fencing and crossings to 
improve habitat connectivity and minimize wildlife mortality associated 
with the roadway; multiple safety features to support implementation of 
the Florida Forest Service (FFS) Resource Management Plan; various 
avoidance and minimization measures to reduce direct and indirect 
impacts to the covered species; a monetary contribution to the Friends 
of the Florida State Forests, Inc. for land management activities; and 
the purchase of high-quality, regionally significant mitigation parcels 
approved by the FFS and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation 
Commission (FWC) prior to the completion of the project. Upon 
acquisition, each mitigation parcel would be transferred to the State 
of Florida for management by FFS or FWC. In accordance with FWC 
permitting guidelines, gopher tortoises within the approximately 1,300-
acre proposed project area will be relocated prior to construction 
activities, and therefore are not expected to be subject to take via 
injury, mortality, or harassment during project construction.

Public Comments

    We specifically request information, views, and opinions from the 
public on our proposed Federal action, including but not limited to 
identification of any other aspects of the human environment not 
already identified in the EA pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
at 40 CFR 1506.6. Further, we specifically solicit information 
regarding the adequacy of the HCP per 50 CFR parts 13 and 17.
    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.

Covered Area

    Indigo snakes and gopher tortoises historically occurred in 
longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) sandhill habitats found throughout the 
proposed project area. The area encompassed by the HCP and ITP 
application consists of public, private, and applicant-owned lands 
currently occupied by the species or suitable for occupancy by 
restoration as indigo snake and gopher tortoise habitat.

Next Steps

    We will evaluate the ITP application, including the HCP, and any 
comments we receive to determine whether the application meets the 
requirements of section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act. We will also conduct an 
intra-Service section 7 consultation to evaluate whether to issue the 
requested section 10(a)(1)(B) ITP. We will use the results of this 
consultation, in combination with the above findings, in our final 
analysis to determine whether or not to issue the ITP. If we determine 
that the requirements are met, we will issue the ITP for the incidental 
take of the eastern indigo snake and gopher tortoise.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

    Dated: February 15, 2017.
Mike Oetker,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-07676 Filed 4-14-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P