Fish and Wildlife Service October 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) will meet to select North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant proposals for recommendation to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (Commission). The Council will consider Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. Standard grant proposals. The Advisory Group for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grants program (Advisory Group) also will meet. The Advisory Group will discuss the strategic direction and management of the NMBCA program. Both meetings are open to the public, and interested persons may present oral or written statements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (draft CCP/EA) for Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) and the Black River Unit (Unit) of Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (collectively, Refuges) for public review and comment. The draft CCP/EA describes our proposal for managing the Refuges for a period of 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species, marine mammals, or both. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibit activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), notify the public that we are reopening the comment period on our February 4, 2013, proposed rule to list the distinct population segment of wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) occurring in the contiguous United States as threatened, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The District Court for the District of Montana vacated our August 13, 2014, withdrawal of our proposed rule to list the distinct population segment of the North American wolverine as threatened under the Act, which effectively returns the process to the stage of the proposed listing rule we published in 2013. We will initiate a new status review of the North American wolverine, to determine whether this distinct population segment meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Act. We request new information regarding the North American wolverine to inform this status review. We may also reopen the comment period should we receive significant new information as a result of this document.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the Columbia River distinct population segment (DPS) of Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus). This subspecies of white-tailed deer is found in limited areas of Clatsop, Multnomah, and Columbia Counties in Oregon, and Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Pacific, Skamania, and Clark Counties in Washington. The effect of this rule is to change the listing status of the Columbia River DPS of Columbian white-tailed deer from an endangered species to a threatened species on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We call this ``reclassifying'' or ``downlisting'' the DPS. We are also adopting a rule under the authority of section 4(d) of the Act (a ``4(d) rule'') that is necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Columbia River DPS of the Columbian white-tailed deer.

We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) will ask the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the information collection (IC) described below. As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this IC. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are removing the plant Solidago albopilosa (white-haired goldenrod) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. This action is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to this species have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. This rule also announces the availability of a final post-delisting monitoring (PDM) plan for white- haired goldenrod.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following application to conduct activities intended to enhance the survival of endangered or threatened species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the Suwannee moccasinshell (Medionidus walkeri), a freshwater mussel species from the Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the Black Warrior waterdog (Necturus alabamensis) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). In total, approximately 1,073 river kilometers (669 river miles) in Blount, Cullman, Etowah, Fayette, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marshall, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston Counties, Alabama, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed critical habitat designation. Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, we propose to list the Black Warrior waterdog as an endangered species under the Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the Miami tiger beetle (Cicindelidia floridana), a beetle species from Miami-Dade County, Florida. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to this species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Kentucky arrow darter (Etheostoma spilotum) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). In total, approximately 398 stream kilometers (skm) (248 stream miles (smi)) fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, add 1 national wildlife refuge (NWR or refuge) to the list of areas open for hunting, increase the hunting activities available at 12 other NWRs, open 1 refuge to fishing for the first time, and add pertinent refuge-specific regulations for other NWRs that pertain to migratory game bird hunting, upland game hunting, big game hunting, and sport fishing for the 2016- 2017 season.