# 2025-20846: Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Categorical Exclusion; California Department of Water Resources Sutter and Sacramento Maintenance Yards Habitat Conservation Plan for Eight Elderberry Management Zones

2025-20846, Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Categorical Exclusion; California Department of Water Resources Sutter and Sacramento Maintenance Yards Habitat Conservation Plan for Eight Elderberry Management Zones, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service published 2025-11-25, effective We must receive your written comments on or before December 26, 2025. (as of 2026-06-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20846
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-20846
- Title: Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Categorical Exclusion; California Department of Water Resources Sutter and Sacramento Maintenance Yards Habitat Conservation Plan for Eight Elderberry Management Zones
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
- Citation: 90 FR 53382
- Published: 2025-11-25
- Effective: We must receive your written comments on or before December 26, 2025.
- Comments close: 2025-12-26
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-08

## Summary

The California Department of Water Resources wants permission to keep up vegetation near levees in seven counties without harming the rare valley elderberry longhorn beetle. They’ve created a plan to protect the beetle’s habitat while doing maintenance work. The public can share their thoughts by December 26, 2025, as this plan could save time and money by avoiding bigger environmental reviews.

## Abstract

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from the California Department of Water Resources (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally threatened valley elderberry longhorn beetle (Desmocerus californicus dimorphus; beetle) incidental to vegetation maintenance activities along State-maintained levees in portions of seven California counties. 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 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual (DM). To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a joint draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

## Effects PRIA read

- 5‑Year Permit to Maintain Levee Vegetation: benefit, high. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received an application from the California Department of Water Resources for a 5-year incidental take permit (ITP) to cover routine trimming, removal, and transplanting of elderberry shrubs that host the valley elderberry longhorn beetle. The plan would cover veg…
- Preliminary Low‑Effect NEPA Determination: benefit, medium. The Service preliminarily determined the proposed section 10(a)(1)(B) permit would be a low‑effect incidental take permit and may qualify for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Interior NEPA regulations (43 CFR part 46), and the DOI Dep…

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## Sources
- [2025-20846 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/25/2025-20846/draft-habitat-conservation-plan-and-draft-categorical-exclusion-california-department-of-water)
- [2025-20846 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-25/pdf/2025-20846.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-20845, Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20845)
- [Next: 2025-20847, Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20847)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-20846 (as of 2026-06-08).