Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered Status for Five Species From American Samoa, 214-215 [2015-33156]

Download as PDF 214 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / Proposed Rules (m) Compatibility requirements for all new models. To the extent the Commission has determined it achievable, beginning [eight years after the effective date of the rules], all wireless handset models that a manufacturer offers in the United States and that are within the scope of this section must be certified as hearing aidcompatible under the standards of paragraph (b) of this section. [FR Doc. 2015–32756 Filed 1–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712–01–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 [Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2015–0128; 4500030113] RIN 1018–AZ97 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered Status for Five Species From American Samoa Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period and notice of public hearing. AGENCY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our October 13, 2015, proposed rule to list five species from American Samoa—two endemic American Samoan land snails, the American Samoa distinct population segment of the friendly ground-dove, the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (South Pacific subspecies), and the mao—as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We now reopen the public comment period for an additional 30 days and announce notice of a public hearing and public information meeting on our proposed rule. We are reopening the public comment period to allow all interested parties additional time and opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. DATES: Public Hearing: We will hold a public hearing, preceded by a public information meeting. The public hearing and public information meeting will be held in the U.S. Territory of American Samoa on the island of Tutuila. A public hearing will take place on Thursday, January 21, 2016, at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium or Fale Laumei, Main Building, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be preceded by a public information meeting from 2:00 asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:34 Jan 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the same location. See ADDRESSES for location details. Written Comments: We will consider comments received or postmarked on or before February 4, 2016 or at the public hearing. Please note that comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Any comments that we receive after the closing date may not be considered in the final decision on these actions. ADDRESSES: Document Availability: You may obtain copies of the proposed rule at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2015–0128; from the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office’s Web site (https://www.fws.gov/ pacificislands); or by contacting the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office directly (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Public Hearing: The public hearing and public information meeting on the proposed listing of the five American Samoa species will be held as follows: On the island of Tutuila, a public hearing will take place on Thursday, January 21, 2016, at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium or Fale Laumei, Main Building, located at Route 1, William McKinley Memorial Highway, Utulei, American Samoa 96799, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be preceded by a public information meeting from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. People needing reasonable accommodation in order to attend and participate in either the public hearing or the public meeting should contact Mary Abrams, Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, as soon as possible (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Comment submission: You may submit comments by one of the following methods: (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS–R1–ES–2015–0128, which is the docket number for this action. You may submit a comment by clicking on ‘‘Comment Now!’’ (2) By hard copy: Submit comments on the proposed listing rule by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R1–ES–2015– 0128; Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. (3) Public hearing: Interested parties may provide oral or written comments at the public hearing (see DATES). We request that you provide comments only by the methods PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 described above. 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 Public Comments section below for more information). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Abrams, Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96850; by telephone at 808–792–9400; or by facsimile at 808–792–9581. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Comments We are reopening the public comment period for 30 days on our October 13, 2015, proposed rule to list the five American Samoa species (80 FR 61568), to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the proposed rule. We received a request for a public hearing and to extend the public comment period beyond the December 14, 2015, due date in our October 13, 2015, proposal. We will accept comments and information until the date specified above in DATES or at the public hearing. We will consider all information and recommendations from all interested parties. For details on specific information that we are requesting, please see the Information Requested section in our proposed listing rule (80 FR 61568) for the five American Samoa species. The proposed rule is available at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https:// www.regulations.gov (see ADDRESSES, above). Our final determination concerning this proposed rulemaking will take into consideration all written and oral comments and any additional information we receive. 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 our final rulemaking. 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 a comment via https:// www.regulations.gov, your entire comment—including any personal identifying information—will be posted on the Web site. We will post all hardcopy comments on https:// www.regulations.gov as well. If you E:\FR\FM\05JAP1.SGM 05JAP1 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 2 / Tuesday, January 5, 2016 / Proposed Rules submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, will be available for public inspection on https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2015–0128 or by appointment, during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Authority The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Dated: December 21, 2015. Stephen Guertin, Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2015–33156 Filed 1–4–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 660 [Docket No.: 150629565–5999–01] RIN 0648–BF15 Fisheries Off West Coast States; Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1; Amendments to the Fishery Management Plans for Coastal Pelagic Species, Pacific Coast Groundfish, U.S. West Coast Highly Migratory Species, and Pacific Coast Salmon National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. AGENCY: NMFS proposes regulations to implement Comprehensive EcosystemBased Amendment 1 (CEBA 1), which includes amendments to the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Council’s) four fishery management plans (FMPs): The Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) FMP, the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP, the FMP for U.S. West Coast Highly Migratory Species (HMS), and the Pacific Coast Salmon FMP. If approved, CEBA 1 would amend the asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:34 Jan 04, 2016 Jkt 238001 Council’s FMPs to bring new ecosystem component species (collectively, ‘‘Shared EC Species’’) into each of those FMPs, and would prohibit directed commercial fisheries for Shared EC Species within the U.S. West Coast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Implementing regulations for CEBA 1 would define and prohibit directed commercial fishing for Shared EC Species, and would prohibit, with limited exceptions, at-sea processing of Shared EC Species. DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 9, 2016. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on CEBA 1 and this proposed rule, identified by NOAA–NMFS–2015–0123, by any of the following methods: • Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/ #!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-20150123, click the ‘‘Comment Now!’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. • Mail: Submit written comments to William W. Stelle, Jr., Regional Administrator, West Coast Region, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115–0070; Attn: Yvonne deReynier. Instructions: 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 by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous). Electronic copies of CEBA 1 may be obtained from the Council Web site at https://www.pcouncil.org. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Yvonne deReynier, 206–526–6129, Yvonne.deReynier@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Ocean fisheries in the EEZ off Washington, Oregon, and California are managed under the Council’s CPS, Groundfish, HMS, and Salmon FMPs. The Council also maintains a Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP), which includes an ecosystem initiative process for reviewing fisheries management issues that may affect multiple FMPs and for PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 215 developing policies and regulations to address those issues under the authority of its FMPs. Under the ecosystem initiative process, the Council has reviewed trophic connections between the West Coast EEZ’s unfished forage fish species and the EEZ’s predator species managed under the MSA, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Through that review, the Council determined that it wanted to bring a suite of unfished and unmanaged forage fish species into its FMPs as ecosystem component (EC) species, and to prohibit directed fisheries for those species (unless and until science indicates that the stocks could support such fisheries). The Council has recommended amending its FMPs to include the following species as Shared EC Species: Round herring (Etrumeus teres) and thread herring (Opisthonema libertate and O. medirastre); mesopelagic fishes of the families Myctophidae, Bathylagidae, Paralepididae, and Gonostomatidae; Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus); Pacific saury (Cololabis saira); silversides (family Atherinopsidae); smelts of the family Osmeridae; and pelagic squids (families: Cranchiidae, Gonatidae, Histioteuthidae, Octopoteuthidae, Ommastrephidae except Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas,) Onychoteuthidae, and Thysanoteuthidae). Under Federal regulations at 50 CFR 600.310(d)(5)(iii,) a species may be included in an FMP as an EC species for: Data collection purposes, to inform the understanding of ecosystem considerations related to specification of optimum yield for the associated fishery, to assist in the development of conservation and management measures for the associated fishery, or to address other ecosystem issues. The Council recommended including the suite of Shared EC Species in its FMPs as EC species to address ‘‘other ecosystem issues,’’ because these species are the broadly used prey of marine mammal, seabird, and fish species in the U.S. West Coast EEZ. The Council also noted that Shared EC Species are among the known prey of fishery management unit species of all four of the Council’s FMPs; therefore, Shared EC Species support predator species’ growth and development and may also be identified as EC species ‘‘for ecosystem considerations related to specification of optimum yield for the associated fishery.’’ CEBA 1, through its implementing FMP amendments and regulations, would prohibit the future development of fisheries for Shared EC Species within the U.S. West Coast EEZ until E:\FR\FM\05JAP1.SGM 05JAP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 2 (Tuesday, January 5, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 214-215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-33156]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2015-0128; 4500030113]
RIN 1018-AZ97


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed 
Endangered Status for Five Species From American Samoa

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period and notice of 
public hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
reopening of the comment period on our October 13, 2015, proposed rule 
to list five species from American Samoa--two endemic American Samoan 
land snails, the American Samoa distinct population segment of the 
friendly ground-dove, the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (South Pacific 
subspecies), and the mao--as endangered species under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We now reopen the public comment 
period for an additional 30 days and announce notice of a public 
hearing and public information meeting on our proposed rule. We are 
reopening the public comment period to allow all interested parties 
additional time and opportunity to comment on the proposed rule.

DATES: Public Hearing: We will hold a public hearing, preceded by a 
public information meeting. The public hearing and public information 
meeting will be held in the U.S. Territory of American Samoa on the 
island of Tutuila. A public hearing will take place on Thursday, 
January 21, 2016, at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium or Fale Laumei, 
Main Building, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will be preceded by a 
public information meeting from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the same 
location. See ADDRESSES for location details.
    Written Comments: We will consider comments received or postmarked 
on or before February 4, 2016 or at the public hearing. Please note 
that comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal (see ADDRESSES) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 
the closing date. Any comments that we receive after the closing date 
may not be considered in the final decision on these actions.

ADDRESSES: Document Availability: You may obtain copies of the proposed 
rule at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2015-0128; 
from the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office's Web site (https://www.fws.gov/pacificislands); or by contacting the Pacific Islands Fish 
and Wildlife Office directly (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Public Hearing: The public hearing and public information meeting 
on the proposed listing of the five American Samoa species will be held 
as follows: On the island of Tutuila, a public hearing will take place 
on Thursday, January 21, 2016, at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium or 
Fale Laumei, Main Building, located at Route 1, William McKinley 
Memorial Highway, Utulei, American Samoa 96799, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 
p.m., and will be preceded by a public information meeting from 2:00 
p.m. to 3:00 p.m. People needing reasonable accommodation in order to 
attend and participate in either the public hearing or the public 
meeting should contact Mary Abrams, Field Supervisor, Pacific Islands 
Fish and Wildlife Office, as soon as possible (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Comment submission: You may submit comments by one of the following 
methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R1-ES-2015-0128, 
which is the docket number for this action. You may submit a comment by 
clicking on ``Comment Now!''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit comments on the proposed listing rule by 
U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-
R1-ES-2015-0128; Division of Policy, Performance, and Management 
Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: BPHC, 5275 
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    (3) Public hearing: Interested parties may provide oral or written 
comments at the public hearing (see DATES).
    We request that you provide comments only by the methods described 
above. 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 Public Comments section below for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Abrams, Field Supervisor, Pacific 
Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 
96850; by telephone at 808-792-9400; or by facsimile at 808-792-9581. 
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call 
the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Comments

    We are reopening the public comment period for 30 days on our 
October 13, 2015, proposed rule to list the five American Samoa species 
(80 FR 61568), to allow all interested parties additional time to 
comment on the proposed rule. We received a request for a public 
hearing and to extend the public comment period beyond the December 14, 
2015, due date in our October 13, 2015, proposal. We will accept 
comments and information until the date specified above in DATES or at 
the public hearing. We will consider all information and 
recommendations from all interested parties.
    For details on specific information that we are requesting, please 
see the Information Requested section in our proposed listing rule (80 
FR 61568) for the five American Samoa species. The proposed rule is 
available at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov (see ADDRESSES, above). Our final determination 
concerning this proposed rulemaking will take into consideration all 
written and oral comments and any additional information we receive. 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 our final rulemaking.
    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 a comment via https://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
comment--including any personal identifying information--will be posted 
on the Web site. We will post all hardcopy comments on https://www.regulations.gov as well. If you

[[Page 215]]

submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying 
information, you may request at the top of your document that we 
withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, will be available 
for public inspection on https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-
R1-ES-2015-0128 or by appointment, during normal business hours, at the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife 
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: December 21, 2015.
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-33156 Filed 1-4-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

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