Notice of Availability of an Application Submitted by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for a Statewide Incidental Take Permit Associated With Implementation of a ``Safe Harbor'' Program

Samenvatting

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (Applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant to Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The proposed ITP would authorize the incidental take of a federally endangered species, the red-cockaded woodpecker, Picoides borealis (RCW). The permit would authorize incidental take only on land that is enrolled in the proposed ``safe harbor'' program. (See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.) The Service also announces the availability of an environmental assessment (EA) and habitat conservation plan (HCP) for the incidental take application. Copies of the EA and/or HCP may be obtained by making a request to the Regional Office (see ADDRESSES). Requests must be in writing to be processed. This notice also advises the public that the Service has made a preliminary determination that issuing the ITP is not a major Federal action significantly effecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA). The Finding of No Significant Im