[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59263-59264]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22261]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Southern Conservation Corporation's Candidate Conservation
Agreement With Assurances and Enhancement of Survival Permit
Application for the Greater Adams Cave Beetle and Lesser Adams Cave
Beetle
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an
application from Southern Conservation Corporation (Applicant) for an
enhancement of survival permit (ESP) pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended
(Act). With our assistance, the Applicant proposes to implement
conservation measures for the greater Adams Cave beetle
(Pseudanophthalmus pholeter) and lesser Adams Cave beetle
(Pseudanophthalmus cataryctos), collectively known as the ``the covered
species,'' by removing the threats to the survival of these species and
protecting their habitat. We are announcing our receipt of the ESP
application as well as the availability of a proposed Candidate
Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) that is intended to
facilitate the implementation of conservation measures for the species
by the Applicant and the Service in support of on-going efforts to
remove threats to their survival and provide protection of their
habitat.
DATES: Written comments on the CCAA and ESP application should be sent
to the Service's Regional Office (see ADDRESSES) and should be received
on or before November 3, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the CCAA and ESP application may
obtain copies by writing the Service's Southeast Regional Office,
Atlanta, Georgia at the address below. Documents will also be available
for public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at
the Regional Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta,
Georgia 30345 (Attn: Endangered Species Permits), or Field Supervisor,
Fish and Wildlife Service, 3761 Georgetown Road, Frankfort, Kentucky
40601. Written data or comments concerning the CCAA or ESP application
should be submitted to the Regional Office at the address listed above
and must be submitted in writing to be adequately considered in the
Service's decision-making process. Please reference permit number TE-
088168-0 in your comments, or in requests of the documents discussed
herein.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rick Gooch, Regional CCAA
Coordinator, (see ADDRESSES above), telephone: (404) 679-7124,
facsimile: (404) 679-7081; or Dr. Michael Floyd, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, Kentucky Field Office, Frankfort, Kentucky (see ADDRESSES
above), telephone: (502) 695-0468.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Review and Comments Solicited
Individuals wishing copies of the ESP application and/or copies of
the full text of the proposed Agreement should contact the office and
personnel listed in the ADDRESSES section above. Documents also will be
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business
hours at this office (see ADDRESSES). We provide this notice pursuant
to section 10(c) of the Act and pursuant to implementing regulations
for the National
[[Page 59264]]
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) found at (40 CFR 1506.6). All comments
received on the permit application and proposed Agreement, including
names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and
may be released to the public. If you wish us to withhold your name
and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of
your comment. All submissions from organizations or companies, or from
individuals representing organizations or companies, are available for
public inspection in their entirety.
Background
The greater Adams Cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus pholeter) and
lesser Adams Cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus cataryctos) are small,
blind, predatory ground beetles (Family Carabidae) that are endemic to
Adams Cave in Madison County, Kentucky. They were first collected in
Adams Cave in 1964 and were later described by C. Krekler in 1973. The
area surrounding Adams Cave is largely rural but is developing rapidly
due to its close proximity to the city of Lexington, Kentucky. The cave
is located on an approximate 1-acre parcel (Lot 3) within Adams Place
subdivision, approximately 6 miles southwest of the city of Richmond,
Kentucky. Construction is occurring on many of the building lots in the
subdivision. Adams Cave is a large cave for the Bluegrass Region of
Kentucky, with its passageways varying in height from approximately 5
to 60 feet and extending over 1,500 feet in length. The terrestrial
habitat surrounding Adams Cave is dominated by abandoned pasture
containing scattered groups of trees, including black walnut (Juglans
nigra) and Kentucky coffee tree (Gymnocladus dioieus), and small clumps
of cane (Arundinaria sp.).
Historically, Adams Cave has experienced extensive vandalism and
was littered with trash and other debris, affecting the quality of
available habitat for cave beetles. In 2002, a specially designed cave
gate was installed to prevent unwanted human entry. Under the CCAA,
Southern Conservation Corporation has agreed to implement several
conservation measures that will reduce and/or eliminate potential
threats to the species. Southern Conservation Corporation will: (1)
Maintain the Adams Cave property in a natural state; (2) maintain the
metal gate at the entrance to Adams Cave; and (3) control and limit
access to Adams Cave and the enrolled property. Implementation of the
CCAA is expected to protect and conserve habitat for the covered
species, eliminate unauthorized human disturbances within Adams Cave
that are believed to impact the covered species, and provide important
monitoring data that can be used to develop and/or improve management
strategies for the covered species and other cave-dependent species.
These benefits will be obtained through restoration and protection of
the above- and below-ground habitats on the enrolled property.
We will make our final determination after the end of the 30-day
comment period and will fully consider all comments received during the
comment period. If the final analysis shows the CCAA to be consistent
with our policies and applicable regulations, we will sign the CCAA and
issue the ESP. The proposed ESP would, in compliance with the CCAA
Policy, only become valid on such date as the greater Adams Cave beetle
and/or lesser Adams Cave beetle is listed as a threatened or endangered
species under the Act.
This notice also advises the public that we have made a preliminary
determination that issuance of the ESP will not result in significant
environmental, economic, social, historical, or cultural impacts and
is, therefore, categorically excluded from review under NEPA, pursuant
to 516 Departmental Manual 2, Appendix 1 and 516 Departmental Manual 6,
Appendix 1. We specifically request information, views, and opinions
from the public via this notice. Further, we specifically solicit
information regarding the adequacy of the CCAA as measured against our
CCAA Policy.
Author
The primary author of this notice is Rick Gooch (see ADDRESSES
section).
Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered
Species Act, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
Dated: September 16, 2004.
Sam D. Hamilton,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 04-22261 Filed 10-1-04; 8:45 am]
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