[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55530-55531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22445]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Parts 223, 224, and 226

[Docket No. 190925-0039 and 190829-0020]
RIN 0648-BI06, 0648-BH95


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Rule To 
Designate Critical Habitat for the Central America, Mexico, and Western 
North Pacific Distinct Population Segments of Humpback Whales and 
Proposed Rule To Revise Critical Habitat for the Southern Resident 
Killer Whale Distinct Population Segment, Public Hearings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, will hold five public hearings related to our 
proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Western North 
Pacific distinct population segment (DPS), the Central America DPS, and 
the Mexico DPS of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) under the 
Endangered

[[Page 55531]]

Species Act (ESA). We will also hold three public hearings related to 
our proposed rule to revise the critical habitat designation for the 
Southern Resident killer whale DPS (Orcinus orca) under the ESA. Three 
of the public hearings will be joint hearings that address both of 
these proposed rules.

DATES: Public hearings will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. (local time) on 
the following dates: November 4, 2019, in Santa Cruz, California; 
November 5, 2019, in Newport, Oregon; November 6, 2019, in Seattle, 
Washington; November 7, 2019, in Juneau, Alaska; and December 3, 2019, 
in Anchorage, Alaska.

ADDRESSES: The November 4th hearing will be held in conference Room 188 
at the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Santa Cruz Laboratory 
on the University of California Santa Cruz's Coastal Science Campus, 
110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
    The November 5th hearing will be held in the Hennings Auditorium at 
the Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center, 2030 SE Marine 
Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365.
    The November 6th hearing will be held in the Alder Auditorium at 
the University of Washington, 1310 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105. 
(The auditorium entrance is located on NE 40th Street between Brooklyn 
Avenue NE and University Way NE.)
    The November 7th hearing will be held in the Egan Lecture Hall 
(Room 112), University of Alaska Southeast, 11066 Auke Lake Way, 
Juneau, Alaska 99801.
    The December 3rd hearing will be held in the Wilda Marston Theater 
in Z.J. Loussac Public Library, 3600 Denali St., Anchorage, AK 99503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Manning, NMFS, Office of 
Protected Resources 301-427-8466; or Nancy Young, NMFS West Coast 
Region, 206-526-4297.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 19, 2019, we published a proposed rule to revise 
existing critical habitat for endangered Southern Resident killer 
whales (84 FR 49214) under the ESA. This rule proposes to revise the 
critical habitat by designating six new marine areas along the U.S. 
West Coast. The specific new areas proposed for designation extend 
along the U.S. West Coast from the U.S. international border with 
Canada, south to Point Sur, California. Based on consideration of 
national security impacts, we are proposing to exclude from the 
designation one area off the coast of Washington. We are soliciting 
public comment on this proposed rule through December 18, 2019.
    On October 9, 2019, we published a proposed rule to designate 
critical habitat for the endangered Western North Pacific DPS, the 
endangered Central America DPS, and the threatened Mexico DPS of 
humpback whales under the ESA (84 FR 54354). Areas proposed as critical 
habitat include specific marine areas located off the coasts of 
California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Based on consideration of 
national security and economic impacts, we are also proposing to 
exclude multiple areas from the designation for each DPS. We are 
soliciting comments on the proposed humpback whale critical habitat 
designations through December 9, 2019.

Public Hearings

    Each of the public hearings will be conducted in the same manner. 
The hearings will begin with a brief presentation by NMFS that gives an 
overview of critical habitat under the ESA and a summary of the 
relevant proposed critical habitat designation(s). Following the 
presentation, members of the public will have the opportunity to 
provide oral comments on the record regarding the proposed 
designations. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to 
submit written comments at the hearing. Written comments may also be 
submitted at any time during the relevant public comment period via the 
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. To do the latter, go to 
www.regulations.gov; and for Southern Resident killer whale critical 
habitat search on the docket ID ``NOAA-NMFS-2014-0041''; for humpback 
whale critical habitat search on docket ID ``NOAA-NMFS-2019-0066''; 
click the ``Comment Now!'' icon; then complete the required fields and 
enter or attach your comments. Note that all comments received are a 
part of the public record and will generally be posted for public 
viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the commenter will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept 
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to 
remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted 
in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.

Reasonable Accommodations

    People needing accommodations so that they may attend and 
participate at the public hearings should submit a request for 
reasonable accommodations as soon as possible, and no later than 7 
business days prior to the hearing date, by contacting Lisa Manning or 
Nancy Young (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: October 9, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22445 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
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