[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 155 (Tuesday, August 11, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48487-48499]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15675]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2020-0050; FF09E21000 FXES11110900000 201]
RIN 1018-BF01


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised 
Designation of Critical Habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to 
revise the designated critical habitat for the northern spotted owl 
(Strix occidentalis caurina) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 
as amended (Act). After a review of the best available scientific and 
commercial information, we propose to revise the species' designated 
critical habitat by newly excluding approximately 204,653 acres (82,820 
hectares) in Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, 
Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, 
Washington, and Yamhill Counties, Oregon, under section 4(b)(2) of the 
Act. These proposed exclusions are based on new information that has 
become available since our 2012 revised critical habitat designation 
for the northern spotted owl. This proposed rule focuses only on new 
exclusions under section 4(b)(2) of the Act in response to a stipulated 
settlement agreement; we are not proposing any other revisions to the 
northern spotted owl's critical habitat designation.

DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before 
October 13, 2020. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 
p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. We must receive requests for a 
public hearing, in writing, at the address shown in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT by September 25, 2020.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 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-
2020-0050, which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, click 
on the Search button. On the resulting page, in the Search panel on the 
left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, check the 
Proposed Rule box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by 
clicking on ``Comment Now!''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2020-0050, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 
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 on http://www.regulations.gov. This 
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide 
us (see Information Requested, below, for more information).
    Availability of supporting materials: For the proposed critical 
habitat exclusions, maps and the coordinates or plot points or both of 
the subject areas are included in the administrative record and are 
available at http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo and at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2020-0050.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Henson, Ph.D., State Supervisor, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 
SE 98th Avenue, Portland, OR 97266; telephone 503-231-6179. Persons who 
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Information Requested

    We intend that any final action resulting from this proposed rule 
will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available and 
be as accurate and as effective as possible.

[[Page 48488]]

Therefore, we request comments or information from other governmental 
agencies, Native American tribes, the scientific community, industry, 
or any other interested parties concerning this proposed rule.
    We particularly seek comments concerning:
    (1) The reasons why we should or should not exclude areas as 
``critical habitat'' under section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.), including information regarding:
    (a) The related benefits of including or excluding specific areas;
    (b) Whether the benefits of exclusion outweigh those of inclusion; 
and
    (c) Whether the exclusion will not result in the extinction of the 
species.
    (2) Any probable economic, national security, or other relevant 
impacts of the designation on areas that are being considered for 
exclusion.
    (3) Any additional areas, including Federal lands, that should be 
considered for exclusion under section 4(b)(2) of the Act and any 
probable economic, national security, or other relevant impacts of 
excluding those areas.
    (4) Specifically, any National Forest System lands managed by the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Forest Service (USFS) that 
should be considered for exclusion under section 4(b)(2) of the Act and 
any probable economic, national security, or other relevant impacts of 
excluding those areas.
    (5) Any significant new information or analysis concerning economic 
impacts that we should consider in the balancing of the benefits of 
inclusion versus the benefits of exclusion in the final determination.
    (6) Whether and how on-going litigation challenging the Bureau of 
Land Management's (BLM) management of Oregon and California Railroad 
Revested Lands (O&C lands) should be addressed in our final rule. See 
the BLM Harvest Land Base section below for more information regarding 
this litigation.
    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 include.
    Please note that submissions merely stating support for, or 
opposition to, the action under consideration without providing 
supporting information, although noted, will not be considered in 
making a final determination, as section 4(b)(2) of the Act directs 
that designations or revisions to critical habitat must be made on the 
basis of the best scientific data available and after taking into 
consideration the economic impact, the impact on national security, and 
any other relevant impact, of specifying any particular area as 
critical habitat.
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning this 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 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.
    Because we will consider all comments and information we receive 
during the comment period, our final revision may differ from this 
proposal. Based on the new information we receive (and any comments on 
that new information), our final revision may not exclude all areas 
proposed. Or, it may exclude additional areas if we find that the 
benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of inclusion or may remove 
areas if we find that the area does not meet the definition of 
``critical habitat.'' Any changes made in the final rule should be of a 
type that could have been reasonably anticipated by the public, and 
therefore a logical outgrowth of the proposal. Changes in a final 
revision would be reasonably anticipated if: (1) We base them on the 
best scientific and commercial data available and take into 
consideration the relevant impacts; (2) we articulate a rational 
connection between the facts found and the conclusions made, including 
why we changed our conclusion; and (3) we base removal of any areas on 
a determination either that the area does not meet the definition of 
``critical habitat'' or that the benefits of excluding the area will 
outweigh the benefits of including it in the designation. You may 
submit your comments and materials concerning this proposed rule by one 
of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you send comments 
only by the methods described in ADDRESSES.

Public Hearing

    Section 4(b)(5) of the Act provides for a public hearing on this 
proposal, if requested. Requests must be received by the date specified 
in DATES. Such requests must be sent to the address shown in FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. We will schedule a public hearing on this 
proposal, if requested, and announce the date, time, and place of the 
hearing, as well as how to obtain reasonable accommodations, in the 
Federal Register and local newspapers at least 15 days before the 
hearing. For the immediate future, we will provide these public 
hearings using webinars that will be announced on the Service's 
website, in addition to the Federal Register. The use of these virtual 
public hearings is consistent with our regulations at 50 CFR 
424.16(c)(3).

Previous Federal Actions

    On December 4, 2012, we published in the Federal Register (77 FR 
71876) a final rule designating revised critical habitat for the 
northern spotted owl and announcing the availability of the associated 
economic analysis and environmental assessment. For additional 
information on previous Federal actions concerning the northern spotted 
owl, refer to that December 4, 2012, final rule.
    In 2013, the December 4, 2012, revised critical habitat designation 
was challenged in court in Carpenters Industrial Council et al. v. 
Bernhardt et al., No. 13-361-RJL (D.D.C) (now retitled Pacific 
Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters et al. v. Bernhardt et al. 
with the substitution of named parties). In 2015, the district court 
ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing. The D.C. Circuit reversed 
and remanded, and the case remained pending before the district court.
    In December of 2019, the plaintiffs filed a motion with the 
district court seeking permission to file a supplemental brief 
regarding the United States Supreme Court's decision in Weyerhaeuser 
Co. v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv., 139 S. Ct. 361 (2018) concerning the 
designation of critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog. The 
plaintiffs asserted that supplemental briefing on Weyerhaeuser would 
benefit the district court's consideration of two of their arguments 
regarding the northern spotted owl critical habitat designation: That 
the Service unlawfully designated areas that are not northern spotted 
owl habitat, and that the Service failed to weigh the designation's 
economic impacts and consider other relevant factors when excluding 
lands under section 4(b)(2).
    On April 13, 2020, we entered into a stipulated settlement 
agreement resolving the litigation. The settlement agreement was 
approved and ordered by

[[Page 48489]]

the court on April 26, 2020. Under the terms of the settlement 
agreement, the Service agreed to submit a proposed revised critical 
habitat rule to the Federal Register that identifies proposed 
exclusions under section 4(b)(2) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) by 
July 15, 2020. This proposed rule meets the stipulations of the 
settlement agreement.

Critical Habitat

Background

    Critical habitat is defined in section 3 of the Act as:
    (1) The specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the 
species, at the time it is listed in accordance with the Act, on which 
are found those physical or biological features
    (a) Essential to the conservation of the species, and
    (b) Which may require special management considerations or 
protection; and
    (2) Specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the 
species at the time it is listed, upon a determination that such areas 
are essential for the conservation of the species.
    Our regulations at 50 CFR 424.02 define the geographical area 
occupied by the species as an area that may generally be delineated 
around species' occurrences, as determined by the Secretary (i.e., 
range). Such areas may include those areas used throughout all or part 
of the species' life cycle, even if not used on a regular basis (e.g., 
migratory corridors, seasonal habitats, and habitats used periodically, 
but not solely by vagrant individuals).
    Conservation, as defined under section 3 of the Act, means to use 
and the use of all methods and procedures that are necessary to bring 
an endangered or threatened species to the point at which the measures 
provided pursuant to the Act are no longer necessary. Such methods and 
procedures include, but are not limited to, all activities associated 
with scientific resources management such as research, census, law 
enforcement, habitat acquisition and maintenance, propagation, live 
trapping, and transplantation, and, in the extraordinary case where 
population pressures within a given ecosystem cannot be otherwise 
relieved, may include regulated taking.
    Critical habitat receives protection under section 7 of the Act 
through the requirement that Federal agencies ensure, in consultation 
with the Service, that any action they authorize, fund, or carry out is 
not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of 
critical habitat. The designation of critical habitat does not affect 
land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or 
other conservation area. Designation also does not allow the government 
or public to access private lands, nor does designation require 
implementation of restoration, recovery, or enhancement measures by 
non-Federal landowners. Where a landowner requests Federal agency 
funding or authorization for an action that may affect a listed species 
or critical habitat, the Federal agency would be required to consult 
with the Service under section 7(a)(2) of the Act. However, even if the 
Service were to conclude that the proposed activity would result in 
destruction or adverse modification of the critical habitat, the 
Federal action agency and the landowner are not required to abandon the 
proposed activity, or to restore or recover the species; instead, they 
must implement ``reasonable and prudent alternatives'' to avoid 
destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.
    Under the first prong of the Act's definition of critical habitat, 
areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time 
it was listed are included in a critical habitat designation if they 
contain physical or biological features (1) which are essential to the 
conservation of the species and (2) which may require special 
management considerations or protection. For these areas, the Service 
identifies to the extent known, using the best scientific and 
commercial data available, those physical or biological features that 
are essential to the conservation of the species (such as space, food, 
cover, and protected habitat). In identifying those physical or 
biological features that occur in occupied areas, we focus on the 
specific features that are essential to support the life-history needs 
of the species, including, but not limited to, water characteristics, 
soil type, geological features, prey, vegetation, symbiotic species, or 
other features. A feature may be a single habitat characteristic or a 
more complex combination of habitat characteristics. Features may 
include habitat characteristics that support ephemeral or dynamic 
habitat conditions. Features may also be expressed in terms relating to 
principles of conservation biology, such as patch size, distribution 
distances, and connectivity.
    Under the second prong of the Act's definition of critical habitat, 
we can designate critical habitat in areas outside the geographical 
area occupied by the species at the time it is listed, upon a 
determination that such areas are essential for the conservation of the 
species. When designating critical habitat, the Secretary will first 
evaluate areas occupied by the species. The Secretary will consider 
unoccupied areas to be essential only when a critical habitat 
designation limited to geographical areas occupied by the species would 
be inadequate to ensure the conservation of the species. In addition, 
for an unoccupied area to be considered essential, the Secretary must 
determine that there is a reasonable certainty both that the area will 
contribute to the conservation of the species and that the area 
contains one or more of those physical or biological features essential 
to the conservation of the species.
    In our December 4, 2012, final rule (77 FR 71876), we determined 
that all units and subunits met the Act's definition of being within 
the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing. 
Our determination was based on the northern spotted owl's wide-ranging 
use of the landscape, and the distribution of known owl sites at the 
time of listing across the units and subunits designated as critical 
habitat. Each of these units and subunits consist of habitat occupied 
by the species at the time of listing. We recognize that, subsequent to 
listing, some areas within these units and subunits have at times not 
been used by individual northern spotted owls due to displacement by 
competition with the nonnative barred owl. However, we anticipate many 
of these areas will be used by individual northern spotted owls in the 
future, in some cases due to restoration actions.
    At a finer scale within the occupied geographic area, within some 
of these units and subunits, the forest mosaic contains some areas of 
younger forest that may not have been occupied at the time of listing. 
These areas were included in the designation to provide connectivity 
(physical and biological feature (PBF) (4)--dispersal habitat) between 
occupied areas, room for population growth, and the ability to provide 
sufficient suitable habitat on the landscape for the owl in the face of 
natural disturbance regimes (e.g., fire). These areas are essential for 
the conservation of the species.
    Our December 4, 2012, final rule (77 FR 71876) includes four PBFs 
(formerly referred to as primary constituent elements, or PCEs) 
specific to the northern spotted owl. In summary, PBF (1) is forest 
types that may be in early-, mid-, or late-seral stages and that 
support the northern spotted owl across

[[Page 48490]]

its geographical range; PBF (2) is nesting and roosting habitat; PBF 
(3) is foraging habitat; and PBF (4) is dispersal habitat (see 77 FR 
71876, December 4, 2012, pp. 77 FR 72051-72052, for a full description 
of the PBFs). In areas occupied at the time of listing, not all of the 
designated critical habitat contains all of the PBFs, because not all 
life-history functions require all of the PBFs. Some subunits contain 
all PBFs and support multiple life processes, while some subunits may 
contain only PBFs necessary to support the species' particular use of 
those subunits as habitat. However, all of the areas occupied at the 
time of listing and designated as critical habitat support at least PBF 
(1), in conjunction with at least one other PBF. Thus, PBF (1) must 
always occur in concert with at least one additional PBF (PBF 2, 3, or 
4) (77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012, p. 77 FR 71908).
    When determining critical habitat boundaries for the December 4, 
2012, final rule, we made every effort to avoid including areas that 
lack physical or biological features for the northern spotted owl. Due 
to the limitations of mapping at fine scales, we were often not able to 
segregate these areas from areas shown as critical habitat on maps 
suitable in scale for publication within the Code of Federal 
Regulations. The following types of areas are not critical habitat 
because they cannot support northern spotted owl habitat, and are not 
included in the 2012 designation: Meadows and grasslands, oak and aspen 
(Populus spp.) woodlands, and manmade structures (such as buildings, 
aqueducts, runways, roads, and other paved areas), and the land on 
which they are located. Thus, we included regulatory text in the 
December 4, 2012, final rule clarifying that these areas were not 
included in the designation even if within the mapped boundaries of 
critical habitat (77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012, p. 77 FR 72052).
    Section 4 of the Act requires that we designate critical habitat on 
the basis of the best scientific data available. Further, our Policy on 
Information Standards Under the Endangered Species Act (published in 
the Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34271)), the Information 
Quality Act (section 515 of the Treasury and General Government 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Pub. L. 106-554; H.R. 5658)), 
and our associated Information Quality Guidelines provide criteria, 
establish procedures, and provide guidance to ensure that our decisions 
are based on the best scientific data available. They require our 
biologists, to the extent consistent with the Act and with the use of 
the best scientific data available, to use primary and original sources 
of information as the basis for recommendations to designate critical 
habitat.
    When determining which areas should be designated as critical 
habitat, our primary source of information is the status analysis in 
the listing rule and other information developed during the listing 
process for the species. Additional information sources may include any 
generalized conservation strategy, criteria, or outline that may have 
been developed for the species; the recovery plan for the species; 
articles in peer-reviewed journals; conservation plans developed by 
States and counties; scientific status surveys and studies; biological 
assessments; other unpublished materials; or experts' opinions or 
personal knowledge.
    Habitat is dynamic, and species may move from one area to another 
over time. Critical habitat designated at a particular point in time 
may not include all of the areas that we may later determine are 
necessary for the recovery of the species. For these reasons, a 
critical habitat designation does not signal that habitat outside the 
designated area is unimportant or may not be needed for recovery of the 
species. Areas that are important to the conservation of the species, 
both inside and outside the critical habitat designation, will continue 
to be subject to: (1) Conservation actions implemented under section 
7(a)(1) of the Act; (2) regulatory protections afforded by the 
requirement in section 7(a)(2) of the Act for Federal agencies to 
ensure their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued 
existence of any endangered or threatened species; and (3) the 
prohibitions found in section 9 of the Act. Federally funded or 
permitted projects affecting listed species outside their designated 
critical habitat areas may still result in jeopardy findings in some 
cases. These protections and conservation tools will continue to 
contribute to recovery of this species. Similarly, critical habitat 
designations made on the basis of the best available information at the 
time of designation will not control the direction and substance of 
future recovery plans, habitat conservation plans (HCPs), or other 
species conservation planning efforts if new information available at 
the time of these planning efforts calls for a different outcome.
    The proposed exclusions described in this document do not change 
the majority of the December 4, 2012, final rule. The only sections 
that would change with this proposed revision are Table 8 in the 
Exclusions discussion (77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012, pp. 77 FR 71948-
71949), the subunit maps related to the proposed exclusions (77 FR 
71876, December 4, 2012, pp. 77 FR 72057-72058, 72062, 72065-72067), 
and the index map of Oregon (77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012, p. 77 FR 
72054). The regulations concerning critical habitat have been revised 
and updated since 2012 (81 FR 7414, February 11, 2016; 84 FR 45020, 
August 27, 2019). Our December 4, 2012, designation of critical habitat 
for the northern spotted owl and the revisions proposed in this rule 
are in accordance with the requirements of the revised critical habitat 
regulations (81 FR 7414, February 11, 2016; 84 FR 45020, August 27, 
2019), with the exception of the use of the term ``primary constituent 
element'' (PCE) in the December 4, 2012, final rule; here, we use the 
term ``physical or biological feature'' (PBF), as noted above, in 
accordance with the updated critical habitat regulations. The primary 
constituent elements (PCEs) are, however, the physical and biological 
features (PBFs) as described in the revised regulations: They are 
essential to the conservation of the species, and they may require 
special management considerations or protection.

Consideration of Impacts Under Section 4(b)(2) of the Act

    Section 4(b)(2) of the Act states that the Secretary shall 
designate and make revisions to critical habitat on the basis of the 
best available scientific data after taking into consideration the 
economic impact, national security impact, and any other relevant 
impact of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. The 
Secretary may exclude an area from critical habitat if he or she 
determines that the benefits of such exclusion outweigh the benefits of 
specifying such area as part of the critical habitat, unless he 
determines, based on the best scientific data available, that the 
failure to designate such area as critical habitat will result in the 
extinction of the species. In making the determination to exclude a 
particular area, the statute on its face, as well as the legislative 
history, are clear that the Secretary has broad discretion regarding 
which factor(s) to use and how much weight to give to any factor.
    The first sentence in section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires that we 
take into consideration the economic, national security, or other 
relevant impacts of designating any particular area as critical 
habitat. We describe below the process that we undertook for taking 
into consideration each category of

[[Page 48491]]

impacts and our analyses of the relevant impacts.

Consideration of Economic Impacts

    We did not exclude areas from our December 4, 2012, final critical 
habitat designation (77 FR 71876) based on economic impacts, and we are 
not now proposing to exclude any areas solely on the basis of economic 
impacts. Refer to the December 4, 2012, rule (77 FR 71876) for a 
description of the purpose and process of evaluating the economic 
impacts that may result from a designation of critical habitat. The 
final economic analysis of the 2012 critical habitat designation for 
the northern spotted owl found the incremental effects of the 
designation to be relatively small due to the extensive conservation 
measures already in place for the species because of its listed status 
under the Act and because of the measures provided under the Northwest 
Forest Plan (NWFP) (USDA USFS and U.S. Department of the Interior's 
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 1994) and other conservation programs 
(IEc 2012, pp. 4-32, 4-37). Thus, we concluded that the future probable 
incremental economic impacts were not likely to exceed $100 million in 
any single year, and impacts that are concentrated in any geographic 
area or sector were not likely as a result of designating critical 
habitat for the northern spotted owl. The incremental effects included: 
(1) An increased workload for action agencies and the Service to 
conduct re-initiated consultations for ongoing actions in newly 
designated critical habitat (areas proposed for designation that were 
not already included within the extant designation); (2) the cost to 
action agencies of including an analysis of the effects to critical 
habitat for new projects occurring in occupied areas of designated 
critical habitat; and (3) potential project alterations in unoccupied 
critical habitat.
    Although we considered the incremental impact of administrative 
costs to Federal agencies associated with consulting on critical 
habitat under section 7 of the Act, economic impacts are not the 
primary reason for the exclusions we are proposing in this rule. See 
the December 4, 2012, final rule for a summary of the final economic 
analysis and our consideration of economic impacts (77 FR 71876, pp. 
71878, 71945-71947, 72046-72048). We have reviewed the 2012 final 
economic analysis (IEc 2012) and determined that because we are only 
proposing to exclude (i.e., remove) additional areas from critical 
habitat, the economic impact will be further reduced and a new analysis 
is not necessary. Because the entire 2012 designation did not reach the 
threshold for economic significance under Executive Order 12866, these 
exclusions, which represent a reduction in the overall cost, also do 
not meet the threshold.
    During the development of a final revised designation, we will 
consider any additional economic impact information we receive during 
the public comment period (see DATES), and therefore, additional areas 
not considered in this proposed rule may be excluded from the final 
critical habitat designation under section 4(b)(2) of the Act and our 
implementing regulations at 50 CFR 424.19.

Consideration of Impacts on National Security

    We did not exclude areas from our December 4, 2012, revised 
critical habitat designation based on impacts on national security, but 
we did exempt Joint Base Lewis-McChord lands based on the integrated 
natural resources management plan (INRMP) under section 4(a)(3) of the 
Act (77 FR 71876, pp. 71944-71945). In this document, we are not 
proposing to exclude any areas from the critical habitat designation on 
the basis of impacts on national security. However, during the 
development of a final designation we will consider any additional 
information received through the public comment period on the impacts 
of the proposed designation on national security or homeland security 
to determine whether any specific areas should be excluded from the 
final critical habitat designation under authority of section 4(b)(2) 
and our implementing regulations at 50 CFR 424.19.

Consideration of Other Relevant Impacts

    When identifying the benefits of inclusion of an area as designated 
critical habitat, we primarily consider the additional regulatory 
benefits that that area would receive due to the protection from 
destruction or adverse modification as a result of actions with a 
Federal nexus (that is, an activity or program authorized, funded, or 
carried out in whole or in part by a Federal agency), the educational 
benefits of mapping essential habitat for recovery of the listed 
species, and any benefits that may result from a designation due to 
State or Federal laws that may apply to critical habitat. When 
considering the benefits of exclusion, we consider, among other things, 
whether exclusion of a specific area is likely to result in 
conservation, or in the continuation, strengthening, or encouragement 
of partnerships.
    In the case of the northern spotted owl, the benefits of including 
an area as designated critical habitat include public awareness of the 
presence of northern spotted owls and the importance of habitat 
protection, and, where a Federal nexus exists, increased habitat 
protection for northern spotted owls through the Act's section 7(a)(2) 
mandate that Federal agencies insure that any action they authorize, 
fund, or carry out is not likely to result in the destruction or 
adverse modification of critical habitat. Additionally, continued 
implementation of an ongoing management plan for the area that provides 
conservation equal to or greater than a critical habitat designation 
would reduce the benefits of including that specific area in the 
critical habitat designation.
    We evaluate the existence of a conservation plan when considering 
the benefits of inclusion. We consider a variety of factors, including, 
but not limited to, whether the plan is finalized; how it provides for 
the conservation of the essential physical or biological features; 
whether there is a reasonable expectation that the conservation 
management strategies, and actions contained in a management plan, will 
be implemented into the future; whether the conservation strategies in 
the plan are likely to be effective; and whether the plan contains a 
monitoring program or adaptive management to ensure that the 
conservation measures are effective and can be adapted in the future in 
response to new information.
    After identifying the benefits of inclusion and the benefits of 
exclusion, we carefully weigh the two sides to evaluate whether the 
benefits of exclusion outweigh those of inclusion. If our analysis 
indicates that the benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of 
inclusion, we then determine whether exclusion would result in 
extinction of the species. If exclusion of an area from critical 
habitat will result in extinction, we will not exclude it from the 
designation under section 4(b)(2) of the Act.
    The final decision on whether to exclude any areas under section 
4(b)(2) will be based on the best scientific data available at the time 
of the final designation, including information that we obtain during 
the comment period.
    Based on any information provided by entities seeking exclusion, as 
well as any additional public comments we receive, we will evaluate 
whether certain lands in the critical habitat designation are 
appropriate for exclusion from the designation under

[[Page 48492]]

section 4(b)(2) of the Act. If the analysis indicates that the benefits 
of excluding lands from the designation outweigh the benefits of 
designating those lands as critical habitat, then the Secretary may 
exercise his discretion to exclude the lands from the designation.

Proposed Exclusions

    We are proposing to exclude the following areas under section 
4(b)(2) of the Act from the critical habitat designation for the 
northern spotted owl. Table 1, below, identifies the specific critical 
habitat units from the December 4, 2012, final rule (77 FR 71876), 
which is codified in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
at Sec.  17.95(b), that we propose to exclude, at least in part; the 
approximate areas (ac, ha) of lands involved; and a brief summary of 
the rationale for the area's proposed exclusion. The Table 8 Addendum 
that follows displays this same information but in the format used in 
Table 8 in the December 4, 2012, final rule (77 FR 71876, pp. 77 FR 
71948-71949).

                         Table 1--Areas Proposed for Exclusion by Critical Habitat Unit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                 Areas meeting the
                                              definition of  critical    Areas proposed        Rationale for
       Unit              Specific  area          habitat,  in acres    for exclusion,  in    proposed exclusion
                                                     (hectares)         acres  (hectares)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................  NCO 4...................         179,745 (72,740)         1,838 (744)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
1.................  NCO 5...................         142,937 (57,845)       8,774 (3,551)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
2.................  ORC 1...................         110,657 (44,781)         1,279 (518)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
2.................  ORC 2...................        261,405 (105,787)       2,946 (1,192)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
2.................  ORC 3...................         203,681 (82,427)       4,345 (1,758)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
2.................  ORC 5...................         176,905 (71,591)      14,987 (6,065)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
2.................  ORC 6...................          81,900 (33,144)       9,862 (3,991)  BLM Harvest Land Base/
                                                                                            Tribal.
6.................  WCS 1...................          92,586 (37,468)           880 (356)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
6.................  WCS 2...................         150,105 (60,745)         1,082 (438)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
6.................  WCS 3...................        319,736 (129,393)         1,922 (779)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
6.................  WCS 4...................        379,130 (153,429)               6 (2)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
6.................  WCS 5...................        356,415 (144,236)              2 (<1)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
6.................  WCS 6...................          99,558 (40,290)      18,529 (7,498)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
8.................  ECS 1...................         127,801 (51,719)      16,610 (6,722)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
8.................  ECS 2...................          66,086 (26,744)         2,379 (963)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
9.................  KLW 1...................         147,326 (59,621)      11,058 (4,475)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
9.................  KLW 2...................         148,929 (60,674)             <1 (<1)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
9.................  KLW 3...................         143,862 (58,219)         1,655 (670)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
9.................  KLW 4...................         158,299 (64,061)           785 (318)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
9.................  KLW 5...................          31,085 (12,580)             <1 (<1)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
10................  KLE 1...................         242,338 (98,071)             28 (11)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
10................  KLE 2...................         101,942 (41,255)     33,764 (13,663)  BLM Harvest Land Base/
                                                                                            Tribal.
10................  KLE 3...................         111,410 (45,086)     48,295 (19,544)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
10................  KLE 4...................        254,442 (102,969)              1 (<1)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
10................  KLE 5...................          38,283 (15,493)      12,232 (4,950)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
10................  KLE 6...................         167,849 (67,926)      11,393 (4,610)  BLM Harvest Land
                                                                                            Base.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Table 8 Addendum--Additional Lands Proposed for Exclusion From the Designation of Critical Habitat Under Section
                                               4(b)(2) of the Act
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Critical  habitat                  Land owner/
      Type of agreement               unit             State          agency           Acres         Hectares
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource Management Plan.....  NCO...............  OR..........  BLM Harvest              10,612           4,294
                                                                  Land Base.
                               ORC...............  OR..........  BLM Harvest              27,845          11,268
                                                                  Land Base.
                               WCS...............  OR..........  BLM Harvest              22,420           9,073
                                                                  Land Base.
                               ECS...............  OR..........  BLM Harvest              18,989           7,684
                                                                  Land Base.
                               KLW...............  OR..........  BLM Harvest              13,498           5,462
                                                                  Land Base.
                               KLE...............  OR..........  BLM Harvest              91,112          36,871
                                                                  Land Base.
Tribal lands.................  ORC...............  OR..........  CTCLUSI \1\....           5,575           2,256
                               KLE...............  OR..........  CCBUTI \2\.....          14,602           5,909
                              ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total additional lands     ..................  ............  ...............         204,653          82,820
     proposed for exclusion
     under section 4(b)(2) of
     the Act.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ CTCLUSI is the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.
\2\ CCBUTI is the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

    We specifically solicit comments on the inclusion or exclusion of 
these areas from the critical habitat designation for the northern 
spotted owl (77 FR 71876; December 4, 2012), codified at 50 CFR 
17.95(b). These proposed exclusions are based on new information that 
has become available since the December 4, 2012, critical habitat 
designation for the northern spotted owl, including the Bureau of Land 
Management's (BLM's) 2016 revision to its resource management plans 
(RMPs) for western Oregon (BLM 2016a, b) and the Western Oregon Tribal 
Fairness Act (Pub. L.

[[Page 48493]]

115-103). In the paragraphs below, we provide a detailed analysis of 
our consideration of these lands for exclusion under section 4(b)(2) of 
the Act.

Exclusions Based on Other Relevant Impacts

    Under section 4(b)(2) of the Act, we consider any other relevant 
impacts, in addition to economic impacts and impacts on national 
security. We consider a number of factors, including whether there are 
permitted conservation plans covering the species in the area such as 
HCPs, safe harbor agreements (SHAs), or candidate conservation 
agreements with assurances (CCAAs), or whether there are other 
conservation agreements and partnerships that would be encouraged by 
designation of, or exclusion from, critical habitat. In addition, we 
consider any Tribal forest management plans (FMPs) and partnerships and 
consider the government-to-government relationship of the United States 
with Tribes. We also consider any social impacts that might occur 
because of the designation.
Tribal Lands
    Several Executive Orders, Secretarial Orders, and departmental 
policies address how we engage with Tribes. These guidance documents 
generally confirm our trust responsibilities to Tribes, recognize that 
Tribes have sovereign authority to control tribal lands, emphasize the 
importance of developing partnerships with tribal governments, and 
direct the Service to consult with Tribes on a government-to-government 
basis.
    A joint Secretarial Order that applies to both the Service and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (``Services''), Secretarial 
Order 3206, ``American Indian Tribal Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust 
Responsibilities, and the Endangered Species Act'' (June 5, 1997) (S.O. 
3206), affirms that Tribes may participate fully in the listing 
process, including designation of critical habitat. The appendix to 
S.O. 3206 also states: ``In keeping with the trust responsibility, [the 
Services] shall consult with the affected Indian tribe(s) when 
considering the designation of critical habitat in an area that may 
impact tribal trust resources, tribally-owned fee lands, or the 
exercise of tribal rights. Critical habitat shall not be designated in 
such areas unless it is determined essential to conserve a listed 
species. In designating critical habitat, the Services shall evaluate 
and document the extent to which the conservation needs of the listed 
species can be achieved by limiting the designation to other lands.'' 
In light of this instruction, when we undertake a discretionary section 
4(b)(2) exclusion analysis, we will always consider exclusions of 
Tribal lands under section 4(b)(2) of the Act prior to finalizing a 
designation of critical habitat, and will give great weight to Tribal 
comments in analyzing the benefits of exclusion.
    However, S.O. 3206 does not preclude us from designating Tribal 
lands or waters as critical habitat, nor does it state that Tribal 
lands or waters cannot meet the Act's definition of ``critical 
habitat.'' We are directed by the Act to identify areas that meet the 
definition of ``critical habitat'' (i.e., areas occupied at the time of 
listing that contain the essential physical or biological features that 
may require special management or protection and unoccupied areas that 
are essential to the conservation of a species), without regard to 
landownership. While S.O. 3206 provides important direction, it 
expressly states that it does not modify the Secretaries' statutory 
authority.
    In our December 4, 2012, final rule (77 FR 71876), we prioritized 
areas for critical habitat designation by looking first to Federal 
lands, followed by State, private, and Tribal lands. No Tribal lands 
were designated in our final rule because we found that we could 
achieve the conservation of the northern spotted owl by limiting the 
designation to other lands. However, on January 8, 2018, the Western 
Oregon Tribal Fairness Act (Pub. L. 115-103) was passed by Congress and 
signed by the President. This act mandated that certain lands managed 
by BLM be taken into trust by the United States for the benefit of the 
Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians (CCBUTI) and the Confederated 
Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI). In January 
2020, BLM released its decision record (BLM 2020) transferring 
management authority of approximately 17,800 acres (7,203 hectares) to 
CCBUTI and 14,700 acres (5,949 hectares) to CTCLUSI. Of the transferred 
lands, 20,177 acres (8,165 hectares) are located within designated 
critical habitat for the northern spotted owl. We have considered this 
new information and are now proposing these lands for exclusion under 
section 4(b)(2) of the Act, as explained below.
    Of the lands transferred in trust to the CCBUTI, 14,602 acres 
(5,909 hectares) are located within currently designated critical 
habitat. These lands will be managed under the tribe's Forest Resource 
Management Plan (CCBUTI 2019) using a ``continuous forest management'' 
approach that provides for a continued supply of timber, a steady 
stream of income, and a reduction in the risk of wildfire and disease. 
The Tribal land within the Cow Creek conveyance is in the Klamath 
Physiographic Province, an area disproportionally impacted by fire. The 
objectives in the Cow Creek FMP addresses fire risk and disease 
concerns to alleviate the risk of wildfire. Of the lands transferred to 
the CTCLUSI, 5,575 acres (2,256 hectares) are located within the 
critical habitat designation. The tribe is developing a management plan 
for these recently transferred lands (Andringa 2020, pers. comm.). We 
will continue to provide technical assistance to the tribes on the 
conservation of endangered and threatened species and on the 
development and implementation of their forest management plans; 
however, these plans are not the basis of our proposal to exclude these 
lands from the critical habitat designation.
    In accordance with S.O. 3206 and other directives, we believe that 
fish, wildlife, and other natural resources on Tribal lands may be more 
appropriately managed under Tribal authorities, policies, and programs 
than through Federal regulation where Tribal management addresses the 
conservation needs of listed species. Supporting Tribal management 
strengthens the government-to-government relationship essential to 
achieving our mutual goals of managing for healthy ecosystems upon 
which the viability of endangered and threatened species populations 
depend. Additionally, the Tribal lands proposed for exclusion represent 
only 0.21 percent of the current critical habitat designation. Although 
these lands contribute to the conservation of the northern spotted owl, 
we believe the conservation needs of the northern spotted owl can be 
achieved by limiting the designation to the other lands in the critical 
habitat designation. We also find that the benefit of our partnerships 
with these Tribal governments and our acknowledgment of Tribal 
sovereignty over managing these lands by excluding them from the 
critical habitat designation outweigh the conservation value of 
including these 20,177 acres (8,165 hectares) in the designation.
Federal Lands
    O&C Lands--In general, our proposed exclusions of critical habitat 
for the northern spotted owl are focused on the Oregon and California 
Railroad Revested Lands (O&C lands), particularly those areas that have 
been identified primarily for commercial timber harvest under Federal 
resource management plans. The O&C lands were

[[Page 48494]]

revested to the Federal Government under the Chamberlin-Ferris Act of 
1916 (39 Stat. 218). The Oregon and California Revested Lands Sustained 
Yield Management Act of 1937 (O&C Act; Pub. L. 75-405) addresses the 
management of O&C lands. The O&C Act identifies the primary use of 
revested timberlands for permanent forest production. These lands occur 
in western Oregon in a checkerboard pattern intermingled with private 
land across 18 counties. Most of these lands (82 percent) are 
administered by BLM (FWS 2019, p. 1) pursuant to its resource 
management plans (RMPs). BLM's RMPs identify certain revested 
timberlands for commercial timber harvest. The opening statement of the 
O&C Act provides that these lands be managed ``for permanent forest 
production, and the timber thereon shall be sold, cut, and removed in 
conformity with the principle of sustained yield for the purpose of 
providing a permanent source of timber supply, protecting watersheds, 
regulating stream flow, and contributing to the economic stability of 
local communities and industries, and providing recreational 
facilities.'' The counties where O&C lands are located participate in a 
revenue sharing program with the Federal Government based on commercial 
receipts (e.g., income from commercial timber harvest) generated on 
these Federal lands.
    Since the mid-1970s, scientists and land managers have recognized 
the importance of forests located on O&C lands to the conservation of 
the northern spotted owl and have attempted to reconcile this 
conservation need with other land uses (Thomas et al. 1990, entire). 
Starting in 1977, BLM worked closely with scientists and other State 
and Federal agencies to implement northern spotted owl conservation 
measures on O&C lands. Over the ensuing decades, the northern spotted 
owl was listed as a threatened species under the Act, critical habitat 
was designated (57 FR 1796; January 15, 1992) and revised two times (73 
FR 47326, August 13, 2008; 77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012) on portions 
of the O&C lands, and a recovery plan for the owl was completed (73 FR 
29471, May 21, 2008, p. 73 FR 29472) and revised (76 FR 38575; July 1, 
2011). These and other scientific reviews consistently recognized the 
need for large portions of the O&C forest to be managed for northern 
spotted owl conservation while also allowing for other uses of these 
lands.
    BLM Harvest Land Base--Based on new information available since the 
publication of the December 4, 2012, revised critical habitat 
designation (77 FR 71876), we are proposing to exclude from critical 
habitat 184,476 acres (74,654 hectares) of BLM lands where programmed 
timber harvest is planned to occur under the revised RMPs (BLM 2016a, 
b), i.e., the ``Harvest Land Base'' that we describe in detail further 
below. Approximately 172,430 acres (69,779 hectares) of this Harvest 
Land Base is O&C lands.
    In 2011, the Service revised the northern spotted owl recovery plan 
(see 76 FR 38575; July 1, 2011), and the revised plan recommended 
``continued application of the reserve network of the NWFP until the 
2008 designated spotted owl critical habitat is revised and/or the land 
management agencies amend their land management plans taking into 
account the guidance in this Revised Recovery Plan'' (USFWS 2011, p. 
II-3). On December 4, 2012, the Service published in the Federal 
Register (77 FR 71876) a final rule revising the northern spotted owl 
critical habitat designation, and in 2016, BLM revised its RMPs for 
western Oregon, resulting in two separate plans (BLM 2016a, b). BLM's 
2016 revision of its RMPs fully considered the 2011 recovery plan 
recommendation. These two BLM plans, the Northwestern Oregon and 
Coastal Oregon Record of Decision and Resource Management Plan (BLM 
2016a) and the Southwestern Oregon Record of Decision and Resource 
Management Plan (BLM 2016b), address all or part of six BLM districts 
across western Oregon.
    The RMPs provide direction for the management of approximately 2.5 
million acres (1 million hectares) of BLM-administered lands, for the 
purposes of producing a sustained yield of timber, contributing to the 
recovery of endangered and threatened species, providing clean water, 
restoring fire-adapted ecosystems, and providing for recreation 
opportunities (BLM 2016a, p. 20). The management direction provided in 
the RMPs is used to develop and implement specific projects and actions 
during the life of the plans.
    The RMP revisions assigned land use allocations (LUAs) across BLM-
managed lands in western Oregon; the LUAs define areas where specific 
activities are allowed, restricted, or excluded. The BLM LUAs include 
Late Successional Reserves (LSR), Congressionally Reserved lands (CR), 
District Designated Reserves (DD), and Riparian Reserves (RR) 
(collectively considered ``reserve'' LUAs) and Eastside Management Area 
and Harvest Land Base (HLB) (BLM 2016a, pp. 55-74).
    Reserve LUAs (LSR, CR, DD, RR) comprise 74.6 percent (1,847,830 
acres (747,790 hectares)) of the acres of BLM land within LUAs (FWS 
2016, p. 9). These lands are managed for various purposes, including 
preserving wilderness areas, natural areas, and structurally complex 
forest; recreation management; maintaining facilities and 
infrastructure; some timber harvest and fuels management; and 
conserving lands along streams and waterways. Of these lands, 51 
percent (948,466 acres (383,830 hectares)) are designated as LSR, 64 
percent of which (603,090 acres (244,061 hectares)) are located within 
the critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl (FWS 
2016, p. 9). The management objectives on LSRs are designed to promote 
older, structurally complex forest and to promote or maintain habitat 
for the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus 
marmoratus), although some timber harvest of varying intensity is 
allowed. The recovery plan for the northern spotted owl relies on the 
LSR network as the foundation for northern spotted owl recovery on 
Federal lands (FWS 2011, p. III-41). The Service found that the 
anticipated level of timber harvest in LSRs under these RMPs was not 
likely to jeopardize the species or destroy or adversely modify 
critical habitat (FWS 2016, pp. 700-703).
    The HLB allocation comprises 19 percent (469,215 acres (189,884 
hectares)) of the overall LUAs and is where the majority of programmed 
timber harvest will occur (FWS 2016, p. 9; BLM 2016a, pp. 59-63). Of 
these acres, 39 percent (184,476 acres (74,655 hectares)) are located 
within the critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl. 
Over 90 percent of these acres (172,430 acres (69,779 hectares)) are 
located on O&C lands. Under the management direction for the HLB, 
timber harvest intensity varies based on the sub-allocation (moderate 
intensity timber area, light intensity timber area, or uneven-aged 
timber area) within the HLB (BLM 2016a, pp. 59-63).
    The management direction specific to the northern spotted owl (BLM 
2016a, p. 100) applies to all LUAs designated in the RMPs. This 
direction provides for the management of habitat to facilitate movement 
and survival between and through large blocks of northern spotted owl 
nesting and roosting habitat.
    We completed a programmatic section 7 consultation on the RMPs in 
2016, under the assumption that BLM will implement actions consistent 
with the RMPs over an analytical timeframe of 50 years (FWS 2016, p. 
2). This approach allowed for the broad-scale evaluation of BLM's 
program to ensure that the management direction and objectives of the 
program are consistent with the

[[Page 48495]]

conservation of listed species, while also providing a reliable 
mechanism for site-specific consultation at the stepped-down, project-
level scale. The adequacy of this approach for the conservation of 
listed species is further sustained by the requirement for the action 
agency to reinitiate consultation under certain circumstances.
    Reinitiation of the programmatic section 7 consultation may occur 
at any time during the course of program implementation if: (1) The 
amount or extent of incidental take is exceeded; (2) new information 
reveals that the effects of the action may affect listed species or 
critical habitat in a manner or to an extent not previously considered; 
(3) if the identified action is subsequently modified in a manner that 
causes an effect to the listed species or critical habitat that was not 
considered in the biological opinion; or (4) if a new species is listed 
or critical habitat designated that may be affected by the identified 
action, consistent with our August 27, 2019, final rule revising 
portions of our regulations that implement section 7 of the Act (see 84 
FR 44976, pp. 84 FR 45017-45018). The biological opinion on the RMPs 
also describes some additional specific conditions concerning northern 
spotted owl demographics and barred owl management implementation under 
which reinitiation of consultation will be necessary (FWS 2016, pp. 
703-705).
    BLM incorporated key aspects of the recovery plan for the northern 
spotted owl into its RMPs, consistent with its authorities and 
resources. Important features of BLM's approach include:
     Overall impacts to extant northern spotted owls are 
minimized. Take of northern spotted owl territorial pairs or resident 
singles from timber harvest will be avoided to the greatest possible 
extent during the first 5 to 8 years of the RMPs as the barred owl 
removal experiment (FWS 2013) is conducted and evaluated. Subsequent 
effects to northern spotted owls would be metered out over time in the 
HLB and minimized in other land use allocations.
     If the barred owl removal experiment leads to a longer-
term barred owl management program, BLM will support such a program on 
the lands they manage. Barred owl management would help offset the 
adverse effects associated with the RMPs and is expected to result in a 
net positive impact on the recovery of northern spotted owls when 
considering the overall effect of the RMPs over the next 50 years.
     There will be a net increase in suitable habitat for 
northern spotted owls during the life of the RMPs due to forest 
ingrowth outpacing harvest, and the RMPs contain more reserve acres and 
habitat than the NWFP.
     As individual projects are proposed under these RMPs, BLM 
will consult at the project-specific level with the Service as 
necessary, providing assurances that jeopardy and adverse modification 
will be avoided and an opportunity to further minimize impacts to 
northern spotted owls as on-the-ground actions are designed and 
implemented.
     BLM will reinitiate section 7 consultation with the 
Service if the population projections for the northern spotted owl 
described in the biological opinion on the RMPs are not realized within 
the timeframes anticipated in the consultation.
    For these reasons, as described in its biological opinion issued to 
the BLM (FWS 2016, pp. 4-5), the Service expects an overall net 
improvement in northern spotted owl populations on BLM lands under the 
RMPs, including when taking into account any take or adverse impacts to 
northern spotted owls due to timber harvest, fuels management, 
recreation, and other activities occurring under the RMPs. Our analysis 
of the impacts on the lands within the HLB recognized that while this 
LUA was not intended to be relied upon for demographic support of 
northern spotted owls, the management direction under the RMPs includes 
provisions that would contribute to the further development of late-
successional habitat, including additional critical habitat PBFs, over 
time (FWS 2016, p. 553; 77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012, pp. 77 FR 71906-
71907). Although late-successional habitat within the HLB may not 
remain on the landscape for the long term, the presence of northern 
spotted owl habitat within the HLB in the short term would assist in 
northern spotted owl movement (PBF 4) across the landscape and could 
potentially provide refugia from barred owls while habitat continues to 
mature into more complex habitat and develop additional PBFs over time 
in reserved LUAs (FWS 2016, p. 553; 77 FR 71876, December 4, 2012, pp. 
77 FR 71906-71907).
    The spatial configuration of reserves; the management of those 
reserves to retain, promote, and develop northern spotted owl habitat; 
and the management and scheduling of timber sales within the HLB are 
all expected to provide for northern spotted owl dispersal between 
physiographic provinces and between and among large blocks of habitat 
designed to support clusters of reproducing northern spotted owls (FWS 
2016, p. 698). In particular, BLM refined their preferred alternative 
management approach to minimize the creation of strong barriers to 
northern spotted owl east-west movement and survival between the Oregon 
Coast Range and Oregon Western Cascades physiographic provinces, and 
north-south movement and survival between habitat blocks within the 
Oregon Coast Range province, by augmenting its allocation to LSRs in 
those areas (BLM 2016c, p. 17). Therefore, BLM-planned timber harvest 
during the interim period while a barred owl management strategy is 
considered is not expected to substantially influence the distribution 
of northern spotted owls at the local, action area, or rangewide 
scales.
    Of the designated critical habitat on BLM-managed lands in western 
Oregon addressed by the RMPs, 15 percent of critical habitat is 
designated on the HLB and 85 percent is designated on other LUAs. The 
HLB portion of the BLM landscape is expected to provide less 
contribution to northern spotted owl critical habitat over time, while 
the reserve portions of the BLM lands will provide the necessary 
contributions for northern spotted owl conservation (FWS 2016, p. 554). 
Although the loss of some or all the PBFs within northern spotted owl 
critical habitat within the HLB is an adverse effect and cannot be 
discounted, as we noted in the 2016 biological opinion on the RMPs (FWS 
2016, p. 691), the protection, ingrowth, and further development of 
PBFs within northern spotted owl critical habitat in reserve LUAs are 
expected to improve the function of all critical habitat units within 
the areas covered by the RMPs, and have the additional advantage of 
improving critical habitat conditions in areas where barred owl 
management is most likely to be implemented. Barred owl management, if 
implemented, would be most likely to occur where we anticipate the 
future core of the northern spotted owl population to reside and where 
critical habitat can provide the greatest value.
    Additionally, we noted that the functionality of the critical 
habitat network on BLM-managed lands and rangewide was anticipated to 
improve, in part as the land management agencies updated their land 
management plans to incorporate recommendations of the revised recovery 
plan (USFWS 2011, p. II-3). Accordingly, we found in our 2016 
biological opinion on the RMPs (FWS 2016, p. 700) that, even with the 
projected timber harvest in the HLB, the management direction 
implemented under the RMPs is fully consistent with the revised 
recovery plan (USFWS 2011) and would not appreciably diminish the 
conservation value of, or adversely modify, critical habitat (FWS 2016, 
p.

[[Page 48496]]

702). The conservation measures put in place by BLM's 2016 RMPs, 
including management direction for the LUAs and commitments to support 
barred owl research and management, are expected to result in a net 
increase in northern spotted owl conservation compared to the status 
quo. Therefore, we find that excluding the HLB acres from the critical 
habitat designation, as proposed in this document, would not reduce the 
overall conservation of the northern spotted owl and its habitat 
provided that the conservation measures in the RMPs are implemented as 
planned. We thus find that these exclusions would not result in 
extinction of the species.
    BLM will continue to rely on the effectiveness monitoring 
established under the NWFP for the northern spotted owl and late-
successional and old growth ecosystems. Monitoring will assess status 
and trends in northern spotted owl populations and habitat to evaluate 
whether the implementation of the RMPs is reversing the downward trend 
of populations and maintaining and restoring habitat necessary to 
support viable owl populations (BLM 2016a).
    In conclusion, the revised BLM RMPs provide for the conservation of 
the essential PBFs throughout the reserve LUAs and meters the impacts 
to northern spotted owl habitat in the HLB over time while the habitat 
conditions in the reserve LUAs improve through ingrowth. Based on our 
analysis in the biological opinion on the RMPs (FWS 2016, pp. 700-703) 
and the BLM's conclusions in its records of decision (RODs) adopting 
the RMPs, the conservation strategies in the RMPs are likely to be 
effective. These conservation measures will continue to be in effect 
regardless of whether the HLB areas are designated as critical habitat 
for the northern spotted owl. As described above, these HLB areas 
provide a relatively low level of short-term conservation value. 
Retaining them as designated critical habitat, which suggests that they 
have a conservation value similar or equal to that of the LSR lands, 
may send a confusing message to the public and local land managers. 
Also, all Federal actions in these HLB areas that may affect currently 
designated critical habitat would require section 7 consultation. These 
consultations provide no incremental conservation benefit over what is 
already provided for in the RMPs and thus would not be an efficient use 
of limited consultation and administrative resources. The benefits of 
including HLB areas within critical habitat for the northern spotted 
owl are, therefore, limited relative to the conservation value provided 
by the RMPs. Additionally, areas within the HLB that are determined to 
be occupied by the northern spotted owl under current survey protocols 
will still be subject to section 7 consultation to insure that actions 
in those areas are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of 
the species. Given these provisions and assurances, in conjunction with 
all of the other considerations discussed above, we conclude that the 
benefits of including these HLB areas in critical habitat are 
relatively negligible.
    On the other hand, some appreciable benefit could be realized by 
excluding HLB areas from critical habitat. Executive Order 12866 
directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches that reduce burdens 
and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for the public where 
these approaches are relevant, feasible, and consistent with regulatory 
objectives. Excluding HLB lands from the northern spotted owl critical 
habitat designation reduces the burden of additional section 7 
consultation for these lands that serve primarily to meet BLM's timber 
sale volume objectives. Therefore, excluding these HLB lands from the 
critical habitat designation would provide some incremental benefit by 
clarifying the primary role of these lands in relation to northern 
spotted owl conservation, and by eliminating any unnecessary regulatory 
oversight. These benefits of exclusion outweigh the relatively minimal 
benefit of retaining these lands as critical habitat.
    We note that there is ongoing litigation challenging BLM's 
management of O&C lands under the 2016 RMPs. In 2018, a Federal 
magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon 
(D. Or.) issued a Findings and Recommendation that upheld the 2016 RMPs 
and rejected plaintiffs' challenge that the plans violated the purposes 
listed in the O&C Act (Pacific Rivers v. Bernhardt (No. 6:16-cv-01598-
JR) (November 12, 2018)). The District Court subsequently adopted the 
magistrate's Findings and Recommendation, and the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the Ninth Circuit recently affirmed that decision (see Pacific 
Rivers v. BLM (No. 19-35384) (Memorandum, May 15, 2020)). In a separate 
proceeding, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia 
(D.D.C.), in a consolidated set of cases, recently found that the RMPs 
violate the O&C Act because BLM excluded portions of O&C timberland 
from sustained yield harvest (i.e., the BLM allocated some timberlands 
to reserves instead of the harvest land base); see, e.g., American 
Forest Resource Council et al. v. Steed (No. 16-1599-RJL) (Memorandum 
Opinion, November 22, 2019). The parties have briefed the court on the 
appropriate remedy, but the court has not yet issued an order.
    We considered this information in developing this proposed rule. 
This proposed rule is based on the 2016 RMPs as they are, and not as 
they may be modified in the future. While the litigation outcomes of 
the cases challenging the BLM's management of O&C lands are not certain 
and we will not speculate on the ultimate outcomes of the litigation, 
we acknowledge the potential for future reductions in the BLM's 
reserves and changes in the HLB. As discussed above, in the 
consolidated D.D.C. cases, the court has already found that the BLM 
violated the O&C Act by excluding portions of O&C timberlands from 
sustained yield timber harvest. Consequently, the HLB might change as a 
result of this litigation by remedy order of the court either with, or 
without, land use planning undertaken by BLM.
    National Forest System Lands--We evaluated whether exclusions from 
the critical habitat designation under section 4(b)(2) of the Act 
should be considered within the relatively small amount of O&C lands 
managed as National Forest System lands by USFS. Our preliminary 
analysis of potential areas to consider for exclusion revealed small 
areas of lower quality interspersed with higher quality habitat 
scattered across and imbedded within critical habitat subunits. 
Therefore, in coordination with USFS, we did not identify any National 
Forest System lands where we believed the benefits of exclusion 
outweighed the benefits of inclusion at the critical habitat unit 
mapping scale. In other words, our preliminary view is that formally 
excluding these lower quality areas from critical habitat would require 
significant mapping and analytical effort, and that it is unclear what 
economic or other administrative benefit might be derived from this 
process. To date, we have found all proposed timber harvest under the 
NWFP on National Forest System lands in critical habitat to: (1) Be 
compatible with northern spotted owl conservation, and (2) not destroy 
or adversely modify critical habitat. Therefore, we believe the ongoing 
section 7 consultation processes with USFS under its current land 
management plans continue to be the best way to evaluate effects of 
USFS actions on critical habitat function. We will continue to work 
closely with USFS to address the conservation needs of the northern 
spotted owl as the agency updates its various forest plans. We invite 
comments specifically

[[Page 48497]]

addressing National Forest System lands and the reasons why we should 
or should not exclude habitat on these lands as ``critical habitat'' 
under section 4(b)(2) of the Act. Comments should address the related 
benefits of including or excluding specific areas; whether the benefits 
of exclusion outweigh those of inclusion; and whether the exclusion 
will not result in the extinction of the species. Additionally, 
comments should address any probable economic, national security, or 
other relevant impacts of the designation on areas recommended for 
consideration for exclusion.
State Lands
    We also evaluated whether additional exclusions from the critical 
habitat designation under section 4(b)(2) of the Act should be 
considered on State lands. In our December 4, 2012, critical habitat 
designation (77 FR 71876), we excluded State lands in Washington and 
California that were covered by HCPs and other conservation plans. In 
Oregon, State agencies are currently working on HCPs that will address 
State forest lands in western Oregon, including the Elliott State 
Forest (managed by the Oregon Department of State Lands) and other 
State forest lands in western Oregon (managed by the Oregon Department 
of Forestry).
    HCPs necessary in support of incidental take permits under section 
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act provide for partnerships with non-Federal 
entities to minimize and mitigate impacts to listed species and their 
habitat. In some cases, as a result of their commitments in the HCPs, 
incidental take permittees agree to provide more conservation of the 
species and their habitats on private lands than designation of 
critical habitat would provide alone. We place great value on the 
partnerships that are developed during the preparation and 
implementation of HCPs.
    When we undertake a discretionary section 4(b)(2) exclusion 
analysis, we consider areas covered by an approved HCP, and generally 
exclude such areas from a designation of critical habitat if three 
conditions are met:
    (1) The permittee is properly implementing the HCP and is expected 
to continue to do so for the term of the agreement. An HCP is properly 
implemented if the permittee is, and has been, fully implementing the 
commitments and provisions in the HCP, implementing agreement, and 
permit.
    (2) The species for which critical habitat is designated is a 
covered species in the HCP, or very similar in its habitat requirements 
to a covered species. The recognition that the Service extends to such 
an agreement depends on the degree to which the conservation measures 
undertaken in the HCP would also protect the habitat features of the 
similar species.
    (3) The HCP specifically addresses the habitat of the species for 
which critical habitat is being designated and meets the conservation 
needs of the species in the planning area.
    The proposed State forest HCPs will not be completed prior to the 
publication of this document; thus, they do not yet fulfill the above 
criteria. As a result, we are not proposing additional State lands for 
exclusion from the critical habitat designation for the northern 
spotted owl. We may revisit consideration of 4(b)(2) exclusions on 
State lands when the HCPs have been adopted.

Required Determinations

Clarity of the Rule

    We are required by Executive Orders 12866 and 12988 and by the 
Presidential Memorandum of June 1, 1998, to write all rules in plain 
language. This means that each rule we publish must:
    (1) Be logically organized;
    (2) Use the active voice to address readers directly;
    (3) Use clear language rather than jargon;
    (4) Be divided into short sections and sentences; and
    (5) Use lists and tables wherever possible.
    If you believe that we have not met these requirements, send us 
comments by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. To better help us 
revise the rule, your comments should be as specific as possible. For 
example, you should tell us the numbers of the sections or paragraphs 
that are unclearly written, which sections or sentences are too long, 
the sections where you believe lists or tables would be useful, etc.

Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Orders 12866 and 13563)

    Executive Order 12866 provides that the Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) in the Office of Management and Budget will 
review all significant rules. The Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs has identified this proposed rule as a significant rule.
    Executive Order 13563 reaffirms the principles of E.O. 12866 while 
calling for improvements in the nation's regulatory system to promote 
predictability, to reduce uncertainty, and to use the best, most 
innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends. 
The executive order directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches 
that reduce burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for 
the public where these approaches are relevant, feasible, and 
consistent with regulatory objectives. E.O. 13563 emphasizes further 
that regulations must be based on the best available science and that 
the rulemaking process must allow for public participation and an open 
exchange of ideas. We have developed this proposed rule in a manner 
consistent with these requirements.

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA; 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), 
as amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 
1996 (SBREFA; 5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), whenever an agency is required to 
publish a notice of rulemaking for any proposed or final rule, it must 
prepare and make available for public comment a regulatory flexibility 
analysis that describes the effects of the rule on small entities 
(i.e., small businesses, small organizations, and small government 
jurisdictions). However, no regulatory flexibility analysis is required 
if the head of the agency certifies that the rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The SBREFA amended the RFA to require Federal agencies to provide a 
certification statement of the factual basis for certifying that the 
rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial 
number of small entities.
    According to the Small Business Administration, small entities 
include small organizations such as independent nonprofit 
organizations; small governmental jurisdictions, including school 
boards and city and town governments that serve fewer than 50,000 
residents; and small businesses (13 CFR 121.201). Small businesses 
include manufacturing and mining concerns with fewer than 500 
employees, wholesale trade entities with fewer than 100 employees, 
retail and service businesses with less than $5 million in annual 
sales, general and heavy construction businesses with less than $27.5 
million in annual business, special trade contractors doing less than 
$11.5 million in annual business, and agricultural businesses with 
annual sales less than $750,000. To determine whether potential 
economic impacts to these small entities are significant, we considered 
the types of activities that might trigger regulatory impacts under 
this revised designation as well as types

[[Page 48498]]

of project modifications that may result. In general, the term 
``significant economic impact'' is meant to apply to a typical small 
business firm's business operations.
    Under the RFA, as amended, and consistent with recent court 
decisions, Federal agencies are required to evaluate the potential 
incremental impacts of rulemaking on those entities directly regulated 
by the rulemaking itself; in other words, the RFA does not require 
agencies to evaluate the potential impacts to indirectly regulated 
entities. The regulatory mechanism through which critical habitat 
protections are realized is section 7 of the Act, which requires 
Federal agencies, in consultation with the Service, to ensure that any 
action authorized, funded, or carried out by the agency is not likely 
to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. Therefore, under 
section 7, only Federal action agencies are directly subject to the 
specific regulatory requirement (avoiding destruction and adverse 
modification) imposed by critical habitat designation. It follows that 
only Federal action agencies would be directly regulated if we adopt 
the proposed critical habitat designation. There is no requirement 
under the RFA to evaluate the potential impacts to entities not 
directly regulated. Moreover, Federal agencies are not small entities. 
Therefore, because no small entities would be directly regulated by 
this rulemaking, the Service certifies that, if made final as proposed, 
this revised critical habitat designation will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
Additionally, in this document, we are proposing to remove areas from 
the northern spotted owl's critical habitat designation, thus reducing 
regulatory impacts for affected Federal agencies.
    In summary, we have considered whether the proposed revised 
designation would result in a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. For the above reasons and based 
on currently available information, we certify that, if made final, 
this proposed revised critical habitat designation will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small business 
entities. Therefore, an initial regulatory flexibility analysis is not 
required.

Executive Order 13771

    This proposed rule is expected to be an E.O. 13771 (``Reducing 
Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs'') (82 FR 9339, February 3, 
2017) deregulatory action. The Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs has identified this as a significant rule under E.O. 12866.

Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use--Executive Order 13211

    Executive Order 13211 (Actions Concerning Regulations That 
Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use) requires 
agencies to prepare Statements of Energy Effects when undertaking 
certain actions. In our economic analysis for the December 4, 2012, 
revised critical habitat designation for the northern spotted owl (77 
FR 71876), we did not find that the critical habitat designation would 
significantly affect energy supplies, distribution, or use. Therefore, 
this action is not a significant energy action, and no Statement of 
Energy Effects is required.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.)

    In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 
et seq.), we make the following finding:
    (1) This proposed rule would not produce a Federal mandate. In 
general, a Federal mandate is a provision in legislation, statute, or 
regulation that would impose an enforceable duty upon State, local, or 
Tribal governments, or the private sector, and includes both ``Federal 
intergovernmental mandates'' and ``Federal private sector mandates.'' 
These terms are defined in 2 U.S.C. 658(5)-(7). ``Federal 
intergovernmental mandate'' includes a regulation that ``would impose 
an enforceable duty upon State, local, or Tribal governments'' with two 
exceptions. It excludes ``a condition of Federal assistance.'' It also 
excludes ``a duty arising from participation in a voluntary Federal 
program,'' unless the regulation ``relates to a then-existing Federal 
program under which $500,000,000 or more is provided annually to State, 
local, and Tribal governments under entitlement authority,'' if the 
provision would ``increase the stringency of conditions of assistance'' 
or ``place caps upon, or otherwise decrease, the Federal Government's 
responsibility to provide funding,'' and the State, local, or Tribal 
governments ``lack authority'' to adjust accordingly. At the time of 
enactment, these entitlement programs were: Medicaid; Aid to Families 
with Dependent Children work programs; Child Nutrition; Food Stamps; 
Social Services Block Grants; Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants; 
Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and Independent Living; Family 
Support Welfare Services; and Child Support Enforcement. ``Federal 
private sector mandate'' includes a regulation that ``would impose an 
enforceable duty upon the private sector, except (i) a condition of 
Federal assistance or (ii) a duty arising from participation in a 
voluntary Federal program.''
    The proposed revised designation of critical habitat does not 
impose a legally binding duty on non-Federal Government entities or 
private parties. Under the Act, the only regulatory effect of a 
critical habitat designation is that Federal agencies must ensure that 
their actions do not destroy or adversely modify critical habitat under 
section 7. While non-Federal entities that receive Federal funding, 
assistance, or permits, or that otherwise require approval or 
authorization from a Federal agency for an action, may be indirectly 
affected by the designation of critical habitat, the legally binding 
duty to avoid destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat 
rests squarely on the Federal agency. Furthermore, to the extent that 
non-Federal entities are indirectly affected by a designation decision 
because they receive Federal assistance or participate in a voluntary 
Federal aid program, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act would not apply, 
nor would such a decision shift the costs of the large entitlement 
programs listed above onto State governments. Again, the proposed 
decision here would remove areas from designation.
    (2) We do not believe that this rule would significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments because we are proposing only 
exclusions from the northern spotted owl's critical habitat 
designation; we are not proposing to designate additional lands as 
critical habitat for the species. Therefore, a Small Government Agency 
Plan is not required.

Takings--Executive Order 12630

    In accordance with E.O. 12630 (Government Actions and Interference 
with Constitutionally Protected Private Property Rights), we have 
analyzed the potential takings implications of revising designated 
critical habitat for the northern spotted owl in a takings implications 
assessment. The Act does not authorize the Service to regulate private 
actions on private lands or confiscate private property as a result of 
critical habitat designation. Designation of critical habitat does not 
affect land ownership, or establish any closures, or restrictions on 
use of or access to the designated areas. Furthermore, the designation 
of critical habitat does not affect landowner actions that do not 
require Federal funding or permits, nor does it preclude development of 
habitat conservation programs or issuance of incidental take permits to 
permit actions

[[Page 48499]]

that do require Federal funding or permits to go forward. However, 
Federal agencies are prohibited from carrying out, funding, or 
authorizing actions that would destroy or adversely modify critical 
habitat. A takings implications assessment has been completed for this 
proposed revision of the designation of critical habitat for the 
northern spotted owl, and it concludes that, if adopted, this revised 
designation of critical habitat does not pose significant takings 
implications for lands within or affected by the designation. Again, 
the proposed decision here would remove areas from designation.

Federalism--Executive Order 13132

    In accordance with E.O. 13132 (Federalism), this proposed rule does 
not have significant Federalism effects. A federalism summary impact 
statement is not required. From a federalism perspective, the 
designation of critical habitat directly affects only the 
responsibilities of Federal agencies. The Act imposes no other duties 
with respect to critical habitat, either for States and local 
governments, or for anyone else. As a result, the proposed rule does 
not have substantial direct effects either on the States, or on the 
relationship between the national government and the States, or on the 
distribution of powers and responsibilities among the various levels of 
government. As noted above, the proposed decision here would remove 
areas from designation.
    Where State and local governments require approval or authorization 
from a Federal agency for actions that may affect critical habitat, 
consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Act would be required. While 
non-Federal entities that receive Federal funding, assistance, or 
permits, or that otherwise require approval or authorization from a 
Federal agency for an action, may be indirectly impacted by the 
designation of critical habitat, the legally binding duty to avoid 
destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat rests squarely 
on the Federal agency. Further, in this document, we are proposing only 
exclusions from the northern spotted owl's critical habitat 
designation; we are not proposing to designate additional lands as 
critical habitat for the species.

Civil Justice Reform--Executive Order 12988

    In accordance with Executive Order 12988 (Civil Justice Reform), 
the Office of the Solicitor has determined that the rule would not 
unduly burden the judicial system and that it meets the requirements of 
sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of the Order. We have proposed revising 
designated critical habitat in accordance with the provisions of the 
Act. To assist the public in understanding the habitat needs of the 
species, the December 4, 2012, final rule (77 FR 71876) identifies the 
elements of physical or biological features essential to the 
conservation of the species, and we are not proposing any changes to 
those elements in this document. The areas we are proposing for 
exclusion from the designated critical habitat are described in this 
rule and the maps and coordinates or plot points or both of the subject 
areas are included in the administrative record and are available at 
http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo and at http://www.regulations.gov under 
Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2020-0050.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)

    This rule does not contain information collection requirements, and 
a submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) is not 
required. We may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently 
valid OMB control number.

National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)

    It is our position that, outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court 
of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (see Catron Cty. Bd. of Comm'rs, New 
Mexico v. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serv., 75 F.3d 1429 (10th Cir. 1996), we 
do not need to prepare environmental analyses pursuant to NEPA (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) in connection with designating critical habitat 
under the Act. We published a notice outlining our reasons for this 
determination in the Federal Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 
49244). This position was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Ninth Circuit in Douglas County v. Babbitt, 48 F.3d 1495 (9th Cir. 
1995).

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

    In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994 
(Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal 
Governments; 59 FR 22951), Executive Order 13175 (Consultation and 
Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments), and the Department of the 
Interior's manual at 512 DM 2, we readily acknowledge our 
responsibility to communicate meaningfully with recognized Federal 
Tribes on a government-to-government basis. In accordance with 
Secretarial Order 3206 of June 5, 1997 (American Indian Tribal Rights, 
Federal-Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered Species Act), 
we readily acknowledge our responsibilities to work directly with 
tribes in developing programs for healthy ecosystems, to acknowledge 
that Tribal lands are not subject to the same controls as Federal 
public lands, to remain sensitive to Indian culture, and to make 
information available to tribes. To fulfill our responsibility under 
Secretarial Order 3206, we have consulted with the Cow Creek Band of 
Umpqua Tribe of Indians (CCBUTI) and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, 
Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI), who both manage Tribal 
land within the areas designated as critical habitat for the northern 
spotted owl. We will continue to work with Tribal entities during the 
development of a final rule for the revised designation of critical 
habitat for the northern spotted owl.

References Cited

    A complete list of references cited in this rulemaking is available 
on the internet at http://www.regulations.gov and upon request from the 
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Authors

    The primary authors of this proposed rule are the staff members of 
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

    Authority: This action is authorized under 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 
1531-1544; and 4201-4245.

George Wallace,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2020-15675 Filed 8-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P