[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 11, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1390-1391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00322]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2020-0109; FF09E22000 FXES11130900000 223]
RIN 1018-BC98


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of 23 
Extinct Species From the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
and Plants; Ivory-Billed Woodpecker

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period and announcement of 
public hearing.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
reopening the public comment period on our September 30, 2021, proposal 
to remove the ivory-billed woodpecker from the Federal Lists of 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List) due to extinction. 
We are taking this action to conduct a public hearing on the proposal 
to remove the ivory-billed woodpecker from the List and to allow all 
interested parties additional time to comment on the proposed rule to 
delist the ivory-billed woodpecker (docket number: FWS-R4-ES-2020-
0109). Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will 
be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. This comment 
period reopening is only for the ivory-billed woodpecker proposed 
delisting; we are not taking any comments in regard to the other 22 
species proposed in the same rule, for which the comment periods closed 
on November 29, 2021.

DATES: 
    Written comments: The comment period on the proposed rule that 
published September 30, 2021 (86 FR 54298), is reopened only for the 
ivory-billed woodpecker proposed delisting. We will accept comments on 
the ivory-billed woodpecker proposed delisting that are received or 
postmarked on or before February 10, 2022. Please note that 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, and comments submitted by U.S. mail must be postmarked by 
that date, to ensure consideration.
    Public hearing: On January 26, 2021, we will hold a public hearing 
on the ivory-billed woodpecker proposed delisting from 6:00 to 7:30 
p.m., Central Time, using the Zoom platform (for more information, see 
Public Hearing, below).

ADDRESSES: 
    Availability of documents: You may obtain copies of the September 
30, 2021, proposed rule and associated documents on the internet at 
https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2020-0109.
    Written comments: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter the RIN or docket number, 
which

[[Page 1391]]

are displayed in the initial headings of this document. For best 
results, do not copy and paste the RIN or docket number; instead, type 
the RIN or docket number into the Search box using hyphens. 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, click on the 
Proposed Rule box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by 
clicking on ``Comment.'' Please ensure you have located the correct 
document before submitting your comments.
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments 
Processing, Attn: FWS-R4-ES-2020-0109, 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 https://www.regulations.gov. This 
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide 
us (see Public Comments, below, for more information).
    Public hearing: The public hearing will be held virtually using the 
Zoom platform. See Public Hearing, below, for more information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Maclin, Branch of Delisting 
and Foreign Species, Ecological Services Program, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: ES, Falls Church, VA 22041; 
telephone 703-358-2646. If you use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf, call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On September 30, 2021, we published a proposed rule (86 FR 54298) 
to remove 23 species from the Federal Lists of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife and Plants due to extinction. The proposed rule 
opened a 60-day public comment period, ending November 29, 2021. During 
the open comment period, we received a request for a public hearing on 
the proposal to remove the ivory-billed woodpecker from the List. 
Therefore, we are announcing a public hearing and a reopening of the 
comment period (see DATES, above) to allow the public an additional 
opportunity to provide comments on the proposed rule to delist the 
ivory-billed woodpecker.
    For a description of previous Federal actions concerning the ivory-
billed woodpecker and information on the types of comments that would 
be helpful to us in promulgating this rulemaking action, please refer 
to the September 30, 2021, proposed rule (86 FR 54298).

Public Hearing

    We are holding a public hearing to accept comments on the proposed 
rule to delist the ivory-billed woodpecker on the date and at the time 
listed in DATES. We are holding the public hearing via the Zoom online 
video platform and via teleconference so that participants can attend 
remotely. For security purposes, registration is required. All 
participants must register in order to listen and view the hearing via 
Zoom, listen to the hearing by telephone, or provide oral public 
comments at the hearing by Zoom or telephone. For information on how to 
register, or if technical problems occur joining Zoom on the day of the 
hearing, visit https://www.fws.gov/service-proposes-to-delist-ivory-billed-woodpecker. Registrants will receive the Zoom link and the 
telephone number for the public hearing. If applicable, interested 
members of the public not familiar with the Zoom platform should view 
the Zoom video tutorials (https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-video-tutorials) prior to the public hearing.
    The public hearing will provide interested parties an opportunity 
to present verbal testimony (formal, oral comments) regarding the 
September 30, 2021, proposed rule to remove the ivory-billed woodpecker 
from the List due to extinction (86 FR 54298). The public hearing will 
not be an opportunity for dialogue with the Service, but rather a forum 
for accepting formal verbal testimony. In the event there is a large 
attendance, the time allotted for oral statements may be limited. 
Therefore, anyone wishing to make an oral statement at the public 
hearing for the record is encouraged to provide a prepared written copy 
of their statement to us through the Federal eRulemaking Portal or U.S. 
mail (see ADDRESSES, above). There are no limits on the length of 
written comments submitted to us. Anyone wishing to make an oral 
statement at the public hearing must register before the hearing 
(https://www.fws.gov/service-proposes-to-delist-ivory-billed-woodpecker). The use of a virtual public hearing is consistent with our 
regulations at 50 CFR 424.16(c)(3).

Reasonable Accommodation

    The Service is committed to providing access to the public hearing 
for all participants. Closed captioning will be available during the 
public hearing. Further, a full audio and video recording and 
transcript of the public hearing will be posted online at https://www.fws.gov/service-proposes-to-delist-ivory-billed-woodpecker after 
the hearing. Participants will also have access to live audio during 
the public hearing via their telephone or computer speakers. Persons 
with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations to participate in 
the meeting and/or hearing should contact the person listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT at least 5 business days prior to the date 
of the meeting and hearing to help ensure availability. An accessible 
version of the Service's public informational meeting presentation will 
also be posted online at https://www.fws.gov/service-proposes-to-delist-ivory-billed-woodpecker prior to the meeting and hearing (see 
DATES, above). See https://www.fws.gov/service-proposes-to-delist-ivory-billed-woodpecker for more information about reasonable 
accommodation.

Public Comments

    If you submit information via https://www.regulations.gov, your 
entire submission--including your personal identifying information--
will be posted on the website. If your submission is made via a 
hardcopy that includes personal identifying information, you may 
request at the top of your document that we withhold this information 
from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able 
to do so. We will post all hardcopy submissions on https://www.regulations.gov.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, will be available 
for public inspection on https://www.regulations.gov.

Authors

    The primary authors of this document are the staff members of the 
Branch of Delisting and Foreign Species, Ecological Services Program.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Martha Williams,
Principal Deputy Director, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the 
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-00322 Filed 1-10-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P