4964 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 23 / Friday, February 2, 2018 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR game bird hunting regulations that is vii. Mottled Ducks more efficient and provides hunting viii. Wood Ducks Fish and Wildlife Service season dates much earlier than was ix. Youth Hunt possible under the old process. The new x. Mallard Management Units 50 CFR Part 20 xi. Other process makes planning easier for the 2. Sea Ducks [Docket No. FWS–HQ–MB–2017–0028; States and all parties interested in 3. Mergansers FF09M21200–178–FXMB1231099BPP0] migratory bird hunting. Beginning in the 4. Canada Geese summer of 2015, with the development A. Special Early Seasons RIN 1018–BB73 of the 2016–17 hunting seasons, we B. Regular Seasons C. Special Late Seasons Migratory Bird Hunting; Proposed started promulgating our annual migratory game bird hunting regulations 5. White-Fronted Geese Frameworks for Migratory Bird Hunting 6. Brant Regulations using a new schedule that combines the previously used early- and late-season 7. Snow and Ross’s (Light) Geese 8. Swans AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, regulatory processes into a single 9. Sandhill Cranes Interior. process. We make decisions for harvest 10. Coots ACTION: Proposed rule; supplemental. management based on predictions 11. Moorhens and Gallinules derived from long-term biological 12. Rails SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife information and established harvest 13. Snipe Service (hereinafter Service or we) is strategies and, therefore, can establish 14. Woodcock proposing to establish the 2018–19 migratory bird hunting seasons much 15. Band-Tailed Pigeons hunting regulations for certain earlier than the system we used for 16. Doves migratory game birds. We annually many years. Under the new process, we 17. Alaska 18. Hawaii prescribe frameworks, or outer limits, develop proposed hunting season for dates and times when hunting may 19. Puerto Rico frameworks for a given year in the fall 20. Virgin Islands occur and the number of birds that may of the prior year. We then finalize those 21. Falconry be taken and possessed in hunting frameworks a few months later, thereby 22. Other seasons. These frameworks are enabling the State agencies to select and Subsequent documents will refer only necessary to allow State selections of publish their season dates in early seasons and limits and to allow to numbered items requiring attention. summer. We provided a detailed Therefore, it is important to note that we recreational harvest at levels compatible overview of the new process in the with population and habitat conditions. will omit those items requiring no August 3, 2017, Federal Register (82 FR attention, and remaining numbered DATES: You must submit comments on 36308). This proposed rule is the third items will be discontinuous and appear the proposed migratory bird hunting in a series of proposed and final rules incomplete. frameworks by March 5, 2018. for the establishment of the 2018–19 The August 3 proposed rule also ADDRESSES: Comments: You may submit hunting seasons. provided detailed information on the comments on the proposals by one of Regulations Schedule for 2018 proposed 2018–19 regulatory schedule the following methods: and announced the Service Regulations • On August 3, 2017, we published a Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// Committee (SRC) and Flyway Council proposal to amend title 50 of the Code www.regulations.gov. Follow the meetings. instructions for submitting comments of Federal Regulations (CFR) at part 20 On October 3, 2017, we published in on Docket No. FWS–HQ–MB–2017– (82 FR 36308). The proposal provided a the Federal Register (82 FR 46011) a 0028. background and overview of the second document providing • U.S. mail or hand delivery: Public migratory bird hunting regulations supplemental proposals for migratory Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–HQ– process, and addressed the bird hunting regulations. The October 3 MB–2017–0028; Division of Policy, establishment of seasons, limits, and supplement also provided detailed Performance, and Management other regulations for hunting migratory information on the 2018–19 regulatory Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife game birds under §§ 20.101 through schedule and re-announced the SRC and Service; MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; 20.107, 20.109, and 20.110 of subpart K. Flyway Council meetings. Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. Major steps in the 2018–19 regulatory On October 17–18, 2017, we held We will post all comments on http:// cycle relating to open public meetings open meetings with the Flyway Council www.regulations.gov. This generally and Federal Register notifications were Consultants, at which the participants means that we will post any personal also identified in a August 3, 2017, reviewed information on the current information you provide us (see the proposed rule. Further, we explained status of migratory game birds and Review of Public Comments and Flyway that all sections of subsequent developed recommendations for the Council Recommendations section, documents outlining hunting 2018–19 regulations for these species. below, for more information). frameworks and guidelines were This document deals specifically with FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron organized under numbered headings. proposed frameworks for the migratory W. Kokel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Those headings are: bird hunting regulations. It will lead to Service, Department of the Interior, MS: 1. Ducks final frameworks from which States may MB, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, A. General Harvest Strategy select season dates, shooting hours, VA 22041–3803; (703) 358–1967. B. Regulatory Alternatives areas, and limits. We have considered C. Zones and Split Seasons SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: all pertinent comments received D. Special Seasons/Species Management through November 1, 2017, on the i. September Teal Seasons New Process for the Annual Migratory August 3 and October 3, 2017, proposed Game Bird Hunting Regulations ii. September Teal/Wood Duck Seasons iii. Black Ducks rulemaking documents in developing As part of DOI’s retrospective iv. Canvasbacks this document. In addition, new regulatory review, 2 years ago we v. Pintails proposals for certain regulations are developed a schedule for migratory vi. Scaup provided for public comment. The VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:31 Feb 01, 2018 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\02FEP2.SGM 02FEP2 sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with PROPOSALS2 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 23 / Friday, February 2, 2018 / Proposed Rules 4965 comment period is specified above proposals and modifications to The prescribed regulatory alternative under DATES. We will publish final previously described proposals are for the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, regulatory frameworks for migratory discussed below. Wherever possible, and Pacific Flyways is based on the game bird hunting in the Federal they are discussed under headings status of mallard populations that Register on or around February 28, corresponding to the numbered items in contribute primarily to each Flyway. In 2018. the August 3, 2017, proposed rule. the Atlantic Flyway, we set hunting regulations based on the population Population Status and Harvest General status of mallards breeding in eastern Each year we publish various species Written Comments: A commenter North America (Federal survey strata status reports that provide detailed protested the entire migratory bird 51–54 and 56, and State surveys in New information on the status and harvest of hunting regulations process, the killing England and the mid-Atlantic region). In migratory game birds, including of all migratory birds, and status and the Central and Mississippi Flyways, we information on the methodologies and habitat data on which the migratory bird set hunting regulations based on the results. These reports are available at hunting regulations are based. status and dynamics of mid-continent the address indicated under FOR mallards. Mid-continent mallards are Service Response: Our long-term FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT or from those breeding in central North America objectives continue to include providing our website at https://www.fws.gov/ (Federal survey strata 13–18, 20–50, and opportunities to harvest portions of birds/surveys-and-data/reports-and- 75–77, and State surveys in Minnesota, certain migratory game bird populations publications/population-status.php. Wisconsin, and Michigan). In the Pacific We used the following reports: and to limit harvests to levels Flyway, we set hunting regulations Adaptive Harvest Management, 2018 compatible with each population’s based on the status and dynamics of Hunting Season (September, 2017); ability to maintain healthy, viable western mallards. Western mallards are American Woodcock Population Status, numbers. Having taken into account the those breeding in Alaska and the 2017 (August, 2017); Band-tailed Pigeon zones of temperature and the northern Yukon Territory (as based on Population Status, 2017 (August, 2017); distribution, abundance, economic Federal surveys in strata 1–12), and in Migratory Bird Hunting Activity and value, breeding habits, and times and British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Harvest During the 2015–16 and 2016– lines of flight of migratory birds, we and California (as based on Canadian 17 Hunting Seasons (August, 2017); believe that the hunting seasons Wildlife Service and State-conducted Mourning Dove Population Status, 2017 provided for herein are compatible with surveys). (August, 2017); Status and Harvests