[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 61026]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24486]
[[Page 61026]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XR053]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: NMFS is extending the public comment period on the proposed
Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (DBHCP) developed by the
Deschutes Basin Board of the Control and the City of Prineville
(applicants) in support of their application for an incidental take
permit from NMFS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The
USFWS prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) in
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NMFS is a
cooperating agency under NEPA for this action.
DATES: The original notice issued on October 4, 2019 (84 FR 53114),
provided for a comment period to end on November 18, 2019. The comment
period is now extended 15 days and will close on December 3, 2019.
Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) no
later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on December 3, 2019. Comments
received after this date may not be accepted.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed DBHCP are available for public
inspection online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/proposed-deschutes-basin-habitat-conservatioin-plan. The draft EIS (and the
proposed DBHCP) can be viewed online at http://www.regulations.gov,
Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2019-0091.
You may submit comments by the following methods. You do not need
to resubmit comments if they have already been submitted.
Electronic Submission: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow
instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2019-0091.
Hard Copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery to Public
Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2019-0091, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: JAO/1N, Falls Church, VA
22041-3803.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period,
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the
public record and will be posted for public viewing on
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Carlon, NMFS (503) 231-2379 or
by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Statutory Authority
Section 9 of the ESA prohibits the taking of any listed species.
The definition of ``take'' under the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1532(19)) includes
to harass, harm, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, collect, or
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 activity. Section 10(a) of the ESA and
implementing regulations specify requirements for the issuance of
incidental take permits (ITP) to non-Federal entities for the take of
endangered and threatened species. NMFS regulations governing permits
for threatened and endangered species are at 50 CFR 222.307. Any
proposed take must be incidental to otherwise lawful activities, not
appreciably reduce the likelihood of the survival and recovery of the
species in the wild, and minimize and mitigate the impacts of such take
to the maximum extent practicable. In addition, the applicant must
prepare an habitat conservation plan describing the impact that will
likely result from such taking, the strategy for minimizing and
mitigating the take, the funding available to implement such steps,
alternatives to such taking, and the reason such alternatives are not
being implemented.
Background
The NMFS and USFWS received an incidental take permit application
from the applicants on August 30, 2019. The eight DBBC-member districts
are quasi-municipal organizations formed and operated according to
Oregon state law to distribute water to irrigators within designated
geographic boundaries. Collectively, the districts serve over 7,653
patrons and provide water for approximately 151,000 acres. The City of
Prineville operates City-owned infrastructure and provides essential
services to over 9,000 residents including municipal water supply,
sewage treatment and public safety.
The application included the proposed DBHCP, which describes how
impacts to steelhead, spring-run Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, bull
trout and Oregon spotted frog (hereafter covered species) would be
minimized and mitigated. The proposed DBHCP also describes the
estimated potential impact on covered species' populations, adaptive
management, monitoring, and mitigation measures.
The various activities carried out by the applicants modify the
quantity and quality of flow in the Deschutes River and its tributaries
through the storage, release, diversion and return of irrigation water
and the release of treated municipal sewage. The proposed DBHCP would
modify covered activities to reduce the negative effects on the covered
species aquatic habitat.
Dated: November 5, 2019.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-24486 Filed 11-8-19; 8:45 am]
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