[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 109 (Thursday, June 6, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26393-26394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-11908]
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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; announcement of a public open house and public
hearing.
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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 then extended the comment period by 60 days, ending July, 15,
2019, to allow all interested parties additional time to comment on the
proposed rule. We now announce a public information open house and
public hearing on our proposed rule. We also notify the public of the
availability of the final peer review report containing the individual
peer reviews
[[Page 26394]]
of our proposal and information on the peer review process.
DATES: Public information open house and public hearing: We will hold a
public open house followed by a public hearing on our proposed rule on
June 25, 2019. The public open house will be held from 5:00 p.m. to
6:30 p.m., and the public hearing from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Availability of documents: The peer review report is available
beginning June 3, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Public open house and hearing: A public open house followed
by a public hearing will be held at Franklin Arts Center Auditorium,
1001 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, Minnesota 56401. See Public Information
Open House and Public Hearing, below, for more information.
Availability of documents: You may obtain copies of our proposed
rule to remove the gray wolf from the List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and supporting documents, including the final peer review
report and the peer review plan, on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2018-0097. The final
peer review report is also available on our website at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_esa/peer_review_process.html.
Additional information on the nature of the peer review can be found in
the peer review plan, which is also available at: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/Gray-Wolf-Peer-Review-Plan.pdf.
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). On May
14, 2019, we extended the public comment period 60 days, to July 15,
2019 (84 FR 21312). The Service now announces a public open house and
hearing as specified above in DATES.
Public Information Open House and Public Hearing
We are holding a public information open house followed by a public
hearing on the date listed in DATES at the location listed in
ADDRESSES. We are holding the public hearing to provide interested
parties an opportunity to present verbal testimony (formal, oral
comments) or hand-deliver their written comments regarding the March
15, 2019 (84 FR 9648), proposal to remove the gray wolf from the List.
The public information open house will provide an opportunity for
dialogue with the Service. The public hearing portion is a forum for
accepting formal verbal testimony and does not provide an opportunity
for such dialogue with the Service. In the event there is a large
attendance, the time allotted for oral statements may be limited.
Therefore, anyone wishing to make an oral statement at the public
hearing for the record is encouraged to provide a prepared written copy
of their statement to us at the hearing. Speakers can sign up at the
hearing if they desire to make an oral statement. Oral and written
statements receive equal consideration. There are no limits on the
length of written comments submitted to us.
Persons with disabilities needing reasonable accommodations to
participate in the public hearing should contact the Headquarters
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Reasonable accommodation
requests should be requested as soon as possible to help ensure
availability.
Peer Review
In accordance with our joint policy on peer review published in the
Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270), the Service submitted
the March 15, 2019, proposal for 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. For information on accessing the final peer review report and
the peer review plan, see ADDRESSES.
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 31, 2019
Margaret E. Everson,
Principal Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority of the Director for
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-11908 Filed 6-5-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P