[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 189 (Monday, September 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 51518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21089]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XR041


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; receipt of one incidental take permit application; 
availability of a draft environmental assessment; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received one incidental 
take permit application for the Calaveras River Habitat Conservation 
Plan (HCP) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as 
amended. NMFS has also prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) 
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) describing the 
potential effects of Stockton East Water District's (District) proposed 
Calaveras River HCP. The Calaveras River HCP was prepared and submitted 
by the District and describes their ongoing operations and monitoring 
activities in the Calaveras River. NMFS is furnishing this notice in 
order to allow other agencies and the public an opportunity to review 
and comment on the Calaveras River HCP and EA. All comments and other 
information received will become part of the public record and will be 
available for review.

DATES: Comments or requests for a public hearing on the applications 
must be received at the appropriate address or fax number (see 
ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on November 14, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the submitted permit application and 
associated HCP and/or the draft EA should be addressed to the NMFS 
California Central Valley Office, Attn: Calaveras River Habitat 
Conservation Plan, 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 5-100, Sacramento, CA 95814. 
Comments may also be submitted via fax to 916-930-3629 or by email to 
[email protected]. Include in the subject line of the email 
comment the following identifier: Comments on Calaveras River Habitat 
Conservation Plan. Please specify whether the comments provided are 
associated with the HCP or the draft EA. When commenting, please refer 
to the specific page number and line number of the subject of your 
comment. The documents are available on the internet at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/calaveras-river-habitat-conservation-plan-and-environmental-assessment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Monica Gutierrez, Sacramento, CA, at 
phone number: (916) 930-3657, via fax: (916) 930-3629, or via email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): Winter-run Chinook 
salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon, and fall/late fall-run Chinook 
salmon.
    California Central Valley (CCV) steelhead (O. mykiss).

Background

    The District is seeking coverage under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 
ESA for their ongoing operations and monitoring program in the lower 
Calaveras River in California's Central Valley. The Calaveras River, a 
tributary to the San Joaquin River, serves as an important source of 
water for fish, agriculture, and municipal uses in Calaveras and San 
Joaquin counties. The District manages the water resources within the 
Calaveras River during non-flood control periods for their respective 
constituents. The Calaveras River provides valuable habitat for CCV 
steelhead and Chinook salmon. The District's operations may result in 
impacts to listed species and their habitat within the Calaveras River. 
Therefore, the District is committed to working collaboratively with 
NMFS to minimize these impacts through implementation of the HCP upon 
issuance of the Section 10(a)(1)(B) Permit.

Authority

    Section 9 of the ESA and Federal regulations prohibit the `taking' 
of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The ESA defines 
``take'' to mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, 
capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. NMFS 
may issue permits, under limited circumstances to take listed species 
incidental to, and not the purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. 
Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA provides for authorizing incidental take 
of listed species. NMFS regulations governing permits for threatened 
and endangered species are promulgated at 50 CFR 222.307.
    NEPA requires Federal agencies to conduct an environmental analysis 
of their proposed actions to determine if the actions may affect the 
human environment. Therefore, NMFS is seeking public input on the scope 
of the required NEPA analysis, including the range of reasonable 
alternatives and associated impacts of any alternatives.

Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-21089 Filed 9-27-19; 8:45 am]
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