[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 119 (Friday, June 19, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37070-37071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13264]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XA127]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

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

ACTION: Notice; receipt of one Incidental Take Permit application and 
one Enhancement of Survival 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 and one Enhancement of Survival Permit

[[Page 37071]]

application for Sierra Pacific Land & Timber Company's (SPL&T) Habitat 
Conservation Plan (HCP) and Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA). The HCP/SHA 
has been submitted pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) and Section 
10(a)(1)(A) of 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 NMFS' proposed issuance of the Permits associated with the 
submitted HCP/SHA.
    SPL&T is the largest private forestland owner in the state of 
California, with ownership currently encompassing approximately 1.64 
million acres of timberland throughout the northern and central 
portions of the state. Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is the 
authorized representative and manager of SPL&T lands. Rivers and 
streams on portions of SPL&T lands in the Trinity River and Sacramento 
River basins provide habitat for anadromous salmonids, including 
species listed under the ESA. NMFS is furnishing this notice in order 
to allow other agencies and the public an opportunity to review and 
comment on these documents. 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 (see ADDRESSES) no later 
than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on July 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the submitted HCP/SHA and/or the draft 
NEPA EA should be addressed to the NMFS California Central Valley 
Office, Attn: Sierra Pacific Industries HCP/SHA, 650 Capitol Mall, 
Suite 5-100, Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments may also be submitted via 
email to [email protected]. Include in the subject line of 
the email the following identifier: Comments on Sierra Pacific 
Industries HCP/SHA. Please specify whether the comments provided are 
associated with the HCP/SHA or the draft NEPA EA. When commenting, 
please refer to the specific page number and the subject of your 
comment. The documents are available on the internet at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/habitat-conservation-plan-and-safe-harbor-agreement-sierra-pacific-industries-forestland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Cranford, Sacramento, CA, at 
phone number: (916) 930-3706, or via email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice

    Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), (Evolutionary 
Significant Units (ESU)): Central Valley (CV) spring-run ESU and 
Sacramento River (SR) winter-run ESU.
    Coho salmon (O. kisutch), (ESU): Southern Oregon/Northern 
California Coast (SONCC) ESU.
    Steelhead (O. mykiss), (Distinct Population Segments (DPS)): 
California Central Valley (CCV) DPS.

Background

    SPI has prepared a joint HCP/SHA to address effects of forest land 
management in the Sacramento River and Trinity River basins on 
salmonids listed under the ESA. The HCP addresses potential impacts 
resulting from SPI's timber harvest activities in watersheds with 
watercourses accessible to anadromous salmonids or upstream of those 
watercourses where potential effects from covered activities have the 
potential to extend to occupied habitat. Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the ESA 
authorizes NMFS to issue an Incidental Take Permit to non-Federal 
parties for the potential incidental taking of endangered and 
threatened species. In support of an Incidental Take Permit, SPI has 
prepared a HCP that provides an assessment of impacts; measures to 
monitor, minimize, and mitigate for those impacts; and procedures to 
account for unforeseen or extraordinary circumstances.
    The SHA addresses potential impacts resulting from SPI's timber 
harvest activities on SPL&T lands in the Sacramento and Trinity River 
basins upstream of currently impassable dams where NMFS is proposing to 
reintroduce populations of ESA-listed salmonids. The purpose of the SHA 
is to provide incentives for non-Federal property owners to voluntarily 
conduct beneficial activities that either support or attract ESA-listed 
species. The SHA ensures that new restrictions are not placed on the 
future use of the property during the permit term, as long as the 
participating non-Federal property owners meet the terms of the SHA. 
The SHA identifies the Covered Species, boundaries of the enrolled 
property, the conservation benefits, the extent of incidental take, and 
the SHA Assurances. The incidental taking identified in the SHA is 
authorized under a Section 10(a)(1)(A) Enhancement of Survival Permit. 
The SHA prepared by SPI is reasonably expected to meet the regulatory 
standard of producing a net conservation benefit for ESA-listed 
salmonids to be reintroduced onto SPL&T lands.

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 and implementing regulations (50 CFR 222.307) 
provide for authorizing incidental take of listed species.
    Enhancement of Survival permits are issued in accordance with 
Section 10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR 222.308). NMFS 
issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are applied for 
in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not operate to the 
disadvantage of the listed species that are the subject of the permit; 
and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policy of Section 2 of the 
ESA. The authority to take listed species is subject to conditions set 
forth in the permits.
    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 in the EA, including the range of 
reasonable alternatives and associated impacts of any alternatives.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the applications, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the applications meet the requirements 
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decisions will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: June 15, 2020.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-13264 Filed 6-18-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P