[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 42 (Friday, March 1, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8070-8071]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-4496]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Endangered and Threatened Species Permit Application
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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Notice of Availability of the Final Joint Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the proposed
issuance of an incidental take permit for the endangered Stephens'
Kangaroo Rat (SKR) in Western Riverside County, California. The Record
of Decision will be published no sooner than 30 days from this notice.
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Final Joint EIS/EIR on
the application to incidentally take SKR is available for public
review. The Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency (RCHCA) has
applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for a 30-year
Incidental Take Permit pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the
Endangered Species Act. Publication of the Record of Decision and
issuance of the permit will occur no sooner than 30 days from this
notice. This notice is provided pursuant to section 10 of the Act and
the National Environmental Policy Act Regulations (40 CFR 1506.6).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pete Sorensen, Endangered Species
Division, Chief, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Field Office,
2730 Loker Ave. West, Carlsbad, California 92008, (619) 431-9440).
Individuals wishing copies of this Final EIS/EIR should immediately
contact the RCHCA at (909) 275-1100. Documents will be available for
public inspection by appointment during normal business hours (8 a.m.
to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday) at the RCHCA, 4080 Lemon Street,
12th Floor, Riverside, California, 92501. Documents will also be
available for public inspection by appointment during normal business
hours (8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday) at the Service Office at
the above referenced address and telephone. A letter announcing
availability of the Final Joint EIS/EIR has been sent to all agencies
and parties who previously received notice of availability of the Draft
EIS/EIR, and/or who requested a copy of the Draft EIS/EIR or commented
on the Draft EIS/EIR.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Service listed the SKR as an endangered species, on October 31,
1988 (53 FR 38485), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). Under the Act, no person may harass, harm, pursue, hunt,
shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect the species, or attempt to
engage in such conduct (16 USC 1538). The Service, however, may issue
permits to conduct activities involving endangered species under
certain circumstances, including carrying out scientific purposes,
enhancing the propagation or survival of the species, or incidentally
taking the species in connection with otherwise lawful activities.
Regulations governing permits are in 50 CFR 17.22, 17.23, and 17.32.
The RCHCA presently has a short-term 10(a)(1)(B) permit from the
Service to incidentally take SKR's in connection with various proposed
public and private projects in the western portion of Riverside County.
Under the program established through this interim permit, SKR habitat
in public and private ownership is being acquired and managed for the
long-term benefit of the species. Acquisition of private lands is
funded in part from mitigation fees collected by the RCHCA as
developments proceed. As intended when the interim permit was granted
in August 1990, the RCHCA is applying to the Service for a 30-year
incidental take permit for the same purposes. The area covered by the
proposed 30-year permit will include much of the historical range of
the SKR in Riverside County and will allow development to proceed on
15,000 acres of occupied SKR habitat. The permit application was
received on April 14, 1995, and was accompanied by the Long-term SKR
Habitat Conservation Plan that details proposed measures to minimize,
monitor, and mitigate impacts of the proposed take of SKR.
The applicants propose to minimize and mitigate the impacts of take
by ensuring that the seven proposed Core Reserves are established by
completing the acquisitions and securing the remaining agreements
necessary to conserve the remaining private lands in those reserves.
The habitat within the reserves will be conserved by restricting any
take within the Core Reserves. To help manage the reserves the non-
wasting endowments or equivalent annual funding sources will be
established in the amount of $6,000,600. Through cooperative agreements
with BLM, the Core Reserves will be expanded to 15,000 acres of
occupied SKR habitat.
The funding for the implementation of the plan will be provided
through a combination of local, Federal and State contributions.
Federal and State agencies will provide $2.5 million in land
acquisition funding and ``in lieu'' land management services, and a
matching fund of $1.6 million towards financing the plan. BLM will
provide 10,700 acres of Federal land for exchange, which will then be
sold to purchase an additional 2,500 acres of occupied SKR habitat
adjacent to the current reserves. The State will provide partial
management for the state lands at San Jacinto/Perris Core Reserve and
through a cooperative effort with RCHCA try to reduce or eliminate the
balance of management funds required for this reserve.
The underlying purpose or goal of the proposed action is to develop
a program designed to ensure the continued existence of the species,
while resolving potential conflicts that may arise from otherwise
lawful private and public improvement projects.
Development of the Final EIS/EIR
This draft Joint EIS/EIR has been developed cooperatively by the
Service, Carlsbad Field Office (lead agency); and the RCHCA.
In the development of this Final Joint EIS/EIR, the Service has
initiated action to assure compliance with the purpose and intent of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended.
Scoping activities were undertaken preparatory to developing the Draft
EIS/EIR with a variety of Federal, State, and local entities. A Notice
of Intent to prepare the EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register
on March 2, 1993.
The RCHCA's preparation of the long-term HCP has been on-going
since the short-term permit was authorized. In
[[Page 8071]]
March 1993, the Service and the RCHCA initiated a joint scoping process
for the preparation of a combined EIS/EIR in anticipation of the
Service receiving a permit application for a 30-year Section 10(a)
permit for incidental take SKR. The scoping process was initiated in
accordance with NEPA to solicit comments on issues and alternatives to
be addressed in the EIS/EIR. Because of the extended two-year scoping
process, the Draft Scoping Report was prepared to update public
knowledge of the scoping process. This report summarized the 2-year
scoping process, identified the scoping issues raised by interested
parties at public meetings and in written statements, and outlined the
issues and alternatives to be addressed in the Draft EIS/EIR. The
availability of the Draft Scoping Report was published in the Federal
Register on March 24, 1995.
A Notice of Availability of a Draft EIS/EIR and receipt of an
Application for an Incidental Take Permit for SKR in Western Riverside
County, California was published in the Federal Register August 4,
1995.
Potential consequences, in terms of adverse impacts and benefits
associated with the implementation of each alternative, were described
in the Draft EIS/EIR. The Service received 39 letters of comment on the
Draft EIS/EIR that primarily focused on the following subject areas:
(1) The range of alternatives in the document; (2) inadequate analysis
of effects to SKR, effects on local General Plans, effects on local
economic conditions, cumulative effects, and growth-inducing effects;
(3) mitigation measures for effects to SKR; (4) population viability
analysis model; and (5) analysis of funding requirements, sources and
assurances.
The Responses to Comments document for the FEIS/EIR contains copies
of all comments received and responses to all comments received. Issues
and potential consequences remain constant from the Draft to the Final
EIS/EIR.
Alternatives Analyzed in the Final EIS/EIR
Four alternatives were considered for analysis in the Final EIS/
EIR: (1) Proposed Action/Project (approve and implement the Long-term
SKR HCP); (2) Expanded Conservation/Protection (conserve additional SKR
habitat); (3) Existing Reserves/Public Lands (focus of SKR habitat
already protected); and (4) a No Project/No Action Alternative (assume
no regional program). Issuance of the permit with the mitigating,
minimizing, and monitoring measures outlined in the Proposed Action/
Project alternative is the Service's preferred action and is discussed
above. Key issues addressed in the Final EIS/EIR are identified as the
effects that implementation of various alternatives would have upon:
(1) The endangered SKR; (2) other wildlife and their habitats; (3) land
uses and general plans; (4) provision of public facilities, services
and utilities; and (5) social and economic conditions. In addition, a
second assessment of funding was prepared in response to comments on
the Draft EIS/EIR.
Each alternative was evaluated for its potential to result in
significant adverse impacts, and the adequacy or inadequacy of the
proposed measures to avoid, minimize, and substantially reduce the
effects.
Dated: February 22, 1996.
Thomas Dwyer,
Deputy Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 96-4496 Filed 2-29-96; 8:45 am]
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