[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 23, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13715-13716]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6401]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2009-0085; MO 92210-0-0009]
RIN 1018-AW88


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised 
Designation of Critical Habitat for Bull Trout in the Coterminous 
United States

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
reopening of the comment period on the proposed revision of critical 
habitat for the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus)

[[Page 13716]]

under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. In total, 
approximately 36,498 kilometers (km) (22,679 miles (mi)) of streams 
(which includes 1,585.7 km (985.30 mi) of marine shoreline area in the 
Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound), and 215,870 hectares (ha) (533,426 
acres (ac)) of reservoirs or lakes are being proposed for the revised 
critical habitat designation. If you have previously submitted 
comments, please do not resubmit them because we have already 
incorporated them in the public record and will fully consider them in 
our final decision.

DATES: We will consider comments received or postmarked on or before 
April 5, 2010. Please note that if you are using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES section, below) the deadline for 
submitting an electronic comment is 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, 
on April 5.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In 
the box that reads ``Enter Keyword or ID,'' enter the docket number for 
the proposed rule, which is FWS-R1-ES-2009-0085. Check the box that 
reads ``Open for Comment/Submission,'' and then click the Search 
button. You should then see an icon that reads ``Submit a Comment.'' 
Please ensure that you have found the correct rulemaking before 
submitting your comment.
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2009-0085; Division of Policy and Directives 
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 
Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
    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).
    Information regarding this notice is available in alternative 
formats upon request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Burton, Acting Field Supervisor, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, 1387 
South Vinnell Way, Boise, ID 83702; telephone 208-378-5243; facsimile 
208-378-5262. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-
8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 14, 2010, we published our 
proposed revised designation of critical habitat for bull trout in the 
coterminous United States (75 FR 2269). This proposed rule established 
a 60-day comment period and announced the availability of the draft 
economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed revised critical habitat 
designation. At the request of the public, we are reopening the comment 
period until April 5, 2010.
    All details of the proposed revised critical habitat designation 
are provided in our January 14, 2010, proposed rule, available online 
at http://www.regulations.gov, or by contacting the Idaho Fish and 
Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Copies of the 
previous proposed and final bull trout critical habitat rules and a map 
showing the relationship of the 2005 critical habitat designation and 
the current proposed revised designation are available on the Idaho 
Fish and Wildlife Office Web site at http://www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout. The draft economic analysis is available for review at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or at http://www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout, 
or by contacting the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT). For further information on bull trout biology and 
habitat, population abundance and trends, distribution, demographic 
features, habitat use and conditions, threats, and conservation 
measures, please see the Bull Trout 5-year Review Summary and 
Evaluation, completed April 25, 2008. This document is available on the 
Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office Web site at http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/five_year_review/doc1907.pdf.
    We are seeking data and comments from the public on all aspects of 
the proposed rule to revise the critical habitat designation for bull 
trout in the coterminous United States and the associated draft 
economic analysis. We may revise the proposed rule or supporting 
documents to incorporate or address information we receive during this 
reopened public comment period.

Public Comments

    We intend that any final action resulting from the proposed rule 
will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available and 
be as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, we request 
comments or information from the public, other concerned government 
agencies, the scientific community, industry, or other interested 
parties concerning the proposed rule. We will consider information and 
recommendations from all interested parties. For the complete list of 
subjects on which we seeks comments, please refer to the January 14, 
2010, proposed rule, available online at http://www.regulations.gov, or 
from the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT).
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning our proposed 
rule and the associated DEA by one of the methods listed in the 
ADDRESSES section.
    If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
submission--including any personal identifying information--will be 
posted on the website. Before including your address, phone number, e-
mail address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so. We will post all hardcopy submissions on http://www.regulations.gov. Please include sufficient information with your 
comments to allow us to verify any scientific or commercial information 
you include.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, 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, 
Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    In preparing the final rule, we will consider all comments and any 
additional information that we receive during this reopened comment 
period on the proposed rule. Accordingly, the final decision may differ 
from the proposal.

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

    Dated: March 17, 2010.
Thomas L. Strickland,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2010-6401 Filed 3-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P