[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 29, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24487-24488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-11367]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-ES-2017-N031; FF06E11000-178-FXES111606C0000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Enhancement of 
Survival Permit Application; Centennial Valley Arctic Grayling 
Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances, and Draft 
Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
announcing the availability of the following documents for review and 
comment by the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local 
governments:
     Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for 
Arctic Grayling in the Centennial Valley, Montana (Centennial Valley 
CCAA), and
     Draft Environment Assessment of the Centennial Valley CCAA 
(EA).
    The Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP), and local 
partners prepared the draft Centennial Valley CCAA to give non-Federal 
landowners the opportunity to voluntarily conserve Arctic grayling (a 
fish species) and its habitat in the Centennial Valley, Montana. The 
MFWP is applying for an enhancement of survival permit under the ESA to 
enroll landowners in the Centennial Valley CCAA. To comply with the 
National Environmental Policy Act, the Service prepared the draft EA.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted by June 28, 2018.

ADDRESSES: To request further information or send written comments, 
please use one of the following methods, and note that your information 
request or comments are in reference to the Centennial Valley CCAA.
    [cir] Internet: Documents may be viewed on the internet at https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/ea/newsAndReleases.php.
    [cir] U.S. Mail: James Boyd, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, Montana 
Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 585 
Shepard Way, Suite 1, Helena, MT 59601.
    [cir] Email: [email protected]. Include ``Centennial Valley CCAA'' 
in the subject line of the message.
    [cir] In-Person Viewing or Pickup: Documents will be available for 
public inspection by appointment (406-547-5225, ext. 216) during normal 
business hours at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Field 
Office, 585 Shepard Way, Suite 1, Helena, MT 59601.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Boyd, Montana Ecological 
Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 406-547-6008; or 
email: [email protected]. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf, please call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), are announcing the availability of the following documents 
for review and comment by the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and 
local governments:
     Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for 
Arctic Grayling in the Centennial Valley, Montana (Centennial Valley 
CCAA), and
     Draft Environment Assessment of the Centennial Valley CCAA 
(EA).
    The Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP), and local 
partners prepared the Centennial Valley CCAA to give non-Federal 
landowners the opportunity to voluntarily conserve Arctic grayling (a 
fish species) and its habitat in the Centennial Valley, Montana. 
Participating landowners would implement certain conservation measures 
to reduce or eliminate threats to the Arctic grayling on their property 
related to ranching activities and associated water uses. In return, 
the Service would give participating landowners regulatory assurances 
that it will not impose land or water use restrictions or conservation 
requirements beyond those in the CCAA, if the Arctic grayling becomes 
listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). MFWP is applying for an 
enhancement of survival permit under the ESA, to enroll landowners in 
the Centennial Valley CCAA with certificates of inclusion. To comply 
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we prepared a draft 
EA that analyzes potential impacts to the human environment from the 
proposed Centennial Valley CCAA and a no-action alternative.
    We determined that the Upper Missouri River Distinct Population 
Segment of the Arctic grayling was not warranted for listing under the 
ESA, and announced that finding in the Federal Register on August 20, 
2014 (79 FR 49384). However, Federal and State resource agencies, 
nongovernmental conservation organizations, and private landowners are 
continuing conservation efforts for the Arctic grayling in Montana. 
Although the Arctic grayling is not currently a candidate species, our 
regulations at 50 CFR 17.22(d)(1) and

[[Page 24488]]

our CCAA policy (December 27, 2016; 81 FR 95169) encourage the 
conservation of at-risk species.
    The population of Arctic grayling in the Centennial Valley in 
Beaverhead County, Montana, is increasing in distribution in and around 
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). However, reduced 
stream flows, degraded and non-functioning instream and riparian 
habitats, barriers to Arctic grayling movement, and entrainment of 
Arctic grayling in irrigation ditches on non-Federal lands surrounding 
the Refuge are likely inhibiting further increases in distribution and 
abundance in the Centennial Valley. Thus, the Service and MFWP 
developed the programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement with 
Assurances (CCAA) for Arctic Grayling in the Centennial Valley, to 
encourage landowners to voluntarily implement conservation measures to 
alleviate these limiting factors on their properties.
    A CCAA is an agreement between the Service, partners, and 
landowners for voluntary management of non-Federal lands to remove or 
reduce threats to species that may become listed under the ESA. In 
return for implementing conservation measures in a CCAA, the Service 
gives participants assurances that, should the covered species become 
listed, the Service would not impose land, water, or resource use 
restrictions or conservation requirements beyond those agreed to in the 
CCAA.
    Under the Centennial Valley CCAA, the Service would issue MFWP an 
Enhancement of Survival Permit (permit) under section 10(a)(1)(A) of 
the ESA effective for 20 years. MFWP would enroll interested non-
Federal landowners under the permit with Certificates of Inclusion (CI) 
contingent on development of a site-specific conservation plan for the 
enrolled property. The CI would convey to the enrolled landowner a 
specified level of authorized take of Arctic grayling that may result 
from implementation of the conservation measures in the site-specific 
plan, if and when the species becomes listed.

National Environmental Policy Act Compliance

    The proposed issuance of a permit with its associated CCAA is a 
Federal action that requires us to comply with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Therefore, we 
prepared a draft environmental assessment that evaluates the potential 
impacts of issuing the permit and implementing the Centennial Valley 
CCAA on the human environment. We are requesting a 30-day public review 
and comment on drafts of the EA and CCAA (see DATES and ADDRESSES).

Public Comments

    You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods 
listed in the ADDRESSES section. We request data, comments, new 
information, or suggestions from the public, other concerned 
governmental agencies, the scientific community, Tribes, industry, or 
any other interested party on our proposed Federal action.

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments and materials we receive become part of the public 
record associated with this action. Before including your address, 
phone number, email address, or other personally identifiable 
information (PII) in your comments, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your PII--may be made publicly available at 
any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII 
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. 
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting documentation 
we use in preparing the EA, will be available for public inspection by 
appointment, during normal business hours, at our Montana Field Office 
(see ADDRESSES).

Next Steps

    After reviewing public comments, we will evaluate whether the 
proposed action in the draft EA is adequate to support a finding of no 
significant impact under NEPA or we should prepare an environmental 
impact statement. As part of the basis for that determination, we will 
conduct an intra-Service consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the ESA 
to determine whether the proposed permit action and CCAA would 
jeopardize the continued existence of the Arctic grayling or any other 
candidate, proposed, or listed species that may be affected. We will 
then determine whether implementation of the proposed CCAA would meet 
the requirements for issuance of a section 10(a)(1)(A) permit (50 CFR 
17.22(d)(2)). We will not make our final decision until after the end 
of the 30-day public comment period, and we will fully consider all 
comments we receive during the public comment period.

Authority

    We provide this notice in accordance with the requirements of 
section 10(c) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.) and their implementing regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 
17.32; 40 CFR 1506.6 and 43 CFR 46, respectively).

Marjorie Nelson,
Chief--Ecological Services, Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Lakewood, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 2018-11367 Filed 5-25-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P