# 2026-11870: Florida Development Plans Must Make Room for the Threatened Sand Skink

2026-11870, Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for Sand Skink; Lake County, FL; Categorical Exclusion, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service published 2026-06-12, effective We must receive written comments on or before July 13, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-28).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11870
- As of: 2026-10-28
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-11870
- Title: Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan for Sand Skink; Lake County, FL; Categorical Exclusion
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; Fish and Wildlife Service
- Citation: 91 FR 35700
- Published: 2026-06-12
- Effective: We must receive written comments on or before July 13, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-07-13
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-10-28

## In one line

Florida Development Plans Must Make Room for the Threatened Sand Skink

## Summary

Lake County Development Partners wants permission to build homes and shops in Lake County, Florida, even though it might accidentally harm the threatened sand skink. The Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing their plan to protect the skinks and wants your thoughts by July 13, 2026. This project could change the local landscape but aims to balance growth with wildlife care.

## Abstract

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Lake County Development Partners, LLC (Casa del Rosa) (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed threatened sand skink (Neopseps=(Plestiodon) reynoldsi) (skinks) incidental to the construction of a mixed multi- phase residential and commercial development and the associated clearing, infrastructure, and landscaping in Lake County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan, 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 draft screening form and NEPA statement for habitat conservation plans, which are available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

## Effects PRIA read

- Upfront mitigation credit purchase required: cost, high. If you are the developer, you must buy mitigation credits equal to 1.7 acres of sand‑skink habitat from the Lake Wales Ridge Conservation Bank or another Service‑approved skink bank before starting any phase of the project. The requirement applies to the proposed mixed residential and commercial de…
- 10‑year incidental take permit could allow construction: benefit, medium. The applicant has requested a 10‑year permit that would authorize incidental take of the threatened sand skink for construction on a 69.25‑acre site, including conversion of about 0.85 acres of occupied skink habitat. If the Service approves and issues ITP number PER25914032, the permit would allow…

## Related documents

- [2026-14629](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14629): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Designating Critical Habitat, 2026-07-21
- [2026-14633](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14633): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations Pertaining to Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, 2026-07-21
- [2026-14299](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14299): Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Contiguous U.S. Distinct Population Segment…, 2026-07-16
- [2026-14195](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-14195): Rescinding the Definition of “Harm” Under the Endangered Species Act, 2026-07-14
- [2026-12955](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12955): Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting, 2026-06-26
- [2026-12951](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-12951): Process for Authorizing Seasonal Migratory Game Bird Hunting, 2026-06-26

## Sources
- [2026-11870 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/12/2026-11870/receipt-of-incidental-take-permit-application-and-proposed-habitat-conservation-plan-for-sand-skink)
- [2026-11870 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-12/pdf/2026-11870.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-11869, Receipt of Incidental Take Permit Application and Proposed Habitat Conservation…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11869)
- [Next: 2026-11871, Notice of Public Meeting of the South Carolina Advisory Committee to the U.S. C…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11871)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11870 (as of 2026-10-28).