Notice2021-21661
Endangered and Threatened Species; Announcement of Workshop To Inform Recovery Planning for ESA Listed Rice's Whale (Balaenoptera Ricei)
Primary source
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Published
October 5, 2021
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
We, NMFS, are convening a workshop to solicit information from experts to inform recovery planning for Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei) under section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This workshop will be open to the public.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54944-54945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21661]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XB487]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Announcement of Workshop To
Inform Recovery Planning for ESA Listed Rice's Whale (Balaenoptera
Ricei)
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, are convening a workshop to solicit information from
experts to inform recovery planning for Rice's whale (Balaenoptera
ricei) under section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This
workshop will be open to the public.
DATES: Workshop dates and information: We will hold the recovery
planning workshop for the Rice's whale virtually over the course of 5
sessions in October and November 2021.
<bullet> Monday, October 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings
Time (EDT)
<bullet> Monday, November 1, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. EDT
<bullet> Wednesday, November 10, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
(EST)
<bullet> Tuesday, November 16, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. EST
<bullet> Thursday, November 18, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. EST
[[Page 54945]]
ADDRESSES: If you plan to attend the workshop as an interested member
of the public, please register for each session that you would like to
observe:
<bullet> Session 1: ttps://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp1-Oct18-RSVP
<bullet> Session 2: <a href="https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp2-Nov1-RSVP">https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp2-Nov1-RSVP</a>
<bullet> Session 3: <a href="https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp3-Nov10-RSVP">https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp3-Nov10-RSVP</a>
<bullet> Session 4: <a href="https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp4-Nov16-RSVP">https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp4-Nov16-RSVP</a>
<bullet> Session 5: <a href="https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp5-Nov18-RSVP">https://bit.ly/RIWH-Wkshp5-Nov18-RSVP</a>
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barb Zoodsma, (727) 824-5312, NMFS
Southeast Regional Office (SERO), Protected Resources Division,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1b597a6979354174747f68767a5b75747a7a357c746d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="eaa88b9888c4b085858e99878baa84858b8bc48d859c">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 15, 2019, we published a final rule listing the Gulf of
Mexico Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni; a subspecies of Bryde's
whales) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (84 FR
15446). In 2021, a published study in a peer-reviewed journal (Rosel et
al., 2021) provided evidence for and described the individuals referred
to as the Gulf of Mexico Bryde's whales as an entirely new species (not
just subspecies) of baleen whale. The new species is described as the
Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei). Consequently, on August 23, 2021, we
published a direct final rule to update the taxonomic classification,
description, and common name of species included in the list of
endangered species maintained at 50 CFR 224.101 to reflect the updated
science (86 FR 47022). The direct final rule changes the common name of
the listed entity from Bryde's whale (Gulf of Mexico subspecies) to
Rice's whale, the scientific name from B. edeni (unnamed subspecies) to
B. ricei, and the description of the listed entity from Bryde's whales
that breed and feed in the Gulf of Mexico to the entire species. The
direct final rule and these changes will be effective on October 22,
2021. The direct final rule ensures that the list of endangered species
reflects the best available scientific information. Although the
changes to the enumeration of listed species are not yet effective, we
are referring to the species using the updated scientific
understanding. Therefore, this rule will refer to the individuals as
Rice's whale or B. ricei, as appropriate. The species' status and legal
protections under the ESA remain the same despite the forthcoming
changes.
The final listing rule (84 FR 15446; April 15, 2019) describes the
background of the listing action for this species and provides a
summary of our conclusions regarding its status. For additional
background and information about this species, the reader is referred
to the status review report, final listing rule, and our species web
pages (available at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale</a>).
NMFS is required by section 4(f) of the ESA to develop and
implement recovery plans for the conservation and survival of
federally-listed species unless the Secretary finds that such a plan
will not promote the conservation of the species. Recovery means that
the status of a listed species has improved to the point at which the
protections of the ESA are no longer necessary. The ESA specifies that
recovery plans are to include (1) a description of site-specific
management actions necessary to achieve the plan's goal for the
conservation and survival of the species; (2) objective, measurable
criteria which, when met, would result in the species being removed
from the list; and (3) estimates of the time and costs required to
carry out the actions needed to achieve the plan's conservation and
survival goal and to achieve intermediate steps toward that goal. Under
section 4(f) of the ESA, public notice and an opportunity for public
review and comment also are provided during recovery plan development.
This notice serves as a public notice and opportunity for public
attendance in the recovery workshop. Once a recovery plan has been
drafted, it will be announced in the Federal Register and available on
our website for public review and comment before being finalized.
Recovery Planning Workshop Announcement
NMFS will hold a virtual workshop in five sessions to help inform
our recovery planning for Rice's whale. The first session will be held
on Monday, October 18, 2021, and the last session will be held
Thursday, November 18, 2021 (see DATES section). We invited experts and
stakeholders in specific topic areas, including the species' biology
and ecology, threats to the species and the species' habitat, the
recovery planning process itself, and cetacean conservation and
management. These experts and stakeholders will help us identify
potential actions to address the threats to the species, identify gaps
in knowledge and associated research needs, as well as begin developing
recovery criteria for the species. Identified experts and stakeholders
include representatives of Federal and State agencies, scientific
experts, individuals from industry, and individuals from conservation
partners and nongovernmental organizations.
NMFS has contracted a facilitator to manage the workshop as well as
note takers to document input received. We are seeking information; we
will not be asking for consensus recommendations on how to recover the
Rice's whale species. A summary of the workshop will be prepared,
noting the main points raised by the participants.
This workshop will be open to the public, and a public comment
period will be provided at the end of each session. If you plan to
attend the workshop as an interested member of the public, please
register via the website addresses listed in the ADDRESSES section, so
we can ensure sufficient online connectivity for participants and
interested parties during our logistics planning.
Schedule of Workshops
<bullet> Session 1: Workshop Series Kick-Off--October 18--Session 1
will focus on general background and orientation to Rice's whale
recovery process
<bullet> Session 2: Entanglement, Prey, and Climate Change--November
1--Session 2 will focus on entanglement, prey, and climate change
<bullet> Session 3: Marine Debris and Environmental Pollutants--
November 10--Session 3 will focus on marine debris and environmental
pollutants (oil spills, contaminants and disease)
<bullet> Session 4: Anthropogenic Noise and Acoustic Habitat, Vessel
Strikes, Marine Structures--November 16--Session 4 will focus on
anthropogenic noise and acoustic habitat, vessel strikes, and marine
structures (offshore renewable energy, sediment diversion and
aquaculture)
<bullet> Session 5: Recovery Criteria Discussion--November 18--Session
5 will focus on bringing workshop takeaways together and deeper dive
into recovery criteria
Workshops are accessible to persons with disabilities. Send
requests for auxiliary aids at least five business days in advance of
the start date of the session to Barb Zoodsma at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#91d3f0e3f3bfcbfefef5e2fcf0d1fffef0f0bff6fee7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aceecddece82f6c3c3c8dfc1cdecc2c3cdcd82cbc3da">[email protected]</span></a>.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: September 30, 2021.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-21661 Filed 10-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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