[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46392-46394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-18822]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 226

RIN 0648-XD415


Endangered and Threatened Species; Designation of Critical 
Habitat for Steller Sea Lions; Public Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for presentations.

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SUMMARY: NMFS will host a meeting to elicit scientific information 
related to the designation of Steller sea lion critical habitat under 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NMFS is considering revisions to the 
critical habitat designation to take into account new information that 
has become available since NMFS designated critical habitat in 1993. 
This meeting will provide an opportunity for NMFS to receive 
presentations from the public concerning new and relevant scientific

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information. NMFS requests that parties interested in presenting 
information pertaining to the identification of areas as critical 
habitat for the Western Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Steller 
sea lion submit a statement of interest, including an abstract of the 
information to be presented.

DATES: The meeting will be held September 22, 2014, from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 
p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Statements of interest and abstracts must 
be received by 5:00 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on August 29, 2014 to be 
considered for presentation during the meeting.

ADDRESSES: You may submit statements of interest in making a 
presentation and abstracts, identified by NOAA-NMFS-2014-0096, by 
either of the following methods:
    Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic statements of 
interest in making a presentation and abstracts via the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal. Go to www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-
NMFS-2014-0096, click the ``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required 
fields, and enter or attach your statement of interest in making a 
presentation and your abstract.
    Mail: Submit written statements of interest in making a 
presentation and abstracts to Jon Kurland, Assistant Regional 
Administrator for Protected Resources, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: Ellen 
Sebastian, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668. Statements of 
interest in making a presentation and abstracts sent by any other 
method, to any other address or individual, or received after the end 
of the submission period, may not be considered by NMFS. All materials 
received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted 
for public viewing on www.regulations.gov.
    The meeting will be held at NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 
7600 Sand Point Way NE., Building 4, Seattle, WA 98115, in the Jim 
Traynor Conference Room. Information about designation of critical 
habitat under the ESA is available at: http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/criticalhabitat.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Lisa Rotterman, 907-271-1692.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Steller sea lion was originally listed as a threatened species 
under the ESA by an emergency interim rule on April 5, 1990 (55 FR 
12645). NMFS published a final rule to list the Steller sea lion as a 
threatened species under the ESA on November 26, 1990 (55 FR 49204). 
NMFS designated critical habitat for the Steller sea lion on August 27, 
1993 (58 FR 45269). On May 5, 1997 (62 FR 24345), based on demographic 
and genetic dissimilarities, NMFS identified two DPSs of Steller sea 
lions under the ESA: a western DPS and an eastern DPS. Due to 
persistent decline, the western DPS was reclassified as endangered, 
while the eastern DPS remained classified as threatened. On November 4, 
2013, NMFS published a final rule to delist the eastern DPS (78 FR 
66140). In that final rule, NMFS stated that ``NMFS will undertake a 
separate rulemaking to consider amendment to the existing critical 
habitat designation that takes into account any new and pertinent 
sources of information since the 1993 designation, including amending 
the critical habitat designation as appropriate to reflect the 
delisting of the eastern DPS.'' NMFS has begun a review of Steller sea 
lion critical habitat to determine if revision of the existing critical 
habitat is warranted.
    Section 3 of the ESA defines critical habitat as ``(i) the specific 
areas within the geographical area occupied by the species, at the time 
it is listed [under Section 4], on which are found those physical or 
biological features (I) essential to the conservation of the species 
and (II) which may require special management considerations or 
protection; and (ii) specific areas outside the geographical area 
occupied by the species at the time it is listed, upon a determination 
by the Secretary that such areas are essential for the conservation of 
the species.''
    Section 4 of the ESA requires the designation of critical habitat 
for threatened and endangered species and provides for the revision of 
critical habitat based on the best scientific data available after 
taking into consideration the economic impact, the impact on national 
security, and any other relevant impact of specifying any particular 
area as critical habitat. Critical habitat may only be designated in 
areas under U.S. jurisdiction (50 CFR 424.12(h)).

Public Science Meeting

    NMFS will hold a public meeting to elicit external scientific 
information that is relevant to NMFS's review of Steller sea lion 
critical habitat. The existing critical habitat designation for Steller 
sea lions was developed for the species throughout its range in the 
U.S. (58 FR 45269; August 27, 1993), encompassing what NMFS 
subsequently identified as two DPSs (62 FR 24345; May 5, 1997). Given 
the recent delisting of the eastern DPS, any revisions to critical 
habitat should be based upon the physical or biological features 
essential to the conservation of the endangered western DPS.
    NMFS requests that parties interested in presenting information 
relevant to the identification of areas as critical habitat for the 
western DPS of Steller sea lion submit a statement of interest with a 
brief (one page or less) abstract of the type of information to be 
presented. Presentations must address scientific information that is 
germane to the identification of areas that meet the ESA's definition 
of critical habitat. Persons or groups proposing to present information 
that is not relevant to this topic will not be invited to make 
presentations.
    Due to the limited time available for presentations, NMFS 
encourages individuals or groups that may have similar or related 
scientific information, or similar interpretations of the best 
available scientific information, to coordinate their proposed 
presentations into subject specific panels to present the information 
effectively and minimize redundancy. For example, a panel could be 
comprised of a team of scientists who have worked together in 
collaborative studies that address relevant questions, several fishing 
industry representatives, or several representatives of non-
governmental organizations, with each participant addressing a 
different facet of the relevant scientific information.
    NMFS will review the statements of interest, abstracts, and 
proposed panels that are submitted and will schedule the presentations 
so as to focus on the scientific information most relevant to the 
criteria for identifying critical habitat. The amount of time available 
per presenter or panel will depend on the number of persons and groups 
wishing to make presentations. NMFS will contact the proposed 
presenters in advance of the meeting to specify the amount of time 
available and the approximate schedule. During the meeting, presenters 
may provide additional written information to NMFS for consideration.
    More information on the basis for NMFS's determination of critical 
habitat is available on the NMFS Web site (see ADDRESSES).

Arrangements for Foreign Nationals

    Individuals wishing to attend the meeting who are not citizens of 
the United States must make prior arrangements to be permitted entrance 
to the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (see ADDRESSES). Requests for 
such arrangements should be directed to Jennifer Ferdinand by email at

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[email protected] by September 8, 2014.

Special Accommodations

    The meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Jennifer Ferdinand, (206) 526-4076, at least 5 
working days prior to the meeting date.

    Dated: August 1, 2014.
Donna S. Wieting,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-18822 Filed 8-7-14; 8:45 am]
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