Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for Brand Partnerships, 3615 Foothill Road (APN 005-280-041), Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, CA; Categorical Exclusion

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Johnny Brand, landowner, Brand Partnerships (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) and southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida), a species proposed for listing, incidental to agricultural activities in the City of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, California. 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 the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a low-effect screening form, which is also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.