Proposed Rule2024-14169
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List Gulf of Alaska Chinook Salmon as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act; Extension of Public Comment Period
Primary source
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Published
June 28, 2024
Effective
May 24, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
We, NMFS, announce the extension of the public comment period on our May 24, 2024, 90-day finding on a petition to list Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), or any evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) that may exist in the petitioned area, as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As part of that finding, we solicited scientific and commercial information about the status of this population and announced a 60-day public comment period to end on July 23, 2024. Today, we extend the public comment period by 45 days until September 6, 2024.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 125 (Friday, June 28, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 125 (Friday, June 28, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 53936-53937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14169]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 223 and 224
[Docket No. 240520-0140; RTID 0648-XR135]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; 90-Day Finding on a Petition
To List Gulf of Alaska Chinook Salmon as Threatened or Endangered Under
the Endangered Species Act; Extension of Public Comment Period
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Extension of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: We, NMFS, announce the extension of the public comment period
on our May 24, 2024, 90-day finding on a petition to list Gulf of
Alaska (GOA) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), or any
evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) that may exist in the petitioned
area, as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). As part of that finding, we solicited scientific and
commercial information about the status of this population and
announced a 60-day public comment period to end on July 23, 2024.
Today, we extend the public comment period by 45 days until September
6, 2024.
DATES: The comment period for the 90-day finding published May 24,
2024, at 89 FR 45815, is extended. Comments should be received on or
before September 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit data and information relevant to our review
of the status of GOA Chinook salmon, identified by ``Gulf of Alaska
Chinook salmon Petition'' or by the docket number, NOAA-NMFS-2024-0042,
by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public
comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and enter NOAA-NMFS-2024-0042 in the Search box.
Click on the ``Comment'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter
or attach your comments.
<bullet> Mail: Submit written comments to Anne Marie Eich,
Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Alaska
Region NMFS, Attn. Susan Meyer. Mail comments to P.O. Box 21668,
Juneau, AK 99802.
Instructions: 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 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), 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).
The petition and 90-day finding are available on the NMFS website
at: <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/petition-list-gulf-alaska-chinook-salmon-threatened-or-endangered-under-endangered-species">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/petition-list-gulf-alaska-chinook-salmon-threatened-or-endangered-under-endangered-species</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Scheurer, NMFS Alaska Region,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f19b849d9894df8292999484839483b19f9e9090df969e87"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cfa5baa3a6aae1bcaca7aababdaabd8fa1a0aeaee1a8a0b9">[email protected]</span></a>, (907) 586-7111; or Heather Austin, NMFS Office
of Protected Resources, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#60080501140805124e01151314090e200e0f01014e070f16"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="28404d495c404d5a06495d5b5c41466846474949064f475e">[email protected]</span></a>, (301) 427-8422.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 11, 2024, we received a petition
from the Wild Fish Conservancy to delineate and list one or more ESUs
of Chinook salmon in the GOA as threatened or endangered under the ESA,
and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing. On May
24, 2024, NMFS announced a positive 90-day finding on a petition to
list one or more ESUs of GOA Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered
under the ESA, and commenced a status review of the species to
determine whether one or more ESU warrants listing (89 FR 45815). To
ensure that the status review is based on the best available scientific
and commercial data, we solicited such information regarding this
species and announced a 60-day public comment period through July 23,
2024.
On June 3, 2024, we received a request from the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G) to extend the deadline for the public to
provide comments until at least September 6, 2024. ADF&G noted that the
comment period coincides and conflicts with the summer fishing and
field season and may not allow sufficient time for interested parties
to submit information for the broad geographic area under review. At
the June 2024 meeting of the
[[Page 53937]]
North Pacific Fishery Management Council, representatives from several
fishing organizations also requested through public testimony an
extension of the public comment period for this action, and we
subsequently received a written request from the Council. In response,
we are extending the close of the public comment period until September
6, 2024. Although we have extended the comment period by 45 days, we
are unable to extend the statutory deadline for completing the status
review and publishing a 12-month finding under the ESA. As such, we
urge interested parties to submit their comments and data as soon as
possible to allow us more time to review and incorporate the
information where appropriate.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: June 24, 2024.
Samuel D. Rauch, III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-14169 Filed 6-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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