[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46822-46824]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11758]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0215; FXES1111090FEDR-245-FF09E21000]
RIN 1018-BH68


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision of the 
Critical Habitat Designation for the Jaguar in Compliance With a Court 
Order

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are issuing 
this final rule to comply with a court order to vacate Subunit 4b and a 
portion of Unit 3 in Arizona from the March 5, 2014, final rule 
designating lands in Arizona as critical habitat for the jaguar 
(Panthera onca) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(Act). In compliance with the court order, this final rule removes 
approximately 64,797 acres (26,222 hectares) of land within Arizona 
from the designation of critical habitat for the jaguar. The remaining 
total acreage of designated critical habitat for the jaguar is 
approximately 640,124 acres (259,049 hectares) in Pima, Santa Cruz, and 
Cochise Counties, Arizona.

DATES: This rule is effective May 30, 2024. However, the court order 
had legal effect immediately upon being filed on August 11, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Whitlaw, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 9828 North 31st Avenue #C3, Phoenix, AZ 85051; 
telephone: 602-242-0210; email at [email protected]. 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Previous Federal Actions

    On March 5, 2014, we published in the Federal Register (79 FR 
12572) a final rule designating approximately 764,207 acres (309,263 
hectares) of land in New Mexico and Arizona as critical habitat for the 
jaguar under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The jaguar's critical 
habitat designation is set forth in our regulations in title 50 of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Sec.  17.95(a) (50 CFR 17.95(a)). 
Please see the March 5, 2014, final rule for a complete discussion of 
previous Federal actions pertaining to this designation.
    On July 22, 2021, we published in the Federal Register (86 FR 
38570) a final rule revising the critical habitat designation for the 
jaguar in compliance with a different court order to remove Unit 6 and 
the New Mexico portion of Unit 5 from the designation. In that final 
rule, we erroneously stated that the rule removed approximately 110,438 
acres (44,693 hectares) of land within New Mexico from the designation 
of critical habitat for the jaguar. On February 2, 2022, we published a 
correction in the Federal Register (87 FR 5737); the correction stated 
that the July 22, 2021, rule removed 59,286 acres (23,993 hectares) in 
New Mexico from the designation of critical habitat for the jaguar.

Background

    In 2016, we issued a biological opinion, as required under the Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1536), regarding the development of a copper mine by the 
Rosemont Copper Company (Rosemont) on lands administered by the 
Coronado National Forest. The action area of the proposed mine and 
associated infrastructure included portions of the critical habitat 
designation for the jaguar, specifically portions of Unit 3 and Subunit 
4b. In our biological opinion, we found that the proposed mine was not 
likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the jaguar or result in 
the destruction or adverse modification of its critical habitat.
    On September 25, 2017, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a 
lawsuit against the Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The Center for 
Biological Diversity alleged that we violated the Act and the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA; 5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) in concluding 
that the mine would not destroy or adversely modify the designated 
critical habitat. Rosemont intervened and filed a crossclaim 
challenging the March 5, 2014, final rule's designation of Subunit 4b 
and a portion of Unit 3 in the Santa Rita Mountains as critical habitat 
for the jaguar. On February 10, 2020, the Arizona district court denied 
in part and affirmed in part the Service's critical habitat 
designation. As part of its decision, the district court found that we 
erred in designating Unit 3 as occupied critical habitat but granted 
summary judgement in favor of designating Unit 3 and subunit 4B as 
unoccupied critical habitat.
    Rosemont appealed the district court decision to the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On May 17, 2023, the appellate court 
affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the district 
court and remanded the relevant portions of the jaguar critical habitat 
rule for proceedings consistent with its decision. See Ctr. for 
Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv., 67 F.4th 1027 
(May 17, 2023), which is available in Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2023-0215 on 
https://www.regulations.gov. Upon remand, on August 11, 2023, the 
Arizona district court ordered the Service to vacate a portion of Unit 
3 and all of Subunit 4b as critical habitat. This rule implements the 
district court's August 11, 2023, order.

Administrative Procedure

    This rulemaking is necessary to comply with the August 11, 2023, 
court order remanding to the agency to vacate the critical habitat 
designations challenged by Rosemont. Therefore, under these 
circumstances, the Service Director (Director) has determined, pursuant 
to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), that prior notice and opportunity for public 
comment are impracticable and unnecessary. Because the court order had 
legal effect immediately upon being filed on August 11, 2023, the 
Director has further determined, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), that 
the agency has good cause to make this rule effective immediately upon 
publication.

Effects of the Rule

    This rule is an administrative action to remove approximately 
64,797 acres (26,222 hectares) of land within Arizona from the jaguar's 
critical habitat designation at 50 CFR 17.95(a).

[[Page 46823]]

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Plants, 
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Transportation, Wildlife.

Regulation Amendment

    Accordingly, we amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 
of the Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth below.

PART 17--ENDANGERED AND THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 1531-1544; and 4201-4245, 
unless otherwise noted.


0
2. Amend Sec.  17.95, in paragraph (a), in the entry for ``Jaguar 
(Panthera onca)'', by revising paragraphs (5) and (6), to read as 
follows:


Sec.  17.95  Critical habitat--fish and wildlife.

    (a) * * *
* * * * *
Jaguar (Panthera onca)
* * * * *
    (5) Note: Index map follows:
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR30MY24.016

    (6) Units 1, 2, 3, and 4: Baboquivari, Atascosa, Patagonia, and 
Whetstone Units, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties, Arizona. Map 
of Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 follows:

[[Page 46824]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR30MY24.017

* * * * *

Martha Williams,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-11758 Filed 5-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-C