[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 245 (Friday, December 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 88587-88588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28261]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[Docket No.: 231120-0274]
RIN 0648-BJ52
Endangered and Threatened Species; Critical Habitat for the
Threatened Indo-Pacific Corals, Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearings.
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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, will hold seven public hearings related to our
proposed rule to designate critical habitat for five threatened corals
in U.S. waters in the Indo-Pacific (Acropora globiceps, Acropora
retusa, Acropora speciosa, Euphyllia paradivisa, and Isopora
crateriformis) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
DATES: Please see Public Hearings in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section
for date information. Comments on the proposed rule (88 FR 83644,
November 30, 2023) must be received by February 28, 2024. Comments
received after this date may not be accepted.
ADDRESSES: The addresses for the venues of the in-person hearings and
instructions for joining the virtual hearing are provided below.
Guam Public Hearing: Lotte Hotel Guam, 185 Gun Beach Road,
Tamuning, 96913 Guam.
Saipan Public Hearing: Crowne Plaza Resort, Coral Tree
Ave., Garapan, Saipan, CNMI 96950.
Tinian Public Hearing: Tinian Elementary School, 8th
Avenue, San Jose, Tinian, CNMI 96952.
Rota Public Hearing: Northern Marianas College Rota
Campus, Song Song Village, Rota, CNMI 96951.
Tutuila Public Hearing #1: Tradewinds Hotel, Tafuna,
Western District, American Samoa 96799.
Tutuila Public Hearing #2: Rex H. Lee Auditorium, Utulei,
Eastern District, American Samoa 96799.
Virtual Hearing: This hearing will be conducted as a Webex
meeting. You may join the Webex meeting using a web browser, the Webex
desktop app (app installation required), a mobile app on a phone (app
installation required), or audio-only using just a phone call, as
specified below.
[cir] To join the hearing, click on the link https://noaanmfs-meets.webex.com/noaanmfs-meets/j.php?MTID=mce25d9e1660a3b2fcd5133fb38aaac55.
[cir] Webinar number (access code): 2763 694 3109 Webinar password:
kPRDGpXS246 (57734797 from phones and video systems).
[cir] Join from a mobile device (attendees only) +1-415-527-5035,
27636943109# 57734797#.
You may submit comments verbally or in writing at the public
hearings, or in writing by any of the following methods:
Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NOAA-NMFS-2016-0131-0070, complete the
required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
Mail: Lance Smith, Protected Resources Division, NMFS,
Pacific Islands Regional Office, NOAA Inouye Regional Center, 1845 Wasp
Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818.
Instructions: You must submit comments by one of the previously
described methods to ensure that we receive, document, and consider
them. Comments sent by any other method, to any other address or
individual, or received after the end of the comment period, may not be
considered. All comments received are a part of the public record and
will generally be posted to https://www.regulations.gov without change.
All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address, etc.)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do
not submit confidential business information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
NMFS will accept anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required
fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lance Smith, NMFS, Pacific Islands
Regional Office, at [email protected] or 808-725-5131.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On November 30, 2023, NMFS proposed to designate critical habitat
for five Indo-Pacific corals listed as threatened under the ESA within
U.S. waters in Guam, CNMI, American Samoa, the Pacific Remote Island
Area (PRIA) and Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea Marine National Monument
(MNM) in Hawai'i (88 FR 83644). The five species are Acropora
globiceps, A. retusa, A. speciosa, Euphyllia paradivisa, and Isopora
crateriformis. Proposed coral critical habitat consists of substrate
and water column habitat characteristics essential for the
reproduction, recruitment, growth, and maturation of the listed corals.
Proposed critical habitat consists of 16 island units. There are
four units in American Samoa (Tutuila, Ofu-Olosega, Ta`u, Rose Atoll),
eight in CNMI (Rota, Aguijan, Tinian, Saipan, Alamagan, Pagan, Maug
Islands, Uracas), two in PRIA (Palmyra and Johnston Atolls), one in
Guam, and one in Papahanaumokuakea MNM (Lalo, also known as French
Frigate Shoals). Between one and five listed corals occur within each
unit. The following areas were deemed ineligible for proposed critical
habitat because they are within areas covered by final Department of
Defense Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans that are likely
to benefit listed corals: parts of Guam, parts of Tinian, all of
Farallon de Medinilla, and all of Wake Atoll (88 FR 83644, November 30,
2023).
Critical habitat protections apply only to Federal actions under
section 7 of the ESA; activities that are not funded, authorized, or
carried out by a Federal agency are not subject to these protections.
The proposed rule and other materials prepared in support of this
action, including maps showing the proposed critical habitat, are
available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/proposed-rule-designate-critical-habitat-threatened-indo-pacific-corals. We are
accepting public comments on the proposed rule through a 90-day public
comment period, which ends on February 28, 2024 (see ADDRESSES for
instructions on how to submit a public comment).
[[Page 88588]]
Public Hearings
Public hearings on the proposed rule to designate critical habitat
for the five threatened Indo-Pacific corals will be held on the
following dates in the evening hours of the affected jurisdictions
(Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI),
American Samoa, Hawai`i). Times are given in Chamorro Standard Time
(ChST), Samoa Standard Time (SST), and Hawai`i Standard Time (HST). For
the six in-person hearings, doors will open at 5:30 p.m. local time, an
information meeting by NOAA Fisheries staff will begin at 6 p.m. local
time, and the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. local time, as
specified below. For the virtual hearing, an information meeting by
NOAA Fisheries staff will begin at 6 p.m. HST, and the public hearing
will begin at 7 p.m. HST. Addresses for the venues of the in-person
hearings and instructions for joining the virtual hearing are provided
under ADDRESSES.
Guam: A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, January
16, 2024, at the Lotte Hotel Guam. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. ChST,
the information meeting will begin at 6 p.m. ChST, and the public
hearing will begin at 7 p.m. ChST.
CNMI, Saipan: A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday,
January 18, 2024, at the Crowne Plaza Resort. Doors will open at 5:30
p.m. ChST, the information meeting will begin at 6 p.m. ChST, and the
public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. ChST.
CNMI, Tinian: A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday,
January 23, 2024, at the Tinian Elementary School. Doors will open at
5:30 p.m. ChST, the information meeting will begin at 6 p.m. ChST, and
the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. ChST.
CNMI, Rota: A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday,
January 25, 2024, at the Northern Marianas College. Doors will open at
5:30 p.m. ChST, the information meeting will begin at 6 p.m. ChST, and
the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. ChST.
American Samoa, Tutuila #1: A public hearing is scheduled
for Thursday, January 18, 2024, at the Tradewinds Hotel. Doors will
open at 5:30 p.m. SST, the information meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
SST, and the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. SST.
American Samoa, Tutuila #2: A public hearing is scheduled
for Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at the Rex H. Lee Auditorium. Doors will
open at 5:30 p.m. SST, the information meeting will begin at 6 p.m.
SST, and the public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. SST.
A virtual hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, February 7,
2024. The information meeting will begin at 6 p.m. HST, and the public
hearing will begin at 7 p.m. HST.
Six of the public hearings will be conducted in-person and the
final hearing will be conducted online as a Webex meeting, as specified
in ADDRESSES above. The hearings will begin with a brief presentation
by NMFS that gives an overview of critical habitat under the ESA and a
summary of proposed coral critical habitat in Guam, CNMI, American
Samoa, PRIA, and Papah[amacr]naumoku[amacr]kea MNM. After the
presentation but before public comments, there will be a question and
answer session during which members of the public may ask NMFS staff
clarifying questions about the proposed coral critical habitat.
Following the question and answer session, members of the public
will have the opportunity to provide oral comments on the record
regarding the proposed coral critical habitat. Members of the public
will also have the opportunity to submit written comments at the
hearings. Written comments may also be submitted at any time during the
relevant public comment period as described above (see DATES and
ADDRESSES). All oral comments will be recorded, transcribed, and added
to the public comment record for this proposed rule.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: December 19, 2023.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-28261 Filed 12-21-23; 8:45 am]
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