[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 176 (Thursday, September 10, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55856-55857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-19938]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2020-N021; FXES11140800000-201-FF08EVEN00]


Categorical Exclusion and Draft City of Santa Cruz Operations and 
Maintenance Habitat Conservation Plan; Santa Cruz County, California

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, have received an 
application for a permit to conduct activities with the potential for 
take of endangered species that is incidental to, and not the purpose 
of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activities. With some exceptions, 
the Endangered Species Act prohibits certain activities that may impact 
endangered species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. We 
invite comments on this application which we will take into 
consideration before issuing a permit.

DATES: We will receive public comments on the draft habitat 
conservation plan and draft categorical exclusion screening form until 
October 13, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: You may download a copy of the draft 
habitat conservation plan and draft categorical exclusion screening 
form at http://www.fws.gov/ventura/ or you may request copies of the 
documents by U.S. mail (below) or by phone (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT).
    Submitting Written Comments: Please send your written comments 
using one of the following methods:
     U.S. mail: Stephen P. Henry, Field Supervisor, Ventura 
Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola 
Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003.
     Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chad Mitcham, Biologist, by phone at 
805-677-3328, via the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY 
assistance, or at the Ventura address (see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Santa Cruz (applicant) has 
applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an 
incidental take permit (ITP) under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.). The applicant is requesting an ITP with a 30-year term, for 
incidental take of six wildlife species likely to result from

[[Page 55857]]

implementation of activities covered by the applicant's habitat 
conservation plan (HCP). The species included in the HCP are indicated 
in the table below. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), we advise the 
public of the availability of the proposed HCP and our draft 
categorical exclusion screening form.

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                                                                                                   State status
          Common name                    Scientific name                 Federal status *               **
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Invertebrates (2)
    Ohlone tiger beetle........  Cicindela ohlone...............  E.............................
    Mount Hermon June beetle...  Polyphylla barbata.............  E.............................
Fish (2)
    Tidewater goby.............  Eucyclogobius newberryi........  E.............................
    Pacific lamprey............  Lampetra tridentata............  ..............................             SCC
Amphibians (4)
    California red-legged frog.  Rana draytonii.................  T.............................             SSC
Reptiles (1)
    Western pond turtle........  Actinemys marmorata............  ..............................             SSC
Plants (4)
    Ben Lomond spineflower.....  Chorizanthe pungens var.         E.............................
                                  hartwegiana.
    Robust spineflower.........  Chorizanthe robusta var.         E.............................  ..............
                                  robusta.
    Santa Cruz tarplant........  Holocarpha macradenia..........  T.............................               E
    San Francisco popcornflower  Plagiobothrys diffusus.........  ..............................               E
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* Federal Status: Candidate (C); Endangered (E); Threatened (T).
** State Status: Species of Special Concern (SSC); Threatened (T); Endangered (E).

Background

    Section 9 of the ESA prohibits take of fish and wildlife species 
listed as endangered (16 U.S.C. 1538). Under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 
ESA (16 U.S.C. 1539(a)(1)(B)), we may issue permits to authorize take 
of listed fish and wildlife species that is incidental to, and not the 
purpose of, carrying out an otherwise lawful activity. Regulations 
governing permits for endangered species are set forth in title 50 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at part 17, section 17.22.
    The NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) requires Federal agencies to 
analyze their proposed actions to determine whether the actions may 
significantly affect the human environment. In these NEPA analyses, the 
Federal agency will identify direct, indirect, and cumulative effects, 
as well as possible mitigation for effects on environmental resources 
that could occur with implementation of the proposed action and 
alternatives.

Public Review

    If you wish to comment on the draft HCP and categorical exclusion 
screening form, you may submit comments by one of the methods in 
ADDRESSES.
    Any comments we receive will become part of the decision record 
associated with this action. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, please be aware that your entire comment--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can request in your comment that we withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Authority

    We provide this notice under section 10 of the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.) and NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).

Stephen Henry,
Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, Ventura, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2020-19938 Filed 9-9-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P