Vol. 77 Friday, No. 236 December 7, 2012 Part III Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Parts 223 and 224 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Listing Determinations for 82 Reef-Building Coral Species; Proposed Reclassification of Acropora palmata and Acropora cervicornis From Threatened to Endangered; Proposed Rule VerDate Mar<15>2010 18:06 Dec 06, 2012 Jkt 229001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\07DEP3.SGM 07DEP3 srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with 73220 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 236 / Friday, December 7, 2012 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE comments via the e-Rulemaking Portal, Regional Office, 808–944–2137; Lance first click the ‘‘submit a comment’’ icon, Smith, NMFS, Pacific Island Regional National Oceanic and Atmospheric then enter NOAA–NMFS–2010–0036 in Office, 808–944–2258; Jennifer Moore, Administration the keyword search. Locate the NMFS, Southeast Regional Office, 727– document you wish to comment on 824–5312; or Marta Nammack, NMFS, 50 CFR Parts 223 and 224 from the resulting list and click on the Office of Protected Resources, 301–427– [Docket No. 0911231415–2625–02] ‘‘Submit a Comment’’ icon on the right 8469. of that line. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RIN 0648–XT12 • Mail: Submit written comments to Regulatory Branch Chief, Protected Background Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Resources Division, National Marine On October 20, 2009, the Center for and Plants: Proposed Listing Fisheries Service, Pacific Islands Determinations for 82 Reef-Building Biological Diversity (CBD) petitioned us Regional Office, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., to list 83 reef-building coral species as Coral Species; Proposed Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 96814; or Reclassification of Acropora palmata either threatened or endangered under Assistant Regional Administrator, the ESA and to designate critical and Acropora cervicornis from Protected Resources, National Marine Threatened to Endangered habitat. The 83 species included in the Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional petition are: Acanthastrea brevis, AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Office, 263 13th Avenue South, Saint Acanthastrea hemprichii, Acanthastrea Petersburg, FL 33701, Attn: 82 coral Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and ishigakiensis, Acanthastrea regularis, species proposed listing. Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Acropora aculeus, Acropora acuminata, • Fax: 808–973–2941; Attn: Protected Commerce. Resources Regulatory Branch Chief; or Acropora aspera, Acropora dendrum, ACTION: Proposed rule; request for 727–824–5309; Attn: Protected Acropora donei, Acropora globiceps, comments. Resources Assistant Regional Acropora horrida, Acropora jacquelineae, Acropora listeri, Acropora SUMMARY: We, NMFS, have completed Administrator. Instructions: You must submit lokani, Acropora microclados, Acropora comprehensive status reviews under the palmerae, Acropora paniculata, Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 82 comments by one of the above methods to ensure that we receive, document, Acropora pharaonis, Acropora reef-building coral species in response polystoma, Acropora retusa, Acropora to a petition submitted by the Center for and consider them. Comments sent by any other method, to any other address rudis, Acropora speciosa, Acropora Biological Diversity (CBD) to list the or individual, or received after the end striata, Acropora tenella, Acropora species as either threatened or of the comment period, may not be vaughani, Acropora verweyi, Agaricia endangered. We have determined, based considered. All comments received are lamarcki, Alveopora allingi, Alveopora on the best scientific and commercial a part of the public record and will fenestrata, Alveopora verrilliana, data available and efforts being made to generally be posted for public viewing Anacropora puertogalerae, Anacropora protect the species, that 12 of the on www.regulations.gov without change. spinosa, Astreopora cucullata, petitioned coral species warrant listing All personal identifying information Barabattoia laddi, Caulastrea as endangered (five Caribbean and seven (e.g., name, address, etc.) you submit echinulata, Cyphastrea agassizi, Indo-Pacific), 54 coral species warrant will be publicly accessible. Do not Cyphastrea ocellina, Dendrogyra listing as threatened (two Caribbean and submit confidential business cylindrus, Dichocoenia stokesii, 52 Indo-Pacific), and 16 coral species information, or otherwise sensitive or Euphyllia cristata, Euphyllia (all Indo-Pacific) do not warrant listing protected information. We will accept paraancora, Euphyllia paradivisa, as threatened or endangered under the anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in Galaxea astreata, Heliopora coerulea, ESA. Additionally, we have determined, the required fields if you wish to remain Isopora crateriformis, Isopora cuneata, based on the best scientific and anonymous). Attachments to electronic Leptoseris incrustans, Leptoseris yabei, commercial information available and comments will be accepted in Microsoft Millepora foveolata, Millepora tuberosa, efforts undertaken to protect the species, Word or Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe Montastraea annularis, Montastraea two Caribbean coral species currently PDF file formats only. faveolata, Montastraea franksi, listed warrant reclassification from You can obtain the petition and Montipora angulata, Montipora threatened to endangered. We are reference materials regarding this australiensis, Montipora calcarea, announcing that 18 public hearings will determination via the NMFS Pacific Montipora caliculata, Montipora be held during the public comment Island Regional Office Web site: http:// dilatata, Montipora flabellata, period to provide additional www.fpir.noaa.gov/PRD/ Montipora lobulata, Montipora patula, opportunities and formats to receive PRD_coral.html; NMFS Southeast Mycetophyllia ferox, Oculina varicosa, public input. See SUPPLEMENTARY Regional Office Web site: http:// Pachyseris rugosa, Pavona bipartita, INFORMATION for public hearing dates, sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/esa/ Pavona cactus, Pavona decussata, times, and locations. 82CoralSpecies.htm; NMFS HQ Web Pavona diffluens, Pavona venosa, DATES: Comments on this proposal must site: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/ Pectinia alcicornis, Physogyra be received by March 7, 2013. See 2012/11/82corals.html; or by submitting lichtensteini, Pocillopora danae, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for public a request to the Regulatory Branch Pocillopora elegans, Porites hearing dates, times, and locations. Chief, Protected Resources Division, horizontalata, Porites napopora, Porites ADDRESSES: You may submit comments National Marine Fisheries Service, nigrescens, Porites pukoensis, on this document, identified by NOAA– Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1601 Psammocora stellata, Seriatopora NMFS–2010–0036, by any of the Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, aculeata, Turbinaria mesenterina, following methods: HI 96814, Attn: 82 coral species. See Turbinaria peltata, Turbinaria • Electronic Submission: Submit all SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for public reniformis, and Turbinaria stellulata. electronic public comments via the hearing dates, times, and locations. Eight of the petitioned species occur in Federal e-Rulemaking Portal FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: the Caribbean and 75 of the petitioned www.regulations.gov. To submit Chelsey Young, NMFS, Pacific Islands species occur in the Indo-Pacific region. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:24 Dec 06, 2012 Jkt 229001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\07DEP3.SGM 07DEP3 srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 236 / Friday, December 7, 2012 / Proposed Rules 73221 Most of the 83 species can be found in composed of seven Federal scientists undertaken. Given the petition’s scale the United States, its territories (Puerto from NMFS’ Pacific Islands, Northwest, and the precedential nature of the Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Navassa, and Southeast Fisheries Science issues, we determined that our decision- Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Centers, as well as the U.S. Geological making process would be strengthened American Samoa, Pacific Remote Island Survey and National Park Service. The if we took additional time to allow the Areas), or its freely associated states members of the BRT are a diverse group public, non-federal experts, non- (Republic of the Marshall Islands, of scientists with expertise in coral governmental organizations, state and Federated States of Micronesia, and biology, coral ecology, coral taxonomy, territorial governments, and academics Republic of Palau), though many occur physical oceanography, global climate to review and provide information more frequently in other countries. change, and coral population dynamics. related to the SRR and the Draft On February 10, 2010, we published The BRT’s comprehensive, peer- Management Report prior to issuing our a positive 90-day finding (75 FR 6616; reviewed Status Review Report (SRR, 12-month finding. We specifically February 10, 2010) in which we Brainard et al., 2011) incorporates and requested information on the following: described our determination that the summarizes the best available scientific (1) Relevant scientific information petition contained substantial scientific and commercial information as of collected or produced since the and commercial information indicating August 2011 on the following topics: (1) completion of the SRR or any relevant that the petitioned actions may be Long-term trends in abundance scientific information not included in warranted for