Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the Toothless Blindcat and the Widemouth Blindcat; Extension of Comment Period, 85177-85178 [2023-26853]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 234 / Thursday, December 7, 2023 / Proposed Rules days following the end of a fiscal quarter. Reports are cumulative from October 1 of the reporting fiscal year, and monetary figures should be rounded to whole dollars in each section of the report. (c) ‘‘Negative report’’ means when the Bureau had no reportable activity during the quarter. Submit such a report using the MBDA–91 report form. ■ 23. Revise section 1426.7103–2 to read as follows: 1426.7103–2 Assignment and location. The HCA has the authority to approve the appointment of a Corporate Administrative Contracting Officer. PART 1443—CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS 28. The authority citation for part 1443 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390, 40 U.S.C. 486(c); and 5 U.S.C. 301. 29. Revise section 1443.205 to read as follows: ■ 1443.205 Contract clauses. HCAs may establish procedures, when appropriate, for authorizing the CO to vary the 30-day period for submission of requests for adjustment prescribed by FAR 43.205 (48 CFR 43.205). PART 1449—TERMINATION OF CONTRACTS 30. The authority citation for part 1449 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390, 40 U.S.C. 486(c); and 5 U.S.C. 301. 31. Revise section 1449.106 to read as follows: ■ 1449.106 Fraud or other criminal conduct. 24. The authority citation for part 1431 continues to read as follows: When fraud or other criminal conduct is suspected, the CO will submit a report documenting the incident to the HCA for transmittal to the OIG. Informational copies will be forwarded to the Director, PAM. ■ 32. Revise section 1449.111 to read as follows: Authority: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390, 40 U.S.C. 486(c); and 5 U.S.C. 301. 1449.111 PART 1431—CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES ■ 25. Revise section 1431.101 to read as follows: ■ 1431.101 Objectives. Individual deviations concerning cost principles and procedures shall require the approval of the cognizant Assistant Secretary, with further redelegation authorized. Redelegation is limited to the HCA. PART 1442—CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND AUDIT SERVICES Review of proposed settlements. All proposed settlement agreements shall be reviewed by the SOL and approved at one level above the CO. Settlement agreements of $250,000 or more shall be approved by the HCA. Joan M. Mooney, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Assistant Secretary—Policy, Management and Budget. [FR Doc. 2023–26443 Filed 12–6–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P 26. The authority citation for part 1442 continues to read as follows: ■ Authority: Sec. 205(c), 63 Stat. 390, 40 U.S.C. 486(c); and 5 U.S.C. 301. 27. Revise section 1442.602 to read as follows: ■ VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:14 Dec 06, 2023 Jkt 262001 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 [Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2023–0069; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 245] Requirements. The contracting offices shall report designated projects funded with EPA monies, involving the actual award of contracts, subcontracts, financial assistance instruments, subagreements, etc. by DOI. Do not include Departmental projects covered by Superfund and funded solely with Departmental appropriations. The HCA must submit one of the following reports inclusive of all projects, as applicable, to the OSDBU by no later than November 8 of each year: (a) EPA Forms 6005–3 and 6005–3A for applicable Superfund contract awards, including partial awards to minority businesses. (b) EPA Form 6005–3A only, for applicable Superfund contract awards when no awards were made to minority firms, to report the efforts made to promote minority business participation in the designated projects. (c) ‘‘Negative Report’’ when the reporting Bureau did not award contracts using Superfund monies. ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1 1442.602 85177 RIN 1018–BE77 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the Toothless Blindcat and the Widemouth Blindcat; Extension of Comment Period Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period. AGENCY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the comment period on our August 22, 2023, proposed rule to list the toothless blindcat (Trogloglanis pattersoni) and widemouth blindcat (Satan eurystomus), two cavefish species from the Edwards Aquifer in Bexar County, Texas, as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the proposed rule’s comment period to give all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they are already incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in our final determinations. DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule that published August 22, 2023, at 88 FR 57046, is reopened. We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before January 8, 2024. Comments submitted using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date. 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 FWS–R2–ES–2023–0069, which is the docket number for the August 22, 2023, proposed rule and this document. 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 the correct 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–2023–0069, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\07DEP1.SGM 07DEP1 85178 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 234 / Thursday, December 7, 2023 / Proposed Rules 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: Karen Myers, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 1505 Ferguson Lane, Austin, TX 78754; telephone 512–937–7371. 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–2023–0069 on https://www.regulations.gov for a document that summarizes the August 22, 2023, proposed rule. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On August 22, 2023, we published a proposed rule (88 FR 57046) to list the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat as endangered species under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The proposed rule opened a 60-day comment period, ending October 23, 2023. On October 12, 2023, we received a request to extend the public comment period. With this document, we reopen the public comment period for an additional 30 days, as specified above in DATES. For a description of previous Federal actions concerning the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat and information on the types of comments that would be helpful to us in making final determinations on our proposal, please refer to the August 22, 2023, proposed rule (88 FR 57046 at 57046– 57047). ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with PROPOSALS1 Public Comments We will accept written comments and information during the reopened comment period on our August 22, 2023, proposed rule to list the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat. We will consider information and recommendations from all interested parties. We intend that any final action resulting from the proposal will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available and will be as VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:25 Dec 06, 2023 Jkt 262001 accurate and as effective as possible. Our final determinations will take into consideration all comments and any additional information we receive during both comment periods on the proposed rule. Because we will consider all comments and information we receive during both open comment periods, our final determinations may differ from our August 22, 2023, proposed rule (88 FR 57046). Based on the new information we receive (and, if relevant, any comments on that new information), we may conclude that one or both of the species is threatened instead of endangered, or we may conclude that one or both of the species does not warrant listing as either an endangered species or a threatened species. In our final rule, we will clearly explain our rationale and the basis for our final decisions, including why we made changes, if any, that differ from the August 22, 2023, proposal. If you already submitted comments or information on the August 22, 2023, 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 our final determinations. Comments should be as specific as possible. 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 assert. Please note that 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, as section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act directs that determinations as to whether any species is an endangered species or a threatened species must be made ‘‘solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data available.’’ You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you send comments only by the methods described in ADDRESSES. 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. PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 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 FWS– R2–ES–2023–0069. Authors The primary authors of this document are the staff members of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Species Assessment Team and the Austin Ecological Services Field Office. Authority The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), is the authority for this action. Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2023–26853 Filed 12–6–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Parts 223 and 224 [Docket No. 231201–0285; RTID 0648– XR129] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List Chinook Salmon on the Washington Coast as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: 90-Day petition finding, request for information, and initiation of status review. AGENCY: We, NMFS, announce a 90day finding on a petition to list springrun Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) on the Washington Coast (WC) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or, alternatively, list the existing WC Chinook salmon Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) as currently defined (inclusive of all run types) as threatened or endangered under the ESA. The petition also requests that we designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing. We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating the petitioned action to list may be warranted. We will conduct an ESU analysis and status review to determine whether the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\07DEP1.SGM 07DEP1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 85177-85178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26853]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 245]
RIN 1018-BE77


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species 
Status for the Toothless Blindcat and the Widemouth Blindcat; Extension 
of Comment Period

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
reopening the comment period on our August 22, 2023, proposed rule to 
list the toothless blindcat (Trogloglanis pattersoni) and widemouth 
blindcat (Satan eurystomus), two cavefish species from the Edwards 
Aquifer in Bexar County, Texas, as endangered species under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the 
proposed rule's comment period to give all interested parties an 
additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Comments 
previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they are already 
incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in our 
final determinations.

DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule that published August 
22, 2023, at 88 FR 57046, is reopened. We will accept comments received 
or postmarked on or before January 8, 2024. Comments submitted using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received 
by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.

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 FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069, 
which is the docket number for the August 22, 2023, proposed rule and 
this document. 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 the correct 
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-2023-0069, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: PRB/3W, 5275

[[Page 85178]]

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: Karen Myers, Field Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 
1505 Ferguson Lane, Austin, TX 78754; telephone 512-937-7371. 
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-2023-0069 on https://www.regulations.gov for a document that summarizes the August 22, 
2023, proposed rule.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On August 22, 2023, we published a proposed rule (88 FR 57046) to 
list the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat as endangered 
species under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The proposed rule 
opened a 60-day comment period, ending October 23, 2023. On October 12, 
2023, we received a request to extend the public comment period. With 
this document, we reopen the public comment period for an additional 30 
days, as specified above in DATES.
    For a description of previous Federal actions concerning the 
toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat and information on the types 
of comments that would be helpful to us in making final determinations 
on our proposal, please refer to the August 22, 2023, proposed rule (88 
FR 57046 at 57046-57047).

Public Comments

    We will accept written comments and information during the reopened 
comment period on our August 22, 2023, proposed rule to list the 
toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat. We will consider information 
and recommendations from all interested parties. We intend that any 
final action resulting from the proposal will be based on the best 
scientific and commercial data available and will be as accurate and as 
effective as possible. Our final determinations will take into 
consideration all comments and any additional information we receive 
during both comment periods on the proposed rule.
    Because we will consider all comments and information we receive 
during both open comment periods, our final determinations may differ 
from our August 22, 2023, proposed rule (88 FR 57046). Based on the new 
information we receive (and, if relevant, any comments on that new 
information), we may conclude that one or both of the species is 
threatened instead of endangered, or we may conclude that one or both 
of the species does not warrant listing as either an endangered species 
or a threatened species. In our final rule, we will clearly explain our 
rationale and the basis for our final decisions, including why we made 
changes, if any, that differ from the August 22, 2023, proposal.
    If you already submitted comments or information on the August 22, 
2023, 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 our final 
determinations.
    Comments should be as specific as possible. 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 assert. Please note that 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, as section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act 
directs that determinations as to whether any species is an endangered 
species or a threatened species must be made ``solely on the basis of 
the best scientific and commercial data available.''
    You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods 
listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you send comments only by the 
methods described in ADDRESSES. 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 at FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069.

Authors

    The primary authors of this document are the staff members of the 
Fish and Wildlife Service's Species Assessment Team and the Austin 
Ecological Services Field Office.

Authority

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

Martha Williams,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-26853 Filed 12-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

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