[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 21312-21313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09857]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097; FXES11130900000C2-189-FF09E32000]
RIN 1018-BD60


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray 
Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), recently 
published a proposal to remove the gray wolf from the List of 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, and we announced the opening of a 
60-day public comment period on the proposed action, ending May 14, 
2019. We now extend the public comment period 60 days to allow all 
interested parties additional time to comment on the proposed rule. 
Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully 
considered in preparation of the final rule. In addition, we will 
provide public-hearing information through the Federal Register in the 
near future.

DATES: The public comment period on the proposed rule that published 
March 15, 2019 at 84 FR 9648, is extended to July 15, 2019.
    Written Comments: Please note that 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 and comments submitted by U.S. mail must be postmarked by 
that date to ensure consideration.

ADDRESSES: 
    Availability of Documents: You may obtain copies of the March 15, 
2019, proposed rule and associated documents on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097.
    Written Comments: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097, which is the 
docket number for this rulemaking. 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: Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097; U.S. Fish & 
Wildlife Service Headquarters, 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 substantive comments we receive on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see Public Comments below for more 
information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Don Morgan, Chief, Branch of Delisting 
and Foreign Species, Ecological Services; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Headquarters Office, MS: ES, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, 
VA 22041-3803. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the List of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife (List) in title 50 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (50 CFR 17.11(h)) currently includes the gray wolf (Canis 
lupus). On March 15, 2019, the Service proposed to remove gray wolves 
in the lower 48 United States and Mexico from the List and opened a 60-
day public comment period on the proposed action (84 FR 9648). The 
Service now extends the comment period as specified above in DATES.

Public Comments

    We will accept comments and information during this extended 
comment period on our proposal to remove the gray wolf (Canis lupus) 
from the List. We will consider information and recommendations from 
all interested parties. We intend that any final action resulting from 
this proposal will be based on the best scientific and commercial data 
available and will be as accurate and as effective as possible. Our 
final determination will take into consideration all comments and any 
additional information we receive during the comment period. Therefore, 
the final decision may differ from the March 15, 2019, proposed rule, 
based on our review of all information received during this rulemaking.
    If you already submitted comments or information on the March 15, 
2019, proposed rule, please do not resubmit them. Any such comments are 
incorporated as part of the public record of this rulemaking 
proceeding, and we will fully consider them in the preparation of our 
final determination.
    Our March 15, 2019, proposal replaces our June 13, 2013, proposal 
to remove gray wolves in the lower 48 United States and Mexico from the 
List (78 FR 35663). Therefore, we ask any persons or entities who 
submitted comments on the June 13, 2013, proposal that are relevant to 
the status of wolves currently listed in the contiguous United States 
and Mexico as analyzed in the March 15, 2019, proposal to resubmit 
their comments at this time. Comments must be submitted during the 
comment period for the March 15, 2019, proposed rule to be considered.

[[Page 21313]]

    Comments should be as specific as possible. Please include 
sufficient information with your submission (such as scientific journal 
articles or other publications) to allow us to verify any scientific or 
commercial information you assert. Please note that submissions merely 
stating support for, or opposition to, the action under consideration 
without providing supporting information, although noted, will not meet 
the standard of best available scientific and commercial data. Section 
4(b)(1)(A) of the Act directs that determinations as to whether any 
species is threatened or endangered must be made ``solely on the basis 
of the best scientific and commercial data available.''
    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. You may also provide your comments 
through verbal testimony during the public hearing, details of which 
will be announced in an upcoming Federal Register document.
    If you submit information via http://www.regulations.gov, your 
entire submission--including your personal identifying information--
will be posted on the website. 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.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing this proposed rule, will be 
available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at Docket 
No. FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097, or by appointment, during normal business 
hours at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).
    Our final determination concerning the proposed action will take 
into consideration all written comments we receive during the open 
comment periods, comments received during the public hearing, and 
comments from peer reviewers. These comments will be included in the 
public record for this rulemaking, and we will fully consider them in 
the preparation of our final determination.

Public Hearing

    We will hold one or more public hearings during the open comment 
period. We will provide information on the location, dates, and times 
of any hearings through publication in the Federal Register in the near 
future.

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: May 7, 2019.
Margaret E. Everson,
Principal Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority of the Director for 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-09857 Filed 5-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P