[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54613-54614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21665]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056; FXES11130900000C2-134-FF09E32000]
RIN 1018-AY46


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Revision 
to the Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of public comment period, and 
announcement of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently 
published a proposal to revise the existing nonessential experimental 
population designation of the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi), and 
we announced the opening of a 90-day public comment period on the 
proposed revised rule, ending September 11, 2013. We now extend the 
public comment period to October 28, 2013. Comments previously 
submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in 
preparation of the final rule. We also announce a public hearing on our 
proposed revised rule.

DATES: Written Comments: The public comment period on the proposal to 
revise the nonessential experimental population of the Mexican wolf is 
extended to October 28, 2013. Please note comments submitted 
electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES 
section, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the 
closing date. If you are submitting your comments by hard copy, please 
mail them by October 28, 2013, to ensure that we receive them in time 
to give them full consideration.
    Public Hearing: We will hold a public hearing on Friday, October 4, 
2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ADDRESSES: Written Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056, which is the 
docket number for this rulemaking. Please ensure you have found the 
correct document before submitting your comments. If your comments will 
fit in the provided comment box, please use this feature of http://www.regulations.gov, as it is most compatible with our comment review 
procedures. If you attach your comments as a separate document, our 
preferred file format is Microsoft Word. If you attach multiple 
comments (such as form letters), our preferred format is a spreadsheet 
in Microsoft Excel. Submissions of electronic comments on our proposal 
to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife (List) but to maintain endangered status for the Mexican wolf 
by listing it as a subspecies (Canis lupus baileyi), which also 
published in the Federal Register on June 13, 2013, should be submitted 
to Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073 using the method described above.
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056; Division of Policy and 
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N Fairfax 
Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
    (3) At the public hearing: Written comments will be accepted by 
Service personnel at the scheduled public hearing.
    We will post all comments received 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).
    Public Hearing: We will hold a public hearing on the proposed 
revision to the nonessential experimental population of the Mexican 
wolf at the Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Place NE., Albuquerque, NM 
87102; 505-245-7100. This public hearing will also cover our proposal 
to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife and maintain protections for the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus 
baileyi) by listing it as endangered (78 FR 35664).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Office, 2105 
Osuna Road NE., Albuquerque, NM 87133; telephone 505-761-4704; 
facsimile 505-346-2542. 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 are extending the comment period for 45 days on our proposed 
revision to the nonessential experimental population of the Mexican 
wolf that was published in the Federal Register on June 13, 2013 (78 FR 
35719). For the types of information we are seeking public comments on, 
please see Information Requested section of the June 13, 2013 (78 FR 
35719), proposed revision to the nonessential experimental population 
of the Mexican wolf. We will reopen the comment period on the proposed 
rule this winter in conjunction with a comment period on our draft 
environmental impact statement, Proposed Revision to the Nonessential 
Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) and 
the Implementation of a Management Plan (78 FR 47268, August 5, 2013). 
At that time, additional public information meetings and public 
hearings will be held in conjunction with the public comment period on 
both the proposed rule and the draft environmental impact statement.
    Please note that submissions merely stating support for or 
opposition to the action under consideration without providing 
supporting information, although noted, will not be considered in 
making a determination. You may submit your comments and materials 
concerning this proposed rule by one of the methods listed in the 
ADDRESSES section. We request that you send comments only by the 
methods described in the ADDRESSES section.
    If you submit information via http://www.regulations.gov, your 
entire submission--including any personal identifying information--will 
be posted on the Web site. If your submission is made via a hardcopy 
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 some of the 
supporting documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, will 
be available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at 
Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056, or by appointment, during normal 
business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico 
Ecological Services Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    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 other concerned governmental agencies, 
tribes, the scientific community, industry, or other interested parties 
concerning this proposed rule. We request that you make your comments 
as specific as

[[Page 54614]]

possible and explain the basis for them. In addition, please include 
sufficient information with your comments to allow us to authenticate 
any scientific or commercial data you reference or provide.
    If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed 
rule, please do not resubmit them. We will incorporate them into the 
public record as part of this comment period, and will fully consider 
them in the preparation of our final determination.

Public Hearing

    We are holding a public hearing on the date listed in the DATES 
section at the location listed in the ADDRESSES section. The public 
hearings on the June 13, 2013 (78 FR 35664), proposal to remove the 
gray wolf from the List and maintain protections for the Mexican wolf 
by listing it as endangered are announced elsewhere in today's Federal 
Register.
    The October 4, 2013, public hearing in Albuquerque, NM, will 
address both the June 13, 2013 (78 FR 35664) proposal to remove the 
gray wolf from the List and maintain protections for the Mexican wolf 
by listing it as endangered, as well as the June 13, 2013 (78 FR 
35719), proposed revision to the nonessential experimental population 
of the Mexican wolf.
    This public hearing will provide interested parties an opportunity 
to present verbal testimony (formal, oral comments) or written 
comments. A public hearing is not, however, an opportunity for dialogue 
with the Service or its contractors; it is a forum for accepting formal 
verbal testimony. Anyone wishing to make an oral statement at the 
public hearing for the record is encouraged to provide a written copy 
of their statement to us at the hearing. In the event there is a large 
attendance, the time allotted for oral statements may be limited. 
Speakers can sign up at the hearing if they desire to make an oral 
statement. Oral and written statements receive equal consideration. 
There are no limits on the length of written comments submitted to us.
    Persons with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations to 
participate in the public hearing should contact the Mexican Wolf 
Recovery Program, New Mexico Ecological Services Office (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Reasonable accommodation requests should 
be received at least 3 business days prior to the hearing to help 
ensure availability; at least 2 weeks prior notice is requested for 
American sign language or English as a second language interpreter 
needs.

Authors

    The primary authors of this notice are the staff of the Mexican 
Wolf Recovery Program, 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: August 30, 2013.
Michael Bean,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and 
Parks.
[FR Doc. 2013-21665 Filed 9-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P