Proposed Safe Harbor Agreement and Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances for the Greene County Pennsylvania, Wharton Run Bat Hibernaculum; Draft Categorical Exclusion

Issuing agencies

Abstract

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from CNX Gas Company LLC for an enhancement of survival permit under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant also submitted a proposed safe harbor agreement and candidate conservation agreement with assurances (SHA/CCAA) in support of the application. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed SHA/CCAA, and the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action 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.