[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 219 (Tuesday, November 13, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56365-56366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-24718]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-HQ-MB-2017-0092; 91200-FF09M20300-189-FXMB123109EAGLE]


Updated Collision Risk Model Priors for Estimating Eagle 
Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Reopening of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) uses a collision 
risk model (CRM) to predict the number of golden and bald eagles that 
may be killed at new wind facilities. The model incorporates existing 
information on eagle exposure and collision probability in the form of 
prior distributions (priors). The Service has updated the priors for 
both species of eagle and, on June 21 of this year, announced the 
availability of a report of the analysis conducted to generate the new 
priors (83 FR 28858). The notice solicited public comments on how the 
Service should use the new bald eagle priors. Today's notice reopens 
the comment period for 30 days, and provides additional information 
requested by commenters.

DATES: To ensure consideration of written comments, they must be 
submitted on or before December 13, 2018.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by one of the following 
methods:
    Electronically: Go to the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for FWS-HQ-MB-2017-0092, which is the 
docket number for this notice, and follow the directions for submitting 
comments.
    By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-HQ-MB-2017-0092; Division of Policy, 
Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 
MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    We will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This 
generally

[[Page 56366]]

means that we will post any personal information you provide us (see 
Request for Information below for more information).
    We request that you send comments by only one of the methods 
described above. We will post all information received on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see the Public Availability of 
Comments section below for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Richkus, at 703-358-1780 
(telephone), or [email protected] (email). Individuals who are 
hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service 
at 800-877-8337 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) uses a collision risk 
model (CRM) to predict the number of golden and bald eagles that may be 
killed at new wind facilities (USFWS 2013; New et al. 2015). The CRM 
incorporates existing knowledge of eagle use around a proposed wind 
facility (exposure) and the probability of an eagle colliding with an 
operating turbine (collision probability).
    The CRM is constructed using a Bayesian framework, and as such 
incorporates existing information on eagle exposure and collision 
probability in the form of prior distributions (priors). The priors are 
formally combined with site-specific data on exposure and the amount of 
hazardous area and operational time for a site to estimate the expected 
number of annual eagle collision fatalities.
    The Service recently updated the priors for both species of eagle 
using all available data that meet specific criteria, substantially 
more data than were available when the original priors were 
established. We released a report of the analysis undertaken to 
generate the updated priors and announced the availability of the 
report in a June 21, 2018, Federal Register notice published on (83 FR 
28858). In that notice we asked for public input on options for how we 
should apply the new bald eagle priors. Several of the comments we 
received during the initial comment period requested that the Service 
provide the values for the shape and rate parameters of the gamma and 
beta distributions described in the referenced report. In response to 
these comments, we have posted an updated version of the report that 
provides those parameter values on the Service's website at: https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managedspecies/eaglemanagement.php. You 
can also find the report on the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for FWS-HQ-MB-2017-0092.
    Because the bald eagle collision prior is based on data from only 
14 sites that do not span the range of bald eagle density conditions 
that exist across the country, the prior may not be as representative 
as it would be if data from a wider range of location had been 
available. Given this uncertainty, the Service is considering three 
alternatives for how to incorporate species-specific priors for bald 
eagles into the CRM and fatality modeling process:
    (1) Use the updated species-specific priors, and use the 80th 
quantile of the CRM fatality estimates as the initial permitted take 
number for permits, as is the current practice.
    (2) Use the updated species-specific priors, but because the status 
of bald eagles is secure, adopt a risk-tolerant policy for bald eagles 
and select a more liberal quantile on the CRM fatality distribution as 
the initial permitted take number for this species.
    (3) Given the limitations in data available to inform the bald 
eagle priors, initiate an expert elicitation process to further refine 
the bald eagle priors.
    Under any of these scenarios, the Service would use data submitted 
under permits to make updates to the priors in the future.
    Alternative 1 would mean that for a similar level of eagle use 
observed at a project site, the Service would use higher fatality 
estimates for bald eagles than for golden eagles. Alternative 2 would 
be a decision by the Service to be more `risk-tolerant' for bald 
eagles. This would mean that initial fatality predictions would be 
lower, however it would also likely mean that more permits would have 
to be amended to increase the permitted take over time (i.e., the 
Service would be underestimating take more often). Alternative 3 would 
be a decision by the Service that more information is needed to 
understand the potential variability of exposure and collision 
probability for bald eagles. Such a process could result in either 
higher or lower (or more variable) priors. We are soliciting input from 
the public on these three alternatives. We are not seeking input on the 
CRM itself, which has been peer-reviewed and been the subject of 
multiple rounds of public comment in the past.

Public Availability of Comments

    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 the 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. 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.

    Dated: October 29, 2018.
Andrea Travnicek,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Water and Science, Exercising the 
authority of the Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2018-24718 Filed 11-9-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-55-P