[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 15545-15547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-06640]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2012-0097: FXES11130900000C2-156-FF09E32000]
RIN 1018-AZ74


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Rule To 
Amend the Listing of the Southern Selkirk Mountains Population of 
Woodland Caribou

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; 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 May 8, 2014, proposed 
rule to amend the listing of the southern Selkirk Mountains population 
of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) to the Southern 
Mountain caribou distinct population segment (DPS). The southern 
Selkirk Mountains population of woodland caribou is currently listed as 
endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 
On May 8, 2014, we proposed to list the Southern Mountain caribou DPS 
as threatened under the Act. This reopening of comment period will 
provide all interested parties with an opportunity to review additional 
scientific information and provide comment on the status of the 
Southern Mountain caribou DPS. Information

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previously submitted need not be resubmitted as it has already been 
incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the 
final listing determination.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published May 8, 2014, 
at 79 FR 26504, is reopened. We will consider comments received or 
postmarked on or before April 23, 2015. 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. Any comments that we receive after the closing date may 
not be considered in the final decision on this action.

ADDRESSES: Document availability: You may obtain a copy of the proposed 
rule and associated documents on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2012-0097, or by contacting 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Comment submission: You may submit written information by one of 
the following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R1-ES-2012-0097, 
which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, click the Search 
button. In the Search panel on the left side of the screen, under the 
Document Type heading, click on the box next to ``Proposed Rule'' to 
locate this document. You may submit a comment by clicking on ``Comment 
Now!'' Please ensure that you have found the correct rulemaking before 
submitting your comment.
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2012-0097; Division of Policy and 
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC; 5275 
Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    We request that you send comments only by the methods described 
above. 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 Information Requested 
section, below, for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Carrier, State Supervisor, 
Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Room 368, Boise, 
ID (telephone 208-378-5243; facsimile 208-378-5262). If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal 
Information Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On May 8, 2014, we published in the Federal Register (79 FR 26504) 
a document consisting of: (1) A 12-month finding on a petition to 
delist the southern Selkirk Mountains population of woodland caribou 
(Rangifer tarandus caribou); (2) a proposed rule to amend the current 
listing of this population by defining the Southern Mountain caribou 
DPS, which includes the currently listed southern Selkirk Mountains 
population of woodland caribou, and to list that DPS as threatened 
under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and (3) a determination that 
the approximately 30,010 acres (12,145 hectares) designated as critical 
habitat on November 28, 2012 (77 FR 71042), for the southern Selkirk 
Mountains population of woodland caribou is applicable to the U.S. 
portion of the proposed Southern Mountain Caribou DPS. The May 8, 2014, 
proposed rule had a 60-day public comment period, ending July 7, 2014. 
On June 10, 2014, we extended the public comment period an additional 
30 days, ending on August 6, 2014, and we announced the scheduling of 
two public informational sessions and hearings, which were held on June 
25, 2014, in Sandpoint, Idaho, and on June 26, 2014, in Bonners Ferry, 
Idaho (79 FR 33169).
    Subsequent to the closing of the public comment period on August 6, 
2014, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada 
(COSEWIC) finalized their assessment of the biological status of the 
Southern Mountain caribou population, changing it from threatened to 
endangered. In August 2014, COSEWIC, in accordance with Canada's 
federal Species At Risk Act (SARA), submitted their assessment of 
endangered biological status to the Canadian federal Environment 
Minister for consideration of changing the legal status of the Southern 
Mountain caribou in Canada under SARA to endangered. The recommended 
change in the legal status under SARA is pending review and decision by 
the federal Environment Minister. Although we were aware that COSEWIC's 
assessment was underway and we received some of the preliminary 
information contained in their assessment, we were not able to 
incorporate the information into our proposed rule (79 FR 26504, May 8, 
2014), because the assessment was not yet finalized by COSEWIC. The 
assessment is now available from COSEWIC for public review (http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=2575) and is also available for public 
inspection at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2012-
0097. The 2014 COSEWIC assessment provides an updated synthesis and 
review of existing data and information about the species in Canada 
since the previous assessment by COSEWIC in 2002. The updated 
assessment includes an analysis of population size and trend and 
current threats to the population. Additionally, the assessment 
considered two population viability analyses, which are also available 
for public inspection at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-
R1-ES-2012-0097. This assessment, along with the population viability 
analyses, will be important sources of information for our status 
review and final listing determination for the Southern Mountain 
caribou DPS.
    Additionally, peer review of the proposed amended listing was 
conducted, and the report is available at http://www.regulations.gov at 
Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2012-0097.

Information Requested

    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 complete as possible. Therefore, we are again 
seeking written comments and information from other concerned Federal 
and State agencies, the scientific community, or any other interested 
party during this reopened comment period on our proposed rule that 
published in the Federal Register on May 8, 2014 (79 FR 26504). We are 
particularly interested in comments and information regarding the 
current status and population trends of the local populations that 
comprise the proposed Southern Mountain caribou DPS. This information 
will be used to determine the status of the DPS as either not warranted 
for listing, threatened, or endangered.
    If you submitted comments or information on the proposed rule (79 
FR 26504) during the initial comment period from May 8, 2014, to July 
6, 2014, or the extended comment period (79 FR 33169) from July 7, 
2014, to August 6, 2014, please do not resubmit them. We have 
incorporated them into the public record as part of the original 
comment period, and we will fully consider them in our final 
determination.
    Please note that submissions merely stating support for or 
opposition to the action under consideration without

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providing supporting information, although noted, will not be 
considered in making a determination, as section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act 
directs that determinations as to whether any species is an endangered 
or threatened species must be made ``solely on the basis of the best 
scientific and commercial data available.''
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed 
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you 
send comments only by the methods described in ADDRESSES. 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. Please include 
sufficient information with your comments to allow us to verify any 
scientific or commercial information you include.
    If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire 
comment--including any personal identifying information--will be posted 
on the Web site. We will post all hardcopy comments on http://www.regulations.gov as well. If you submit a hardcopy comment 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.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, will be available 
for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-
R1-ES-2012-0097, or by appointment, during normal business hours, at 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: March 11, 2015.
Robert Dreher,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-06640 Filed 3-23-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P