2025-20846: Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Categorical Exclusion; California Department of Water Resources Sutter and Sacramento Maintenance Yards Habitat Conservation Plan for Eight Elderberry Management Zones

Summary

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from the California Department of Water Resources (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally threatened valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus; beetle) incidental to vegetation maintenance activities along State-maintained levees in portions of seven California counties. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual (DM). To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a joint draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

The agency’s own summary, as published.