[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 85177-85178]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26853]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 245]
RIN 1018-BE77


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species 
Status for the Toothless Blindcat and the Widemouth Blindcat; Extension 
of Comment Period

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
reopening the comment period on our August 22, 2023, proposed rule to 
list the toothless blindcat (Trogloglanis pattersoni) and widemouth 
blindcat (Satan eurystomus), two cavefish species from the Edwards 
Aquifer in Bexar County, Texas, as endangered species under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are reopening the 
proposed rule's comment period to give all interested parties an 
additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. Comments 
previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they are already 
incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in our 
final determinations.

DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule that published August 
22, 2023, at 88 FR 57046, is reopened. We will accept comments received 
or postmarked on or before January 8, 2024. Comments submitted using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received 
by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069, 
which is the docket number for the August 22, 2023, proposed rule and 
this document. 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 the correct 
document. You may submit a comment by clicking on ``Comment.''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments 
Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: PRB/3W, 5275

[[Page 85178]]

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).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Myers, Field Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, 
1505 Ferguson Lane, Austin, TX 78754; telephone 512-937-7371. 
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 should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in 
the United States. Please see Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069 on https://www.regulations.gov for a document that summarizes the August 22, 
2023, proposed rule.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On August 22, 2023, we published a proposed rule (88 FR 57046) to 
list the toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat as endangered 
species under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The proposed rule 
opened a 60-day comment period, ending October 23, 2023. On October 12, 
2023, we received a request to extend the public comment period. With 
this document, we reopen the public comment period for an additional 30 
days, as specified above in DATES.
    For a description of previous Federal actions concerning the 
toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat and information on the types 
of comments that would be helpful to us in making final determinations 
on our proposal, please refer to the August 22, 2023, proposed rule (88 
FR 57046 at 57046-57047).

Public Comments

    We will accept written comments and information during the reopened 
comment period on our August 22, 2023, proposed rule to list the 
toothless blindcat and widemouth blindcat. We will consider information 
and recommendations from all interested parties. We intend that any 
final action resulting from the proposal will be based on the best 
scientific and commercial data available and will be as accurate and as 
effective as possible. Our final determinations will take into 
consideration all comments and any additional information we receive 
during both comment periods on the proposed rule.
    Because we will consider all comments and information we receive 
during both open comment periods, our final determinations may differ 
from our August 22, 2023, proposed rule (88 FR 57046). Based on the new 
information we receive (and, if relevant, any comments on that new 
information), we may conclude that one or both of the species is 
threatened instead of endangered, or we may conclude that one or both 
of the species does not warrant listing as either an endangered species 
or a threatened species. In our final rule, we will clearly explain our 
rationale and the basis for our final decisions, including why we made 
changes, if any, that differ from the August 22, 2023, proposal.
    If you already submitted comments or information on the August 22, 
2023, proposed rule, 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 
determinations.
    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 that determinations as to whether any species is an endangered 
species or a threatened species must be made ``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. 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 at FWS-R2-ES-2023-0069.

Authors

    The primary authors of this document are the staff members of the 
Fish and Wildlife Service's Species Assessment Team and the Austin 
Ecological Services Field Office.

Authority

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

Martha Williams,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-26853 Filed 12-6-23; 8:45 am]
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