[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7627-7629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02817]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073; FXES11130900000C2-134-FF09E32000]
RIN 1018-AY00


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray 
Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
and Maintaining Protections for the Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) 
by Listing It as Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of availability and reopening of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
reopening of the public comment period on our June 13, 2013, proposal 
to remove the gray wolf (Canis lupus) from the List of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife but to maintain endangered status for the Mexican 
wolf by listing it as a subspecies (Canis lupus baileyi). We also 
announce the availability of the independent scientific peer review 
report on the proposal. We are reopening the comment period for 45 days 
to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment on our 
proposed rule in light of the peer review report on this proposal. The 
comment period is scheduled to close on March 27, 2014. Comments 
previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully 
considered in preparation of the final rule.

DATES: The public comment period on the proposal to remove the gray 
wolf (Canis lupus) from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
but to maintain endangered status for the Mexican wolf by listing it as 
a subspecies (Canis lupus baileyi) that was published on June 13, 2013 
(78 FR 35664), is reopened and will close on March 27, 2014. 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 March 27, 2014, to ensure that we 
receive them in time to give them full consideration.

ADDRESSES: Document availability: The June 13, 2013, proposal (78 FR 
35664) is available online at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket 
No. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073 and at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-06-13/pdf/2013-13982.pdf. The independent scientific peer review report on 
the proposal is available online at http://www.fws.gov/home/wolfrecovery and at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-HQ-
ES-2013-0073.
    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 Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073. 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

[[Page 7628]]

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: FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073; Division of Policy and 
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax 
Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
    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).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Service evaluated the classification status of gray wolves 
(Canis lupus) currently listed in the contiguous United States and 
Mexico under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Based on our evaluation, we published a proposed 
rule on June 13, 2013 (78 FR 35664), to remove the gray wolf from the 
List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife but to maintain endangered 
status for the Mexican wolf by listing it as a subspecies (C. l. 
baileyi). We proposed these actions because we determined that the best 
available scientific and commercial information indicates that the 
currently listed entity is not a valid species under the ESA and that 
the Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi) warrants listing as an endangered 
subspecies.
    Upon publication of the proposed rule (June 13, 2013, 78 FR 35664), 
the Service opened the public comment period on the proposal. On 
September 5 and October 2, 2013, we announced public hearings on the 
proposed rule (78 FR 54614 and 78 FR 60813). The September 5 notice 
also extended the public comment period for the proposed rule to 
October 28, 2013. Following delays caused by the Federal Government 
lapse in appropriations, the Service announced rescheduled dates for 
three of the public hearings, scheduled a fifth public hearing, and 
extended the public comment period for the proposed rule to December 
17, 2013 (78 FR 64192, October 28, 2013). The Service is now reopening 
the public comment period on the proposal in conjunction with the 
submission of the peer review report.
    In accordance with the Service's July 1, 1994 peer review policy 
(59 FR 34270) and the Office of Management and Budget's December 16, 
2004, Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review, the Service 
subjected this proposal to independent expert peer review. The purpose 
of seeking independent peer review is to ensure use of the best 
scientific and commercial information available and to ensure and 
maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of the 
information upon which the proposal is based, as well as to ensure that 
reviews by qualified experts are incorporated into the rulemaking 
process. The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis 
(NCEAS), a research center located at the University of California, 
Santa Barbara, sponsored this peer review. Additional information on 
the nature of the peer review can be found in the statement of work at: 
http://www.fws.gov/science/pdf/Gray_Wolf_Proposed_Delisting_SOW_Peer_Review_12-13-2013_Final.pdf.

Public Comments

    We will accept written comments and information during the reopened 
comment period on our proposal to remove the gray wolf (Canis lupus) 
from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife but to maintain 
endangered status for the Mexican wolf by listing it as a subspecies 
(Canis lupus baileyi). This proposal published in the Federal Register 
on June 13, 2013 (78 FR 35664).
    For the types of information for which we are seeking public 
comments, please see the Public Comments section of the June 13, 2013, 
proposed rule (78 FR 35664).
    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.
    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 rule, will 
be available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at 
Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2013-0073, or by appointment, during normal 
business hours at the office location listed under 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 the proposed rule. 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 determination concerning the proposed action 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 rulemaking, and we will fully consider them in the preparation of 
our final determination.
    If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed 
rule, 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.

[[Page 7629]]

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: January 31, 2014.
Daniel M. Ashe,
 Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-02817 Filed 2-7-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P