Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat, 67013-67014 [2021-25767]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 24, 2021 / Proposed Rules (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–HQ–ES–2019–0115, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: JAO (PRB/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. We request that you send 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 Public Comments, below, for more information). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bridget Fahey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation and Classification, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803, telephone 703/358–2171. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf, call the Federal Relay Service at 800/ 877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On October 27, 2021, the Service published a proposed rule (86 FR 59346) to rescind the final rule establishing regulations for exclusions from critical habitat that was published on December 18, 2020 (85 FR 82376), and became effective January 19, 2021. The proposed rule opened a 30-day public comment period that was scheduled to close on November 26, 2021. We subsequently received two requests to extend the public comment period. One request was submitted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), which sought an extension in order to coordinate and incorporate feedback from all its members into its comment. AFWA is a national organization representing State agencies in all 50 States, and the Service finds their request shows good cause to extend the comment period. With this document, we extend the public comment period for an additional 15 days, as specified above in DATES, to provide all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the October 27, 2021, proposed rule. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS Public Comments All relevant information will be considered prior to making a final determination regarding the regulations for exclusions from critical habitat. If you already submitted comments or information on the October 27, 2021, proposed rule, please do not resubmit them. Any such comments are incorporated as part of the public record of the rulemaking proceeding, and we will fully consider them in the preparation of any final rule. VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:21 Nov 23, 2021 Jkt 256001 You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. Comments must be submitted to https:// www.regulations.gov before 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the date specified in DATES. We will not consider mailed comments that are not postmarked by the date specified in DATES. We will post all comments on https:// www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide us. If you provide personal identifying information in your comment, 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. Authority We issue this document under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq). Shannon A. Estenoz, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior. [FR Doc. 2021–25774 Filed 11–23–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 424 [Docket No. FWS–HQ–ES–2020–0047, FF09E23000 FXES1111090FEDR 212; Docket No. 211118–0238] RIN 1018–BE69; 0648–BJ44 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period. AGENCY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS; hereafter collectively referred to as the ‘‘Services’’ or ‘‘we’’), are extending the comment period on our October 27, 2021, proposed rule to rescind the final rule titled ‘‘Regulations for Listing SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 67013 Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat’’ that was published on December 16, 2020, and established a regulatory definition of the term ‘‘habitat.’’ We are extending the comment period by 15 days. DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule that published on October 27, 2021, at 86 FR 59353, is extended. We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before December 13, 2021. ADDRESSES: 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 the docket number or RIN for this rulemaking (presented above in the document headings). For best results, do not copy and paste either number; instead, type the docket number or RIN into the Search box using hyphens. Then, click on the Search button. On the resulting page, in the Search panel on the left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, click on the Proposed Rule box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by clicking on ‘‘Comment.’’ (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–HQ–ES–2020–0047, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB(3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041– 3803. We request that you send comments only by the methods described above. Comments and materials we receive will be available for public inspection on https://www.regulations.gov. (See Public Comments, below, for more information.) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bridget Fahey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation and Classification, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803, telephone 703/358–2171; or Angela Somma, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, telephone 301/427–8403. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service at 800/877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On October 27, 2021, the Services published a proposed rule (86 FR 59353) to rescind the final rule establishing a regulatory definition for the term ‘‘habitat’’ that was published on December 16, 2020 (85 FR 81411) and became effective on January 15, 2021. The proposed rule opened a 30day public comment period that was E:\FR\FM\24NOP1.SGM 24NOP1 67014 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 224 / Wednesday, November 24, 2021 / Proposed Rules scheduled to close on November 26, 2021. We subsequently received two requests to extend the public comment period. One request was submitted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), which sought an extension in order to coordinate and incorporate feedback from all its members into its comment. AFWA is a national organization representing State agencies in all 50 States, and the Services find their request shows good cause to extend the comment period. With this document, we extend the public comment period for an additional 15 days, as specified above in DATES, to provide all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the October 27, 2021, proposed rule. Public Comments All relevant information will be considered prior to making a final determination regarding the regulatory definition of ‘‘habitat.’’ If you already submitted comments or information on the October 27, 2021, proposed rule, please do not resubmit them. Any such comments are incorporated as part of the public record of the rulemaking proceeding, and we will fully consider them in the preparation of any final rule. You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. Comments must be submitted to https:// www.regulations.gov before 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on the date specified in DATES. We will not consider mailed comments that are not postmarked by the date specified in DATES. We will post all comments on https:// www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide us. If you provide personal identifying information in your comment, 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. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS Authority We issue this document under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq). Shannon A. Estenoz, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior. Samuel D. Rauch, III, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [FR Doc. 2021–25767 Filed 11–23–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:21 Nov 23, 2021 Jkt 256001 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 648 [Docket No. 211117–0235; RTID 0648– XX072] Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; 2022 and 2023 Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Specifications National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments. AGENCY: NMFS proposes 2022–2023 specifications for the summer flounder, scup, and black sea fisheries. The implementing regulations for the Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan require us to publish specifications for the upcoming fishing year for each of these species and to provide an opportunity for public comment. The proposed specifications are intended to establish allowable harvest levels for these species that will prevent overfishing, consistent with the most recent scientific information. DATES: Comments must be received on or before December 9, 2021. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on this document, identified by NOAA– NMFS–2021–0120, by the following method: Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov and enter NOAA–NMFS–2021–0120 in the Search box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, complete the required fields, and enter or attach your comments. 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 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). A Supplemental Information Report (SIR) was prepared for the 2022–2023 SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass specifciations. Copies of the SIR 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. The SIR is also accessible via the internet at https://www.mafmc.org/s/ SFSBSB_2022-2023_specs_SIR_ final.pdf. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Keiley, Fishery Policy Analyst, (978) 281–9116. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: General Background The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) cooperatively manage the summer flounder, scup, and black sea bass fisheries. The Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP) outlines the Council’s process for establishing specifications. The FMP requires NMFS to set an acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual catch limit (ACL), annual catch targets (ACT), commercial quotas, recreational harvest limits (RHL), and other management measures, for 1 to 3 years at a time. This action proposes 2022 and 2023 ABCs, as well as the recreational and commercial ACLs, ACTs, commercial quotas, and RHLs for all three species, consistent with the recommendations made by the Commission’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Board (Board) and Council at their joint August 2021 meeting. The Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) met on July 22, 2021, to review the results of the 2021 management track stock assessments and recommend 2022 and 2023 ABCs for all three species; specific recommendations are discussed below. Proposed 2021 Specifications Summer Flounder Specifications The Council and Board recommended 2022–2023 summer flounder catch and landings limits are shown in Table 1. The recommendations are based on the averaged 2022–2023 ABCs recommended by the SSC. This approach allows for constant catch and landings limits across both years. The ABCs are based on an SSC-modified overfishing limit (OFL) and the Council’s risk policy, resulting in a 44to 46-percent probability of overfishing. For summer flounder, this results in a 22-percent increase in the recommended 2022 and 2023 ABC over E:\FR\FM\24NOP1.SGM 24NOP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 24, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67013-67014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-25767]


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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-HQ-ES-2020-0047, FF09E23000 FXES1111090FEDR 212; Docket 
No. 211118-0238]
RIN 1018-BE69; 0648-BJ44


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for 
Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical 
Habitat

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS; hereafter collectively referred to as 
the ``Services'' or ``we''), are extending the comment period on our 
October 27, 2021, proposed rule to rescind the final rule titled 
``Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and 
Designating Critical Habitat'' that was published on December 16, 2020, 
and established a regulatory definition of the term ``habitat.'' We are 
extending the comment period by 15 days.

DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule that published on 
October 27, 2021, at 86 FR 59353, is extended. We will accept comments 
received or postmarked on or before December 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES: 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 the docket number or RIN 
for this rulemaking (presented above in the document headings). For 
best results, do not copy and paste either number; instead, type the 
docket number or RIN into the Search box using hyphens. Then, click on 
the Search button. On the resulting page, in the Search panel on the 
left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, click on the 
Proposed Rule box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by 
clicking on ``Comment.''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments 
Processing, Attn: FWS-HQ-ES-2020-0047, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: PRB(3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    We request that you send comments only by the methods described 
above. Comments and materials we receive will be available for public 
inspection on https://www.regulations.gov. (See Public Comments, below, 
for more information.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bridget Fahey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Division of Conservation and Classification, 5275 Leesburg 
Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, telephone 703/358-2171; or Angela 
Somma, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected 
Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, telephone 
301/427-8403. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), call the Federal Relay Service at 800/877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On October 27, 2021, the Services published a proposed rule (86 FR 
59353) to rescind the final rule establishing a regulatory definition 
for the term ``habitat'' that was published on December 16, 2020 (85 FR 
81411) and became effective on January 15, 2021. The proposed rule 
opened a 30-day public comment period that was

[[Page 67014]]

scheduled to close on November 26, 2021. We subsequently received two 
requests to extend the public comment period. One request was submitted 
by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), which sought 
an extension in order to coordinate and incorporate feedback from all 
its members into its comment. AFWA is a national organization 
representing State agencies in all 50 States, and the Services find 
their request shows good cause to extend the comment period. With this 
document, we extend the public comment period for an additional 15 
days, as specified above in DATES, to provide all interested parties an 
additional opportunity to comment on the October 27, 2021, proposed 
rule.

Public Comments

    All relevant information will be considered prior to making a final 
determination regarding the regulatory definition of ``habitat.'' If 
you already submitted comments or information on the October 27, 2021, 
proposed rule, please do not resubmit them. Any such comments are 
incorporated as part of the public record of the rulemaking proceeding, 
and we will fully consider them in the preparation of any final rule.
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed 
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. Comments must be 
submitted to https://www.regulations.gov before 11:59 p.m. (Eastern 
Time) on the date specified in DATES. We will not consider mailed 
comments that are not postmarked by the date specified in DATES.
    We will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This 
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide 
us. If you provide personal identifying information in your comment, 
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.

Authority

    We issue this document under the authority of the Endangered 
Species Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq).

Shannon A. Estenoz,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Department of the 
Interior.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-25767 Filed 11-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
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