National Environmental Policy Act: Implementing Procedures; Addition to Categorical Exclusions for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3612 [2014-01144]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Office of the Secretary

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 3612]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-01144]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-FAC-2013-0118; FXFR13360900000-134-FF09F14000]


National Environmental Policy Act: Implementing Procedures; 
Addition to Categorical Exclusions for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

AGENCY: Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a reopening of the public comment period 
on the proposed categorical exclusion under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The proposed 
categorical exclusion pertains to adding species to the injurious 
wildlife list under the Lacey Act. The addition of this categorical 
exclusion to the Department of the Interior's Departmental Manual will 
improve conservation activities by making the NEPA process for listing 
injurious species more efficient. If you have previously submitted 
comments, please do not resubmit them because we have already 
incorporated them in the public record and will fully consider them in 
our final decision.

DATES: We will consider comments we receive on or before February 21, 
2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. FWS-HQ-
FAC-2013-0118.
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-FAC-2013-0118; Division of Policy and 
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax 
Drive, MS-2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
    Comments will not be accepted by email or fax. All comments will be 
posted on https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that any 
personal information provided will be posted (see the Public Comments 
section below for more information). All comments that were submitted 
previously to prevent_invasives@fws.gov that were specified in the 
subject heading as ``Categorical Exclusion'' or that were submitted by 
mail or hand-delivered to the address specified in the notices for the 
previous public comments will also be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.
    Document availability: You may view the proposed categorical 
exclusion to the Departmental Manual and supporting documents at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-FAC-2013-0118 (78 FR 39307; 
July 1, 2013).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Jewell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; telephone 703-358-
2416. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf, please call 
the Federal Information Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On July 1, 2013, the Department of the Interior published a notice 
in the Federal Register (78 FR 39307) proposing to add a categorical 
exclusion under NEPA to the Departmental Manual for the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Service). The 30-day comment period for the notice 
ended on July 31, 2013. We received requests to allow more time for 
public comments. Therefore, on August 16, 2013, the Department of the 
Interior published a notice in the Federal Register (78 FR 50079) 
reopening the public comment period for an additional 60 days. That 
comment period ended on October 15, 2013. On October 30, 2013, the 
Service notified the public via its Web site that it would accept 
public comments until November 8, 2013.
    With this notice, the Department of the Interior is reopening the 
comment period again, but this time directing comments to https://www.regulations.gov. The previous notices instructed the public, if 
choosing to submit comments electronically, to submit their comments to 
a Service email address (prevent_invasives@fws.gov). Although this 
method is acceptable, we utilized different forums to announce comment 
period extensions and experienced some unanticipated technical 
difficulties posting the public comments on our Web site. Therefore, 
the Service is reopening the comment period to allow interested members 
of the public an additional opportunity to provide meaningful comment 
on this proposal.

Public Comments

    We request that you provide comments specifically on our proposed 
categorical exclusion and related documents available on https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-HQ-FAC-2013-0118. The notice 
for the proposed categorical exclusion, the notice for the first 
reopening period, this notice, and previous public comments received 
are available under Docket No. FWS-HQ-FAC-2013-0118.
    Any comments to be considered on this proposed addition to the list 
of categorical exclusions in the Departmental Manual must be received 
by the date listed in DATES at the location listed in ADDRESSES. 
Comments received after that date will not be considered. Comments, 
including names and addresses of respondents, will be posted at https://www.regulations.gov. Before including your address, telephone number, 
email address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your 
personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.
    If you have previously submitted comments on this proposed 
categorical exclusion, please do not resubmit them, because we have 
already incorporated them in the public record and will fully consider 
them in our final decision. Comments we received on this proposal after 
the close of the second comment period (ending October 15, 2013) and by 
midnight (Eastern Time) of the day before the opening of this third 
comment period January 22, 2014 at the locations listed in ADDRESSES 
for the second comment period (78 FR 50079; August 16, 2013) will still 
be accepted and considered.

    Dated: January 13, 2014.
Willie R. Taylor,
Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2014-01144 Filed 1-21-14; 8:45 am]
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