[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 125 (Friday, June 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29914-29915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-13760]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2017-N020; FXES111604C0000-178-FF04E00000]


Proposed Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement With 
Assurances for the Louisiana Pinesnake in Louisiana

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an 
application from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 
an enhancement of survival permit (permit) pursuant to the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973. The permit application includes a proposed 
programmatic candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) 
for the Louisiana pinesnake. The term of the agreement would be 99 
years. If approved, the CCAA would allow the applicant to enter into 
conservation management agreements with eligible non-Federal landowners 
throughout Bienville, Beauregard, Jackson, Natchitoches, Rapides, 
Sabine, Vernon, Winn, Grant, and Allen Parishes, Louisiana, and to 
issue certificates of inclusion to enrollees. We invite public comments 
on these documents.

DATES: We must receive any written comments at our Regional Office (see 
ADDRESSES) on or before July 31, 2017.

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 
``Programmatic CCAA for the Louisiana Pinesnake.''

[[Page 29915]]

     Internet: Documents may be viewed and downloaded on the 
Internet at http://www.fws.gov/southeast/candidaetconservation/examples.html.
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``Programmatic CCAA 
for the Louisiana Pinesnake'' in the subject line. Please include your 
name and return address in your message. If you do not receive a 
confirmation from us that we have received your message, contact us 
directly at either telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.
     U.S. Mail: Mr. Michael Harris, At-Risk Species 
Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Regional Office, 1875 
Century Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30345, or Mr. Joseph Ranson, Field 
Supervisor, Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Ecological Services 
Field Office, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, LA 70506.
     In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Call 404-679-7066 
to make an appointment (necessary for viewing or pick-up only) during 
regular business hours at the Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional 
Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30345; or call 
337-291-3112 to make an appointment at the Louisiana Ecological 
Services Field Office, Fish and Wildlife Service, 646 Cajundome 
Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, LA 70506. Written comments can be 
dropped off during regular business hours at either address on or 
before the closing date of the public comment period (see DATES). 
Requests for any documents must be in writing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Harris, At-Risk Species 
Coordinator, at the Regional Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 404-
679-7066; or Mr. David Castellanos, Imperiled Species Biologist, at the 
Louisiana Field Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 337-291-3112.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We have received an application from the 
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for an enhancement of 
survival permit (permit) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(Act). The permit application includes a proposed programmatic 
candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) for the 
Louisiana pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni). The term of the CCAA would be 
99 years. If approved, the CCAA would allow the applicant to enter into 
conservation management agreements with eligible non-Federal landowners 
throughout Bienville, Beauregard, Jackson, Natchitoches, Rapides, 
Sabine, Vernon, Winn, Grant, and Allen Parishes, Louisiana, and to 
issue certificates of inclusion to enrollees. We invite public comments 
on these documents.

Candidate Conservation Agreements With Assurances

    Under a CCAA, participating property owners voluntarily undertake 
management activities on their properties to enhance, restore, or 
maintain habitat benefiting species that may warrant listing under the 
Act. CCAAs encourage private and other non-Federal property owners to 
implement conservation efforts for candidate and at-risk species by 
assuring them that they will not be subjected to increased property use 
restrictions should the species become listed as ``threatened'' or 
``endangered'' under the Act in the future. Application requirements 
and issuance criteria for CCAAs are found in 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 
17.32(d).

Parties' Agreement

    The CCAA describes conservation measures designed to protect and 
enhance habitat for the benefit of the Louisiana pinesnake (covered 
species) on private or non-Federal public lands enrolled under the 
agreement. Enrolled landowners who implement these measures would 
receive assurances against take liability if the covered species were 
to be federally listed in the future. Conservation land use practices 
would vary according to the needs of a particular enrolled landowner. 
Typical measures include the use of prescribed fire, thinning of 
forests, and restoration of open-canopied pine (including longleaf 
pine). The CCAA also contemplates that other conservation measures may 
be developed in the future.
    We specifically request information, views, and opinions from the 
public via this notice on our proposed Federal action, including our 
determination that the CCAA, including its proposed conservation 
measures, would have minor or negligible effects on the covered 
species. Therefore, we have determined that the incidental take permit 
for this project is ``low effect'' and qualifies for categorical 
exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as 
provided by 43 CFR 46.205 and 43 CFR 46.210. A low-effect project 
involves (1) minor or negligible effects on federally listed or 
candidate species or their habitats, and (2) minor or negligible 
effects on other environmental values or resources. Further, we 
specifically solicit information regarding the adequacy of the CCAA per 
50 CFR parts 13 and 17.

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.

Covered Area

    The CCAA covers eligible lands in Bienville, Beauregard, Jackson, 
Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon, Winn, Grant, and Allen Parishes, 
Louisiana.

Next Steps

    We will evaluate the application for enhancement of survival permit 
through candidate conservation agreement with assurances, including the 
CCAA, and any comments we receive to determine whether the application 
meets the requirements of section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act and of 
applicable implementing regulations. We will also evaluate whether the 
section 10(a)(1)(A) enhancement of survival permit would comply with 
section 7 of the Act by conducting an intra-Service section 7 
consultation. If we determine that the requirements are met, we will 
issue a permit under section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act to the applicant in 
accordance with the applicable regulatory requirements. We will not 
make our final decision until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period and will fully consider all comments received during the comment 
period.

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: June 23, 2017.
Luis J. Santiago,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2017-13760 Filed 6-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P