[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 27 (Wednesday, February 11, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6852-6853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2921]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[FWS-R1-ES-2008-0079; 92210-1117-0000]
RIN 1018-AW18


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Critical 
Habitat for the Marbled Murrelet

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
reopening of the public comment period for submitting comments on our 
July 31, 2008 proposed revised designation of critical habitat for the 
marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus marmoratus) under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The reopened comment 
period will provide all interested parties with an additional 
opportunity to submit written comments on the proposed rule. Comments 
previously submitted for the proposed revised critical habitat 
designation need not be resubmitted; they have already been 
incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in any 
final decisions.

DATES: We will accept comments from all interested parties until March 
13, 2009. Any comments received after the closing date may not be 
considered in the final decision on the revised designation of critical 
habitat.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2008-0079; Division of Policy and Directives 
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 
Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
    We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on 
http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section 
below for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Berg, Field Supervisor, Western 
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, 510 Desmond Drive, SE, Suite 102, 
Lacey, WA 98503-1273, telephone (360) 753-9440, facsimile (360) 753-
9008; Paul Henson, Field Supervisor, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 
2600 SE 98th Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97266, telephone (503) 
231-6179, facsimile (503) 231-6195; or Michael Long, Field Supervisor, 
Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521, 
telephone (707) 822-7201, facsimile (707) 822-8411. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Comments

    We intend that any final action resulting from the proposed rule 
will be as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, we request 
comments or suggestions on the proposed revised designation of critical 
habitat for the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus marmoratus).
    We particularly seek comments concerning:
    (1) The reasons why we should or should not revise currently 
designated critical habitat for the marbled murrelet by removing 
254,070 ac (102,820 ha) from the 1996 designation, based on new 
information that is the best available information indicating that 
these areas do not meet the definition of critical habitat;
    (2) Specific information on the amount and distribution of marbled 
murrelet habitat;
    (3) Any foreseeable economic, national security, or other potential 
impacts resulting from the proposed critical habitat revision, and in 
particular, any impacts on small entities;
    (4) Our proposal to revise 50 CFR 17.11 to adopt the taxonomic 
clarification for the marbled murrelet to reflect the change from 
Brachyramphus marmoratus marmoratus to Brachyramphus marmoratus; and
    (5) Whether we could improve or modify our approach to revising 
critical habitat in any way to provide for greater public participation 
and understanding, or to better accommodate public concerns and 
comments.
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed 
revised designation of critical habitat for the marbled murrelet by one 
of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section. We will not accept 
comments sent by e-mail or fax or to an address not listed in the 
ADDRESSES section.
    If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
comment--including any personal identifying information--will be posted 
on the Web site. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes 
personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your 
document that we withhold this information from public review. However, 
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will post all 
hardcopy submissions on http://www.regulations.gov.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing the proposed revised designation of 
critical habitat for the marbled murrelet, will be available for public 
inspection on http://www.regulations.gov, or by appointment, during 
normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western 
Washington Fish and

[[Page 6853]]

Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Background

    On May 24, 1996, we designated 3,887,800 acres (ac) (1,573,340 
hectares (ha)) as critical habitat for the marbled murrelet in 
Washington, Oregon, and California. On July 31, 2008, we published a 
proposed rule in the Federal Register (73 FR 44678) to revise critical 
habitat for the marbled murrelet. Under the proposed revised 
designation of critical habitat, we would remove approximately 254,070 
ac (102,820 ha) in northern California and Oregon from the 1996 
designation, based on new information indicating that these areas do 
not meet the definition of critical habitat. This action, if adopted in 
its entirety, would result in a revised designation of approximately 
3,633,800 ac (1,470,550 ha) as critical habitat for the marbled 
murrelet. In the proposed rule, we also proposed a taxonomic revision 
of the scientific name of the marbled murrelet from Brachyramphus 
marmoratus marmoratus to Brachyramphus marmoratus. We are reopening the 
comment period to accept peer review comments into the administrative 
record; however, all interested parties may submit comments and 
materials on the proposed revised designation of critical habitat for 
the marbled murrelet. Previously submitted comments for this proposed 
rule need not be resubmitted. Those comments have been incorporated 
into the public record and will be fully considered in our final 
determination.

Author

    The primary authors of this document are the staff members of the 
Division of Endangered Species, Pacific Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: February 4, 2009.
Jane Lyder,
Assistant Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior.
 [FR Doc. E9-2921 Filed 2-10-09; 8:45 am]
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