Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly, 82817-82818 [2023-25597]

Download as PDF khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Proposed Rules accordance with the requirements of paragraph (f)(1) of this section. Plan M requires Employer G to make a nonelective contribution on behalf of each eligible employee equal to 2 percent of the compensation of the employee for the plan year. (B) Based on these facts, long-term, part-time employees are excluded for purposes of determining whether Plan M satisfies every provision under paragraph (f)(1)(i) of this section for the plan year (to the extent the provision would otherwise apply to Plan M), including the nondiscrimination requirements of section 401(a)(4). Accordingly, any nonelective contribution made on behalf of a longterm, part-time employee for the plan year is disregarded for purposes of determining whether nonelective contributions made for the plan year satisfy the nondiscrimination requirements of section 401(a)(4). (ii) Example 2. (A) Employer H maintains Plan N. Plan N provides that all long-term, part-time employees are excluded from the application of the vesting and benefit requirements of section 416(b) and (c). Plan N requires Employer H to make a nonelective contribution on behalf of each eligible employee who is credited with at least 1,000 hours of service during the plan year equal to 3 percent of the compensation of the employee for the plan year. Plan N provides that each employee has a 100-percent nonforfeitable right to any nonelective contribution Employer H makes on behalf of the employee. Plan N is a topheavy plan with respect to the plan year. (B) Based on these facts, long-term, part-time employees are excluded from the application of the vesting and benefit requirements of section 416(b) and (c) for the plan year. Accordingly, although Plan N is a top-heavy plan with respect to the plan year, Plan N is not required to satisfy the top-heavy benefit provisions of section 416(c) for the plan year with respect to any nonkey employee who is a long-term, parttime employee. (g) Applicability date. This section applies to plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2024. Douglas W. O’Donnell, Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Petitions for Reconsideration of Action in Rulemaking Proceeding Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Petition for Reconsideration. AGENCY: Petitions for Reconsideration (Petitions) have been filed in the Commission’s proceeding Connect America Fund: A National Broadband Plan for Our Future High-Cost Universal Service Support, ETC Annual Reports and Certifications, Telecommunications Carriers Eligible to Receive Universal Service Support, Connect America Fund—Alaska Plan, and Expanding Broadband Service Through the ACAM Program. DATES: Oppositions to the Petitions must be filed on or before December 12, 2023. Replies to oppositions must be filed on or before December 22, 2023. ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on this proceeding, contact Stephen Wang of the Wireline Competition Bureau, Telecommunications Access Policy Division, at (202) 418–7400 or Stephen.Wang@fcc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission’s document, Report No. 3203, released October 31, 2023. The full text of the Petitions can be accessed online via the Commission’s Electronic Comment Filing System at: https://apps.fcc.gov/ ecfs/. The Commission will not send a Congressional Review Act (CRA) submission to Congress or the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the CRA, 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A), because no rules are being adopted by the Commission. Subject: Connect America Fund: A National Broadband Plan for Our Future High-Cost Universal Service Support (WC Docket Nos. 10–90, 14–58, 09–197, and 16–271; RM–11868). Number of Petitions Filed: 5. SUMMARY: BILLING CODE 4830–01–P [FR Doc. 2023–25858 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712–01–P Jkt 262001 Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 [WC Docket Nos. 10–90, 14–58, 09–197, and 16–271; RM–11868; Report No. 3203; FR ID 183017] [FR Doc. 2023–25987 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] 16:00 Nov 24, 2023 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 47 CFR Part 54 Federal Communications Commission. Marlene Dortch, Secretary, Office of the Secretary. VerDate Sep<11>2014 82817 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 [Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2023–0023; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 245] RIN 1018–BH13 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period and announcement of public hearing. AGENCY: SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the public comment period on our August 10, 2023, proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti), a butterfly from New Mexico, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are taking this action to conduct a public hearing and to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the proposal to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. DATES: Comment submission: The comment period on the proposed rule that published August 10, 2023 (88 FR 54263), is reopened. We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before December 27, 2023. Please note that comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date to ensure consideration. Public hearing: On December 12, 2023, we will hold a public hearing on the proposed critical habitat designation for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly from 5 to 8 p.m., Mountain time, using the Zoom online platform (for more information, see Public Hearing, below). ADDRESSES: Availability of documents: You may obtain copies of the August 10, 2023, proposed rule and associated documents on the internet at https:// www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2023–0023. E:\FR\FM\27NOP1.SGM 27NOP1 82818 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 226 / Monday, November 27, 2023 / Proposed Rules Written comments: 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–R2–ES–2023–0023, which is the docket number for the proposed rule. Then, click on the Search button. On the resulting page, in the panel on the left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, check 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–R2–ES–2023–0023, 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. 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: Shawn Sartorius, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 2105 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113; telephone 505–346–2525. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services offered within their country to make international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States. Please see Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2023–0023 on https://www.regulations.gov for a document that summarizes the August 10, 2023, proposed rule. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS Background On August 10, 2023, we published a proposed rule (88 FR 54263) to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly under the Act. The proposed rule opened a 60-day public comment period, ending October 10, 2023. During the open comment period, we received a request for a public hearing. Therefore, we are reopening the comment period and announcing a public hearing to allow the public an additional opportunity to provide comments on the proposed rule. For a description of previous Federal actions concerning critical habitat for VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:00 Nov 24, 2023 Jkt 262001 the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly and information on the types of comments that would be helpful to us in promulgating this rulemaking action, please refer to the August 10, 2023, proposed rule (88 FR 54263). Public Hearing We are holding a public hearing to accept comments on the proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly on the date and at the time listed in DATES. We are holding the public hearing via the Zoom online video platform and via teleconference so that participants can attend remotely. For security purposes, registration is required. All participants must register in order to listen and view the hearing via Zoom, listen to the hearing by telephone, or provide oral public comments at the public hearing by Zoom or telephone. For information on how to register, or if you encounter problems joining Zoom the day of the meeting, visit https:// www.fws.gov/office/new-mexicoecological-services. Registrants will receive the Zoom link and the telephone number for the public hearing. If applicable, interested members of the public not familiar with the Zoom platform should view the Zoom video tutorials (https://support.zoom.us/hc/ en-us/categories/200101697-GettingStarted-with-Zoom) prior to the public hearing. The public hearing will provide interested parties an opportunity to present verbal testimony (formal, oral comments) regarding the August 10, 2023, proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (88 FR 54263). The purpose of the public hearing is to provide a forum for accepting formal verbal testimony, which will then become part of the record for the proposed rule. In the event there is a large attendance, the time allotted for verbal testimony may be limited. Therefore, anyone wishing to provide verbal testimony at the public hearing is encouraged to provide a prepared written copy of their statement to us through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or U.S. mail (see ADDRESSES, above). There are no limits on the length of written comments submitted to us. Anyone wishing to provide verbal testimony at the public hearing must register before the hearing. For information on how to register, visit https://www.fws.gov/office/newmexico-ecological-services. The use of a virtual public hearing is consistent with our regulations at 50 CFR 424.16(c)(3). PO 00000 Frm 00031 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 Reasonable Accommodation The Service is committed to providing access to the public hearing for all participants. Closed captioning will be available during the public hearing. Further, a full audio and video recording and transcript of the public hearing will be posted online at https:// www.fws.gov/office/new-mexicoecological-services after the hearing. Participants will also have access to live audio during the public hearing via their telephone or computer speakers. Persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations to participate in the hearing should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least 5 business days prior to the date of the hearing to help ensure availability. An accessible version of the Service’s public hearing presentation will also be posted online at https://www.fws.gov/office/newmexico-ecological-services prior to the hearing (see DATES, above). See https:// www.fws.gov/office/new-mexicoecological-services for more information about reasonable accommodation. Public Comments If you submit information via https:// www.regulations.gov, your entire submission—including your personal identifying information—will be posted on the website. 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 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. 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. Authors The primary authors of this proposed rule are the staff members of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Species Assessment Team and the New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office. Authority The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2023–25597 Filed 11–24–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P E:\FR\FM\27NOP1.SGM 27NOP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 226 (Monday, November 27, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 82817-82818]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25597]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0023; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 245]
RIN 1018-BH13


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of 
Critical Habitat for Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

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

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
reopening the public comment period on our August 10, 2023, proposed 
rule to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains 
checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti), a butterfly from 
New Mexico, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 
We are taking this action to conduct a public hearing and to allow all 
interested parties additional time to comment on the proposal to 
designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot 
butterfly. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and 
will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

DATES: 
    Comment submission: The comment period on the proposed rule that 
published August 10, 2023 (88 FR 54263), is reopened. We will accept 
comments received or postmarked on or before December 27, 2023. Please 
note that comments submitted electronically using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 
p.m. eastern time on the closing date to ensure consideration.
    Public hearing: On December 12, 2023, we will hold a public hearing 
on the proposed critical habitat designation for the Sacramento 
Mountains checkerspot butterfly from 5 to 8 p.m., Mountain time, using 
the Zoom online platform (for more information, see Public Hearing, 
below).

ADDRESSES: 
    Availability of documents: You may obtain copies of the August 10, 
2023, proposed rule and associated documents on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0023.

[[Page 82818]]

    Written comments: 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-R2-ES-2023-0023, 
which is the docket number for the proposed rule. Then, click on the 
Search button. On the resulting page, in the panel on the left side of 
the screen, under the Document Type heading, check 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-R2-ES-2023-0023, 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. 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: Shawn Sartorius, Field Supervisor, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Field 
Office, 2105 Osuna Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113; telephone 505-346-
2525. Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States. Please see Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0023 on https://www.regulations.gov for a document that summarizes the August 10, 
2023, proposed rule.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 10, 2023, we published a proposed rule (88 FR 54263) to 
designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot 
butterfly under the Act. The proposed rule opened a 60-day public 
comment period, ending October 10, 2023. During the open comment 
period, we received a request for a public hearing. Therefore, we are 
reopening the comment period and announcing a public hearing to allow 
the public an additional opportunity to provide comments on the 
proposed rule.
    For a description of previous Federal actions concerning critical 
habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly and 
information on the types of comments that would be helpful to us in 
promulgating this rulemaking action, please refer to the August 10, 
2023, proposed rule (88 FR 54263).

Public Hearing

    We are holding a public hearing to accept comments on the proposed 
rule to designate critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains 
checkerspot butterfly on the date and at the time listed in DATES. We 
are holding the public hearing via the Zoom online video platform and 
via teleconference so that participants can attend remotely. For 
security purposes, registration is required. All participants must 
register in order to listen and view the hearing via Zoom, listen to 
the hearing by telephone, or provide oral public comments at the public 
hearing by Zoom or telephone.
    For information on how to register, or if you encounter problems 
joining Zoom the day of the meeting, visit https://www.fws.gov/office/new-mexico-ecological-services. Registrants will receive the Zoom link 
and the telephone number for the public hearing. If applicable, 
interested members of the public not familiar with the Zoom platform 
should view the Zoom video tutorials (https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/categories/200101697-Getting-Started-with-Zoom) prior to the public 
hearing.
    The public hearing will provide interested parties an opportunity 
to present verbal testimony (formal, oral comments) regarding the 
August 10, 2023, proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the 
Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (88 FR 54263). The purpose 
of the public hearing is to provide a forum for accepting formal verbal 
testimony, which will then become part of the record for the proposed 
rule. In the event there is a large attendance, the time allotted for 
verbal testimony may be limited. Therefore, anyone wishing to provide 
verbal testimony at the public hearing is encouraged to provide a 
prepared written copy of their statement to us through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal or U.S. mail (see ADDRESSES, above). There are no 
limits on the length of written comments submitted to us. Anyone 
wishing to provide verbal testimony at the public hearing must register 
before the hearing.
    For information on how to register, visit https://www.fws.gov/office/new-mexico-ecological-services. The use of a virtual public 
hearing is consistent with our regulations at 50 CFR 424.16(c)(3).

Reasonable Accommodation

    The Service is committed to providing access to the public hearing 
for all participants. Closed captioning will be available during the 
public hearing. Further, a full audio and video recording and 
transcript of the public hearing will be posted online at https://www.fws.gov/office/new-mexico-ecological-services after the hearing. 
Participants will also have access to live audio during the public 
hearing via their telephone or computer speakers. Persons with 
disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations to participate in the 
hearing should contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT at least 5 business days prior to the date of the hearing to 
help ensure availability. An accessible version of the Service's public 
hearing presentation will also be posted online at https://www.fws.gov/office/new-mexico-ecological-services prior to the hearing (see DATES, 
above). See https://www.fws.gov/office/new-mexico-ecological-services 
for more information about reasonable accommodation.

Public Comments

    If you submit information via https://www.regulations.gov, your 
entire submission--including your personal identifying information--
will be posted on the website. 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 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.
    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.

Authors

    The primary authors of this proposed rule are the staff members of 
the Fish and Wildlife Service's Species Assessment Team and the New 
Mexico Ecological Services Field Office.

Authority

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

Martha Williams,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-25597 Filed 11-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

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