Fish and Wildlife Service September 2024 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing a new information collection.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with foreign species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received an application from the City of Tumwater Transportation and Engineering Department (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The ITP would authorize the applicant's take of the federally threatened Olympia subspecies of the Mazama pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama pugetensis) ("covered species"), incidental to their otherwise lawful construction and infrastructure improvements at two locations in the City of Tumwater, Thurston County, Washington. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental action statement and categorical exclusion screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the correction of errors in the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (Lists) made in previous publications. These corrections of publication errors are editorial in nature and involve no substantive changes to the Lists or any applicable regulations.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Black Creek crayfish (Procambarus pictus), a crayfish species from Florida, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also propose to designate critical habitat for the Black Creek crayfish under the Act. In total, approximately 1,056 kilometers (656 miles) of streams in Clay, Duval, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, Florida, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to this species and its designated critical habitat. We also announce the availability of an economic analysis of the proposed critical habitat designation for the Black Creek crayfish.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability of a record of decision (ROD) for the final environmental impact statement for the Barred Owl Management Strategy (strategy) in Washington, Oregon, and California. With this notice, we also make available the final strategy. The ROD documents the Service's decision to select the preferred alternative to address the threat that the nonnative and invasive barred owl (Strix varia) poses to the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) and the California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis).

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take a portion of the breeding territory of the federally listed crested caracara (Audubon's) [FL DPS] (Caracara plancus audubonii) incidental to the construction and operation of a phosphate mine in Hardee County, Florida. We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting action may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reopening the public comment period on our December 20, 2023, proposed rule to list the West Virginia spring salamander (Gyrinophilus subterraneus), an amphibian species from Greenbrier County, West Virginia, as an endangered species and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are taking this action to allow all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed listing of the species and the proposed critical habitat. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in our final determinations.