United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States National Archives and Records Administration Office of the Federal Register author aut Government Organization text government publication eng FR Regulatory Information 2017_register executive 2017-08-17 article Part II Rules and Regulations D09002ee1c7f114f1 D09002ee1c7f115a1 United States Department of Commerce originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration originator org United States Government Agency or Subagency We (NMFS) are issuing this final rule to designate critical habitat for the threatened Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered New York Bight DPS of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered Chesapeake Bay DPS of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon and the endangered South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 244 kilometers (km; 152 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts: Penobscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Piscataqua, Cocheco, Salmon Falls, and Merrimack. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the New York Bight DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 547 km (340 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware: Connecticut, Housatonic, Hudson, and Delaware. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the Chesapeake Bay DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 773 km (480 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia: Potomac, Rappahannock, York, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, James, Nanticoke, and the following other water body: Marshyhope Creek. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 1,939 km (1,205 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of North Carolina and South Carolina: Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico, Neuse, Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear, Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, Santee, North Santee, South Santee, and Cooper, and the following other water body: Bull Creek. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 2,883 km (1,791 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida: Edisto, Combahee-Salkehatchie, Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Satilla, and St. Marys Rivers. 82 FR 39160 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-08-17/2017-17207 2017-17207 fr17au17-17 RIN 0648-BF28 3510-22-P Docket No. 150818735-7452-02 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-08-17/2017-17207 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-08-17/html/2017-17207.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-08-17/pdf/2017-17207.pdf Endangered and Threatened Species 115 p. 39160 39274 82 FR 39160 Title 50 Part 226 50 CFR Part 226 RIN 0648-BF28 Endangered and Threatened Species; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Endangered New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina and South Atlantic Distinct Population Segments of Atlantic Sturgeon and the Threatened Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Sturgeon; Federal Register Vol. 82, Issue RULE 2017-17207 II DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 2017-09-18 Docket No. 150818735-7452-02 3510-22-P 2017-17207 Final rule.

We (NMFS) are issuing this final rule to designate critical habitat for the threatened Gulf of Maine distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered New York Bight DPS of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered Chesapeake Bay DPS of Atlantic sturgeon, the endangered Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon and the endangered South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 244 kilometers (km; 152 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts: Penobscot, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Piscataqua, Cocheco, Salmon Falls, and Merrimack. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the New York Bight DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 547 km (340 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware: Connecticut, Housatonic, Hudson, and Delaware. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the Chesapeake Bay DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 773 km (480 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia: Potomac, Rappahannock, York, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, James, Nanticoke, and the following other water body: Marshyhope Creek. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the Carolina DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 1,939 km (1,205 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of North Carolina and South Carolina: Roanoke, Tar-Pamlico, Neuse, Cape Fear, Northeast Cape Fear, Waccamaw, Pee Dee, Black, Santee, North Santee, South Santee, and Cooper, and the following other water body: Bull Creek. Specific occupied areas designated as critical habitat for the South Atlantic DPS of Atlantic sturgeon contain approximately 2,883 km (1,791 miles) of aquatic habitat in the following rivers of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida: Edisto, Combahee-Salkehatchie, Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Satilla, and St. Marys Rivers.

This rule becomes effective September 18, 2017. Lynn Lankshear, NMFS, GARFO at the Endangered and Threatened Species Endangered and Threatened Species: Designation of Critical Habitat for Endangered New York Bight, Chesapeake Bay, Carolina and South Atlantic Distinct Population Segments of Atlantic Sturgeon and Threatened Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Sturgeon , http://collections.naturalsciences.org/ http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/sturgeon/index.html http://southeastaquatics.net/sarps-programs/sifn/instream-flow-resources/river-classification-framework-2 http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ http://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/prplans/ID294.html http://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/prplans/ID336.html http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/PermittingCompliance/VPDESPermitActions.aspx#Chesterfield http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/coastal/dnerr/documents/benthic4plet.pdf http://www.exeloncorp.com/locations/ferc-license-renewals/Conowingo/Pages/Documents.aspx http://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/ http://www.marisdata.org/ https://www.epa.gov/cooling-water-intakes https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected/atlsturgeon/ https://www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected/section7/index.html https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/files/Size_Standards_Table.pdf Regulations.gov www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/PermittingCompliance/PollutionDischargeElimination.aspx www.greateratlantic.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected/section7/index.html www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/consultation/ Vol. 82, no. 158 Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration 2017-08-17 continuing daily deposited born digital 334 p. Table of Contents: AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: KF70.A2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-08-17 P0b002ee1969eda25 0097-6326 0042-1219 0364-1406 769-004-00000-9 000582072 f:fr17au17 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/FR-2017-08-17 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-08-17/pdf/FR-2017-08-17.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-08-17/xml/FR-2017-08-17.xml fdlp 39007 39333 DGPO 2017-08-17 2024-06-01 FR-2017-08-17 machine generated eng FR FR-2017-08-17 82 158