2023-07532: Receipt of Enhancement of Survival Permit Applications in Support of Quail Country Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances for North Florida and Southwest Georgia; Categorical Exclusion

Summary

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of two separate applications, one each from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR), for enhancement of survival permits under the Endangered Species Act. The FWC and GADNR have each applied for a separate permit associated with the implementation of the Quail Country Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for 12 species in North Florida and Southwest Georgia. Successful implementation of the CCAA is expected to enhance the habitat of the species and protect their habitats from destruction and degradation. We request public comment on the applications, which include the CCAA, and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting actions may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

The agency’s own summary, as published.