Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revisions to the Regulations for Impact Analyses of Critical Habitat, 66946 [2012-27248]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 217 (Thursday, November 8, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 66946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27248]



[[Page 66946]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 424

[Docket No. FWS-R9-ES-2011-0073: Docket No. NOAA-120606146-2146-01: 
4500030114]
RIN 1018-AY62; 0648-BC24


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revisions to the 
Regulations for Impact Analyses of Critical Habitat

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule, reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the 
``Services'' or ``we''), announce the reopening of the public comment 
period on our August 24, 2012, proposed rule to revise our regulations 
pertaining to impact analyses conducted for designations of critical 
habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (the Act). 
We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties 
additional time to review and comment on our proposed rule. Comments 
previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully 
considered in preparation of the final rule.

DATES: We will accept comments from all interested parties until 
February 6, 2013. Please note that if you are using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES below), the deadline for submitting 
an electronic comment is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on this date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Search for FWS-R9-ES-2011-0073, which is the docket number for this 
rulemaking.
     U.S. Mail or Hand Delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: FWS-R9-ES-2011-0073; Division of Policy and Directives 
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, PDM-
2042; Arlington, VA 22203.
    We will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This 
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide 
us (see the Request for Information section below for more 
information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Krofta, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Division of Conservation and Classification, 4401 N. Fairfax 
Drive, Suite 420, Arlington, VA, 22203, telephone 703/358-2171; 
facsimile 703/358-1735; or Marta Nammack, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910, telephone 301/713-1401; facsimile 301/713-0376. If 
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 24, 2012, we published a proposed rule to amend our 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR 424.19 to clarify the instructions 
for making information available to the public, considering the impacts 
of critical habitat designations, and considering exclusions from 
critical habitat. These changes are being proposed as directed by the 
President's February 28, 2012, memorandum, which directed the Secretary 
of the Interior to revise the regulations implementing the Endangered 
Species Act to provide that a draft economic analysis be completed and 
made available for public comment at the time of publication of a 
proposed rule to designate critical habitat.

Request for Information

    We will accept written comments and information during this 
reopened comment period on our proposed rule to revise our regulations 
pertaining to impact analyses conducted for designations of critical 
habitat that was published in the Federal Register on August 24, 2012 
(77 FR 51503). We will consider information and recommendations from 
all interested parties. We intend that any final regulation resulting 
from this proposal be as accurate as possible and based on the best 
available scientific and commercial data.
    If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed 
rule, please do not resubmit them. We have incorporated them into the 
public record, and we will fully consider them in the preparation of 
our final determination. Any final regulation based on this proposal 
will consider information and recommendations timely submitted from all 
interested parties. We solicit comments, information, and 
recommendations from governmental agencies, Native American tribes, the 
scientific community, industry groups, environmental interest groups, 
and any other interested parties on this proposed regulation. All 
comments and materials received by the date listed in DATES above will 
be considered prior to the approval of a final document.
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed 
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you 
send comments only by the methods described in ADDRESSES. If you submit 
information via https://www.regulations.gov, your entire submission--
including any personal identifying information--will be posted on the 
Web site. If your submission is made via a hardcopy that includes 
personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your 
document that we withhold this personal identifying information from 
public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do 
so. We will post all hardcopy submissions on https://www.regulations.gov.
    Information and supporting documentation that we receive in 
response to this proposed rule will be available for you to review at 
https://www.regulations.gov, or by appointment, during normal business 
hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation 
and Classification (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

    Dated: November 1, 2012.
Rachel Jacobson,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, 
U.S. Department of the Interior.
    Dated: October 24, 2012.
Paul Doremus,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-27248 Filed 11-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P 3510-22-P