[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11061-11062]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-4348]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2010-004; 4500030113]
RIN 1018-AV97
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed
Endangered Status for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of availability and reopening of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
reopening of the public comment period on our December 14, 2010,
proposed endangered status for the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus
arenicolus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We
also announce the availability of a signed conservation agreement for
the dunes sagebrush lizard in Texas. We are reopening the comment
period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment
simultaneously on the proposed rule, the new conservation agreement,
and a previously completed conservation agreement for the dunes
sagebrush lizard in New Mexico. Comments previously submitted need not
be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the
final rule.
DATES: The comment period end date is March 12, 2012. We request that
comments be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: You may obtain copies of the proposed
rule, the ``Texas Conservation Plan for Dunes Sagebrush Lizard
(Sceloporus arenicolus)'', and the ``Candidate Conservation Agreement
for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Sand
Dune Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) in New Mexico'' on the Internet at
http://www.regulations.gov at Docket Number FWS-R2-ES-2010-0041, or by
mail from the New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Comment submission: You may submit written comments by one of the
following methods:
(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2010-0041, which
is the docket number for this rulemaking.
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2010-0041; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax
Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
[[Page 11062]]
We request that you send comments only by the methods described
above. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide
us (see the Public Comments section below for more information).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wally Murphy, Field Supervisor, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Office, 2105
Osuna NE., Albuquerque, NM 87113; telephone (505-761-4781). Persons who
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at (800-877-8339).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On December 14, 2010, we published a proposed rule (75 FR 77801) to
list the dunes sagebrush lizard, a lizard known from southeastern New
Mexico and adjacent west Texas, as endangered under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). For a
description of previous Federal actions concerning the dunes sagebrush
lizard (formerly known as the sand dunes lizard), please refer to the
proposed rule. In addition to the original comment period associated
with the publication of the proposed rule, we held two public meetings
in April 2011 and reopened the comment period to accept additional
public comments (76 FR 19304; April 7, 2011). On December 5, 2011, we
provided notice of extension of our final determination pursuant to
section 4(b)(6) of the Act and reopened the comment period a third time
(76 FR 75858). That comment period closed on January 19, 2012.
Since that time, the Texas Comptroller's Office, in coordination
with industry, landowners, and agricultural interests, has prepared and
finalized a conservation agreement for the lizard, titled the ``Texas
Conservation Plan for Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus)''.
Additionally, the ``Candidate Conservation Agreement for the Lesser
Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Sand Dune Lizard
(Sceloporus arenicolus) in New Mexico'' was finalized in December 2008.
The Service would like to consider the conservation measures in these
agreements in its final listing determination. As such, we are
reopening the comment period to allow the public an opportunity to
provide comment on the likelihood of implementation and effectiveness
of the conservation measures in the agreements pursuant to our Policy
for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions
(68 FR 15100; March 28, 2003).
Public Comments
We will accept written comments and information during this
reopened comment period on our proposed listing for the dunes sagebrush
lizard that was published in the Federal Register on December 14, 2010
(75 FR 77801). We will consider information and recommendations from
all interested parties. We intend that any final action resulting from
this proposal be as accurate as possible and based on the best
available scientific and commercial data.
If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed
rule, please do not resubmit them. We have incorporated them into the
public record, and we will fully consider them in the preparation of
our final determination. Our final determination concerning this
proposed listing will take into consideration all written comments and
any additional information we received.
You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you
send comments only by the methods described in ADDRESSES.
If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment--including any personal identifying information--will be posted
on the Web site. We will post all hardcopy comments on http://www.regulations.gov as well. If you submit a hardcopy comment that
includes personal identifying information, you may request at the top
of your document that we withhold this information from public review.
However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting
documentation we used in preparing the proposed rule, will be available
for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-
R2-ES-2010-0041, or by appointment, during normal business hours, at
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services
Field Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). You may obtain
copies of the proposed rule on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2010-0041, or by mail from
the New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: February 10, 2012.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-4348 Filed 2-23-12; 8:45 am]
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