[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5269-5270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02340]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2017-N159; FXES11140200000-189-FF02ENEH00]


American Burying Beetle Habitat Conservation Plan and Low-Effect 
Screening Form; Fixico Point-of-Delivery to Weleetka, Hughes, Okfuskee, 
and Seminole Counties, OK

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of documents and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of several documents related to an incidental take permit 
(ITP) application under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. 
American Electric Power applied for the requested ITP, which would be 
in effect for a three-year period in Hughes, Okfuskee, and Seminole 
Counties, Oklahoma. If granted, the permit would authorize American 
burying beetle incidental take resulting from rebuilding two portions 
of the Fixico point of delivery to Weleetka electric transmission line. 
The documents available for comment include the low-effect screening 
form that supports a categorical exclusion under the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, a draft low-effect habitat 
conservation plan, and the ITP application.

DATES: Comments: We are accepting comments on the documents listed 
above in the SUMMARY section. To ensure consideration, written comments 
must be received or postmarked on or before March 8, 2018. Any comments 
we receive after the closing date may not be considered in this 
action's final decisions.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining documents:
     Internet: You may obtain copies of the documents related 
to this ITP application on the internet from the Service's website at 
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Oklahoma/.
     U.S. mail: A limited number of CD-ROM and printed copies 
of the draft documents are available, by request, from the Field 
Supervisor, Oklahoma Ecological Services Field Office, 9014 East 21st 
Street, Tulsa, OK 74129; telephone 918-382-4500. Please note that your 
request is in reference to the AEP LEHCP (TE55026C-0).
     In-person: Copies of the draft low-effect screening form 
and draft habitat conservation plan also are 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] Department of the Interior, Natural Resources Library, 1849 
C. Street NW, Washington, DC 20240.
    [cir] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 Gold Avenue SW, Room 
6034, Albuquerque, NM 87102.
    [cir] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 9014 East 21st Street, Tulsa, 
OK 74129; by calling 918-382-4500; or faxing 918-581-7467.
    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 6034, Albuquerque, NM 87103, Attention: Branch Chief, 
Environmental Review.

[[Page 5270]]

    Comment submission: You may submit written comments on the low-
effect screening form, the draft low-effect habitat conservation plan, 
and the ITP application by one of the following methods:
     Electronically: [email protected].
     By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-deliver to: U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 9014 East 21st Street, Tulsa, OK 74129; or 
faxing 918-581-7467.
    We request that you send comments by only the methods described 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jonna Polk, Field Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 9014 East 21st Street, Tulsa, OK 74129; or 
by telephone at 918-382-4500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), we advise the public that:
    1. We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have gathered 
the information necessary to determine impacts related to potentially 
issuing an incidental take permit (ITP) and have determined the 
proposed action qualifies as a low-effect habitat conservation plan 
(HCP) and is categorically excluded from the NEPA process; and
    2. American Electric Power (AEP; the Applicant) has developed and 
proposes to implement its draft HCP, as part of the ITP application, 
which describes the measures the Applicant has agreed to take to 
minimize and mitigate the effects of American burying beetle incidental 
take to the maximum extent practicable under the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (ESA), section 10(a)(1)(B), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531, et 
seq.).
    The requested permit, which would be in effect for a three-year 
period, if granted, would authorize American burying beetle 
(Nicrophorus americanus) incidental take as a result of rebuilding two 
portions of the Fixico point of delivery (POD) to Weleetka electric 
transmission line. The proposed incidental take may occur along 21.5 
miles of the existing Fixico POD to Weleetka transmission line in 
Hughes, Okfuskee, and Seminole Counties, OK, as a result of activities 
associated with the Applicant's construction (existing pole removal and 
new pole installation) and maintenance activities. Such actions may 
require disturbance within potential American burying beetle habitat. 
American Electric Power has proposed to mitigate the impacts to 124.416 
acres of suitable American burying beetle habitat, including 124.4 
acres of temporary impacts and 0.016 acres of permanent change. These 
habitat acres will be mitigated in perpetuity according to Service-
approved mitigation ratios through purchasing credits at an approved 
conservation bank. Additionally, avoidance and minimization measures, 
including limiting clearing in temporary work areas, relieving soil 
compaction, and revegetating temporary and permanent cover change 
impacts with native vegetation will be implemented after construction 
is completed.
    The ESA, section 9 and its implementing regulations prohibit taking 
fish and wildlife species listed as threatened or endangered under the 
ESA, section 4. However, the ESA, section 10(a) authorizes us to issue 
permits to take listed wildlife species where such take is incidental 
to, and not the purpose of, otherwise lawful activities and where the 
applicant meets certain statutory requirements.

Comments Publicly Availability

    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 the ESA, section 10(c) 
(16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 
17.22) and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.) and its implementing 
regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
[FR Doc. 2018-02340 Filed 2-5-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P