[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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