📄 Summary
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, the applicant, for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally threatened coastal California gnatcatcher incidental to the Joint Outfall J Unit 1E Trunk Sewer Rehabilitation project, in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles County, California. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan, and the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a joint draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which is also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.
