[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 7 (Thursday, January 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1893-1894]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-254]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-ES-2007-N0005]
Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement for the Guam Rail on Cocos Island,
Guam
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Receipt of application; notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have
received applications for enhancement of survival permits pursuant to
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(ESA), from Cocos Island Resort and the Guam Department of Agriculture
(Applicants). The permit applications include a proposed Safe Harbor
Agreement (SHA) among the Applicants and the Service. Implementation of
the proposed SHA provides for voluntary habitat restoration,
maintenance, enhancement, or the creation of activities to enhance the
habitat and recovery of the Guam rail (Gallirallus owstonii) (``Covered
Species'') on 83.1 acres of non-Federal lands on Cocos Island, Guam.
The proposed duration of both the SHA and permits is 10 years.
The Service has made a preliminary determination that the proposed
SHA and permit application are eligible for categorical exclusion under
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The basis for
this determination
[[Page 1894]]
is contained in an Environmental Action Statement which also is
available for public review.
DATES: All comments from interested parties must be received on or
before February 11, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Please address written comments to Patrick Leonard, Field
Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana
Boulevard, Room 3-122, Honolulu, HI 96850. You may also send
comments by facsimile at (808) 792-9580.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Newman, Assistant Field
Supervisor (see ADDRESSES), telephone (808) 792-9400.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability of Documents
Copies of the draft documents and permit applications are available
for public inspection, by appointment between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5
p.m. at the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES).
You may also request copies of the documents by contacting the
Service's Pacific Island Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT). We are furnishing this notice to provide the
public, other state and Federal agencies, and tribes an opportunity to
review and comment on these documents. Before including your address,
phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information
in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly
available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold
your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Background
A SHA encourages private landowners to conduct voluntary
conservation activities and assures them that they will not be
subjected to increased listed species restrictions should their
beneficial stewardship efforts result in increased numbers of listed
species. As long as enrolled landowners maintain agreed-upon baseline
responsibilities, they may make any other lawful use of the enrolled
property during the permit term, even if such use results in the take
of individuals of the Federally listed species named within the permit.
Application requirements and issuance criteria for enhancement of
survival permits and SHAs are found in 50 CFR 17.22(c). The primary
objective of this proposed SHA is to establish a breeding population of
Guam rails on Cocos Island by providing a predator-controlled habitat.
The private lands subject to this proposed SHA and permit consist
of 83.1 acres of mixed forest and beach strand habitat on Cocos Island,
Guam. Current land use practices include the operation of a day resort
for tourists and overnight camping. Habitat conditions vary from
manicured lawn surrounding the buildings to mixed native forest with
invasive vines. The Guam rail was last observed in the wild on Northern
Guam in the mid-1980s; therefore, the baseline for the species is zero,
and there are no prohibitions on the use of the property or
responsibilities for protecting existing individuals of the Guam rail
or its habitat. However, management activities by the Applicants and
other cooperators to encourage the establishment and survival of Guam
rails on the enrolled lands during the term of the proposed SHA and the
permit include: (1) Eradicating rats and mice and control monitor
lizard population on Cocos Island prior to release of Guam rail; (2)
reducing likelihood of reintroduction of rats, mice, and the
introduction of the brown treesnake; (3) developing and implementing a
forest enhancement plan to reduce invasive plant species and increase
native plant species on Cocos Island; (4) releasing Guam rails and
monitoring survivorship, breeding behavior, habitat preference, and
nesting success; and (5) creating materials to promote understanding of
wildlife recovery and invasive species issues for Cocos Island staff
and visitors.
Based upon the probable species' response, we estimate it will take
10 years of implementing the planned conservation measures to fully
reach a net conservation benefit for the Guam rail; some level of
benefit is expected within a shorter period of time as a result of
predator control and habitat restoration effort. The duration of the
SHA and permits will be for a term of 10 years, although both may be
renewed upon approval by the Service.
We believe that approval of the proposed SHA may qualify for a
categorical exclusion under NEPA, as provided by the Department of
Interior Manual (516 DM 2, Appendix 1 and 516 DM 6, Appendix 1) Based
on the following criteria: (1) Implementation of the SHA would result
in minor or negligible effects on federally listed, proposed, and
candidate species and their habitats; (2) implementation of the SHA
would result in minor or negligible effects on other environmental
values or resources; and (3) impacts of the SHA, considered together
with the impacts of other past, present and reasonably foreseeable
similarly situated projects, would not result, over time, in cumulative
effects to environmental values or resources which would be considered
significant. This is more fully explained in our draft EAS. We will
consider public comments in making its final determination on whether
to prepare such additional NEPA documentation.
This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA and
NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). The Service will evaluate the permit
application, associated documents, and comments submitted thereon to
determine whether the proposed Agreement and permit application meets
the requirements of section 10(a) of the ESA and NEPA regulations. The
final NEPA and permit determinations will not be completed until after
the end of the 30-day comment period and will fully consider all
comments received during the comment period.
Dated: December 31, 2007.
Jeff Newman,
Acting Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office,
Honolulu, Hawaii.
[FR Doc. E8-254 Filed 1-9-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P