Federal Register/Vol. 84, No. 74/Wednesday, April 17, 2019
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16152 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2019 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR schedule for migratory game bird B. Regular Seasons hunting regulations that is more C. Special Late Seasons Fish and Wildlife Service efficient and provides hunting season 5. White-fronted Geese dates much earlier than was possible 6. Brant 50 CFR Part 20 under the old process. Under the new 7. Snow and Ross’s (Light) Geese process, we develop proposed hunting 8. Swans [Docket No. FWS–HQ–MB–2018–0030; 9. Sandhill Cranes FF09M21200–189–FXMB1231099BPP0] season frameworks for a given year in the fall of the prior year. We then 10. Coots 11. Moorhens and Gallinules RIN 1018–BD10 finalize those frameworks a few months 12. Rails Migratory Bird Hunting; Proposed later, thereby enabling the State 13. Snipe Frameworks for Migratory Bird Hunting agencies to select and publish their 14. Woodcock Regulations season dates in early summer. We 15. Band-tailed Pigeons provided a detailed overview of the new 16. Doves AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, process in the August 3, 2017, Federal 17. Alaska Interior. Register (82 FR 36308). This proposed 18. Hawaii ACTION: Proposed rule; supplemental. rule is the third in a series of proposed 19. Puerto Rico and final rules for the establishment of 20. Virgin Islands SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife the 2019–20 hunting seasons. 21. Falconry Service (hereinafter Service or we) is 22. Other proposing to establish the 2019–20 Regulations Schedule for 2019 hunting regulations for certain On June 14, 2018, we published a Subsequent documents will refer only migratory game birds. We annually proposal to amend title 50 of the Code to numbered items requiring attention. prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, of Federal Regulations (CFR) at part 20 Therefore, it is important to note that we for dates and times when hunting may (83 FR 27836). The proposal provided a will omit those items requiring no occur and the number of birds that may background and overview of the attention, and remaining numbered be taken and possessed in hunting migratory bird hunting regulations items will be discontinuous and appear seasons. These frameworks are process, and addressed the incomplete. necessary to allow State selections of establishment of seasons, limits, and The June 14 proposed rule also seasons and limits and to allow other regulations for hunting migratory provided detailed information on the recreational harvest at levels compatible game birds under §§ 20.101 through proposed 2019–20 regulatory schedule with population and habitat conditions. 20.107, 20.109, and 20.110 of subpart K. and announced the Service Regulations DATES: You must submit comments on This document is the third in a series of Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council the proposed migratory bird hunting proposed, supplemental, and final rules meetings. On September 21, 2018, we frameworks by May 17, 2019. for migratory game bird hunting published in the Federal Register (83 ADDRESSES: Comments: You may submit regulations. We will publish additional FR 47868) a second document providing comments on the proposals by one of supplemental proposals for public supplemental proposals for migratory the following methods: comment in the Federal Register as bird hunting regulations. The September • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// population, habitat, harvest, and other 21 supplement also provided detailed www.regulations.gov. Follow the information become available. Major information on the 2019–20 regulatory instructions for submitting comments steps in the 2019–20 regulatory cycle schedule and re-announced the SRC and on Docket No. FWS–HQ–MB–2018– relating to open public meetings and Flyway Council meetings. On October 0030. Federal Register notifications were 16–17, 2018, we held open meetings • U.S. mail or hand delivery: Public illustrated in the diagram at the end of with the Flyway Council Consultants, at Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–HQ– the June 14, 2018, proposed rule (83 FR which the participants reviewed MB–2018–0030; Division of Policy, 27836). Further, we explained that all information on the current status of Performance, and Management sections of subsequent documents migratory game birds and developed Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife outlining hunting frameworks and recommendations for the 2019–20 Service; MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; guidelines were organized under regulations for these species. Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. numbered headings. Those headings This document deals specifically with We will post all comments on http:// are: proposed frameworks for the migratory www.regulations.gov. This generally 1. Ducks bird hunting regulations. It will lead to means that we will post any personal A. General Harvest Strategy final frameworks from which States may information you provide us (see the B. Regulatory Alternatives select season dates, shooting hours, Review of Public Comments and Flyway C. Zones and Split Seasons areas, and limits. We have considered D. Special Seasons/Species Management Council Recommendations section, all pertinent comments received below, for more information). i. September Teal Seasons ii. September Teal/Wood Duck Seasons through November 2018, which FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron iii. Black ducks includes requests for comments in our W. Kokel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife iv. Canvasbacks June 14 and September 21, 2018, Service, Department of the Interior, MS: v. Pintails proposed rulemaking documents, and MB, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, vi. Scaup comments from the October SRC VA 22041–3803; (703) 358–1967. vii. Mottled ducks meeting. In addition, new proposals for viii. Wood ducks SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: certain regulations are provided for ix. Youth Hunt public comment. The comment period x. Mallard Management Units New Process for the Annual Migratory is specified above under DATES. We will Game Bird Hunting Regulations xi. Other 2. Sea Ducks publish final regulatory frameworks for As part of the Department of the 3. Mergansers migratory game bird hunting in the Interior’s retrospective regulatory 4. Canada Geese Federal Register on or around June 15, review, 3 years ago we developed a A. Special Early Seasons 2019. VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:19 Apr 16, 2019 Jkt 247001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\17APP2.SGM 17APP2 amozie on DSK9F9SC42PROD with PROPOSALS2 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 74 / Wednesday, April 17, 2019 / Proposed Rules 16153 Population Status and Harvest General Flyway (see below). We have specific Each year we publish various species Written Comments: A commenter hunting strategies for species of special status reports that provide detailed protested the entire migratory bird concern, such as black ducks, scaup, information on the status and harvest of hunting regulations process, the killing and pintails. migratory game birds, including of all migratory birds, and status and Mississippi, Central, and Pacific information on the methodologies and habitat data on which the migratory bird Flyways results. These reports are available at hunting regulations are based. Service Response: Our long-term The prescribed regulatory alternative the address indicated under FOR for the Mississippi, Central, and Pacific FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or from objectives continue to include providing opportunities to harvest portions of Flyways is based on the status of our website at https://www.fws.gov/ mallard populations that contribute birds/surveys-and-data/reports-and- certain migratory game bird populations and to limit harvests to levels primarily to each Flyway. In the Central publications/population-status.php. and Mississippi Flyways, we set We used the following reports: compatible with each population’s ability to maintain healthy, viable hunting regulations based on the status Adaptive Harvest Management, 2019 and dynamics of mid-continent Hunting Season (September 2018); numbers. Having taken into account the zones of temperature and the mallards. Mid-continent mallards are American Woodcock Population Status, those breeding in central North America 2018 (August 2018); Band-tailed Pigeon distribution, abundance, economic value, breeding habits, and times and (Federal survey strata 13–18, 20–50, and Population Status, 2018 (August 2018); 75–77, and State surveys in Minnesota, Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and lines of flight of migratory birds, we believe that the hunting seasons Wisconsin, and Michigan). In the Pacific Harvest During the 2016–17 and 2017– Flyway, we set hunting regulations provided for herein are compatible with 18 Hunting Seasons (August 2018); based on the status and dynamics of the current status of migratory bird Mourning Dove Population Status, 2018 western mallards. Western mallards are populations and long-term population (August 2018); Status and Harvests of those breeding in Alaska and the goals. Additionally, we are obligated to, Sandhill Cranes, Mid-continent, Rocky northern Yukon Territory (as based on and do, give serious consideration to all Mountain, Lower Colorado River Valley Federal surveys in strata 1–12), and in information received as public and Eastern Populations, 2018 (August California, Oregon, Washington, and comment. While there are problems 2018); and Waterfowl Population Status, British Columbia (as based on State- or inherent with any type of representative 2018 (August 2018). Province-conducted surveys). management of public-trust resources, For the 2019–20 season, we will Review of Public Comments