[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 208 (Monday, October 28, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 64192-64193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-25390]



[[Page 64192]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket Nos. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073 and FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056; 
FXES11130900000C2-134-FF09E32000]
RINs 1018-AY00 and 1018-AY46


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extending the 
Public Comment Periods and Rescheduling Public Hearings Pertaining to 
the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) and the Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rules; extension of public comment periods, and 
announcement of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently 
published two proposed rules. One rule proposes to list the Mexican 
wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) as an endangered subspecies and to delist 
the gray wolf elsewhere, and the other proposes to revise the 
Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf. On September 
5 and October 2, 2013, we announced public hearings on the proposed 
rules. The September 5 notices also extended the public comment period 
for the proposed rules to October 28, 2013. Following delays caused by 
the Federal Government lapse in appropriations, the Service is 
announcing rescheduled dates for the remainder of a series of public 
hearings on the proposed rules. To allow these hearings to take place 
within the public comment period on the proposed rules, we now extend 
the public comment period for the proposed rules to December 17, 2013. 
Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully 
considered in preparation of the final rules. We also announce the 
scheduling of a public information meeting and an additional public 
hearing in Pinetop, Arizona.

DATES: Written Comments: The public comment period on the proposal to 
list the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) as an endangered subspecies 
and to delist the gray wolf elsewhere and the proposal to revise the 
nonessential experimental population of the Mexican wolf are extended 
to December 17, 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 December 
17, 2013, to ensure that we receive them in time to give them full 
consideration.
    Public Information Meeting: We will hold a public information 
meeting on December 3, 2013, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., in Pinetop, AZ.
    Public Hearings: We will hold public hearings on the following 
dates:
     November 19, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in Denver, 
CO.
     November 20, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., in Albuquerque, 
NM.
     November 22, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in 
Sacramento, CA.
     December 3, 2013, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in Pinetop, 
AZ.

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 the corresponding docket number for the 
rulemaking. Submissions of electronic comments on our proposal to list 
the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) as an endangered subspecies and 
to delist the gray wolf elsewhere, which published in the Federal 
Register on June 13, 2013, should be submitted to Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-
2013-0073. Submissions of electronic comments on our Proposed Revision 
to the Nonessential Experimental Population of the Mexican Wolf, which 
also published in the Federal Register on June 13, 2013, should be 
submitted to Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056. 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.
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: [insert corresponding docket number]; 
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 Pinetop, Arizona public information meeting or the 
public hearings: Written comments will be accepted by Service personnel 
at the Pinetop, Arizona public information meeting or any of the 
scheduled public hearings.
    We will post all comments we receive 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 Information Meeting: We will hold the public information 
meeting at the Hon-Dah Conference Center, 777 Highway 260, Pinetop, AZ 
85935 (3 miles outside of Pinetop at the Junction of Hwy 260 and Hwy 
73); (928) 369-7625.
    Public Hearings: Public hearings will be held at the following 
locations:
     Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO 80202; 
(303) 405-1245.
     Embassy Suites, Sandia Room, 1000 Woodward Place NE., 
Albuquerque, NM 87102; (505) 245-7100.
     Marriot Courtyard Sacramento Cal Expo, Golden State 
Ballroom, 1782 Tribute Road, Sacramento, CA 95815; (916) 929-7900.
     Hon-Dah Conference Center, 777 Highway 260, Pinetop, AZ 
85935 (3 miles outside of Pinetop at the Junction of Hwy 260 and Hwy 
73); (928) 369-7625.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information concerning the 
proposal to list the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) as an 
endangered subspecies and to delist the gray wolf elsewhere, contact 
the Headquarters Office, Ecological Services; telephone (703) 358-2171; 
facsimile (703) 358-1735. Direct all questions or requests for 
additional information to: Gray Wolf Questions, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Headquarters Office, Ecological Services, 4401 North Fairfax 
Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203. Individuals who are hearing-
impaired or speech-impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-
800-877-8337 for TTY assistance.
    For information concerning the proposal to revise the nonessential 
experimental population of the Mexican wolf, contact the 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. Individuals who are hearing-
impaired or speech-impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-
800-877-8337 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Comments

    To allow rescheduled public hearings to take place within the 
public comment period, we are extending the public comment period to 
December 17, 2013, on our proposal to list the Mexican wolf (Canis 
lupus baileyi) as an endangered

[[Page 64193]]

subspecies and to delist the gray wolf elsewhere, and on our proposed 
revision to the nonessential experimental population of the Mexican 
wolf. These proposals published in the Federal Register on June 13, 
2013 (78 FR 35664 and 78 FR 35719). The proposals are available online 
at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073 and 
FWS-R2-ES-2013-0056 respectively and at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-13/pdf/2013-13982.pdf#page=2 and http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-13/pdf/2013-13977.pdf respectively.
    For the types of information for which we are seeking public 
comments, please see the Public Comments or Information Requested 
section of the June 13, 2013, proposed rules (78 FR 35664 and 78 FR 
35719).
    Please note that submissions merely stating support for or 
opposition to the actions under consideration without providing 
supporting information, although noted, will not be considered in 
making a determination. You may submit your comments and materials by 
one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you send 
comments only by the methods described in ADDRESSES. Verbal testimony 
may also be presented during the public hearings (see DATES and 
ADDRESSES sections).
    We will post your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--on http://www.regulations.gov. If you provide 
personal identifying information, such as your street address, phone 
number, or email address, 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.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as some of the 
supporting documentation we used in preparing the proposed rules, will 
be available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at the 
corresponding docket number (see ADDRESSES), or by appointment, during 
normal business hours at the corresponding office location (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    We intend that any final actions resulting from the proposed rules 
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 the proposed rules. We request that you make your comments 
as specific as 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.
    Our final determinations concerning the proposed actions will take 
into consideration all written comments we receive during all comment 
periods, comments from peer reviewers, and comments received during the 
public hearings. The comments will be included in the public record for 
the corresponding rulemaking, and we will fully consider them in the 
preparation of our final determination.
    If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed 
rules, please do not resubmit them. We will incorporate them into the 
corresponding public record as part of this comment period, and will 
fully consider them in the preparation of our final determination.

Public Hearings

    Following delays caused by the Federal Government lapse in 
appropriations, the Service is announcing rescheduled dates for the 
remainder of a series of public hearings on the proposed rules. We are 
also adding a public information meeting and an additional public 
hearing in Pinetop, AZ. In total, we are holding one public information 
meeting and four public hearings on the dates listed in the DATES 
section at the locations listed in the ADDRESSES section.
    The November 19, 2013, public hearing in Denver, CO, and the 
November 22, 2013, public hearing in Sacramento, CA, will address the 
June 13, 2013 (78 FR 35664), proposal to list the Mexican wolf as an 
endangered subspecies and to delist the gray wolf elsewhere. The 
November 20, 2013, public hearing in Albuquerque, NM and the December 
3, 2013, public hearing in Pinetop, AZ, will address both the June 13, 
2013 (78 FR 35664), proposal to list the Mexican wolf as an endangered 
subspecies and to delist the gray wolf elsewhere, as well as the June 
13, 2013 (78 FR 35719), proposed revision to the nonessential 
experimental population of the Mexican wolf. The December 3, 2013, 
public information meeting and public hearing in Pinetop, AZ, will 
focus on the June 13, 2013 (78 FR 35719), proposed revision to the 
nonessential experimental population of the Mexican wolf, but we will 
accept verbal testimony (formal, oral comments) or written comments 
regarding both of the June 13, 2013, proposals (78 FR 35664 and 78 FR 
35719).
    We are holding the public hearings to provide interested parties an 
opportunity to present verbal testimony (formal, oral comments) or 
written comments regarding the proposals. A public hearing is a forum 
for accepting formal verbal testimony. The public information meeting 
in Pinetop, Arizona will provide the opportunity for interaction with 
Service staff, who will be available to provide information and address 
questions on the proposed rule, however, verbal testimony will only be 
accepted at the public hearings. Anyone wishing to testify verbally at 
the public hearings for the record is encouraged to also provide a 
written copy of their statement to us at the hearings. In the event of 
a large attendance, the time allotted for verbal testimony may be 
limited. Speakers can sign up at the hearings if they desire to make a 
verbal 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 Denver, CO, or Sacramento, CA, public hearings 
should contact the Headquarters Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT). Persons with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations 
to participate in the Albuquerque, NM, or Pinetop, AZ, public hearings 
should contact the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program (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 Ecological Services 
staff of the Headquarters Office, 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: October 23, 2013.
 Daniel M. Ashe,
 Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-25390 Filed 10-25-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P