Incidental Take Permit Application for the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly and Western Spadefoot; Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Environmental Assessment; Alpine Park Project, Community of Alpine, San Diego County, CA

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the County of San Diego for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act. If granted, the permit would authorize take of the Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino), federally listed as endangered, and the western spadefoot (Spea hammondii), an amphibian species federally proposed as threatened, incidental to otherwise lawful activities associated with construction and operation of a 25-acre active recreation park and habitat restoration and management within mitigation areas associated with the project. We invite comments from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies on the applicant's draft habitat conservation plan and the draft environmental assessment, which we have prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. We will take comments into consideration before deciding whether to issue an incidental take permit.