Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Proposed Rule
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. 76 Tuesday, No. 55 March 22, 2011 Part II Department of the Interior 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover; Proposed Rule VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:50 Mar 21, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\22MRP2.SGM 22MRP2 mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with PROPOSALS2 16046 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2011 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim (5) Comments or information that may Watkins, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, assist us in identifying or clarifying the Fish and Wildlife Service Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, 1655 physical and biological features Heindon Road, Arcata, CA 95521; essential to the conservation of the 50 CFR Part 17 telephone (707) 822–7201; facsimile species. (6) How the proposed revised critical [Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2010–0070; MO (707) 822–8411. If you use a 92210–0–0009] telecommunications device for the deaf habitat boundaries could be refined to (TDD), call the Federal Information more closely circumscribe the areas RIN 1018–AX10 Relay Service (FIRS) at (800) 877–8339. identified as containing the features SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: essential to the species’ conservation. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (7) How we mapped the water’s edge and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for Public Comments and whether any alternative methods the Pacific Coast Population of the could be used to better determine the Western Snowy Plover We intend that any final action resulting from this proposed revised critical habitat boundaries. (8) Any probable economic, national- AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, critical habitat rule will be based on the security, or other impacts of designating Interior. best scientific and commercial data particular areas as critical habitat, and, ACTION: Proposed rule. available and be as accurate and as in particular, any impacts on small effective as possible. Therefore, we entities (e.g., small businesses or small SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and request comments or information from governments), and the benefits of Wildlife Service (Service), propose to governmental agencies, the scientific including or excluding areas that exhibit revise the designated critical habitat for community, industry, or other these impacts. the Pacific Coast population of the interested parties concerning this (9) Whether any specific areas being Western Snowy Plover (Pacific Coast proposed revised rule. We particularly proposed as revised critical habitat WSP) (Charadrius alexandrinus seek comments concerning: should be excluded under section nivosus) under the Endangered Species (1) The reasons why we should or Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The 4(b)(2) of the Act, and whether the should not revise the designation of benefits of potentially excluding any areas identified in this proposed rule ‘‘ ’’ critical habitat under section 4 of the particular area outweigh the benefits of constitute a revision of the areas Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including designated as critical habitat for the including that area under section 4(b)(2) whether there are threats to the species of the Act (see Exclusions section for Pacific Coast WSP, published in the from human activity, the degree of Federal Register on September 29, 2005. further discussion). which can be expected to increase due (10) Any information regarding the In the final rule, we designated a total to the designation, and whether that of 12,145 acres (ac) (4,915 hectares (ha)) areas exempted from this proposed increase in threat outweighs the benefit revised rule (see Exemptions section for of critical habitat range-wide in 32 units of designation such that the designation in Washington, Oregon, and California. exempted units and further discussion). of critical habitat is not prudent. (11) Information on any quantifiable We are now proposing to revise the (2) Specific information on: economic costs or benefits of the existing critical habitat to a total of 68 (a) Areas that provide habitat for the proposed revised designation of critical units totaling approximately 28,261 ac Pacific Coast WSP that we did not habitat. (11,436 ha). The area breakdown by discuss in this proposed revised critical (12) Information on Tribal lands State is as follows: Washington: 6,265 ac habitat rule, within the proposed revised (2,497 ha) in 4 units; Oregon: 5,219 ac (b) Areas within the geographical area designation. (2,112 ha) in 13 units; and California: occupied by the species at the time of (13) Whether we could improve or 16,777 ac (6,789 ha) in 51 units. listing that contain elements of the modify our approach to designating DATES: We will consider comments from physical and biological features critical habitat in any way to provide for all interested parties until May 23, 2011. essential to the conservation of the greater public participation and We must receive requests for public species which may require special understanding, or to better hearings, in writing, at the address management considerations or accommodate public concerns and shown in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION protection and that we should include comments. CONTACT section by May 6, 2011. in the designation, and reason(s) why Our final determination concerning ADDRESSES: You may submit comments (see Physical and Biological Features critical habitat for the Pacific Coast WSP by one of the following methods: section). will take into consideration all written (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: (3) Specific information on our comments we receive during the http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the proposed designation of back-dune comment period, including comments instructions for submitting comments to systems and other habitats in an attempt we have requested from peer reviewers, Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2010–0070. to offset the anticipated effects of sea- comments we receive during a public (2) U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public level rise caused by a warming trend hearing should we receive a request for Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R8– associated with climate change (see one, and any additional information we ES–2010–0070; Division of Policy and Critical Habitat Units section). receive during the 60-day comment Directives Management; U.S. Fish and (4) Specific information on the Pacific period. Our final determination will Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Coast WSP, habitat conditions, and the also consider all written comments and Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. presence of physical and biological any additional information we receive We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We features essential to the conservation of during the comment period for the draft will post all comments on http:// the species at any of the critical habitat economic analysis. All comments will www.regulations.gov. This generally units proposed in this revised rule (see be included in the public record for this means that we will post any personal Critical Habitat Units section and rulemaking. On the basis of peer information you provide us (see Public previous rules (64 FR 68508, December reviewer and public comments, we may, Comments section below for more 7, 1999; 70 FR 56970, September 29, during the development of our final information). 2005)). determination, find that areas included VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:50 Mar 21, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\22MRP2.SGM 22MRP2 mstockstill on DSKH9S0YB1PROD with PROPOSALS2 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 55 / Tuesday, March 22, 2011 / Proposed Rules 16047 in this proposal do not meet the population segment of the western attending adults typically leave the definition of critical habitat, that some snowy plover (Pacific Coast WSP) is nesting territory shortly after hatching modifications to the described defined as those individuals nesting (Page et al. 1995, p. 10). boundaries are appropriate, or that some adjacent to tidal waters within 50 miles Clutches normally consist of three areas may be excluded from the final (mi) (80 kilometers (km)) of the Pacific eggs laid in a shallow depression determination under section 4(b)(2) of Ocean, including all nesting birds on scraped in the sand by the male. Such the Act based on Secretarial discretion. the mainland coast, peninsulas, offshore ‘‘nests’’ are typically located in open flat You may submit your comments and islands, adjacent bays, estuaries and areas, often near some conspicuous materials concerning this proposed coastal rivers. For a more complete feature such as a piece of driftwood revised rule by one of the methods discussion of the ecology and life (Page and Stenzel 1981, p. 2; Page et al. listed in the ADDRESSES section. Please history of this population, please see the 1995, p. 10). They are usually located include sufficient information with your final rule for listing the Pacific Coast within 328 feet (ft) (100 meters (m)) of comment to allow us to verify any WSP as a threatened species, which was the shore, but may be farther where scientific or commercial data you published in the Federal Register on shore access remains unblocked by submit. We will not accept comments March 5, 1993 (58 FR 12864), or the dense vegetation (Page and Stenzel sent by e-mail or fax or to an address not Service’s April 21, 2006, 12-month 1981, p. 2; Page et al. 1995, p. 7). Pacific listed in the ADDRESSES section. finding on a petition to delist the Pacific Coast WSPs also tend to nest in We will post your entire comment— Coast WSP (71 FR 20607). relatively higher densities near fresh including your personal identifying water or brackish wetlands such as river Life History information—on http:// mouths, estuaries, and tidal marshes www.regulations.gov. If your written Pacific Coast WSPs typically forage (Page and Stenzel 1981, p.