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

To comply with a court order, the Secretaries, through the Federal Subsistence Board (Board), initiated regulatory proceedings to identify those submerged lands within the Tongass National Forest that did not pass to the State of Alaska at statehood and, therefore, remain Federal public lands subject to Federal subsistence provisions. This rule adds to the list of submerged parcels in the Federal subsistence regulations that have been identified through agency review. The purpose of this rule is to complete regulatory proceedings addressing submerged public lands within the Tongass National Forest, as directed by the Court, and will result in increased subsistence harvest opportunities for rural Alaskans. This final rule will also make nonsubstantive changes to present the list of submerged parcels in a tabular format.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice of a public meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council), in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of an application from Florida Department of TransportationFlorida's Turnpike Enterprise (applicant) for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The applicant requests the ITP to take the federally listed eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperii) incidental to the construction of the Suncoast Parkway 2 Segment 3A from County Road (CR) 486 to CR 495 in Citrus 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, invite the public to comment on the following applications for a permit to conduct activities intended to recover and enhance endangered species survival. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) prohibits certain activities that may impact endangered species, unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

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 (Service), have received an application for an incidental take permit to take the federally listed Santa Ana sucker under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We request public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP), and 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), propose to list the pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus; hereafter ``pygmy sloth''), an arboreal mammal species from Panama, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the pygmy sloth. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the pygmy sloth as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act (``4(d) rule''). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it will add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species.

This proposed rule revises regulations for fish and shellfish seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means related to taking of fish and shellfish for subsistence uses during the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 regulatory years. The Federal Subsistence Board (hereafter referred to as ``the Board'') is on a schedule of completing the process of revising subsistence taking of fish and shellfish regulations in odd- numbered years and subsistence taking of wildlife regulations in even- numbered years; public proposal and review processes take place during the preceding year. The Board also addresses customary and traditional use determinations during the applicable cycle. When final, the resulting rulemaking replaces the existing subsistence fish and shellfish taking regulations. This proposed rule may also amend the general regulations on subsistence taking of fish and wildlife.

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, 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. 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), propose to remove the North Park phacelia (Phacelia formosula) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants due to recovery. The best available scientific information indicates that threats to North Park phacelia identified at the time of listing in 1982 are not as significant as originally anticipated and are being adequately managed. Additionally, recent taxonomic studies have indicated that the species has four new populations and an expanded range in Colorado based on the inclusion of plants previously thought to be different species or subspecies. We find that delisting the species is warranted. Our review of the best available scientific and commercial data indicates that the threats to the North Park phacelia 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 (Act). Accordingly, we propose to delist the North Park phacelia. We request information and comments from the public regarding this proposed rule and the draft post-delisting monitoring (PDM) plan for the North Park phacelia. If we finalize this rule as proposed, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, would no longer apply to the species.

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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act.

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

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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for the Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. In total, approximately 1,160,625 acres (469,688 hectares) in 13 Florida counties fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. This rule extends the Act's protections to this species' critical habitat.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are removing the Florida golden aster (Chrysopsis floridana), a short-lived perennial, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List) due to recovery. Our review indicates that the threats to the species have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species has recovered and no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act will no longer apply to this species.

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.

This final rule revises regulations for seasons, harvest limits, methods, and means related to taking of fish for subsistence uses in Alaska during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 regulatory years and the customary and traditional use determinations for fish and shellfish. This rule also revises the regulations for subsistence taking of wildlife, in response to deferred proposals from the 2022- 2024 wildlife regulations cycle. The Federal Subsistence Management Program provides a preference for customary and traditional uses by rural Alaska residents of wild, renewable resources on Federal public lands and waters in Alaska.

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.

This proposed rule would revise the regulations concerning the composition of the Federal Subsistence Board (Board) by adding three public members nominated or recommended by federally recognized Tribal governments, requiring that those nominees have personal knowledge of and direct experience with subsistence uses in rural Alaska including Alaska Native subsistence uses, defining requirements used for the selection of the Board Chair, affirming the Secretaries' authority to replace members from the Board, and affirming the Secretaries' responsibility and oversight regarding Board decisions while incorporating a ratification requirement. In January 2022, the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) held joint consultations with federally recognized Tribes of Alaska and various Tribal Consortia. Later during October-November 2022, DOI leadership and the Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, held joint consultations with various Alaska Tribes regarding fisheries. Approximately 445 individual subsistence users and representatives from Alaska Native Tribes, Tribal consortia, Alaska Native organizations, and Native corporations participated in the consultations, and a majority of the commenters specifically requested increasing the number of public members to five and adding more voting members who represent Alaska Native Villages and have local knowledge and direct subsistence experience.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. We issue these permits under the Endangered Species Act.

The Federal Subsistence Board (Board) announces the public meetings of the 10 Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils (Councils) for the winter and fall cycles of 2024. The Councils each meet approximately twice a year to provide advice and recommendations to the Board about subsistence hunting and fishing issues on Federal public lands in Alaska.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of documents related to an application for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act. The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is applying for a permit associated with incidental take of the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus; ABB) during construction, operation, and maintenance of a new transmission line in central Nebraska (known as the R-Project). NPPD has submitted a new application for a 50-year ITP, including a revised proposed habitat conservation plan (revised HCP) and associated documents. We previously issued an ITP for the R-Project and the applicant's earlier HCP to NPPD in 2019. However, that ITP was remanded by a Court. In response to the Court remand, NPPD has prepared the revised HCP as part of the new ITP application. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, we now announce the availability of the draft supplemental EIS (draft SEIS) associated with the revised HCP. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to add the Kings River pyrg (Pyrgulopsis imperialis) to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petition to list the Kings River pyrg presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this document, we announce that we are initiating a status review to determine whether the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we request scientific and commercial data and other information regarding Kings River pyrg and factors that may affect its status. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month petition finding, which will address whether or not the petitioned action is warranted, in accordance with the Act.