Application for an Incidental Take Permit; Oil and Gas Habitat Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

Issuing agencies

Abstract

This notice advises the public that LPC Conservation LLC (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take permit (ITP) supported by the Oil and Gas Habitat Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie-chicken; Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (HCP). The applicant has applied to the Service for the ITP pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The requested ITP, if approved, would authorize incidental take of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC) resulting from activities covered by the HCP (e.g., all activities associated with oil and gas upstream and midstream buildout, including ancillary (e.g., access road) ground disturbing activities associated with these project types) and would authorize incidental take resulting from conservation actions taken to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts of incidental take to LEPC that result from covered activities. If approved, the requested ITP would become effective should the LEPC become federally listed during the life of the ITP and HCP. With this notice we announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that has been prepared to evaluate the ITP application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. We are making the ITP application package, including the HCP and draft EA, available for public review and comment.