[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