[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31903-31904]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14206]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R1-ES-2019-N080; FXES11140100000-190-FF01E00000]


Proposed Site Plans Under a Candidate Conservation Agreement With 
Assurances for the Fisher in Oregon; Enhancement of Survival Permit 
Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have 
received five enhancement of survival permit (permit) applications 
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that we are processing as 
a batch. If granted, the requested permits would authorize the 
incidental take of the fisher, should the species become federally 
listed in the future under the ESA. The permit applications are 
associated with a template candidate conservation agreement with 
assurances (CCAA) previously developed for the conservation of the 
fisher. The conservation measures in the CCAA are intended to provide 
for a net conservation benefit to the fisher. We also have prepared 
individual draft environment action statements (EASs) pursuant to the 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) 
for the potential issuance of each of these permits. We are making the 
permit application packages and draft EASs available for public review 
and comment.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be received from 
interested parties no later than August 2, 2019.

ADDRESSES: To request further information or submit written comments, 
please use one of the following methods, and note that your information 
request or comments are in reference to the ``Fisher CCAA'' and 
indicate by name which permit application (see below) you are 
interested in or addressing.
     Internet: Documents may be viewed on the internet at 
http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/.
     Email: [email protected]. Include ``Fisher CCAA'' 
in the subject line of the message or comments.
     U.S. Mail: State Supervisor, Oregon Fish and Wildlife 
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 2600 SE 98th Avenue, Suite 100; 
Portland, OR 97266.
     Fax: 503-231-6195, Attn: Fisher CCAA.
     In-Person Drop-off, Viewing, or Pickup: Comments and 
materials received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment (necessary for viewing or picking up documents only), 
during normal business hours at the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (at 
the above address); call 503-231-6179 to make an appointment. Written 
comments can be dropped off during regular business hours at the above 
address on or before the closing date of the public comment period (see 
DATES).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Szlemp (see ADDRESSES); 
telephone: 503-231-6179; facsimile: 503-231- 6195. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf, please call the Federal Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Service, have received five permit 
applications from timber land owners in Oregon pursuant to section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The requested permits would authorize incidental 
take of the fisher (Pekania pennanti) during the applicants' routine 
forest-related management activities until June 20, 2048, or the 
remaining duration of the CCAA, should the fisher become federally 
listed in the future under the ESA. Each permit application includes a 
proposed individual site plan written under the template CCAA 
previously developed for the conservation of the fisher. We also have 
prepared individual draft environment action statements (EASs) pursuant 
to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) for the potential issuance of each of 
these permits.

Background

    A CCAA is a voluntary agreement whereby landowners agree to manage 
their lands to remove or reduce threats to species that may become 
listed under the ESA (64 FR 32726; June 17, 1999). CCAAs are intended 
to facilitate the conservation of proposed and candidate species, and 
species likely to become candidates in the near future, by giving non-
Federal property owners incentives to implement conservation measures 
for declining species by providing certainty with regard to land, 
water, or resource use restrictions that might be imposed should the 
species later become listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. 
In return for managing their lands to the benefit of the covered 
species, enrolled landowners receive assurances that additional 
regulatory requirements pertaining to the covered species will not be 
required if the covered species becomes listed as threatened or 
endangered under the ESA, so long as the CCAA remains in place and is 
being fully implemented.
    A CCAA serves as the basis for the Service to issue permits to non-
Federal participants pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA. 
Application requirements and issuance criteria for permits under CCAAs 
are found in the Code of Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 
17.32(d). The Service developed a template CCAA for the West Coast 
distinct population segment (DPS) of the fisher in Oregon and a draft 
EAS for future permit issuance under the finalized template to comply 
with NEPA. The template CCAA and the EAS were noticed for comment in 
the Federal Register (81 FR 15737; March 24, 2016). The template CCAA 
and EAS were finalized and signed by the Service on June 20, 2018.
    The CCAA template established general guidelines and identified 
minimum conservation measures for potential participants in the CCAA. 
Interested participants can voluntarily enroll their property under the 
CCAA through development of individual site plans written in accordance 
with the CCAA and that are submitted as part of their permit 
applications. The permits would authorize incidental take with 
assurances to qualifying landowners who carry out conservation measures 
that would benefit the West Coast DPS of the fisher.

Proposed Actions

    Pursuant to the ESA, we have received an application for a section 
10(a)(1)(A) permit under the template CCAA from each of the following 
five timber landowners (applicants) for their identified lands in 
Oregon:

 Hancock Forest Management
 Lone Rock Timber Management Company
 Oregon Department of Forestry
 Roseburg Resources Company
 Weyerhaeuser Company

    Each requested permit would authorize incidental take of the 
fisher, should it become federally listed, during the applicant's 
routine forest-related

[[Page 31904]]

management activities on their managed properties until June 20, 2048, 
or the current time remaining under the template CCAA.
    Each permit application includes a proposed site plan that 
describes the lands to be covered by the permit and the required 
conservation measures of the template CCAA as they will be specifically 
enacted by the individual applicant. Primary conservation measures 
common to all five site plans include:
     Allowing access to covered lands to conduct fisher 
surveys;
     Protecting denning fisher and their young by limiting 
disturbance and impacts to denning structures;
     Limiting trapping/nuisance control for other animals that 
could pose a risk to fisher (note: Trapping of fisher is prohibited by 
State law);
     Allowing the potential future translocation of the fisher 
onto enrolled lands; and
     Promoting the development of habitat structures that would 
support the fisher.

Public Comments

    We are making the five permit application packages, including the 
individual site plans and the five draft EASs, available for public 
review and comment (see ADDRESSES). The final template CCAA and EAS 
that were finalized and signed by the Service on June 20, 2018, are 
also available for reference. 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, including adequacy of the site plan in 
relation to the template CCAA, pursuant to the requirements for permits 
at 50 CFR parts 13 and 17.

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 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 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. Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation, will be available for public inspection by appointment, 
during normal business hours, at our Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office 
(see ADDRESSES).

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 40 
CFR 1506.6, respectively).

Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-14206 Filed 7-2-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P