[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 51 (Friday, March 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9551-9552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04811]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N021; FXES11140400000-178-FF04EF2000]


Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed 
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole 
Skink, Polk County, FL; Categorical Exclusion

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 receipt 
of an application from Nucor Steel Florida, Inc. (applicant), for an 
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The 
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink and 
blue-tailed mole skink incidental to construction in Polk County, 
Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes 
the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) and the 
Service's preliminary determination that this HCP qualifies as ``low-
effect,'' categorically excluded under the National Environmental 
Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our environmental 
action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also 
available for public review.

DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before April 15, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: 
    Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents by any 
of the following methods:
     Telephone: Alfredo Begazo, 772-469-4234.
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. mail: Alfredo Begazo, South Florida Ecological 
Services Office, Attn Nucor Steel Florida, Inc., Permit TE12906D, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960-3559.
     In-person: The documents may be reviewed by appointment 
during normal business hours at the above address. Please call to make 
an appointment.
     Fax: Alfredo Begazo, 772-562-4288.
    Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments on any of the 
documents, you may do so in writing via the above email address, U.S. 
mail address, or fax number, or you may hand-deliver comments to the 
above address during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfredo Begazo, by U.S. mail (see 
ADDRESSES) or via phone at 772-469-4234. Individuals who are hearing 
impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-
877-8339 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 
announce receipt of an application from Nucor Steel Florida, Inc. 
(applicant), for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The 
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink 
(Neoseps reynoldsi) and blue-tailed mole skink (Eumeces egregious) 
(skinks) incidental to the construction of a metal recycling steel 
plant (project) in Polk County, Florida. We request public comment on 
the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat 
conservation plan (HCP) and the Service's preliminary determination 
that this HCP qualifies as ``low-effect,'' categorically excluded under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement 
and low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for 
public review.

[[Page 9552]]

Project

    Nucor Steel Florida, Inc. requests a 5-year ITP to take skinks 
incidental to the conversion of approximately 4.68 acres of occupied 
skink foraging and sheltering habitat for the construction and 
operation of a metal recycling steel plant located on a 183.77-acre 
parcel in Section 33, Township 32 South, Range 28 East, Polk County, 
Florida. The applicant proposes to mitigate for take of the skinks by 
purchasing credits equivalent to 9.36 acres of skink-occupied habitat 
from a Service-approved mitigation bank in Polk County. The Service 
would require the applicant to purchase the credits prior to engaging 
in land clearing activities on the parcel.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be made available to the public. While you may request that we 
withhold your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee 
that we will be able to do so.

Our Preliminary Determination

    The Service has made a preliminary determination that the 
applicant's project, including land clearing, construction of the 
plant, and the proposed mitigation measure, would individually and 
cumulatively have a minor or negligible effect on the skinks and the 
environment. Therefore, we have preliminarily concluded that the ITP 
for this project would qualify for categorical exclusion and the HCP is 
low effect under our NEPA regulations at 43 CFR 46.205 and 46.210. A 
low-effect HCP is one that would result in (1) minor or negligible 
effects on federally listed, proposed, and candidate species and their 
habitats; (2) minor or negligible effects on other environmental values 
or resources; and (3) impacts that, when considered together with the 
impacts of other past, present, and reasonable foreseeable similarly 
situated projects, would not over time result in significant cumulative 
effects to environmental values or resources.

Next Steps

    The Service will evaluate the application and the comments received 
to determine whether to issue the requested permit. We will also 
conduct an intra-Service consultation pursuant to section 7 of the ESA 
to evaluate the effects of the proposed take. After considering the 
above findings, we will determine whether the permit issuance criteria 
of section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA have been met. If met, the Service 
will issue ITP number TE12906-D to Nucor Steel Florida, Inc.

Authority

    The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) (16 U.S.C. 
1539(c)) of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.

Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-04811 Filed 3-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P