Early Scoping for Proposed Application for Incidental Take Permit and Habitat Conservation Plan; Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce our intent to prepare a NEPA document for a pending Incidental Take Permit (ITP) application and associated draft habitat conservation plan (HCP) from the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for forestry activities on State lands that provide potential habitat for the federally listed endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and the northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis). Northern long- eared bats have recently been proposed for listing as endangered under the ESA. Forestry operations on these lands have the potential to incidentally take Indiana bats and northern long-eared bats and their habitat. Therefore, PGC and DCNR are developing an ITP application and HCP to address these activities. In advance of receiving the ITP application for this project, the Service is providing this notice to request information from other agencies, tribes, and the public on the scope of the NEPA review and issues to consider in the NEPA analysis and in development of