[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 158 (Thursday, August 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41731-41732]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17533]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2019-N103; 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.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt 
of an application from Hwy 540 Land Investments, LLC (applicant) for an 
incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The 
applicant requests the ITP to take the federally

[[Page 41732]]

listed sand skink and blue-tailed mole skink incidental to land 
preparation and 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 review.

DATES: We must receive your written comments on or before September 16, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents 
by any of the following methods:
     Telephone: Lindsay Nester, 772-469-4226.
     Email: [email protected]. Use ``Attn: Permit number 
TE24579D'' as your message subject line.
     U.S. mail: Lindsay Nester, South Florida Ecological 
Services Field Office, Attn: Permit number ``TE24579D,'' U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960-3559.
     In-person review: The documents are available for public 
inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the above 
address. Please call to make an appointment.
     Fax: Lindsay Nester, 772-562-4288, Attn.: Permit number 
``TE24579D.''
    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. You also may hand-deliver comments to the 
above address during regular business hours.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lindsay Nester, by U.S. mail (see 
ADDRESSES) or via phone at 772-469-4226. 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 Hwy 540 Land Investments, LLC, 
for incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The applicant requests a 5-year 
ITP for the take of the federally listed sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi) 
and blue-tailed mole skink (Eumeces egregius) (skinks) incidental to 
land preparation and construction (project) in Polk County, Florida. We 
request public comment on the application, which includes a habitat 
conservation plan (HCP), and on our 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, which are also available for public review.

Project

    Hwy 540 Land Investments, LLC requests a 5-year ITP to take sand 
skink and blue-tailed mole skink incidental to the conversion of 
approximately 7.46 acres of occupied foraging and sheltering habitat 
for construction of a housing development on a 38-acre parcel in 
Section 36, Township 28S, Range 25E, Polk County, Florida. The 
applicant proposes to mitigate for the take by purchasing and 
protecting 14.92 acres of occupied skink habitat at a Service-approved 
conservation bank prior to engaging in any 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 at any time. 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 the land preparation, construction, and 
proposed mitigation measure, would individually and cumulatively have a 
minor or negligible effect on the skinks and the environment. 
Therefore, we have preliminarily determined 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 result over time 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 TE24579D-0 to Hwy 540 Land Investments, LLC.

Authority

    The Service provides this notice under section 10(c) (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.) of the ESA and NEPA regulation 40 CFR 1506.6.

Roxanna Hinzman,
Field Supervisor, South Florida Ecological Services Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-17533 Filed 8-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P