Proposed Rule2023-19643
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Rice's Whale, Public Hearing and Extension of Public Comment Period
Primary source
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Published
September 12, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
We, NMFS, have rescheduled a public hearing related to the proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Rice's whale under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We are also extending the public comment period for this proposed rule to October 6, 2023.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 175 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62522-62523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19643]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 224 and 226
[Docket No. 230906-0211]
RIN 0648-BL86
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of
Critical Habitat for the Rice's Whale, Public Hearing and Extension of
Public Comment Period
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing, extension of comment period.
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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, have rescheduled a public hearing related to the
proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Rice's whale under
the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We are also extending the public
comment period for this proposed rule to October 6, 2023.
DATES: A virtual public hearing on the proposed rule will be held
online on September 28, 2023, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight
Time).
The proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Rice's
whale under the ESA was published on July 24, 2023 (88 FR 47453), and
provided for a public comment period to September 22, 2023. The comment
period is now extended to October 6, 2023. Comments must be received by
October 6, 2023. Comments received after this date may not be accepted.
ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be conducted as a virtual meeting,
and any member of the public can join by internet or phone regardless
of location. You may join the virtual meeting using a web browser, a
mobile app on a phone (app installation required), or--to listen only--
using just a phone call, as specified at this link: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement</a>.
You may submit comments verbally at the public hearing. You may
also submit comments in writing by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic comments via
the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and
enter NOAA-NMFS-2023-0028. Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the
required fields, and enter or attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Submit written comments to Assistant Regional
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, Southeast Regional
Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period
might not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of
the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous
comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain
anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe portable document format (PDF) formats
only.
Details on the virtual public hearing will be made available on our
website at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement</a>. The Endangered Species Act Critical
Habitat Report, geographic information system (GIS) data, and maps that
were prepared to support the development of this proposed rule are
available on our website at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement</a>. Previous rulemaking documents
related to the listing of the species can also be obtained
electronically on our website at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale#conservationmanagement">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/rices-whale#conservationmanagement</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grant Baysinger, NMFS Southeast
Region, (727) 551-5790; or Lisa Manning, NMFS Office of Protected
Resources, (301) 427-8466.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 24, 2023, NMFS published a proposed
rule to designate critical habitat for the endangered Rice's whale
(Balaenoptera ricei) under the ESA (88 FR 47453). In that notice, we
also announced a 60-day public comment period, two virtual public
hearings to be held on August 24, 2023 and August 30, 2023, and an
option to request an additional public hearing made in writing by
September 7, 2023. On August 24, 2023, we held a virtual public
hearing. On August 28, 2023, we canceled the public hearing scheduled
for August 30, 2023, ahead of Hurricane Idalia's expected landfall. We
have now rescheduled that public hearing to September 28, 2023, from 3
p.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time), as described in this notice. To
accommodate this second public hearing and provide additional time
needed to submit public comments following the disruptions stemming
from Hurricane Idalia, we are also extending the public comment period
to October 6, 2023.
Public Hearing
The public hearing on September 28, 2023, will be conducted online
as a virtual meeting, as specified in ADDRESSES above. More detailed
instructions for joining the virtual meeting are provided on our web
page (see <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/riceswhale#conservationmanagement</a>). The hearing will begin with a brief
presentation by NMFS that will give an overview of the proposed
critical habitat designation under the ESA. After the presentation,
there will be a question and answer session during which members of the
public may ask NMFS staff questions about the proposed rule. Following
the question and answer session, members of the public will have the
opportunity to provide oral comments on the record regarding the
proposed rule. In order to
[[Page 62523]]
ensure all participants have an opportunity to speak during the
hearing, the time allotted for individual oral comments may be limited.
Therefore, anyone wishing to make an oral statement at the public
hearing for the record is encouraged to prepare a written copy of their
comments. All oral comments will be recorded and added to the public
comment record for this proposed rule.
Written comments may also be submitted during the public comment
period as described under DATES and ADDRESSES.
Reasonable Accommodations
People needing accommodations so that they may attend and
participate at the public hearing should submit a request for
reasonable accommodations as soon as possible, and no later than 7
business days prior to the hearing date, by contacting Grant Baysinger
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: September 6, 2023.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-19643 Filed 9-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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