[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 185 (Tuesday, September 26, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44837-44838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-20568]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2017-N085; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Receipt of 
Applications for Incidental Take Permits; Availability of Low-Effect 
Proposed Habitat Conservation Plans and Associated Documents; Polk 
County, FL

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments and information.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability for comment of three incidental take permit (ITP) 
applications and three proposed habitat conservation plans (HCPs). 
Three applicants request ITPs under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 
as amended (Act). The applicants--Hanover Capital Partners, LLC; 
Palmetto Babson Park--Scenic Hwy. 17, LLC; and 17-92, LLC--anticipate 
taking feeding, breeding, and sheltering habitat used by the sand skink 
and blue-tailed mole skink incidental to land preparation and 
construction in Polk County, Florida. The applicants' proposed HCPs 
describe proposed mitigation measures to address the effects of 
development on the species.

DATES: We must receive your written comments on the incidental take 
permit applications and habitat conservation plans on or before October 
26, 2017.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may obtain a copy of the incidental take 
permit (ITP) applications and habitat conservation plans (HCPs) by 
writing to Alfredo Begazo, South Florida Ecological Services Office; 
Attn: Permit numbers TE32251C-0, TE32252C-0, and TE32249C-0; U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service; 1339 20th Street; Vero Beach, FL 32960-3559. In 
addition, we will make the ITP applications and HCPs available for 
public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the 
South Florida Ecological Services Office address.
    Submitting Comments: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for information 
on how to submit your comments on the ITP applications and HCPs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Alfredo Begazo, South Florida 
Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES); telephone: 772-469-4234.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 
announce the availability of three incidental take permit (ITP) 
applications and proposed habitat conservation plans (HCPs), under 
section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; Act). The applicants anticipate taking 
feeding, breeding, and sheltering habitat used by the sand skink 
(Neoseps reynoldsi) and blue-tailed mole skink (Eumeces egregius) 
(skinks) incidental to land preparation and construction in Polk 
County, Florida. The applicants' HCPs describe proposed mitigation 
measures to address the effects of development on the two covered skink 
species. The Service listed the skinks as threatened in 1987 (November 
6, 1987; 52 FR 42658, effective December 7, 1987.

Applicants' Proposed Projects

    We received applications from the applicants for incidental take 
permits, along with proposed HCPs. Each applicant is requesting an ITP 
under the Act. If we approve these applications, the following take 
could occur:
     Hanover Capital Partners, LLC (ITP TE32251C-0) anticipates 
taking 3.65 ac of skink breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat, 
incidental to land preparation and construction in Section 14, Township 
26 South, Range 27 East;
     Palmetto Babson Park--Scenic Hwy. 17, LLC (ITP TE32252C-0) 
anticipates taking 1.27 ac of skink breeding, feeding, and sheltering 
habitat, incidental to land preparation and construction in Section 33, 
Township 30 South, Range 28 East; and
     17-92, LLC (ITP TE32249C-0) anticipates taking 2.64 ac of 
skink breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat, incidental to land 
preparation and construction in in Section 12, Township 26 South, Range 
27 East and Section 7, Township 26 South, Range 28 East.
    All affected properties are in Polk County, Florida.
    The applicants currently have neither timeframes for development 
nor specific site plans; however, development of these parcels would 
likely include construction of one or more structures and parking 
areas, and installation of associated utilities.
    The applicants propose to mitigate for impacts to skinks by 
purchasing credits from a Service-approved conservation bank as 
follows:
     Hanover Capital Partners, LLC proposes to purchase the 
equivalent of 7 ac of credits;
     Palmetto Babson Park--Scenic Hwy. 17, LLC proposes to 
purchase the equivalent of 2.54 ac of credits; and

[[Page 44838]]

     17-92, LLC proposes to purchase the equivalent of 5.28 ac 
of credits.

Our Preliminary Determination

    The Service has made a preliminary determination that the 
applicants' projects, including the mitigation measures, will 
individually and cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the 
species covered in the HCPs. Therefore, we have determined that the 
incidental take permits for these projects are ``low effect'' and 
qualify for categorical exclusions under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA), as provided by 43 CFR 46.205 and 43 CFR 46.210. We 
base our preliminary determination that issuance of the ITPs qualifies 
as low-effect on the following three criteria: (1) Implementation of 
the projects would result in minor or negligible effects on federally 
listed, proposed, and candidate species and their habitats; (2) 
Implementation of the projects would result in minor or negligible 
effects on other environmental values or resources; and (3) Impacts of 
the projects, considered together with the impacts of other past, 
present, and reasonably foreseeable similarly situated projects, would 
not result, over time, in cumulative effects to environmental values or 
resources that would be considered significant. This preliminary 
determination may be revised based on our review of public comments 
that we receive in response to this notice.

Next Steps

    The Service will evaluate the HCPs and comments submitted thereon 
to determine whether the applications meet the requirements of section 
10(a) of the Act. The Service will also evaluate whether issuance of 
the section 10(a)(1)(B) ITPs complies with section 7 of the Act by 
conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation for each project. 
The results of these consultations, in combination with the above 
findings, will be used in the final analysis to determine whether or 
not to issue the ITPs. If it is determined that the requirements of the 
Act are met, the ITPs will be issued.

Submitting Comments

    If you wish to comment on the ITP applications or HCPs, you may 
submit comments by any one of the following methods:
    Email: [email protected]. Use ``Attn: Permit numbers TE32251C-
0, TE32252C-0, and TE32249C-0'' as your message subject line.
    Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288, ``Attn.: Permit numbers 
TE32251C-0, TE32252C-0, and TE32249C-0.''
    U.S. mail: See ADDRESSES.
    In-person drop-off: You may drop off comments or request 
information during regular business hours at the address in ADDRESSES.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comments, 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 comments that your personal identifying information be 
withheld from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able 
to do so.

Authority

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

    Dated: September 6, 2017.
Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-20568 Filed 9-25-17; 8:45 am]
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