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Coyote Springs Investments Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
[Federal Register: December 4, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 233)]
[Notices]
[Page 63065-63066]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04de01-88]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Coyote Springs Investments Multiple Species Habitat Conservation
Plan
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, this notice
advises the public that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)
intends to gather information necessary to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) regarding the proposed Coyote Springs
Investments Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) and
issuance of an incidental take permit (Permit) to take endangered and
threatened species in accordance with section 10(a) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Permit applicant is Coyote
Springs Investments (Applicant). The application is related to
potential development activities in Southern Lincoln County. The
Applicants intend to request a Permit for federally listed threatened
or endangered species as well as Evaluation List species. Evaluation
List species include species that have been petitioned for listing;
state listed species; species that have been nominated for inclusion by
technical specialists; and other species of concern that co-occur with
federally listed species. The species list is being refined as a part
of the scoping process. In accordance with the Act, the Applicant will
prepare a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan), for, among other things,
minimizing and mitigating any such take which could occur incidental to
the proposed Permit activities.
The Service is furnishing this notice in order to: (1) Advise other
Federal and State agencies, affected tribes, and the public of our
intentions; (2) to announce the initiation of a 60-day public scoping
period and (3) to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of
issues to be included in the EIS.
DATES: Written comments from all interested parties must be received on
or before February 4, 2002. Public scoping meetings will be held in Las
Vegas, Nevada on December 11, 2001 at Texas Station Hotel, 2101 Texas
Star Lane from 7 to 9 p.m. and in Alamo, Nevada on December 12, 2001 at
the Alamo Annex, 100 South First West Street, from 7 to 9 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for information should be sent to
Robert D. Williams, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite 234, Reno, Nevada 89502, telephone 775-
861-6300, facsimile 775-861-6301. Comments and materials received will
be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal
business hours at the above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project area generally includes
portions of Coyote Springs Valley in both Clark and Lincoln Counties,
and consists of roughly 42,800 acres of fee and leased land located in
portions of Townships 11, 12 and 13 South and Ranges 63 & 64 East. The
project site occupies most of the eastern portion of Coyote Springs
Valley straddling both the Pahranagat Wash and the Kane Springs Wash.
It is bordered by the Delamar Mountains to the north, the Meadow Valley
Mountains to the east, SR 168 and the Arrow Canyon Range to the south,
and US 93 to the west.
Some of the Applicant's future activities have the potential to
impact species subject to protection under the Act. Section 10(a)(1)(B)
permits non-Federal land owners to take endangered and threatened
species, provided the take is incidental to otherwise lawful activities
and will not appreciably reduce the likelihood for the survival and
recovery of the species in the wild, among other permit issuance
criteria. An applicant for a Permit under section 10 of the Act must
prepare and submit to the Service for approval a Plan containing, among
other things, a strategy for minimizing and mitigating all take
associated with the proposed activities to the maximum extent
practicable. The applicant must also ensure that adequate funding for
the Plan will be provided.
The Applicant have initiated discussions with the Service regarding
[[Page 63066]]
the possibility of a Permit and associated MSHCP for their activities
on lands to be covered by a Permit. General activities proposed for
Permit coverage include residential and commercial development,
construction, and maintenance activities.
The Service will conduct an environmental review of the Plan and
prepare an EIS. The environmental review will analyze the proposal as
well as a full range of reasonable alternatives and the associated
impacts of each. The Service is currently in the process of developing
alternatives for analysis.
Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties to
ensure that the full range of issues related to the Permit request are
addressed and that all significant issues are identified. Comments or
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be
directed to the Service (see ADDRESSES).
The environmental review of this project will be conducted in
accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969 as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its implementing
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) and other appropriate
Federal laws and regulations, policies, and procedures of the Service
for compliance with those regulations. It is estimated that the draft
EIS will be available for public review during the third quarter of
2002.
Dated: November 28, 2001.
John Engbring,
Acting Deputy Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 01-30025 Filed 12-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P