[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 105 (Friday, June 2, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25612-25614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11293]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2017-N050; FF08ESMF00-FXES11140800000-178]


Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for South Sacramento County, 
California; Joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental 
Impact Report

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; receipt of permit application; request 
for public comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of a draft environmental impact statement and draft 
environmental impact report (EIS/EIR),

[[Page 25613]]

which evaluates the impacts of, and alternatives to, the proposed South 
Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP). The SSHCP was submitted 
by six permit applicants in support of permit applications under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (ESA), for the incidental 
take of federally listed and other covered species resulting from the 
implementation or approval of future SSHCP covered activities, 
including urban development projects, within a 317,656-acre planning 
area. We request review and comment on the draft SSHCP and the draft 
EIS/EIR from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the 
public.

DATES: Submitting Comments: To ensure consideration, we must receive 
written comments by 5 p.m. on August 31, 2017. Meeting Dates: See 
Meetings under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for public meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain documents by one of the following methods:
     Internet: You may obtain electronic copies of the draft 
EIS/EIR and proposed HCP document on the SSHCP Web site at http://www.southsachcp.com, or on the Sacramento County Project Viewer Web 
site at https://planningdocuments.saccounty.net/ViewProjectDetails.aspx?ControlNum=2003-0637.
     U.S. Mail: CD-ROMs of the draft EIR/EIS and the draft 
SSHCP are available, by request, from the County Environmental 
Coordinator, at the County of Sacramento, Office of Planning and 
Environmental Review, 827 7th Street, Room 225, Sacramento, CA 95814; 
or by email at [email protected]; or by phone at (916) 874-6141. 
Please note that your request is in reference to the SSHCP.
     In-Person: Copies of the draft EIR/EIS and the draft SSHCP 
documents are also available for public inspection and review at the 
following locations, during normal business hours:
    [cir] Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room 
W-2605, Sacramento CA 95825.
    [cir] County of Sacramento, 827 7th Street, Room 225, Sacramento, 
CA 95814.
    [cir] Sacramento Public Library, Central Library, 828 I Street, 
Sacramento, CA 95814.
    You may submit written comments by one of the following methods:
     Electronically: Submit via email to: [email protected], 
and include ``SSHCP'' in the subject line,
     By hard copy: (1) Submit by U.S. mail to: County 
Environmental Coordinator, at the County of Sacramento address above, 
or call (916) 874-6141 to make an appointment during regular business 
hours to drop off written comments at that location; or (2) submit by 
U.S. mail to Jan C. Knight, Deputy Field Supervisor, at the Sacramento 
Fish and Wildlife Office address above, or by facsimile to (916) 414-
6714, or call (916) 414-6700 to make an appointment during regular 
business hours to drop off written comments at that location.
    Meeting addresses: See Meetings below under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for locations and addresses of public meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (1) Contact Nina Bicknese, Endangered 
Species Division, or Jan C. Knight, Deputy Field Supervisor, at the 
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office address shown above, or at (916) 
414-6700 (telephone) for information on the SSHCP EIS/EIR. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf, please call the Federal Relay 
Service at (800) 877-8339, or (2) County Environmental Coordinator, or 
Marianne Biner, Senior Planner, at the County of Sacramento address 
shown above, or at (916) 874-6141 for information on the draft SSHCP 
EIS/EIR; or (3) Richard Radmacher, Senior Planner, at the County of 
Sacramento address shown above, or at (916) 874-5369 for information on 
the draft SSHCP and associated documents.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), announce the availability of the draft SSHCP in compliance 
with section 10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1531-1544; ESA), and we announce the availability of the draft 
environmental impact statement and environmental impact report (SSHCP 
EIS/EIR), prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1970 as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; NEPA) and its implementing 
regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), and also prepared pursuant to the 
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as further described in the 
draft SSHCP EIS/EIR. We have prepared a joint EIS/EIR due to the 
combined local, State, and Federal discretionary actions and permits 
associated with the SSHCP. The co-lead agencies for the SSHCP EIS/EIR 
are Sacramento County, pursuant to CEQA, and the Service, pursuant to 
NEPA. The cooperating agencies are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department 
of Fish and Wildlife. With this notice, we continue the HCP process, 
which started through a notice in the Federal Register on November 4, 
2013 (78 FR 66058), in which we announced the intent to prepare a NEPA 
document for the draft SSHCP.

Background

    Section 9 of the ESA prohibits the ``take'' of fish and wildlife 
species that are federally listed as endangered under section 4 of the 
ESA (16 U.S.C. 1533, 1538). The ESA implementing regulations extend, 
under certain circumstances, the prohibition of take to threatened 
species (50 CFR 17.31). Regulations governing permits for endangered 
and threatened species are at 50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32. For more about 
the Federal HCP program, go to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/hcp.pdf.
    The purpose of issuing an ITP to the five permit applicants would 
be to permit incidental take of 28 covered species resulting from 
planned urban development and associated transportation and 
infrastructure projects that would be permitted or authorized by the 
County of Sacramento, City of Galt, City of Rancho Cordova, the 
Sacramento County Water Agency, and the Capital SouthEast Connector 
Joint Powers Authority (together, the permit applicants). The approval 
of the draft SSHCP and issuance of the ITP is conditioned on the draft 
SSHCP meeting the criteria in section 10(a)(2)(B) of the ESA. The draft 
SSHCP is a regional, multi-agency strategy to assure permanent 
conservation of the 28 covered species and their habitats within the 
planning area, while providing future urban development and 
infrastructure covered activities with a more streamlined and more 
predictable Federal and State authorization and permitting process. The 
draft SSHCP covered activities incorporate measures that are intended 
to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the taking to the maximum 
extent practicable. The covered species include the federally 
endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi), threatened 
vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi), threatened Valley 
elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus), 
threatened California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense), and 
threatened giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas), as well as 23 
unlisted species that have the potential to become listed during the 
proposed permit term. The draft SSHCP also proposes to provide a 
comprehensive approach to the protection and long-term management of 
the relatively undisturbed vernal pool ecosystem remaining in the 
317,656-acre Planning Area.

[[Page 25614]]

Alternatives

    The EIR/EIS studies three alternatives in detail. Other reasonable 
alternatives were considered during the process of developing the HCP 
and the EIS/EIR, but others were not evaluated in detail because they 
did not meet the underlying needs or the purposes and objectives of the 
lead-agencies, as discussed in the EIS/EIR. The three alternatives are:
    No Action Alternative: No ESA section 10(a)(1)(B) permit would be 
issued to the five permit applicants. Instead, future urban development 
projects and activities with potential to impact federally listed 
species would continue to obtain individual ESA authorizations on a 
project-by-project basis through section 7 consultations, if a Federal 
nexus exists, or through an individual ITP under section 10 of the ESA. 
Under the No Action Alternative, there would be no regional or 
comprehensive means to coordinate and standardize mitigation provided 
by multiple projects implemented over many years, or to provide 
comprehensive management of new mitigation lands in south Sacramento 
County.
    Proposed Action Alternative: This alternative is issuance of an ITP 
by the Service to the five permit applicants, with a permit term of 50 
years. The ITP would authorize take from covered activities on non-
Federal lands in the planning area. Covered activities include planned 
land uses described in general plans of Sacramento County, the City of 
Rancho Cordova, and City of Galt, including residential, commercial, 
and industrial development, and specific transportation, irrigation 
water, and wastewater projects. Current in-stream maintenance 
activities will also continue as a covered activity. Each category of 
proposed covered activities includes measures to avoid or minimize 
incidental take of the covered species, including project design 
modifications. Approximately 33,639 acres of natural land covers and 
species habitat would be directly and indirectly impacted over the 
permit term. The proposed conservation strategy includes the 
establishment of a 36,282-acre interconnected regional preserve system 
that would be comprised of relatively large, contiguous blocks of 
natural land covers with species-habitat. All lands in the 36,282-acre 
preserve system would be permanently preserved, monitored, and managed 
in perpetuity. In addition, the proposed conservation strategy includes 
approximately 1,787 acres of aquatic resources that would be re-
established or established within this preserve system. All preserves 
will have endowments to cover long-term management needs. A preserve 
system management, monitoring, and reporting plan would assess the 
draft SSHCP's progress toward achievement of each biological goal and 
objective, and ensure that habitat conservation keeps pace with 
impacts.
    Reduced Permit Term Alternative. As with the proposed action, the 
Service would issue an ITP to the five permit applicants. However, the 
ITP would have a permit term of 30 years, which would more closely 
coincide with the durations of the approved general plans and other 
planning documents of the permit applicants. The categories of covered 
activities for the reduced permit term alternative would be the same as 
described for the proposed action, and approximately 19,371 acres 
natural land covers and species-habitat would be directly and 
indirectly impacted by the covered activities. The biological goals for 
the planning area would be the same as those identified for the 
proposed action/proposed project. The preserve system would have less 
connectivity and would be smaller, totaling approximately 20,044 acres. 
Approximately 1,723 acres of aquatic resources would be re-established 
or established. Similarly as with the proposed action alternative, a 
preserve system management, monitoring, and reporting plan would assess 
progress toward achievement of biological goals for a 30-year permit 
term.
    Meetings: The meeting dates are:

1. June 21, 2017, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wilton, CA.
2. June 26, 2017, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Rancho Cordova, CA.
3. July 6, 2017, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Galt, CA.

    The meeting addresses are:

1. Wilton: Wilton Community Center, 9717 Colony Road, Wilton, CA 95693.
2. Rancho Cordova: Rancho Cordova City Hall, American River Room North, 
2729 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.
3. Galt: Littleton Community Center, 410 Civic Drive, Galt, CA 95632.

Request for Comments

    Consistent with section 10(c) of the ESA, we invite the submission 
of written comments, data, views, or arguments with respect to the 
proposed incidental take permit application, the draft SSHCP, and the 
permitting decision. We particularly seek comments on the efficacy and 
effectiveness of the proposals contained in the draft SSHCP in 
producing the desired results for the covered species in this Planning 
Area, the sufficiency of the EIS/EIR in discussing possible impacts 
upon the environment, the ways in which adverse effects would be 
minimized, and alternatives to the proposed action.

Public Availability of Comments

    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--might 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

    The lead agencies will accept public comments on the draft SSHCP 
and the draft SSHCP EIS/EIR during a public review and comment period, 
which ends 90 days after publication of this notice in the Federal 
Register. We will evaluate all public comments we receive on the draft 
HCP, the associated documents, and the draft EIS/EIR to determine 
whether the permit application and draft HCP meets requirements of ESA 
section 10(a), and draft EIS/EIR meets the requirements of the NEPA 
regulations. If the Service determines that those requirements are met, 
we will prepare a final SSHCP and EIS/EIR, which will be available for 
a 30-day minimum review period prior to the Service's final permit 
decision.

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 the 
National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4721 et seq.) and its 
implementing regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

Michael Fris,
Assistant Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific 
Southwest Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2017-11293 Filed 6-1-17; 8:45 am]
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