Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Alexander Archipelago Wolf as Threatened or Endangered, 17993-17995 [2014-06791]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 2014 / Proposed Rules
incorporated into this declaration and
published in the Federal Register.
(7) Diagnostic testing devices. See the
most recent Secretarial declaration at
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-200812-22/pdf/E8-30510.pdf. Any
amendments will be automatically
incorporated into this declaration and
published in the Federal Register.
[FR Doc. 2014–06102 Filed 3–28–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[Docket No. FWS–R7–ES–2012–0093;
4500030113]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a
Petition To List the Alexander
Archipelago Wolf as Threatened or
Endangered
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of petition finding and
initiation of status review.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce a
90-day finding on a petition to list the
Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis
lupus ligoni) as a threatened or
endangered species and to designate
critical habitat under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
Based on our review, we find that the
petition presents substantial scientific
or commercial information indicating
that listing the Alexander Archipelago
wolf may be warranted. Therefore, with
publication of this notice, we are
notifying the public that when resources
become available, we will be conducting
a review of the status of the species to
determine if listing the Alexander
Archipelago wolf is warranted. To
ensure that this status review is
comprehensive, we are requesting
scientific and commercial data and
other information regarding wolves of
Southeast Alaska and adjacent coastal
British Columbia. Based on the status
review, we will issue a 12-month
finding on the petition, which will
address whether the petitioned action is
warranted, as provided in section
4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.
DATES: We request that we receive
information to consider for the status
review on or before May 30, 2014. The
deadline for submitting information
using the Federal eRulemaking Portal
(see ADDRESSES section, below) is 11:59
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SUMMARY:
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p.m. Eastern Time on this date. After
May 30, 2014, you must submit
information directly to the Division of
Policy and Directives Management (see
ADDRESSES section below). Please note
that we might not be able to address or
incorporate information that we receive
after the above requested date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit
information by one of the following
methods:
(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal
eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. In the Search box,
enter FWS–R7–ES–2012–0093, which is
the docket number for this action. Then
click on the Search button. You may
submit information for the status review
by clicking on ‘‘Comment Now!.’’
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail
or hand-delivery to: Public Comments
Processing, Attn: FWS–R7–ES–2012–
0093; Division of Policy and Directives
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS
2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept email or faxes. We
will post all information we receive 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 details).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Steve Brockmann, Juneau Fish and
Wildlife Field Office, 3000 Vintage
Blvd., Suite 201, Juneau, AK 99821; by
telephone at 907–780–1160; or by
facsimile at 907–586–7099. If you use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD), please call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Information
When we make a finding that a
petition presents substantial
information indicating that listing a
species may be warranted, we are
required to review the status of the
species (status review). For the status
review to be complete and based on the
best available scientific and commercial
information, we request information on
the Alexander Archipelago wolf from
governmental agencies, Native
American tribes, the scientific
community, industry, and any other
interested parties. We seek information
on:
(1) The species’ biology, range, and
population trends, including:
(a) Habitat requirements for feeding,
breeding, and sheltering;
(b) Genetics and taxonomy;
(c) Historical and current range
including distribution patterns;
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17993
(d) Historical and current population
levels, and current and projected trends;
and
(e) Past and ongoing conservation
measures for the species, its habitat, or
both.
(2) The factors that are the basis for
making a listing determination for a
species under section 4(a) of the Act (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which are:
(a) The present or threatened
destruction, modification, or
curtailment of its habitat or range;
(b) Overutilization for commercial,
recreational, scientific, or educational
purposes;
(c) Disease or predation;
(d) The inadequacy of existing
regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) Other natural or manmade factors
affecting its continued existence.
If, after the status review, we
determine that listing the Alexander
Archipelago wolf is warranted, we will
propose critical habitat (see definition
in section 3(5)(A) of the Act) under
section 4 of the Act, to the maximum
extent prudent and determinable at the
time we propose to list the species.
Therefore, we also request data and
information on:
(1) What may constitute ‘‘physical or
biological features essential to the
conservation of the species,’’ within the
geographical range currently occupied
by the species;
(2) Where these features are currently
found;
(3) Whether any of these features may
require special management
considerations or protection;
(4) Specific areas outside the
geographical area occupied by the
species that are ‘‘essential for the
conservation of the species;’’ and
(5) What, if any, critical habitat you
think we should propose for designation
if the species is proposed for listing, and
why such habitat meets the
requirements of section 4 of the Act.
Please include sufficient information
with your submission (such as scientific
journal articles or other publications) to
allow us to verify any scientific or
commercial information you include.
Submissions merely stating support
for or opposition to the action under
consideration without providing
supporting information, although noted,
will not be considered in making a
determination. Section 4(b)(1)(A) of the
Act directs that determinations as to
whether any species is an endangered or
threatened species must be made
‘‘solely on the basis of the best scientific
and commercial data available.’’
You may submit your information
concerning this status review by one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 2014 / Proposed Rules
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section. 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 received and
used in preparing this finding is
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, Juneau Fish and Wildlife Field
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).
Background
Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered
Species Act (Act) requires that we make
a finding on whether a petition to list,
delist, or reclassify a species presents
substantial scientific or commercial
information indicating that the
petitioned action may be warranted. We
are to base this finding on information
provided in the petition, supporting
information submitted with the petition.
To the maximum extent practicable, we
are to make this finding within 90 days
of our receipt of the petition and
publish our notice of the finding in the
Federal Register.
Our regulatory standard for
substantial scientific or commercial
information with regard to a 90-day
petition finding is ‘‘that amount of
information that would lead a
reasonable person to believe that the
measure proposed in the petition may
be warranted’’ (50 CFR 424.14(b)). If we
find that substantial scientific or
commercial information was presented,
we are required to commence a review
of the status of the species, which will
be subsequently summarized in our 12month finding.
Section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1533)
and its implementing regulations at 50
CFR part 424 set forth the procedures
for adding a species to, or removing a
species from, the Federal Lists of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants. A species may be
determined to be an endangered or
threatened species due to one or more
of the five factors described in section
4(a)(1) of the Act, as listed in the
previous section.
In considering what factors might
constitute threats, we must look beyond
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the exposure of the species to a factor
to evaluate whether the species may
respond to the factor in a way that
causes actual impacts to the species. If
there is exposure to a factor and the
species responds negatively, the factor
may be a threat and, during the
subsequent status review, we attempt to
determine how significant a threat it is.
The threat is significant if it drives, or
contributes to, the risk of extinction of
the species such that the species may
warrant listing as threatened or
endangered as those terms are defined
in the Act. However, the identification
of factors that could impact a species
negatively may not be sufficient to
compel a finding that the information in
the petition and our files is substantial.
The information must include evidence
sufficient to suggest that these factors
may be operative threats that act on the
species to the point that the species may
meet the definition of threatened or
endangered under the Act.
Review of the Petition To List the
Alexander Archipelago Wolf as an
Endangered or Threatened Species
Under the Act
Species Information
The Alexander Archipelago wolf is
named for the island group that makes
up most of Southeast Alaska, the
Alexander Archipelago. The range is
described by MacDonald and Cook
(2007, p. 71) as throughout the
mainland of Southeast Alaska and on
islands south of Frederick Sound,
excluding Coronation, Forrester, and the
smaller, more isolated islands without
an adequate prey base. North of
Frederick Sound, three large islands that
support seemingly adequate prey
populations (Admiralty, Baranof, and
Chichagof) and together make up
approximately half of the land area of
the Alexander Archipelago, do not
support wolves, although there have
been several sightings on Admiralty
Island in recent years.
Petition History
On August 10, 2011, we received a
petition from the Center for Biological
Diversity and Greenpeace, requesting
that the Alexander Archipelago wolf be
listed as endangered or threatened and
that critical habitat be designated under
the Act. The petition clearly identified
itself as such and included the requisite
identification information for the
petitioners, required at 50 CFR
424.14(a). This finding addresses the
petition.
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Finding
Based on our review of the
information provided in the petition, in
the sources cited in the petition, and
readily available in our files, we find the
petition presents substantial scientific
or commercial information indicating
that the petitioned action may be
warranted for the Alexander
Archipelago wolf based on Factors A, B
and D. Our summary for this finding can
be found on www.regulations.gov.
On the basis of our evaluation of the
information presented under section
4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, we have
determined that the petition
summarized above presents substantial
scientific or commercial information
indicating that listing the Alexander
Archipelago wolf may be warranted.
Because we have found that the petition
presents substantial information
indicating that the petitioned actions
may be warranted, we will initiate a
status review when resources are
available to determine whether this
action under the Act is warranted. At
the conclusion of the status review, we
will issue a 12-month finding in
accordance with section 4(b)(3)(B) of the
Act, as to whether or not the Service
finds listing is warranted.
The ‘‘substantial information’’
standard for a 90-day finding differs
from the Act’s ‘‘best scientific and
commercial data’’ standard that applies
to a status review to determine whether
a petitioned action is warranted. A 90day finding does not constitute a status
review under the Act. In a 12-month
finding, we will determine whether a
petitioned action is warranted after we
have completed a thorough status
review of the species. Because the Act’s
standards for 90-day and 12-month
findings are different, as described
above, a substantial 90-day finding does
not mean that the 12-month finding will
result in a warranted finding.
References Cited
A complete list of references cited is
available on the Internet at https://
www.regulations.gov and upon request
from the Juneau Fish and Wildlife Field
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).
Author
The primary authors of this notice are
the staff members of the Juneau Fish
and Wildlife Field Office.
Authority: The authority for these actions
is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 61 / Monday, March 31, 2014 / Proposed Rules
Dated: March 18, 2014.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–06791 Filed 3–28–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 648
[Docket No. 140117052–4052–01]
RIN 0648–XD094
Fisheries of the Northeastern United
States; Summer Flounder, Scup, and
Black Sea Bass Fisheries; 2014
Summer Flounder Specifications; 2015
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black
Sea Bass Specifications; 2014
Research Set-Aside Projects
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed specifications; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
NMFS proposes revised
specifications for the 2014 summer
flounder fishery; specifications for the
2015 summer flounder, scup, and black
sea bass fisheries; an increase in the
commercial scup Winter II possession
limit; and provides notice of two
projects for which exempted fishing
permits may be requested as part of the
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council’s Research Set-Aside Program.
The implementing regulations for the
Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea
Bass Fishery Management Plan require
NMFS to publish specifications for the
upcoming fishing year for each of these
species and to provide an opportunity
for public comment. Furthermore,
regulations under the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act require that NMFS
allow the public an opportunity to
comment on applications for exempted
fishing permits. Accordingly, in
addition to proposing catch
specifications, NMFS announces
exempted fishing permit requests, in
accordance with the fishery
management plan and MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before April 15, 2014.
ADDRESSES: An environmental
assessment (EA) was prepared for the
specifications and describes the
proposed action and other considered
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alternatives, and provides an analysis of
the impacts of the proposed measures
and alternatives. Copies of the
Specifications Document, including the
EA and the Initial Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis (IRFA), are available on
request from Dr. Christopher M. Moore,
Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council, Suite 201,
800 North State Street, Dover, DE 19901.
These documents are also accessible via
the Internet at https://
www.nero.noaa.gov.
You may submit comments, identified
by NOAA–NMFS–2014–0032, by any
one of the following methods:
• Electronic Submissions: Submit all
electronic public comments via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at https://
www.regulations.gov/
#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20140032. Clicking the preceding link will
bring you to the NOAA–NMFS–2014–
0032 docket folder for this action. To
submit comments once in the docket
folder, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon.
Fill in the fields on the comment form
and enter or attach your comment.
• Mail: John Bullard, Regional
Administrator, NMFS, Greater Atlantic
Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great
Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Mark the outside of the envelope,
‘‘Comments on FSB Specifications.’’
Instructions: Comments must be
submitted by one of the above methods
to ensure that the comments are
received, documented, and considered
by NMFS. Comments sent by any other
method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of
the comment period, may not be
considered. All comments received are
a part of the public record and will
generally be posted for public viewing
on www.regulations.gov. All personal
identifying information (e.g., name,
address, etc.) submitted voluntarily by
the sender will be publicly accessible.
Do not submit confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive or
protected information. NMFS will
accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous). Attachments to
electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word or Excel, WordPerfect,
or Adobe PDF file formats only.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Moira Kelly, Fishery Policy Analyst,
(978) 281–9218.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Specification Background
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (Council) and the
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (Commission)
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17995
cooperatively manage the summer
flounder, scup, and black sea bass
fisheries. Fishery specifications in these
fisheries include various catch and
landing subdivisions, such as the
commercial and recreational sector
annual catch limits (ACLs), annual
catch targets (ACTs), sector-specific
landing limits (i.e., the commercial
fishery quota and recreational harvest
limit (RHL)), and research set-aside
(RSA) established for the upcoming
fishing year. An explanation of each
subdivision appears later in this rule.
Rulemaking for measures used to
manage the recreational fisheries for
these three species occurs separately
and typically takes place in the spring
of each year. The Summer Flounder,
Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) and its
implementing regulations establish the
Council’s process for establishing
specifications. All requirements of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act), including the
10 national standards, also apply to
specifications.
The management units specified in
the FMP include summer flounder
(Paralichthys dentatus) in U.S. waters of
the Atlantic Ocean from the southern
border of North Carolina northward to
the U.S./Canada border, and scup
(Stenotomus chrysops) and black sea
bass (Centropristis striata) in U.S.
waters of the Atlantic Ocean from
35°13.3′ N. lat. (the latitude of Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse, Buxton, NC)
northward to the U.S./Canada border.
The Council’s Scientific and
Statistical Committee (SSC) met on
September 17 and 18, 2013, to
recommend acceptable biological
catches (ABC) for the 2014–2015
summer flounder fishery, and the 2015
scup and black sea bass fisheries. The
FMP’s implementing regulations require
the involvement of a monitoring
committee in the specification process
for each species. Since the MagnusonStevens Act requirements for the SSC to
recommend ABC became effective, the
monitoring committees’ role has largely
been to recommend any reduction in
catch limits from the SSC-recommended
ABCs to offset management uncertainty,
and to recommend other management
measures (e.g., mesh requirements,
minimum commercial fish sizes, gear
restrictions, possession restrictions, and
area restrictions) needed for the efficient
management of these three species’
fisheries. The Summer Flounder, Scup,
and Black Sea Bass Monitoring
Committees met on September 19, 2013,
to discuss specification-related
recommendations for the three fisheries.
E:\FR\FM\31MRP1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17993-17995]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06791]
=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[Docket No. FWS-R7-ES-2012-0093; 4500030113]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on
a Petition To List the Alexander Archipelago Wolf as Threatened or
Endangered
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of petition finding and initiation of status review.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a
90-day finding on a petition to list the Alexander Archipelago wolf
(Canis lupus ligoni) as a threatened or endangered species and to
designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petition presents
substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that
listing the Alexander Archipelago wolf may be warranted. Therefore,
with publication of this notice, we are notifying the public that when
resources become available, we will be conducting a review of the
status of the species to determine if listing the Alexander Archipelago
wolf is warranted. To ensure that this status review is comprehensive,
we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information
regarding wolves of Southeast Alaska and adjacent coastal British
Columbia. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month finding
on the petition, which will address whether the petitioned action is
warranted, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act.
DATES: We request that we receive information to consider for the
status review on or before May 30, 2014. The deadline for submitting
information using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES
section, below) is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on this date. After May 30,
2014, you must submit information directly to the Division of Policy
and Directives Management (see ADDRESSES section below). Please note
that we might not be able to address or incorporate information that we
receive after the above requested date.
ADDRESSES: You may submit information by one of the following methods:
(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R7-ES-2012-0093,
which is the docket number for this action. Then click on the Search
button. You may submit information for the status review by clicking on
``Comment Now!.''
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R7-ES-2012-0093; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept email or faxes. We will post all information we
receive 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 details).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Brockmann, Juneau Fish and
Wildlife Field Office, 3000 Vintage Blvd., Suite 201, Juneau, AK 99821;
by telephone at 907-780-1160; or by facsimile at 907-586-7099. If you
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Request for Information
When we make a finding that a petition presents substantial
information indicating that listing a species may be warranted, we are
required to review the status of the species (status review). For the
status review to be complete and based on the best available scientific
and commercial information, we request information on the Alexander
Archipelago wolf from governmental agencies, Native American tribes,
the scientific community, industry, and any other interested parties.
We seek information on:
(1) The species' biology, range, and population trends, including:
(a) Habitat requirements for feeding, breeding, and sheltering;
(b) Genetics and taxonomy;
(c) Historical and current range including distribution patterns;
(d) Historical and current population levels, and current and
projected trends; and
(e) Past and ongoing conservation measures for the species, its
habitat, or both.
(2) The factors that are the basis for making a listing
determination for a species under section 4(a) of the Act (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.), which are:
(a) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of its habitat or range;
(b) Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes;
(c) Disease or predation;
(d) The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued
existence.
If, after the status review, we determine that listing the
Alexander Archipelago wolf is warranted, we will propose critical
habitat (see definition in section 3(5)(A) of the Act) under section 4
of the Act, to the maximum extent prudent and determinable at the time
we propose to list the species. Therefore, we also request data and
information on:
(1) What may constitute ``physical or biological features essential
to the conservation of the species,'' within the geographical range
currently occupied by the species;
(2) Where these features are currently found;
(3) Whether any of these features may require special management
considerations or protection;
(4) Specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the
species that are ``essential for the conservation of the species;'' and
(5) What, if any, critical habitat you think we should propose for
designation if the species is proposed for listing, and why such
habitat meets the requirements of section 4 of the Act.
Please include sufficient information with your submission (such as
scientific journal articles or other publications) to allow us to
verify any scientific or commercial information you include.
Submissions merely stating support for or opposition to the action
under consideration without providing supporting information, although
noted, will not be considered in making a determination. Section
4(b)(1)(A) of the Act directs that determinations as to whether any
species is an endangered or threatened species must be made ``solely on
the basis of the best scientific and commercial data available.''
You may submit your information concerning this status review by
one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
[[Page 17994]]
section. 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 received and used
in preparing this finding is 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, Juneau Fish and Wildlife Field
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Background
Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) requires
that we make a finding on whether a petition to list, delist, or
reclassify a species presents substantial scientific or commercial
information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. We
are to base this finding on information provided in the petition,
supporting information submitted with the petition. To the maximum
extent practicable, we are to make this finding within 90 days of our
receipt of the petition and publish our notice of the finding in the
Federal Register.
Our regulatory standard for substantial scientific or commercial
information with regard to a 90-day petition finding is ``that amount
of information that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the
measure proposed in the petition may be warranted'' (50 CFR 424.14(b)).
If we find that substantial scientific or commercial information was
presented, we are required to commence a review of the status of the
species, which will be subsequently summarized in our 12-month finding.
Section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1533) and its implementing
regulations at 50 CFR part 424 set forth the procedures for adding a
species to, or removing a species from, the Federal Lists of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. A species may be determined to be
an endangered or threatened species due to one or more of the five
factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act, as listed in the
previous section.
In considering what factors might constitute threats, we must look
beyond the exposure of the species to a factor to evaluate whether the
species may respond to the factor in a way that causes actual impacts
to the species. If there is exposure to a factor and the species
responds negatively, the factor may be a threat and, during the
subsequent status review, we attempt to determine how significant a
threat it is. The threat is significant if it drives, or contributes
to, the risk of extinction of the species such that the species may
warrant listing as threatened or endangered as those terms are defined
in the Act. However, the identification of factors that could impact a
species negatively may not be sufficient to compel a finding that the
information in the petition and our files is substantial. The
information must include evidence sufficient to suggest that these
factors may be operative threats that act on the species to the point
that the species may meet the definition of threatened or endangered
under the Act.
Review of the Petition To List the Alexander Archipelago Wolf as an
Endangered or Threatened Species Under the Act
Species Information
The Alexander Archipelago wolf is named for the island group that
makes up most of Southeast Alaska, the Alexander Archipelago. The range
is described by MacDonald and Cook (2007, p. 71) as throughout the
mainland of Southeast Alaska and on islands south of Frederick Sound,
excluding Coronation, Forrester, and the smaller, more isolated islands
without an adequate prey base. North of Frederick Sound, three large
islands that support seemingly adequate prey populations (Admiralty,
Baranof, and Chichagof) and together make up approximately half of the
land area of the Alexander Archipelago, do not support wolves, although
there have been several sightings on Admiralty Island in recent years.
Petition History
On August 10, 2011, we received a petition from the Center for
Biological Diversity and Greenpeace, requesting that the Alexander
Archipelago wolf be listed as endangered or threatened and that
critical habitat be designated under the Act. The petition clearly
identified itself as such and included the requisite identification
information for the petitioners, required at 50 CFR 424.14(a). This
finding addresses the petition.
Finding
Based on our review of the information provided in the petition, in
the sources cited in the petition, and readily available in our files,
we find the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial
information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted for
the Alexander Archipelago wolf based on Factors A, B and D. Our summary
for this finding can be found on www.regulations.gov.
On the basis of our evaluation of the information presented under
section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, we have determined that the petition
summarized above presents substantial scientific or commercial
information indicating that listing the Alexander Archipelago wolf may
be warranted. Because we have found that the petition presents
substantial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be
warranted, we will initiate a status review when resources are
available to determine whether this action under the Act is warranted.
At the conclusion of the status review, we will issue a 12-month
finding in accordance with section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act, as to whether
or not the Service finds listing is warranted.
The ``substantial information'' standard for a 90-day finding
differs from the Act's ``best scientific and commercial data'' standard
that applies to a status review to determine whether a petitioned
action is warranted. A 90-day finding does not constitute a status
review under the Act. In a 12-month finding, we will determine whether
a petitioned action is warranted after we have completed a thorough
status review of the species. Because the Act's standards for 90-day
and 12-month findings are different, as described above, a substantial
90-day finding does not mean that the 12-month finding will result in a
warranted finding.
References Cited
A complete list of references cited is available on the Internet at
https://www.regulations.gov and upon request from the Juneau Fish and
Wildlife Field Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Author
The primary authors of this notice are the staff members of the
Juneau Fish and Wildlife Field Office.
Authority: The authority for these actions is the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
[[Page 17995]]
Dated: March 18, 2014.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-06791 Filed 3-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
