[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 167 (Thursday, August 28, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 51264-51266]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20463]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2012-0103; 4500030114]
RIN 1018-AY71


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of 
Critical Habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Distinct Population 
Segment of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle; Correction

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule; technical amendment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published a final rule 
in the Federal Register on July 10, 2014, that designated specific 
areas in the terrestrial environment of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of 
Mexico coasts as critical habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean 
distinct population segment of the loggerhead sea turtle under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. On July 23, 2014, we 
published another final rule that set forth additions, removal, 
updates, and corrections to the List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife for marine and anadromous taxa, including the loggerhead sea 
turtle. Neither the July 10, 2014, final rule nor the July 23, 2014, 
final rule presented a complete and accurate entry for the loggerhead 
sea turtle in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; the 
complete and accurate entry is a combination of the

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two, as well as an additional citation. With this document, we correct 
the entry for the loggerhead sea turtle in the List of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife.

DATES: Effective August 28, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anissa Craghead, (703) 358-2445.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
share authority with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to 
protect certain marine and anadromous species, including sea turtles. 
Endangered and threatened animal species are listed in the Code of 
Federal Regulations in title 50 at part 17 (50 CFR 17.11(h)) in the 
List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List).
    We published a final rule in the Federal Register on July 10, 2014 
(79 FR 39756), that designated specific areas in the terrestrial 
environment of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts as critical 
habitat for the Northwest Atlantic Ocean distinct population segment 
(DPS) of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). That final rule 
became effective on August 11, 2014.
    On July 23, 2014, we published a final rule (79 FR 42687) that set 
forth additions, removal, updates, and corrections to the List for 
marine and anadromous taxa, including the loggerhead sea turtle, based 
on rules previously issued by NMFS. That rule was effective upon 
publication on July 23, 2014.
    The July 10 and July 23 rules were developed simultaneously for 
different purposes, and both rules amended the entry on the List for 
the Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS of the loggerhead sea turtle for 
different reasons.
    The entry in the List for the Northwest Atlantic DPS of the 
loggerhead sea turtle in the July 10, 2014, final rule did not 
incorporate the uniform language adopted in the July 23, 2014, final 
rule for all DPSs of loggerhead sea turtle for the following columns: 
(1) Common name, and (2) Vertebrate population where endangered or 
threatened. The July 10, 2014, final rule also did not list the 
applicable citations for NMFS protective regulations in the ``Special 
rules'' column of the List for the DPS. Lastly, it did not cite NMFS' 
designation of critical habitat in the marine environment for the DPS.
    The entry in the List for the Northwest Atlantic DPS of loggerhead 
sea turtle in the July 23, 2014, final rule to adopt the NMFS changes 
did not incorporate the applicable citations in the ``Critical 
habitat'' column for the DPS.
    We regret the errors presented in the differing List entries for 
this species and any confusion they have caused. In order to set forth 
a complete and accurate entry in the List for the Northwest Atlantic 
DPS of the loggerhead sea turtle, we are publishing this correction. In 
this document, we are also correcting the heading (title) of our 
(terrestrial environment) critical habitat entry for the Northwest 
Atlantic DPS of the loggerhead sea turtle so that it includes ``DPS'' 
in order to match the information in the DPS's entry in the List. This 
document does not increase, decrease, or otherwise revise in any way 
the threatened species status or critical habitat designation for the 
Northwest Atlantic DPS of the loggerhead sea turtle.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

Regulation Promulgation

    Accordingly, we amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 
of the Code of Federal Regulations, as follows:

PART 17--[AMENDED]

0
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 
4201-4245, unless otherwise noted.


0
2. Amend Sec.  17.11(h) by revising the entry for ``Sea turtle, 
loggerhead, Northwest Atlantic Ocean'' in the List of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife under REPTILES to read as follows:


Sec.  17.11  Endangered and threatened wildlife.

* * * * *
    (h) * * *

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                      Species                                                Vertebrate
----------------------------------------------------                      population where                                   Critical
                                                      Historical range     endangered or       Status       When listed       habitat      Special rules
          Common name              Scientific name                           threatened
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                                                                      * * * * * * *
REPTILES
 
                                                                      * * * * * * *
Sea turtle, loggerhead           Caretta caretta...  Northwest Atlantic  Loggerhead sea     T...........             794       17.95(c),        223.205,
 (Northwest Atlantic Ocean DPS).                      Ocean Basin.        turtles                                                226.223        223.206,
                                                                          originating from                                                       223.207
                                                                          the Northwest
                                                                          Atlantic Ocean
                                                                          north of the
                                                                          equator, south
                                                                          of 60[deg] N.
                                                                          Lat., and west
                                                                          of 40[deg] W.
                                                                          Long..
 
                                                                      * * * * * * *
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* * * * *


Sec.  17.95  [Amended]

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3. Amend Sec.  17.95(c), in the heading of the entry for ``Loggerhead 
Sea Turtle, Northwest Atlantic Ocean (Caretta caretta),'' by adding the 
word ``DPS''

[[Page 51266]]

immediately following the word ``Ocean''.

    Dated: August 22, 2014.
Tina A. Campbell,
Chief, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-20463 Filed 8-27-14; 8:45 am]
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