[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 126 (Thursday, July 1, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 38069-38070]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16068]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 16

[Docket No. FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015; 94140-1342-0000-N3]
RIN 1018-AV68


Injurious Wildlife Species; Listing the Boa Constrictor, Four 
Python Species, and Four Anaconda Species as Injurious Reptiles

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 rule to amend our 
regulations to add Indian python (Python molurus, including Burmese 
python Python molurus bivittatus), reticulated python (Broghammerus 
reticulatus or Python reticulatus), Northern African python (Python 
sebae), Southern African python (Python natalensis), boa constrictor 
(Boa constrictor), yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), DeSchauensee's 
anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei), green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), 
and Beni anaconda (Eunectes beniensis) to the list of injurious 
reptiles under the Lacey Act. 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 
August 2, 2010. Any comments that are received after the closing date 
may not be considered in the final decision on this action.

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-R9-FHC-2008-0015. 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-R9-FHC-2008-0015; 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).
    Information regarding this notice is available in alternative 
formats upon request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Supervisor, South Florida Ecological 
Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero 
Beach, FL 32960-3559; telephone 772-562-3909 ext. 256. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 12, 2010, we published a proposed 
rule (75 FR 11808) to list the Indian python (Python molurus, including 
Burmese python Python molurus bivittatus), reticulated python 
(Broghammerus reticulatus or Python reticulatus), Northern African 
python (Python sebae), Southern African python (Python natalensis), boa 
constrictor (Boa constrictor), yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), 
DeSchauensee's anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei), green anaconda 
(Eunectes murinus), and Beni anaconda (Eunectes beniensis) as injurious 
reptiles under the Lacey Act (18 U.S.C. 42). This proposed rule 
established a 60-day comment period, ending May 11, 2010, and announced 
the availability of the draft economic analysis and the draft 
environmental assessment of the proposed rule. At the request of the 
public, we are reopening the comment period for an additional 30 days.
    The proposed rule (75 FR 11808; March 12, 2010), draft economic 
analysis, draft environmental assessment, and U.S. Geological Survey's 
``Giant Constrictors: Biological and Management Profiles and an 
Establishment Risk Assessment for Nine Large Species of Pythons, 
Anacondas, and the Boa Constrictor'' (Reed and Rodda 2009), are 
available for review at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. 
FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015, or on the South Florida Ecological Services 
Office Web site at http://www.fws.gov/verobeach/index.cfm?method=activityhighlights&id=11, or at South Florida 
Ecological Services Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
section).

Public Comments

    We intend that any final action resulting from the proposed rule 
will be

[[Page 38070]]

based on the best data available to the Service and be as accurate and 
effective as possible. Therefore, we request comments or information 
from 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 seek comments, 
please refer to the March 12, 2010, proposed rule (75 FR 11808), 
available online at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R9-
FHC-2008-0015 or from the South Florida Ecological Services Office (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section).
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning our proposed 
rule, the draft economic analysis, and the draft environmental 
assessment 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 
submission[horbar]including any personal identifying 
information[horbar]will be posted on the Web site. 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[horbar]including your personal identifying 
information[horbar]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.
    We are seeking substantive data and comments from the public on all 
aspects of the proposed rule to list the nine species of large 
constrictor snakes as injurious wildlife, the associated draft economic 
analysis, and the associated draft environmental assessment. Such 
information includes, but is not limited to, the biology of the nine 
species, existing regulations that apply to the nine species, the 
economic effect on wholesale and retail sales, and any other 
information relevant to the proposed rule. Specific questions can be 
found in the proposed rule (75 FR 11808; March 12, 2010). We may revise 
the proposed rule or supporting documents to incorporate or address 
information we receive during this reopened public comment period.
    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 under Docket No. 
FWS-R9-FHC-2008-0015, or by appointment, during normal business hours 
at the South Florida Ecological Services Office (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section).
    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 Lacey Act (18 
U.S.C. 42).

    Dated: June 4, 2010.
Will Shafroth,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2010-16068 Filed 6-30-10; 8:45 am]
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