58224 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 181 / Thursday, September 17, 2020 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail and proposes critical habitat necessary to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: for the conservation of the species. Fish and Wildlife Service FWS–R6–ES–2018–0055, U.S. Fish and Chapin Mesa milkvetch is a candidate Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 species for which we have on file 50 CFR Part 17 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041– sufficient information on biological 3803. vulnerability and threats to support [Docket No. FWS–R6–ES–2018–0055; We request that you send comments preparation of a listing proposal, but for FF09E21000 FXES11110900000 201] only by the methods described above. which development of a listing proposal RIN 1018–BD17 We will post all comments on http:// had been precluded by other higher www.regulations.gov. This generally priority listing activities. This proposed Endangered and Threatened Wildlife means that we will post any personal rule and the associated species status and Plants; Threatened Species Status information you provide us (see Public assessment report (SSA report) reassess for Chapin Mesa Milkvetch and Comments, below, for more all available information regarding Designation of Critical Habitat information). status of and threats to the Chapin Mesa Document availability: The draft milkvetch. AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, economic analysis is available at http:// The basis for our action. Under the Interior. www.regulations.gov under Docket No. Act, we can determine that a species is ACTION: Proposed rule. FWS–R6–ES–2018–0055, and at the an endangered or threatened species Colorado Ecological Services Field based on any of five factors: (A) The SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION present or threatened destruction, Wildlife Service (Service), propose to CONTACT). modification, or curtailment of its list Astragalus schmolliae (hereafter The coordinates or plot points or both habitat or range; (B) overutilization for referred to by the common name Chapin from which the maps are generated are commercial, recreational, scientific, or Mesa milkvetch), a plant species from included in the administrative record educational purposes; (C) disease or southwestern Colorado, as a threatened for this critical habitat designation and predation; (D) the inadequacy of species under the Endangered Species are available at http:// existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, and to www.regulations.gov under Docket No. other natural or manmade factors designate critical habitat. If we make FWS–R6–ES–2018–0055, and at the affecting its continued existence. We this rule final as proposed, the effect of Colorado Ecological Services Field have determined that the primary this rule will be to add this species to Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION drivers of the Chapin Mesa milkvetch’s the List of Endangered and Threatened CONTACT). current and future condition are the Plants and to designate critical habitat Any additional tools or supporting increased frequency of large, high- for the species. In total, we propose to information that we may develop for intensity wildfires; increasing presence designate approximately 3,635 acres this critical habitat designation will also of invasive, nonnative plants, especially (1,471 hectares) in Montezuma County be available at the Field Office set out cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum); and the in southwestern Colorado as critical above, and may also be included in the interaction between these elements habitat for the species. We also preamble and/or at http:// (Factor A). announce the availability of a draft www.regulations.gov. Any species that is determined to be economic analysis of the proposed an endangered or a threatened species designation of critical habitat for Chapin FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann shall, to the maximum extent prudent Mesa milkvetch. Timberman, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and determinable, have habitat and Wildlife Service, Colorado designated that is considered to be DATES: We will accept comments Ecological Services Field Office, 445 W. received or postmarked on or before critical habitat. Section 4(b)(2) of the Gunnison Ave., Suite 240, Grand Endangered Species Act states that the November 16, 2020. Comments Junction, CO 81501–5711; telephone submitted electronically using the Secretary shall designate and make 970–628–7181. Persons who use a revisions to critical habitat on the basis Federal eRulemaking Portal (see telecommunications device for the deaf ADDRESSES below) must be received by of the best available scientific data after (TDD) may call the Federal Relay taking into consideration the economic 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing Service at 800–877–8339. date. We must receive requests for impact, the impact on national security, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: public hearings, in writing, at the and any other relevant impact of specifying any particular area as critical address shown in FOR FURTHER Executive Summary habitat. INFORMATION CONTACT by November 2, Why we need to publish a rule. Under Supporting analyses. We prepared an 2020. the Act, if a species is determined to be analysis of the economic impacts of the ADDRESSES: Written comments: You may an endangered or threatened species proposed critical habitat designation submit comments by one of the throughout all or a significant portion of and hereby announce the availability of following methods: its range, we are required to promptly the draft economic analysis for public (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal publish a proposal in the Federal review and comment. eRulemaking Portal: http:// Register. Critical habitat shall be We conducted a species status www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, designated, to the maximum extent assessment (SSA) for the Chapin Mesa enter FWS–R6–ES–2018–0055, which is prudent and determinable, for any milkvetch, with input and information the docket number for this rulemaking. species determined to be an endangered provided by Mesa Verde National Park, Then, click on the Search button. On the or threatened species under the Act. the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, resulting page, in the Search panel on Listing a species as an endangered or and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. The the left side of the screen, under the threatened species and designations and results of this assessment are Document Type heading, click on the revisions of critical habitat can only be summarized in an SSA report, which Proposed Rule box to locate this completed by issuing a rule. represents a compilation of the best document. You may submit a comment This rule proposes to list the Chapin scientific and commercial data available by clicking on ‘‘Comment Now!’’ Mesa milkvetch as a threatened species concerning the status of the species, VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:40 Sep 16, 2020 Jkt 250001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\17SEP4.SGM 17SEP4 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS4 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 181 / Thursday, September 17, 2020 / Proposed Rules 58225 including the past, present, and future threats (or lack thereof) to this species (8) Information on the projected and stressors to this species (Service 2018, and existing regulations that may be reasonably likely impacts of climate entire). Additionally, the SSA report addressing those threats. change on the Chapin Mesa milkvetch contains our analysis of required habitat (4) Additional information concerning and proposed critical habitat. and the existing conditions of that the historical and current status, range, (9) Any probable economic, national habitat. distribution, and population size of this security, or other relevant impacts of Peer review. We sought comments species, including the locations of any designating any area as critical habitat from independent specialists on our additional populations of this species. that may be included in the final SSA report for the Chapin Mesa (5) The reasons why we should or designation, and the benefits of milkvetch to ensure that we base our should not designate habitat as ‘‘critical including or excluding areas that may listing determination and critical habitat habitat’’ under section 4 of the Act (16 be impacted. proposal on scientifically sound data, U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), including (10) Information on the extent to assumptions, and analyses. We received information to inform the following which the description of probable feedback from five experts that have factors such that a designation of critical economic impacts in the draft economic knowledge and/or experience with the habitat may be determined to be not analysis is a reasonable estimate of the species or similar species biology as prudent: likely economic impacts. peer review of the SSA report. The (a) The species is threatened by taking (11) Whether any specific areas we are reviewers were generally supportive of or other human activity and proposing for critical habitat our approach and made suggestions and identification of critical habitat can be designation should be considered for comments that strengthened our expected to increase the degree of such exclusion under section 4(b)(2) of the analysis. We incorporated these threat to the species; Act, and whether the benefits of comments into the SSA report, which (b) The present or threatened potentially excluding any specific area can be found at http:// destruction, modification, or outweigh the benefits of including that www.regulations.gov under Docket No. curtailment of a species’ habitat or range area under section 4(b)(2) of the Act. We FWS–R6–ES–2018–0055. is not a threat to the species, or threats are particularly interested in to the species’ habitat stem solely from Information Requested information on proposed Unit 4, located causes that cannot be addressed through on Ute Mountain Ute Tribal land; this Public Comments management actions resulting from unit is managed as a Tribal Park, which consultations under section 7(a)(2) of limits human disturbance (Scott Clow Any final action resulting from this the Act; proposed rule will be based on the best (Ute Mountain Ute Tribe) 2017, pers.