Fish and Wildlife Service 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the public comment period on our June 28, 2018, proposed rule to replace the existing regulations governing the nonessential experimental population designation of the red wolf (Canis rufus) under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the comment period to allow the public an additional opportunity to review and comment on the proposed rule. Comments already submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), of six animal and five plant species. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any new information on these species that has become available since the last review of the species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 42 species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of information that has become available since the last reviews of these species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application for a permit to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on this application. Before issuing the requested permit, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce we are withdrawing the Mitigation Policy published November 21, 2016, which guides Service recommendations on mitigating the adverse impacts of land and water developments on fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. In our document of November 6, 2017, we requested additional public comments regarding this policy's overall mitigation planning goal of net conservation gain. We are now withdrawing this policy as it is no longer appropriate to retain the ``net conservation gain'' standard throughout various Service-related activities and is inconsistent with current Executive branch policy. Until further notice, all policies that were superseded by the 2016 Mitigation Policy are reinstated, including the Fish and Wildlife Service Mitigation Policy (46 FR 7644-7663) published in the Federal Register on January 23, 1981.

We, FWS and NMFS (collectively referred to as the ``Services'' or ``we''), propose to amend portions of our regulations that implement section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The Services are proposing these changes to improve and clarify the interagency consultation processes and make them more efficient and consistent.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the ``Services'' or ``we''), propose to revise portions of our regulations that implement section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The proposed revisions to the regulations clarify, interpret, and implement portions of the Act concerning the procedures and criteria used for listing or removing species from the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants and designating critical habitat. We also propose to make multiple technical revisions to update existing sections or to refer appropriately to other sections.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Southern California Distinct Population Segment of the Mountain Yellow-legged Frog (Rana muscosa) for public review and comment. The draft recovery plan includes objective, measurable criteria, and site-specific management actions as may be necessary to reclassify the species from endangered to threatened and also for removal from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are issuing this final rule to comply with a court order that vacated provisions of regulations governing control of depredating double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities and for control of double-crested cormorants to protect public resources. Pursuant to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia order dated May 25, 2016, this rule removes regulatory provisions that allowed take of double-crested cormorants at aquaculture facilities and to protect public resources without the need for a permit.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the draft recovery plan for the endangered coqu[iacute] llanero, a frog endemic to Puerto Rico. The draft recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria that must be met in order for us to remove this species from listing under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), announce the availability of the environmental impact statement (EIS) and habitat conservation plan (HCP) for incidental take permit (ITP) application under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. American Electric Power (AEP) requested a 30-year American burying beetle (ABB) ITP in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas. If granted, the ITP would authorize ABB take resulting from AEP's electrical lines and support facilities repair, maintenance, and construction, as well as activities carried out as part of the HCP's conservation strategy.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to replace the existing regulations governing the nonessential experimental population designation of the red wolf (Canis rufus) under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act, as amended. We request public comments, and announce a public information session and public hearing, on this proposed rule. In addition, we announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment on the proposed replacement of the existing nonessential experimental population regulations for the red wolf. In conjunction with this proposed action, we are initiating consultation pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and completing a compatibility determination pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997. We propose this action to ensure our regulations are based on the most recent science and lessons learned related to the management of red wolves. If adopted as proposed, this action would further conservation of red wolf recovery overall by allowing for the reallocation of resources to enhance support for the captive population, retention of a propagation population for future new reintroduction efforts that is influenced by natural selection, and provision of a population for continued scientific research on wild red wolf behavior and population management. This action would also promote the viability of the nonessential experimental population by authorizing proven management techniques, such as the release of animals from the captive population into the nonessential experimental population, which is vital to maintaining a genetically healthy population.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The City of Groveland is requesting a 10-year ITP for take of the sand skink. We request public comment on the permit application, which includes the proposed habitat conservation plan, as well as on our preliminary determination that the plan qualifies as low-effect under the National Environmental Policy Act. To make this determination, we used our environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, which are also available for review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a public meeting of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC), in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The HSSCC's purpose is to provide recommendations to the Federal Government, through the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, regarding policies and endeavors that benefit wildlife resources; encourage partnership among the public; sporting conservation organizations; and Federal, state, tribal, and territorial governments; and benefit recreational hunting and recreational shooting sports.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have issued permits to conduct activities with endangered and threatened species under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, as amended (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities involving listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activity.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 50 species in California, Nevada, and the Klamath Basin of Oregon under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any new information on these species that has become available since the last review.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (hereinafter the Service or we) proposes to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2019-20 hunting season. We annually prescribe outside limits (frameworks) within which States may select hunting seasons. This proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council meetings, describes the proposed regulatory alternatives for the 2019-20 duck hunting seasons, and requests proposals from Indian tribes that wish to establish special migratory game bird hunting regulations on Federal Indian reservations and ceded lands. Migratory bird hunting seasons provide opportunities for recreation and sustenance; aid Federal, State, and tribal governments in the management of migratory game birds; and permit harvests at levels compatible with migratory game bird population status and habitat conditions.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the Colorado butterfly plant (Oenothera coloradensis, currently listed as Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List) due to recovery. This determination is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the threats to the Colorado butterfly plant have been eliminated or reduced to the point that it has recovered, and that this plant is no longer likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future and, therefore, no longer meets the definition of a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This proposed rule, if made final, would also remove the currently designated critical habitat for the Colorado butterfly plant. We are seeking information, data, and comments from the public on the proposed rule to remove the Colorado butterfly plant from the List (i.e., ``delist'' the species). In addition, we are also seeking input on considerations for post- delisting monitoring of the Colorado butterfly plant.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits activities with listed species unless a Federal permit is issued that allows such activities. The ESA requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announces a public meeting of the International Wildlife Conservation Council (Council).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a draft programmatic environmental impact statement addressing the potential impacts on the human environment caused by alternatives described in habitat conservation plans (HCPs) for four similar wind energy projects. The HCPs were submitted to the Service in support of requests for incidental take permits (ITPs) under the Endangered Species Act authorizing the take of endangered species. The proposed permit actions involve a new HCP for the Pakini Nui Wind Farm on the Island of Hawai`i and major amendments to three existing HCPs addressing the Auwahi Wind and Kaheawa Wind Power II projects, both located on Maui, and the Kawailoa Wind Power project, located on O`ahu. All four wind energy facilities are already constructed and in operation. The proposed ITP and proposed ITP amendments would address take of three endangered species: The Hawaiian hoary bat, the Hawaiian goose, and the Hawaiian petrel.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are conducting 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), of 38 animal and plant species. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information that has become available since the last review for the species.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council will meet in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, to select U.S. Standard grant proposals for reporting to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. This meeting is open to the public, and interested persons may present oral or written statements.