[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 58 (Monday, March 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Page 16385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06352]



[[Page 16385]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2021-0020; FXES11140400000-212-FF04EF4000]


Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed 
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Sand Skink and Blue-Tailed Mole 
Skink; Osceola County, FL; Categorical Exclusion

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments and information.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt 
of an application from Lennar Homes LLC (applicant) for an incidental 
take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant 
requests the ITP to take the federally listed sand skink and blue-
tailed mole skink incidental to the construction of a residential 
development in Osceola County, Florida. We request public comment on 
the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat 
conservation plan (HCP), and on 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 on or before April 28, 
2021.

ADDRESSES:
    Obtaining Documents: You may obtain copies of the documents online 
in Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2021-0020 at http://www.regulations.gov.
    Submitting Comments: If you wish to submit comments on any of the 
documents, you may do so in writing by any of the following methods:
     Online: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2021-0020.
     U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 
FWS-R4-ES-2021-0020; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alfredo Begazo, by telephone at (772) 
469-4234 or via email at [email protected]. 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, announce 
receipt of an application from Lennar Homes LLC 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 egregious lividus) (skinks) incidental to the 
construction a residential development in Osceola County, Florida. We 
request public comment on the application, which includes the 
applicant's proposed HCP, and on 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

    The applicant requests a 10-year ITP to take skinks through the 
conversion of approximately 6.94 acres of occupied skink foraging and 
sheltering habitat incidental to the construction of a residential 
development on a 25.01-acre parcel in Section 14, Township 25 South, 
Range 27 East, Osceola County, Florida. The applicant proposes to 
mitigate for take of the skinks by purchasing credits equivalent to 
13.88 acres of skink-occupied habitat from a Service-approved 
conservation bank. The Service would require the applicant to purchase 
the credits prior to engaging in any phase of the project.

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 the construction of single-family homes, 
paved roads and driveways, parking and green areas, storm water ponds, 
and associated infrastructure (e.g., electric, water, and sewer lines) 
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 that the HCP would be 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 reasonably foreseeable similarly situated projects, would 
not result in significant cumulative effects to environmental values or 
resources over time.

Next Steps

    The Service will evaluate the application and the comments 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 
preceding matters, 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 PER0002540 to Lennar Homes LLC for 
incidental take of skinks.

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. 2021-06352 Filed 3-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P