Published 60-day FRN (85 FR 83607)

83607

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices

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Application No.

Applicant, city, state

Species

Location

TE–829554 ...........

Barbara Kus, San Diego, California.

• Southwestern willow
flycatcher (Empidonax traillii
extimus).
• Least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii
pusillus).

CA, NV, NM,
AZ.

TE–29522A ...........

Kenneth Gilliland, Ventura, California.

• California tiger salamander
(Santa Barbara County and
Sonoma County Distinct Population Segments (DPSs))
(Ambystoma californiense).

CA ....................

PER0002114 .........

Scott Whitman ...........................

TE–67253D ...........

City of Eureka, Eureka, California.

• Least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii
pusillus).
• California least tern (Sterna
antillarum browni).
• Arroyo (=arroyo southwestern) toad (Anaxyrus
californicus).
• California tiger salamander
(Santa Barbara County and
Sonoma County Distinct Population Segments (DPSs))
(Ambystoma californiense).
• Conservancy fairy shrimp
(Branchinecta conservatio).
• Longhorn fairy shrimp
(Branchinecta longiantenna).
• Vernal pool tadpole shrimp
(Lepidurus packardi).
• Behren’s silverspot butterfly
(Speyeria zerene behrensii).

PER0002166 .........

Danielle Dillard, College Station,
Texas.

• Giant kangaroo rat
(Dipodomys ingens).

Renew.

CA ....................

Capture, handle, release, and
collect vouchers.

New.

CA ....................

Capture, handle, captive breed,
captive rear, translocate, and
release.
Capture, handle, examine for
mites, collect fecal samples,
and humanely euthanize for
disease research.

Amend.

CA ....................

Authority

Written comments we receive become
part of the administrative record
associated with this action. Before
including your address, phone number,
email 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 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. All submissions
from organizations or businesses, and
from individuals identifying themselves
as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, will be
made available for public disclosure in
their entirety.

We publish this notice under section
10(c) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).

VerDate Sep<11>2014

Angela Picco,
Regional Endangered Species Program
Manager, Pacific Southwest Region,
Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2020–28180 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–HQ–ES–2020–N146;
FXHC11140900000–212–FF09E33000; OMB
Control Number 1018–0148]

Agency Information Collection
Activities; Land-Based Wind Energy
Guidelines
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection;
request for comment.
AGENCY:

If we decide to issue permits to any
of the applicants listed in this notice,
we will publish a notice in the Federal
Register.

17:30 Dec 21, 2020

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In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we,

SUMMARY:

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Permit action

Play taped vocalizations, monitor nests, capture, collect genetic samples, handle, band,
conduct training workshops,
and remove brown-headed
cowbird (Molothrus ater) eggs
and chicks from parasitized
nests.
Capture, handle, release, monitor nests, remove brownheaded cowbird (Molothrus
ater) eggs and chicks from
parasitized nests, translocate,
erect nest exclosures, collect
infertile eggs, swab, mark,
and attach radio transmitters.

Public Availability of Comments

Next Steps

Take activity

Sfmt 4703

Renew and amend.

New.

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), are proposing to renew an
information collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to
submit comments on or before February
22, 2021.
ADDRESSES: Send your comments on the
information collection request (ICR) by
mail to the Service Information
Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/
3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church,
VA 22041–3803 (mail); or by email to
[email protected]. Please reference
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Control Number 1018–0148 in
the subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To
request additional information about
this ICR, contact Madonna L. Baucum,
Service Information Collection
Clearance Officer, by email at Info_
[email protected], or by telephone at (703)
358–2503. Individuals who are hearing
or speech impaired may call the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 for
TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act (PRA, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq.) and its implementing regulations

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jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES

83608

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices

at 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), all information
collections require approval under the
PRA. We may not conduct or sponsor
and you are not required to respond to
a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB control
number.
As part of our continuing effort to
reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we invite the public and other
Federal agencies to comment on new,
proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. It also
helps the public understand our
information collection requirements and
provide the requested data in the
desired format.
We are especially interested in public
comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of
information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the
agency, including whether or not the
information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the
burden for this collection of
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How might the agency minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before
including your address, phone number,
email 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.
Abstract: As wind energy production
increased, both developers and wildlife
agencies recognized the need for a
system to evaluate and address the
potential negative impacts of wind
energy projects on species of concern.
As a result, the Service worked with the
wind energy industry, conservation
nongovernmental organizations, Federal

VerDate Sep<11>2014

17:30 Dec 21, 2020

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and State agencies, Tribes, and
academia to develop the voluntary
Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines
(Guidelines; http://www.fws.gov/
windenergy) to provide a structured,
scientific process for addressing wildlife
conservation concerns at all stages of
land-based wind energy development.
Released in 2012, the Guidelines
promote effective communication
among wind energy developers and
Federal, State, Tribal, and local
conservation agencies. When used in
concert with appropriate regulatory
tools, the Guidelines are the best
practical approach for conserving
species of concern.
The Guidelines discuss various risks
to species of concern from wind energy
projects, including collisions with wind
turbines and associated infrastructure;
loss and degradation of habitat from
turbines and infrastructure;
fragmentation of large habitat blocks
into smaller segments that may not
support sensitive species; displacement
and behavioral changes; and indirect
effects such as increased predator
populations or introduction of invasive
plants. The Guidelines assist developers
in identifying species of concern that
may potentially be affected by proposed
projects, including but not limited to:
• Migratory birds;
• Bats;
• Bald and golden eagles, and other
birds of prey;
• Prairie chickens and sage grouse;
and
• Species that have been identified as
candidates, or proposed or listed under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
The Guidelines follow a tiered
approach. The wind energy developer
begins at Tier 1 or Tier 2, which entails
gathering of existing data to help
identify any potential risks to wildlife
and their habitats at proposed wind
energy project sites. The developer then
proceeds through subsequent tiers, as
appropriate, to collect information in
increasing detail until the level of risk
is adequately ascertained to inform the
developer’s decision on whether or not
to develop the site. Many projects may
not proceed beyond Tier 1 or 2, when
developers become aware of potential
barriers, including high risks to wildlife.
Developers would only have an interest
in adhering to the Guidelines for those
projects that proceed beyond Tier 1 or
2.
At each tier, wind energy developers
and operators should retain
documentation to provide to the
Service. Such documentation may
include copies of correspondence with
the Service, results of pre- and post-

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construction studies conducted at
project sites, bird and bat conservation
strategies, or any other record that
supports a developer’s adherence to the
Guidelines. The extent of the
documentation will depend on the
conditions of the site being developed.
Sites with greater risk of impacts to
wildlife and habitats will likely involve
more extensive communication with the
Service and longer durations of pre- and
post-construction studies than sites with
little risk.
Distributed or community-scale wind
energy projects are unlikely to have
significant adverse impacts to wildlife
and their habitats. The Guidelines
recommend that developers of these
small-scale projects conduct the desktop
analysis described in Tier 1 or Tier 2
using publicly available information to
determine whether they should
communicate with the Service. Since
such project designs usually include a
single turbine associated with existing
development, conducting a Tier 1 or
Tier 2 analysis for distributed or
community-scale wind energy projects
should incur limited non-hour burden
costs. For such projects, if there is no
potential risk identified, a developer
will have no need to communicate with
the Service regarding the project or to
conduct studies described in Tiers 3, 4,
and 5.
Adherence to the Guidelines is
voluntary. Following the Guidelines
does not relieve any individual,
company, or agency of the responsibility
to comply with applicable laws and
regulations (i.e., species protected by
the Endangered Species Act and/or Bald
and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16
U.S.C. 668–668c)).
This information collection was first
approved by OMB in 2012 and
subsequently renewed twice, in 2015
and 2018.
Title of Collection: Land-Based Wind
Energy Guidelines.
OMB Control Number: 1018–0148.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public:
Developers and operators of wind
energy facilities.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: On occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: $36,870,000. Costs will
depend on the size and complexity of
issues associated with each project.
These expenses may include, but are not
limited to: Travel expenses for site
visits, studies conducted, and meetings
with the Service and other Federal and
State agencies; training in survey
methodologies; data management;

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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 246 / Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / Notices
special transportation, such as allterrain vehicles or helicopters;
equipment needed for acoustic,

telemetry, or radar monitoring; and
carcass storage.

Requirement

Tier 1 (Desktop Analysis):
Reporting ......................................................................
Recordkeeping ..............................................................
Tier 2 (Site characterization):
Reporting ......................................................................
Recordkeeping ..............................................................
Tier 3 (Pre-construction studies):
Reporting ......................................................................
Recordkeeping ..............................................................
Tier 4 (Post-construction fatality monitoring and habitat
studies):
Reporting ......................................................................
Recordkeeping ..............................................................
Tier 5 (Other post-construction studies):
Reporting ......................................................................
Recordkeeping ..............................................................

Number of
responses
each

Total
annual
responses

40
........................

1
........................

40
........................

25
1

1,000
40

35
........................

1
........................

35
........................

155
3

5,425
105

30
........................

1
........................

30
........................

3,100
5

93,000
150

45
........................

1
........................

45
........................

3,600
5

162,000
225

10
........................

1
........................

10
........................

2,100
5

21,000
50

160

........................

160

........................

282,995

Totals .....................................................................

An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and a person is not required to
respond to a collection of information
unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number.
The authority for this action is the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Dated: December 17, 2020.
Madonna Baucum,
Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2020–28259 Filed 12–21–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–R3–ES–2019–0101;
FXES11130300000–190–FF03E00000]

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for the
Ozark Hellbender
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and
request for public comment.
AGENCY:

We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the draft recovery plan for
the Ozark hellbender, a salamander
species. We request review and
comment on this draft recovery plan
from local, State, and Federal agencies,
and the public.
DATES: We must receive comments by
January 21, 2021.
ADDRESSES:

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SUMMARY:

VerDate Sep<11>2014

17:30 Dec 21, 2020

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Document availability: The draft
recovery plan, along with any comments
and other materials that we receive, will
be available for public inspection at
http://www.regulations.gov in Docket
No. FWS–R3–ES–2019–0101.
Submitting Comments: You may
submit comments by one of the
following methods:
• Internet: http://
www.regulations.gov. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. FWS–
R3–ES–2019–0101.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No.
FWS–R3–ES–2019–0101; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS:
JAO/1N; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls
Church, VA 22041–3803.
For more information, see Availability
of Public Comments under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Karen Herrington, by phone at 573–234–
2132, via email at karen_herrington@
fws.gov, or via the Federal Relay Service
at 800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce the availability of the draft
recovery plan for the endangered Ozark
hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis bishopi) for public review
and comment. The Ozark hellbender is
a large, strictly aquatic salamander
found only in southern Missouri and
northern Arkansas. The draft recovery
plan includes objective, measurable
criteria and management actions as may
be necessary for removal of the species
from the Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife. We request review

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time per
response
(hours)

Annual
number of
respondents

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Total annual
burden
hours

and comment on this draft recovery
plan from local, State, and Federal
agencies, and the public.
Recovery Planning
Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.), requires the development
of recovery plans for listed species,
unless such a plan would not promote
the conservation of a particular species.
Also pursuant to section 4(f) of the Act,
a recovery plan must, to the maximum
extent practicable, include (1) a
description of site-specific management
actions as may be necessary to achieve
the plan’s goals for the conservation and
survival of the species; (2) objective,
measurable criteria that, when met,
would support a determination under
section 4(a)(1) that the species should be
removed from the List of Endangered
and Threatened Species; and (3)
estimates of the time and costs required
to carry out those measures needed to
achieve the plan’s goal and to achieve
intermediate steps toward that goal.
Species Background
The Ozark hellbender is endemic to
the White River drainage in northern
Arkansas and southern Missouri
(Johnson 2000), historically occurring in
portions of the Spring, White, Black,
Eleven Point, and Current Rivers and
some of their tributaries (Bryant Creek,
the North Fork White River, and Jacks
Fork) (LaClaire 1993). Currently,
populations of Ozark hellbenders are
known to occur in Bryant Creek, the
North Fork White River, the Eleven
Point River, and the Current River, with

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