[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 227 (Monday, November 28, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 72958-72959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25918]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket Nos. FWS-R4-ES-2022-0104, FWS-R4-ES-2022-0116, FWS-R4-ES-
20220125, FWS-R4-ES-2022-0022; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 234]
RINs 1018-BG24; 1018-BE51; 1018-BE48; 1018-BE84


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extending the 
Comment Periods for Four Proposed Rules

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rules; extension of the comment periods.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce 
that we are extending the comment periods for four proposed rules under 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. On September 27, 
2022, we published a proposed rule to list the Florida Keys mole skink 
(Plestiodon egregius egregius) as a threatened species with a rule 
issued under section 4(d) of the Act and to designate its critical 
habitat. On October 14, 2022, we published proposed rules to designate 
critical habitat for Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis (Big Pine 
partridge pea), Chamaesyce deltoidea ssp. serpyllum (wedge spurge), 
Linum arenicola (sand flax), and Argythamnia blodgettii (Blodgett's 
silverbush); to designate critical habitat for Sideroxylon reclinatum 
ssp. austrofloridense (Everglades bully), Digitaria pauciflora (Florida 
pineland crabgrass), Chamaesyce deltoidea ssp. pinetorum (pineland 
sandmat), and Dalea carthagenensis var. floridana (Florida prairie-
clover); to list the Key ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus 
acricus) and the rim rock crowned snake (Tantilla oolitica) as 
endangered species, and to designate critical habitat for the Key ring-
necked snake and the rim rock crowned snake. We are extending the 
comment period for each of these proposed rules to allow all interested 
parties additional time to comment on the proposed rules following the 
impacts of Hurricane Ian. Comments previously submitted need not be 
resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparing the final 
determinations.

DATES: The comment periods for the proposed rules published on 
September 27, 2022, at 87 FR 58648, and on October 14, 2022, at 87 FR 
62502, 87 FR 62564, and 87 FR 62614 are extended. We will accept 
comments received or postmarked on or before January 12, 2023. 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.

ADDRESSES: 
    Availability of documents: You may obtain copies of the proposed 
rules and associated documents on the internet at https://www.regulations.gov under the appropriate docket number (see Table 1, 
below).
    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 appropriate docket 
number (see table 1, below). 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.'' 
Please ensure you have found the correct document before submitting 
your comments. If your comments will fit in the provided comment box, 
please use this feature of https://www.regulations.gov, as it is most 
compatible with our comment review procedures. If you attach your 
comments as a separate document, our preferred file format is Microsoft 
Word. If you attach multiple comments (such as form letters), our 
preferred format is a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments 
Processing, Attn: [Insert appropriate docket number; see table 1, 
below], 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 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below, for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lourdes Mena, Division Manager, 
Classification and Recovery, Florida Ecological Services Field Office, 
7915 Baymeadows Way, Suite 200, Jacksonville, FL 32256-7517; 
[email protected]; telephone 904-731-3134. Individuals in the United 
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech 
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United 
States

[[Page 72959]]

should use the relay services offered within their country to make 
international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

                                               Table 1--List of Proposed Rules Extended for Public Comment
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           Proposed rule title                                Federal Register citation                                      Docket No.
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Florida Keys Mole Skink Threatened         87 FR 58648; September 27, 2022...............................  FWS-R4-ES-2022-0104
 Species Status and Critical Habitat
 Designation.
Big Pine Partridge Pea, Wedge Spurge,      87 FR 62502; October 14, 2022.................................  FWS-R4-ES-2022-0116
 Sand Flax, and Blodgett's Silverbush
 Critical Habitat Designation.
Everglades Bully, Florida Pineland         87 FR 62564; October 14, 2022.................................  FWS-R4-ES-2022-0125
 Crabgrass, Pineland Sandmat, and Florida
 Prairie-Clover Critical Habitat
 Designation.
Key Ring-Necked Snake and Rim Rock         87 FR 62614; October 14, 2022.................................  FWS-R4-ES-2022-0022
 Crowned Snake Endangered Species Status
 and Critical Habitat Designation.
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    On September 27, 2022, we published a proposed rule to list the 
Florida Keys mole skink as a threatened species under the Act (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) with a proposed 4(d) rule, and to designate its 
critical habitat (87 FR 58648). The proposed rule established a 60-day 
public comment period, ending November 28, 2022. We are extending this 
comment period until January 12, 2023. Please refer to the proposed 
rule for more information on our proposed actions and the specific 
information we seek.
    On October 14, 2022, we published proposed rules to designate 
critical habitat for Big Pine partridge pea, wedge spurge, sand flax, 
and Blodgett's silverbush (87 FR 62502); to designate critical habitat 
for Everglades bully, Florida pineland crabgrass, pineland sandmat, and 
Florida prairie-clover (87 FR 62564); to list the Key ring-necked snake 
and rim rock crowned snake as endangered species, and to designate 
critical habitat for the Key ring-necked snake and the rim rock crowned 
snake (87 FR 62614). The proposed rules established a 60-day public 
comment period, ending December 13, 2022. We are extending these 
comment periods until January 12, 2023. Please refer to the proposed 
rules for more information on our proposed actions and the specific 
information we seek.
    On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall along the 
southwest Florida coast. Due to the impacts from the hurricane and the 
ongoing recovery efforts, the Service received multiple requests for 
additional time to review and comment on the proposed rules. We are 
therefore extending the comment period for these proposed rules (see 
table 1) by a minimum of an additional 30 days, until January 12, 2023.
    If you already submitted comments or information on the September 
27, 2022 (87 FR 58648) and October 14, 2022 (87 FR 62502, 87 FR 62564, 
87 FR 62614) proposed rules, please do not resubmit them. Any such 
comments are incorporated as part of the public record of the 
rulemaking proceeding, and we will fully consider them in the 
preparation of our final determination.
    Comments should be as specific as possible. 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 assert. 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 determination, as section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act 
directs us to make determinations as to whether any species is an 
endangered species or a threatened species ``solely on the basis of the 
best scientific and commercial data available.''
    You may submit your comments and materials 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 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.

Authors

    The primary authors of this document are the Ecological Services 
staff of the Southeast Regional Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Authority

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

Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-25918 Filed 11-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P