Fish and Wildlife Service 2014 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are finalizing two actions with this rule: We are designating revised critical habitat for the contiguous United States distinct population segment of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and we are revising the boundary of the Canada lynx distinct population segment. These revisions fulfill our obligations under two settlement agreements and address issues raised by two courts regarding our previous critical habitat designation. This rule revises critical habitat for the lynx and extends the Endangered Species Act's protections to the species wherever it occurs in the contiguous United States, including New Mexico. The effect of this regulation is to conserve the Canada lynx and its habitats in the contiguous United States under the Endangered Species Act.

The final rule to list the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse as endangered throughout its range in New Mexico published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2014. Without authorized personnel to survey for this species, valuable information on population numbers for this elusive species would be lost for the 2014 field season. Under an Endangered Species Act permit, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have authorized qualified researchers to survey for New Mexico meadow jumping mouse during its survey season of July and August 2014.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the environmental assessment (EA) for Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which is authorized within the 20 counties that lie along the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis, Missouri. In this final CCP, we describe how we intend to manage the refuge for the next 15 years.

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), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for Agave eggersiana (no common name) and Gonocalyx concolor (no common name), and threatened species status for Varronia rupicola (no common name). These three plants are endemic to the Caribbean. The effect of this regulation will be to add these species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has submitted applications to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) (together, the Services) for incidental take permits (permits) for a term of 50 years, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The permit applications address incidental take of listed species caused by WDNR authorizations of shellfish aquaculture, log booming and storage, and overwater structures undertaken by individuals, businesses, and governmental agencies on 2.6 million acres of State-owned aquatic lands, including marine and freshwater tidelands, shorelands, and bedlands of the State of Washington. The proposed permits would authorize take, incidental to otherwise lawful activities, of 29 species of fish and wildlife, including federally listed threatened and endangered species. As required by the ESA, WNDR has prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) designed to minimize and mitigate the impacts to the maximum extent practicable, that will likely result from such taking. A draft implementing agreement (IA) for the HCP has also been prepared. The Services have jointly prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in accordance with requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The DEIS evaluates the impacts of, and alternatives to, the proposed HCP and issuance of the permits. We are announcing public meetings and requesting public comment on the DEIS, proposed HCP, and the IA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for Brickellia mosieri (Florida brickell-bush) and Linum carteri var. carteri (Carter's small-flowered flax), two plants from Miami-Dade County, Florida. The effect of this regulation will be to add these plants to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the Revised Draft Recovery Plan for the Coterminous United States Population of Bull Trout under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The revised draft recovery plan includes specific goals, objectives, and criteria that should be met to remove the species from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. We request review and comment on this revised draft recovery plan from Federal, State and local agencies, Native American Tribes, and the public.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we are extending the public review and comment period for the draft environmental assessment for a draft annual funding agreement at the National Bison Range Complex.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we are reopening the public review and comment period for the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

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 Federal authorization is acquired that allows such activities.

This rule prescribes the hunting seasons, hours, areas, and daily bag and possession limits of mourning, white-winged, and white- tipped doves; band-tailed pigeons; rails; moorhens and gallinules; woodcock; common snipe; sandhill cranes; sea ducks; early (September) waterfowl seasons; migratory game birds in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; youth waterfowl day; and some extended falconry seasons. Taking of migratory birds is prohibited unless specifically provided for by annual regulations. This rule permits taking of designated species during the 2014-15 season.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Oktibbeha, Winston, and Noxubee Counties, Mississippi, for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/EA, we describe the alternative we propose to use to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 10, 2014, that designated specific areas in the terrestrial environment of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts as critical habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean distinct population segment of the loggerhead sea turtle under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. On July 23, 2014, we published another final rule that set forth additions, removal, updates, and corrections to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife for marine and anadromous taxa, including the loggerhead sea turtle. Neither the July 10, 2014, final rule nor the July 23, 2014, final rule presented a complete and accurate entry for the loggerhead sea turtle in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; the complete and accurate entry is a combination of the two, as well as an additional citation. With this document, we correct the entry for the loggerhead sea turtle in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered or threatened species. With some exceptions, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), prohibits activities with endangered and threatened species unless a Federal permit allows such activity. The Act requires that we invite public comment before issuing these permits.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (Council). The Council provides advice about wildlife and habitat conservation endeavors that benefit wildlife resources; encourage partnership among the public, the sporting conservation organizations, the States, Native American tribes, and the Federal Government; and benefit recreational hunting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for Diplacus vandenbergensis (Vandenberg monkeyflower), a plant species from Santa Barbara County, California. The effect of this regulation will be to add this species to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for Physaria globosa (Short's bladderpod), Helianthus verticillatus (whorled sunflower), and Leavenworthia crassa (fleshy- fruit gladecress) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 1,006 hectares (ha) (2,488 acres (ac)) in Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designations.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received two applications for transfer of permits associated with two habitat conservation plans issued under the Endangered Species Act (Act). The new landowners have agreed to assume the responsibilities of, and to be bound by, the terms and conditions of the original permits. We intend to transfer these permits as long as the applicants meet issuance criteria under the Act and all other requirements for holding a permit.

On July 30, 2014, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announced the availability for public review and comment of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (draft CCP/EA) for Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi. However, edits had not yet been completed on the draft CCP/EA, and the document is not yet ready for public review. We will publish a second Federal Register notice when the draft CCP/EA is ready for review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published a final rule in the Federal Register on August 12, 2014, that determined endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for the Florida leafwing (Anaea troglodyta floridalis) and Bartram's scrub-hairstreak (Strymon acis bartrami), two butterflies endemic to South Florida. In that rule, we made an error in our amendatory language. With this document, we correct our error.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act regarding an application to amend the Endangered Species Act permit issued for the Multiple Species Conservation Program County of San Diego Subarea Plan (Subarea Plan). The EIS will evaluate the impacts of several alternatives related to the proposed issuance of an amended incidental take permit to the County of San Diego (applicant) for the quarry and landfill project in San Diego County, California. We request data, comments, new information, or suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the scientific community, Tribes, industry, or any other interested party.

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), propose to designate critical habitat for the western distinct population segment of the yellow-billed cuckoo (western yellow-billed cuckoo) (Coccyzus americanus) under the Endangered Species Act. In total, approximately 546,335 acres (221,094 hectares) are being proposed for designation as critical habitat in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The effect of this regulation, if finalized, is to designate critical habitat for the western yellow- billed cuckoo under the Endangered Species Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG). The TAMWG is a Federal advisory committee that affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council (TMC). The TMC interprets and recommends policy, coordinates and reviews management actions, and provides organizational budget oversight.