[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41732-41733]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17521]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N102; FXES11140400000-190-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 comment and information.

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

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt 
of an application from CG Land Services, LLC (applicant) for an 
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The 
applicant requests an 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 by September 16, 2019.

[[Page 41733]]


ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents 
by any of the following methods:
     Telephone: Heather Hitt, 772-469-4267.
     Email: [email protected].
     U.S. mail: Heather Hitt, South Florida Ecological Services 
Field Office, Attn: Permit number ``TE28046D-0,'' 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: Heather Hitt, 772-562-4288, Attn.: Permit number 
``TE28046D-0.''
    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: Heather Hitt, by U.S. mail (see 
ADDRESSES) or via phone at 772-469-4267. 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 CG Land Services, LLC 
(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 egregius 
lividus) (skinks) incidental to the construction of a residential 
development (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.

Project

    CG Land Services, LLC requests a 5-year ITP to take skinks 
incidental to the conversion of approximately 1.8 acres of occupied 
skink foraging and sheltering habitat for the construction of a housing 
development on a 109-acre parcel in Section 13, Township 29 South, 
Range 25 East, Polk County, Florida. The applicant proposes to mitigate 
for take of the skinks by purchasing credits equivalent to 3.6 acres of 
skink-occupied habitat from a Service-approved skink conservation bank. 
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 
residential development, 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 TE28046D-0 to CG Land Services, LLC.

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. 2019-17521 Filed 8-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P