[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 98 (Thursday, May 21, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29286-29296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-12316]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Marine Fisheries Service

50 CFR Part 424

[Docket Nos. FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0016; DOC 150506429-5429-01; 4500030113]
RIN 1018-BA53; 0648-BF06


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revisions to the 
Regulations for Petitions

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Interior; National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine 
Fisheries Service, propose changes to the regulations concerning 
petitions, to improve the content and specificity of petitions and to 
enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the petitions process to 
support species conservation. Our proposed revisions to the regulations 
would clarify and enhance the procedures by which the Services will 
evaluate petitions under section 4(b)(3) of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973, as amended. These revisions would also maximize the efficiency 
with which the Services process petitions, making the best use of 
available resources.

DATES: We will accept comments that we receive on or before July 20, 
2015. Please note that if you are using the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
(see ADDRESSES section, below), the deadline for submitting an 
electronic comment is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: 
http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter the docket number 
for this proposed rule, which is FWS-HQ-ES-

[[Page 29287]]

2015-0016. Then click on the Search button. In the Search panel on the 
left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, click on the 
Proposed Rules link to locate this document. You may submit a comment 
by clicking on ``Comment Now!'' Please ensure that you have found the 
correct document before submitting your comment.
     By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery to: 
Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0016; U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, 
VA 22041-3803.
    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 Request for Information section, below, for more 
information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Krofta, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Division of Conservation and Classification, 5275 Leesburg 
Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803, telephone 703-358-2171; facsimile 
703-358-1735; or Angela Somma, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
MD 20910, telephone 301-427-8403. If you use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The primary purpose of the petition process is to empower the 
public, in effect, to direct the attention of the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (Services) 
to (1) species that may be imperiled and not otherwise known to the 
Services, (2) changes to a listed species' threats or other 
circumstances that warrant that species being reclassified (i.e., 
changed in listing status by ``downlisting'' from endangered to 
threatened, or by ``uplisting'' from threatened to endangered) or 
delisted (i.e., removed from the Federal List of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife or List of Endangered and Threatened Plants), or 
(3) necessary revisions to critical habitat designations. The petition 
process is a central feature of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended, and serves a beneficial 
public purpose.

Purpose of Proposed Revision of Regulations

    The Services are proposing changes to the regulations at 50 CFR 
424.14 concerning petitions to improve the content and specificity of 
petitions and to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the 
petitions process to support species conservation. Our proposed 
revisions to Sec.  424.14 would clarify and enhance the procedures by 
which the Services will evaluate petitions under section 4(b)(3) of the 
Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3). We propose to revise the regulations 
pertaining to the petition process to provide greater clarity to the 
public on the petition-submission process, which will assist 
petitioners in providing complete petitions. These revisions would also 
maximize the efficiency with which the Services process petitions, 
making the best use of available resources. These changes would improve 
the quality of petitions through expanded content requirements and 
guidelines; and, in doing so; better focus the Services' energies on 
petitions that merit further analysis. The following discussion 
outlines the proposed changes and explains the benefits of making these 
changes.

Specific Proposed Changes to Current Regulations at 50 CFR 424.14

General Authority and Requirements for Petitions--Paragraphs (a) and 
(b)

    Proposed paragraph (a) would retain the first sentence of the 
current section. Proposed new paragraph (b) would incorporate the 
substance of the second and third sentences of current paragraph (a), 
which set forth certain minimum content requirements for a request for 
agency action to qualify as a petition for the purposes of section 
4(b)(3) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3). The new paragraph would also 
expand upon the list of requirements for a petition, drawing in part 
from the provisions in current paragraph (b)(2). Proposed paragraph 
(b)(2) would, however, newly require that a petition address only one 
species. Although the Services in the past have accepted multi-species 
petitions, in practice it has often proven to be difficult to know 
which supporting materials apply to which species, and has sometimes 
made it difficult to follow the logic of the petition. This requirement 
would not place any limitation on the ability of an interested party to 
petition for section 4 actions, but would require petitioners to 
organize the information in a way (on a species-by-species basis) that 
will allow more efficient action by the Services.
    The first six requirements (in proposed paragraphs (b)(1) through 
(b)(6)) would apply to each type of petition recognized under section 
4(b)(3) of the Act. The first four requirements (in proposed paragraphs 
(b)(1) through (b)(4)) are all contained in the current regulations at 
Sec.  424.14(a) and (b). The fifth and sixth requirements (in proposed 
paragraphs (b)(5) and (b)(6)) clarify and expand on the current 
provisions regarding a petition's supporting documentation at Sec.  
424.14(b)(2)(iv). The seventh requirement (in proposed paragraph 
(b)(7)), however, would apply only to petitions to list a species, and 
would require that information be presented on the face of the request 
to demonstrate that the entity that is the subject of the request is or 
may be a ``species'' as defined in the Act (which includes a species, 
subspecies, or distinct population segment). Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the 
Act applies only to ``a petition . . . to add a species to, or to 
remove a species from, either of the lists [of endangered or threatened 
wildlife and plants]'' (emphasis added). This provision screens from 
needless consideration those requests that clearly do not involve a 
species, subspecies, or distinct population segment. The eighth 
requirement (in proposed paragraph (b)(8)), would apply only to 
petitions to list, delist, or reclassify a species, and would require 
that information be included in the petition describing the current 
range of the species, including range States or countries, as 
appropriate.
    Although section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act authorizes interested 
persons to submit a petition to add a species to, or remove a species 
from, the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, and 
section 4(b)(3)(D) of the Act authorizes submission of petitions to 
revise critical habitat designations, the Act does not specify the 
required contents of such a petition, but instead leaves with the 
Secretary the authority to do so. The Services are concerned that the 
States, which often have considerable experience and information on the 
species within their boundaries, have opportunity to be involved in 
providing information as part of the petition process. To further the 
Act's directive to cooperate to the maximum extent practicable with the 
States, the Secretary proposes to revise the regulations pertaining to 
the required contents of such petitions, as well as petitions to revise 
or designate critical habitat. The goal of this proposed revision is to 
encourage greater communication and cooperation among would-be 
petitioners and State conservation agencies prior to the submission of 
listing or critical habitat petitions to the Secretary.
    To that end, we propose a ninth requirement (proposed paragraph 
(b)(9)) that would apply only to petitions to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service to add a

[[Page 29288]]

species that occurs within the United States to the List of Endangered 
and Threatened Wildlife or List of Endangered and Threatened Plants, 
change the status of a listed domestic species, or designate or revise 
critical habitat for any domestic species under its jurisdiction. This 
proposed requirement concerns communications between the petitioner(s); 
the State agency(ies) responsible for the management and conservation 
of fish, plant, or wildlife resources in each State where the species 
that is the subject of the petition occurs; and the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service. As a general matter, States have jurisdiction and the 
responsibility for managing and conserving freshwater fish, wildlife, 
and plant species that are not listed as endangered or threatened 
species under the Act. In the exercise of their jurisdiction and 
responsibility, the States have developed substantial experience, 
expertise, and information relevant to the conservation of such 
species. The Act recognizes and acknowledges that experience and 
expertise in a number of ways. For example, section 6 of the Act 
directs the Secretary to cooperate to the maximum extent practicable 
with the States in carrying out the program authorized by the Act. 
Consistent with this mandate, section 4(b) of the Act directs the 
Secretary, when making determinations with respect to the listing of 
any species, to take into account the efforts being made by any State 
to protect such species. In addition, although the Secretary is free to 
adopt regulations pursuant to section 4 that are at odds with the 
written recommendations of a State conservation agency, when he or she 
does so, section 4(i) of the Act requires the Secretary to provide the 
State agency with a written justification for not adopting regulations 
consistent with State's recommendations. In these and other ways, the 
Act recognizes and respects the special status of the States with 
respect to the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and 
plants.
    Proposed paragraph (b)(9) would require that for any petition 
submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pertaining to species 
found within the United States, a petitioner must certify that a copy 
of the petition was provided to the State agency(ies) responsible for 
the management and conservation of fish, plant, or wildlife resources 
in each State where the species occurs at least 30 days prior to 
submission to the Service. The certification must include the date that 
the petition was provided to the relevant State agency(ies). If the 
State agency(ies) provided data or written comments regarding the 
accuracy or completeness of the petition, those data or comments must 
be labeled as such, appended to the petition, and submitted with the 
petition. If the State agency(ies) did not provide any data or written 
comments regarding the accuracy or completeness of the petition, the 
petitioner must so certify. We realize that States may not have 
jurisdiction over or regulate all species, such as insects or plants, 
and thus may not be able to provide any data for certain species.
    Note that if a State provides data or written comments to the 
petitioner after the petition is filed, section 424.14(b)(9) would not 
require that the petitioner resubmit the petition with the new State 
data or written comments (although the petitioner may choose to do so). 
State data received after the filing of the petition will not reset the 
clock for the Services' consideration of the petition, but will become 
part of the data available in our files that we may elect to review 
under proposed section (g)(1)(ii) if sufficient time remains to do so.
    In this proposed rule, we are proposing to include the requirement 
under (b)(9) only as to petitions filed with the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service. We recognize the relatively greater logistical 
difficulties that would be posed to petitioners if they were required 
to identify and coordinate with all interested States regarding marine 
species and wide-ranging anadromous species. However, we seek public 
comment as to whether this requirement, if adopted, should also apply 
to petitions filed with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
    The Services are also concerned that petitions should include a 
presentation of all reasonably available, relevant data on the subject 
species (or, if relevant for the particular petition, its habitat), 
including information that supports the petition as well as that which 
may tend to refute it. This is particularly true for information 
publicly available from affected States, who have special status and 
concerns with respect to implementation of the Act, as discussed above. 
Fostering greater inclusion of such data would help ensure that any 
petition submitted to the Secretary is based on reliable and unbiased 
information and does not consist simply of unrepresentative, selected 
data.
    To this end, we propose a tenth requirement (proposed paragraph 
(b)(10)), applicable to all petitions filed with either Service, that 
would require a petitioner to certify that the petitioner has gathered 
all relevant information readily available, including from Web sites 
maintained by the affected States, and has clearly labeled and appended 
such information to the petition so that it is submitted with the 
petition. As an alternative to this provision, we are considering 
limiting the requirement under (b)(10) to extend only to gathering and 
certifying submission of relevant information publicly available on 
affected States' Web sites.
    The Services would apply Sec.  424.14(b) to identify those requests 
that contain all the elements of a petition, so that consideration of 
the request would be an efficient and wise use of agency resources. A 
request that fails to meet these elements would be screened out from 
further consideration, as discussed below, because a request cannot 
meet the statutory standard for demonstrating that the petitioned 
action may be warranted if it does not contain at least some 
information on each of the areas relevant to that inquiry.

Types of Information To Be Included in Petitions--Paragraphs (c) and 
(d)

    Proposed Sec.  424.14(c) and (d) describe the types of information 
that would be relevant to the Secretary's determination as to whether 
the petition provides substantial information that the petitioned 
action may be warranted. Petitioners are advised that compliance with 
paragraph (b) would result in issuance of a 90-day finding, but for 
that finding to be positive, petitioners should include as much of the 
types of information listed in paragraphs (c) or (d) (as relevant to 
the type of petition they are filing) as possible.
Petitions To List, Delist, or Reclassify
    The proposed informational elements for listing, delisting, and 
reclassification petitions in proposed paragraphs (c)(1) through (c)(5) 
are rooted in the substance of current paragraphs (b)(2)(ii) and (iii). 
These elements would clarify in the regulations the key considerations 
that are relevant when the Services are determining whether or not the 
petition presents ``substantial scientific or commercial information 
indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted,'' which is the 
standard for making a positive 90-day finding as described in section 
4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3)(A).
    Proposed paragraph (c)(3) refers to inclusion in a petition of a 
description of the magnitude and immediacy of threats. This request is 
included to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in assessing the 
listing priority number of species for which a warranted-but-precluded 
finding is made under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS)

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September 21, 1983, guidance, which requires assessing, in part, the 
magnitude and immediacy of threats (48 FR 43098). In addition to being 
useful for status reviews, this information should be included to 
assist in determinations on delisting and reclassification requests. 
While such information will likely also be useful to the National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), it should be noted that NMFS has not 
adopted the 1983 FWS guidance, and so would not apply that guidance to 
petitions within its jurisdiction.
    Proposed paragraph (c)(5) is a revision of the language in current 
paragraph (b)(2) that describes information a petitioner may include 
for consideration in designating critical habitat in conjunction with a 
listing or reclassification. We propose to delete the clause ``and 
indicates any benefits and/or adverse effects on the species that would 
result from such designation'' because this information is not relevant 
to the biological considerations that underlay a listing determination.
Petitions To Revise Critical Habitat
    Similarly, proposed new Sec.  424.14(d) sets forth the kinds of 
information a petitioner should include in a petition to revise 
critical habitat. The Secretary's determination as to whether the 
petition provides ``substantial scientific information indicating that 
the revision may be warranted'' (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(3)(D)(i)) will 
depend in part on the degree to which the petition includes this type 
of information.
    The items set out at proposed new paragraph (d) are an expanded and 
reworded version of the substance of current paragraph (c)(2). Proposed 
paragraph (d)(1) would confirm that, to justify a revision to critical 
habitat, it is important to demonstrate that the existing designation 
includes areas that should not be included or does not include areas 
that should be included, and to discuss the benefits of designating 
additional areas, or the reasons to remove areas from an existing 
designation. Additionally, including maps with enough detail to clearly 
identify the particular area(s) being recommended for inclusion or 
exclusion will be useful to the Services in making a petition finding.
    Proposed paragraph (d)(2) is drawn from the substance of current 
paragraphs (c)(2)(i) and (ii), which have been reorganized and 
clarified. Proposed paragraph (d)(2) would clarify that several 
distinct pieces of information are needed to analyze whether any area 
of habitat should be designated, beginning with a description of the 
``physical or biological features'' that are essential for the 
conservation of the species and which may require special management. 
Proposed paragraphs (d)(3) and (d)(4) would detail the informational 
needs the Services will have in considering whether to add or remove 
habitat from the designation comprising specific areas occupied by the 
species at the time of listing, respectively. Proposed paragraph (d)(5) 
would highlight the particular informational needs associated with 
evaluating habitat that was unoccupied at the time of listing--that is, 
information that fulfills the statutory requirement that any specific 
areas designated are ``essential to the conservation of the species.'' 
See section 3(5)(A)(ii) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1532(5)(A)(ii).
    Proposed paragraph (d)(6) would provide additional direction that a 
petition should include information demonstrating that the petition 
provides a complete presentation of the relevant facts, including an 
explanation of what sources of information the petitioner consulted in 
drafting the petition, as well as any relevant information known to the 
petitioner not included in the petition.

Responses to Petitions--Paragraph (e)

    Proposed new Sec.  424.14(e) sets out the possible responses the 
Secretary may make to requests. Proposed paragraph (e)(1) would clarify 
that a request that fails to satisfy the mandatory elements set forth 
in proposed paragraph (b) may be returned by the Services without a 
further determination on the merits of the request. In light of the 
volume of requests received by the Services, it is critical that we 
have the option to identify early on those requests that on their faces 
are incomplete, in order to ensure that agency resources are not 
diverted from higher priorities. Although this authority is implied in 
the current regulations, making the point explicit in the revised 
regulations would provide additional notice to petitioners, and lead to 
better-quality requests and more efficient and effective (in terms of 
species conservation) use of agency resources. Proposed Sec.  
424.14(e)(2) would confirm that a request that complies with the 
mandatory requirements will be acknowledged in writing as a petition 
within 30 days of receipt (as required under current 424.14(a)).

Additional Information Provided Subsequent to Receipt of the Petition--
Paragraph (f)

    Proposed paragraph (f) would address the situation in which a 
petitioner supplements a petition with additional information at a 
later date, requesting that the Secretary take the new information into 
account. The Services' standard practice in these circumstances has 
been to notify petitioners of receipt of this information and inform 
them that, in order to meaningfully consider this information, the 
Services consider the statutory deadlines to now run from the receipt 
date of the supplemental information. The proposed provision would 
clarify our position that the statutory period applicable to making any 
required finding would be re-set to begin running from the time such 
additional information is received by the Secretaries. In effect, the 
supplemental information, together with the original petition, will be 
considered a new petition that constructively supplants the original 
petition and re-sets the period for making a 90-day finding under 
section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act. This is consistent with 16 U.S.C. 
1533(b)(3)(A) and 1533(b)(3)(D)(i), which direct the Services to 
determine whether ``the petition'' presents substantial information 
indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Supplementing 
the information supporting a petition is, therefore, constructively the 
same as submitting a new petition. The Services propose to make this 
explicit in the regulations to ensure that the Services have adequate 
time to consider the supplemental information relevant to a petition. 
Also, by giving clear notice of this process, the Services can 
encourage petitioners to assemble all the information they believe 
necessary to support the petition prior to sending it to the Services 
for consideration, further enhancing the efficiency of the petition 
process.

Findings on a Petition To List, Delist, or Reclassify--Paragraph (g)

    Proposed Sec.  424.14(g) would explain the kinds of findings the 
Services may make on a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a 
species and the standards to be applied in that process. Proposed 
paragraph (g)(1) is drawn largely from current paragraph (b)(1), with 
some revisions. Most significantly, proposed paragraph (g)(1)(i) would 
clarify the substantial-information standard by defining it as credible 
scientific and commercial information that would lead a reasonable 
person conducting an impartial scientific review to conclude that the 
action proposed in the petition

[[Page 29290]]

may be warranted. Thus, conclusory statements made in a petition 
without the support of credible scientific or commercial information 
are not ``substantial information.'' For example, a petition that 
states only that a species is rare and thus should be listed, without 
other credible information regarding its status, does not provide 
substantial information. This interpretation is consistent with the 
Scott's riffle beetle case (WildEarth Guardians v. Salazar (D. Colo. 
Sept. 19, 2011)). In that case, the court rejected the challenge to a 
negative 90-day finding, because the petition did not present any 
information of any potential threat currently affecting the species or 
reasonably likely to do so in the foreseeable future. The court found 
that information as to the rarity of a species, without more 
information, is not ``substantial information'' that listing the 
species may be warranted.
    In Sec.  424.14(g)(1)(ii), we propose to add a new sentence to 
clarify that the Services may consider information that is readily 
available in the relevant agency's possession at the time it makes a 
90-day finding. For purposes of Sec.  424.14(g)(1), the Services 
recognize that the statute places the obligation squarely on the 
petitioner to present the requisite level of information to meet the 
``substantial information'' test, and that the Services therefore 
should not seek to supplement petitions. (Please see the Columbian 
sharp-tailed grouse case (WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Secretary of the 
Interior, 2011 U.S. Dist. Lexis 32470 (D. Idaho Mar. 28, 2011)), which 
provided, among other things, that the petitioner has the burden of 
providing substantial information.) However, the Services believe they 
should evaluate such petitions in context and using the Services' 
expertise. In order to apply their best professional judgment, Service 
staff reviewing petitions may need to take into account information 
readily available in the agency's possession, including both 
information tending to support the petition and information tending to 
contradict the information presented therein. Although the Services are 
mindful that, at the stage of formulating an initial finding, they 
should not engage in outside research or an effort to comprehensively 
compile the best available information, they must be able to place the 
information presented in the petition in context.
    The Act contemplates a two-step process in reviewing a petition. 
The 12-month finding is meant to be the more in-depth determination and 
follows a status review, while the 90-day finding is meant to be a 
quicker evaluation of a more limited set of information. However, based 
on their experience in administering the Act, the Services conclude 
that evaluating the information presented in the petition in a vacuum 
can lead to inaccurately supported decisions and misdirection of 
resources away from higher priorities. It may be difficult for the 
Services to bring informed expertise to their evaluation of the facts 
and claims alleged in a petition without considering the petition in 
the context of other information of the sort that the Services maintain 
in their possession and would routinely consult in the course of their 
work. It is reasonable for the Services to be able to examine the 
veracity of the information included in a petition prior to committing 
limited Federal resources to the significant expense of a status 
review.
    The Act's legislative history also supports explicitly recognizing 
the discretion that the Services have to bring their informed expertise 
and judgment to bear in reviewing petitions. In a discussion of 
judicial review of the Secretary's 90-day findings on petitions, a 
House Conference report states that, when courts review such a 
decision, the ``object of [the judicial] review is to determine whether 
the Secretary's action was arbitrary or capricious in light of the 
scientific and commercial information available concerning the 
petitioned action.'' H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 97-835, at 20, reprinted in 
1982 U.S.C.C.A.N. 2860, 2862 (emphasis added). By requiring courts to 
evaluate the Secretary's substantial information findings in light of 
information ``available,'' this statement suggests that the drafters 
anticipated that the Secretary could evaluate petitions in the context 
of scientific and commercial information available to the Services, and 
not limited arbitrarily to a subset of available information presented 
in the petitions. In these regulatory amendments, the Services have 
crafted a balanced approach that will ensure that the Services may take 
into account the information available to us, without opening the door 
to the type of wide-ranging survey more appropriate for a status 
review. The intent is not to solicit new information.
    The precise range of information properly considered readily 
available in the agency's possession will vary with circumstances, but 
could include the information physically held by any office within the 
Services (including, for example, the NMFS Science Centers and FWS 
Field Offices), and may also include information stored electronically 
in databases routinely consulted by the Services in the ordinary course 
of their work. For example, it would be appropriate to consult online 
databases such as the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (http://www.itis.gov), a database of scientifically credible nomenclature 
information maintained in part by the Services.
    Proposed paragraph (g)(1)(iii) would explain how the substantial-
information standard applies to a petition to list, delist, or 
reclassify a species that is submitted after the Secretary has already 
conducted a status review of that species and determined that the 
petitioned action is not warranted, or made another listing action; 
such petitions are referred to as ``subsequent petitions.'' Subsequent 
petitions may follow a 12-month finding or a final determination on a 
proposed listing, reclassification, or delisting rule. The prior status 
review and determination are part of the information readily available 
in the agency's possession for consideration in evaluating the 
subsequent petition, and they play an important role in setting the 
context for the 90-day finding. In addition, 5-year reviews completed 
for listed species would be considered in our evaluation of a petition 
to delist or reclassify. Although the substantial-information standard 
applies to all petitions under section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, the 
standard's application depends on the context in which the finding is 
being made. The context of a finding after a status review and 
determination is quite different than that before any status review has 
been completed. Thus, proposed Sec.  424.14(g)(1)(iii) requires that 
for a subsequent petition to provide substantial information the 
petition must provide sufficient new information or analysis such that 
a reasonable person conducting an impartial scientific review would 
conclude that the action proposed in the petition may be warranted, 
despite the previous determination. (Please see the Columbian sharp-
tailed grouse case (WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Secretary of the 
Interior, 2011 U.S. Dist. Lexis 32470 (D. Idaho Mar. 28, 2011)), in 
which the court found the FWS could consider scientific conclusions in 
previous 12-month finding valid, because that finding was not 
challenged.)
    A reasonable person would not conclude that the petitioned action 
may be warranted if the petition fails to present any substantial new 
information or analysis that might alter the conclusions of the 
Services' prior determination. Following a positive 90-day finding on a 
petition, the Services gather all available scientific and

[[Page 29291]]

commercial information and conduct a status review of the species; the 
resulting 12-month finding is a result of this review. The Secretary 
may also initiate and conduct a status review on his or her own and 
determine if listing, delisting, or reclassifying is warranted. 
Similarly, a final determination on a proposed rule to list or delist a 
species requires that we first conduct a status review of the species. 
If the subsequent petition fails to provide any substantial new 
information or analysis beyond that already considered in a prior 
status review or 5-year review that resulted in a finding that listing 
or reclassification of the species is not warranted, it would not be 
rational to expect a different outcome.
    One corollary of this conclusion is that the Secretary may find 
that a subsequent petition fails the ``substantial information'' 
standard, even though a prior petition seeking the same action 
initially received a positive 90-day finding. Because the prior status 
review, and resultant 12-month finding, are now a part of the 
information readily available in the agency's possession, the 
subsequent petition is on a different footing from the prior petition. 
Although similar information may have qualified as ``substantial'' when 
it was initially evaluated, it may not necessarily be considered 
substantial in the context of the completed status review.
    The completion of a status review of a species consumes 
considerable agency resources. The application of Sec.  
424.14(g)(1)(iii) is intended to assist the Services in making 
judicious use of those resources, by eliminating unnecessary 
duplication of effort in responding to a petition when the Services 
have already evaluated the species in question and no substantial new 
information or analysis is available. This would allow the Services to 
instead concentrate on petitions for actions that will best make use of 
limited agency resources and potentially result in greater conservation 
value for a species that may be in need of the protections of the Act.
    Proposed Sec.  424.14(g)(2) is substantially the same as current 
paragraph (b)(3). Among other changes, we propose new language 
clarifying the standard for making expeditious-progress determinations 
in warranted-but-precluded findings, including (in paragraph 
(g)(2)(iii)(B)) a clear acknowledgement that such determinations are to 
be made in light of resources available after complying with 
nondiscretionary duties, court orders, and court-approved settlement 
agreements to take actions under section 4 of the Act. Current 
paragraph (b)(4) would be redesignated as paragraph (g)(3), although we 
propose to remove the reference in the current language that ``no 
further finding of substantial information will be required,'' as it 
merely repeats statutory language.

Findings on a Petition To Revise Critical Habitat--Paragraph (h)

    Proposed Sec.  424.14(h) would explain the kinds of findings that 
the Services may make on a petition to revise critical habitat. 
Proposed paragraph (h)(1) is essentially the same as current paragraph 
(c)(1) and describes the standard applicable to the Secretary's finding 
at the 90-day stage. Please refer to the discussion of the 
``substantial information'' test discussed in the description of Sec.  
424.14(g)(1), above. Proposed paragraph (h)(2) would specifically 
acknowledge, consistent with the statute, that such finding may, but 
need not, take a form similar to one of the findings called for at the 
12-month stage in the review of a petition to list, delist, or 
reclassify species. Section 4(a)(3)(A) of the Act establishes a 
mandatory duty to designate critical habitat for listed species to the 
maximum extent prudent and determinable at the time of listing (in 
subsection (A)(i)), but respecting subsequent revision of such habitat 
provides only that the Services ``may, from time-to-time thereafter as 
appropriate, revise such designation'' (in subsection (A)(ii) (emphasis 
added)).
    That the Services have broad discretion to decide when it is 
appropriate to revise critical habitat is also evident in the 
differences between the Act's provisions discussing petitions to revise 
critical habitat, on the one hand, and the far more prescriptive 
provisions regarding the possible findings that can be made at the 12-
month stage on petitions to list, delist, or reclassify species, on the 
other. Section 4(b)(3)(B) includes three detailed and exclusive options 
for 12-month findings on petitions to list, delist, or reclassify 
species. In contrast, section 4(b)(3)(D)(ii) requires only that the 
Secretary (acting through the Services) ``determine how he intends to 
proceed with the requested revision'' and promptly publish notice of 
such intention in the Federal Register within 12 months of receipt of a 
petition to revise critical habitat that has been found to present 
substantial information that the petitioned revision may be warranted. 
The differences in these subsections indicates that the listing 
petition procedures are not required to be followed in determining how 
to proceed with petitions to revise critical habitat. See Sierra Club 
v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37349 (D.D.C. 
Mar. 19, 2013) (12-month determinations on petitions to revise are 
committed to the agency's discretion by law, and thus unreviewable 
under the Administrative Procedure Act); Morrill v. Lujan, 802 F. Supp. 
424 (S.D. Ala. 1992) (revisions to critical habitat are discretionary); 
see also Barnhart v. Sigman Coal Co., Inc., 122 S. Ct. 941, 951 (2002) 
(``it is a general principle of statutory construction that when 
`Congress includes particular language in one section of a statute but 
omits it in another section of the same Act, it is generally presumed 
that Congress acts intentionally and purposely in the disparate 
inclusion or exclusion' '') (citing Russello v. United States, 464 U.S. 
16, 23 (1983)); Federal Election Commission v. National Rifle Ass'n of 
America, 254 F.3d 173, 194 (D.C. Cir. 2001) (same).
    Further, the legislative history for the 1982 amendments that added 
the petition provisions to the Act confirms that Congress intended to 
grant discretion to the Services in determining how to respond to 
petitions to revise critical habitat. After discussing at length the 
detailed listing petition provisions and their intended meaning, 
Congress said of the critical habitat petition requirements, 
``Petitions to revise critical habitat designations may be treated 
differently.'' H.R. Rep. No. 97-835, at 22 (1982), reprinted in 1982 
U.S.C.C.A.N. 2860, 2862.
    The Services may find in particular situations that terminology 
similar to that set out in the listing-petition provisions is useful 
for explaining their intended response at the 12-month stage on a 
petition to revise critical habitat. For example, the Services have, at 
times, used the term ``warranted'' to indicate that requested revisions 
of critical habitat would satisfy the definition of critical habitat in 
section 3 of the Act. However, use of the listing-petition terms in a 
finding on a petition to revise critical habitat would not mean that 
the associated listing-petition procedures and timelines apply or are 
required to be followed with respect to the petition. For example, if 
the Services find that a petitioned revision of critical habitat is, in 
effect, ``warranted,'' in that the areas would meet the definition of 
``critical habitat,'' that finding would not require the Services to 
publish a proposed rule to implement the revision in any particular 
timeframe. Similarly, a finding on a petition to revise critical 
habitat that uses the phrase ``warranted but precluded,'' or a 
functionally similar phrase, to describe the Secretary's intention 
would not trigger the

[[Page 29292]]

requirements of section 4(b)(3)(B)(iii) or (C) (establishing 
requirements to make particular findings, to implement a monitoring 
system, etc.).
    Though the Services have discretion to determine how to proceed 
with a petition to revise critical habitat, the Services believe that 
certain factors respecting conservation and recovery of the relevant 
species are likely to be relevant and potentially important to most 
such determinations. Such factors may include, but are not limited to: 
The status of the existing critical habitat for which revisions are 
sought (e.g., when it was designated, the extent of the species' range 
included in the designation); the effectiveness or potential of the 
existing critical habitat to contribute to the conservation of the 
relevant listed species; the potential conservation benefit of the 
petitioned revision to the listed species relative to the existing 
designation; whether there are other, higher-priority conservation 
actions that need to be completed under the Act, particularly for the 
species that is the subject of the petitioned revision; the 
availability of personnel, funding, and contractual or other resources 
required to complete the requested revision; and the precedent that 
accepting the petition might set for subsequent requested revisions.

Petitions To Initially Designate Critical Habitat and Petitions for 
Special Rules--Paragraph (i)

    Proposed Sec.  424.14(i) would be substantially the same as current 
paragraph (d), regarding petitions to initially designate critical 
habitat or for adoption of special rules under section 4(d) of the Act.

Withdrawn Petitions--Paragraph (j)

    Proposed Sec.  424.14(j) would describe the process for a 
petitioner to withdraw a petition, and the Services' discretion to 
discontinue action on the withdrawn petition. Although the Services may 
discontinue work on a 90-day or 12-month finding for a petition that is 
withdrawn, in the case of a petition to list a species, the Services 
may use their own process to evaluate whether the species may warrant 
listing and whether it should become a candidate for listing. In the 
case of the withdrawal of a petition to delist, uplist or downlist a 
species, the Services may use the 5-year review process to further 
evaluate the status of the species, or elect to consider the issue at 
any time.

Request for Information

    Any final rule based on this proposal will consider information and 
recommendations timely submitted from all interested parties. We 
solicit comments, information, and recommendations from governmental 
agencies, Native American tribes, the scientific community, industry 
groups, environmental interest groups, and any other interested parties 
on this proposed rule. All comments and materials received by the date 
listed in DATES, above, will be considered prior to the approval of a 
final rule.
    We request comments and information evaluating each of several 
alternatives for insuring greater inclusion of relevant data supporting 
petitions, including information available from State conservation 
agencies within the range of the species. We specifically seek comment 
on proposed paragraph (b)(9), requiring petitioner coordination with 
States prior to submission of a petition to the Fish and Wildlife 
Service, and paragraph (b)(10), requiring certification that all 
reasonably available information, including relevant information 
publicly available from affected States' Web sites, has been gathered 
and appended to a petition filed with either Service. We note that 
either of these two provisions could stand alone, or both could be 
included in a final rule, as shown in the proposed regulatory text. We 
also suggested an alternative to (b)(10) that would require a 
certification only that relevant information from affected States' Web 
sites has been gathered and appended to a petition filed with either 
Service. We seek information on which alternatives, alone or in 
combination, would be most consistent with law and best achieve our 
goals of fostering better-informed petitions and greater cooperation 
with States. We also seek comments and information regarding any other 
alternative the public may suggest to achieve the goals of greater 
coordination with States and better-supported petitions. Finally, we 
seek comment on the criteria in paragraph (d), including comments on 
the utility of the criteria, the adequacy of the criteria, and the 
effect of the criteria on the workload on the petitioner.
    You may submit your information concerning this proposed rule by 
one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. If you submit information via 
http://www.regulations.gov, your entire submission--including any 
personal identifying information--will be posted on the Web site. If 
your submission is made via a hardcopy that includes personal 
identifying information, you may request at the top of your document 
that we withhold this personal identifying information from public 
review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We 
will post all hardcopy submissions on http://www.regulations.gov.
    Information and supporting documentation that we receive in 
response to this proposed rule will be available for you to review at 
http://www.regulations.gov, or by appointment, during normal business 
hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Conservation 
and Classification (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Required Determinations

Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Orders 12866 and 13563)

    Executive Order 12866 provides that the Office of Management and 
Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) will 
review all significant rules. The Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs has determined that this rule is not significant.
    Executive Order 13563 reaffirms the principles of E.O. 12866 while 
calling for improvements in the nation's regulatory system to promote 
predictability, to reduce uncertainty, and to use the best, most 
innovative, and least burdensome tools for achieving regulatory ends. 
The executive order directs agencies to consider regulatory approaches 
that reduce burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for 
the public where these approaches are relevant, feasible, and 
consistent with regulatory objectives. E.O. 13563 emphasizes further 
that regulations must be based on the best available science and that 
the rulemaking process must allow for public participation and an open 
exchange of ideas. We have developed this rule in a manner consistent 
with these requirements. This proposed rule is consistent with 
Executive Order 13563, and in particular with the requirement of 
retrospective analysis of existing rules, designed ``to make the 
agency's regulatory program more effective or less burdensome in 
achieving the regulatory objectives.''

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (as amended by the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) of 1996; 5 U.S.C. 
601 et seq.), whenever a Federal agency is required to publish a notice 
of rulemaking for any proposed or final rule, it must prepare, and make 
available for public comment, a regulatory flexibility analysis that 
describes the effect of the rule on small entities (i.e., small 
businesses, small organizations, and small government jurisdictions). 
However, no regulatory flexibility

[[Page 29293]]

analysis is required if the head of an agency, or his designee, 
certifies that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on 
a substantial number of small entities. SBREFA amended the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act to require Federal agencies to provide a statement of 
the factual basis for certifying that a rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
We certify that, if adopted as proposed, this proposed rule would not 
have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small 
entities. The following discussion explains our rationale.
    The proposed rule would revise and clarify the regulations 
governing documentation needed by the Services in order to effectively 
and efficiently evaluate petitions under the Act. While some of the 
changes may require petitioners to expend some time (such as 
coordination with State(s)) and effort (providing complete petitions), 
we do not expect this will prove to be a hardship, economically or 
otherwise. Further, we expect the effect on any external entities, 
large or small, would likely be positive, as they will lead to improved 
quality of petitions through expanded content requirements and 
guidelines.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.)

    In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 
et seq.):
    (a) On the basis of information contained in the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act section above, this proposed rule would not 
``significantly or uniquely'' affect small governments. We have 
determined and certify pursuant to the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, 2 
U.S.C. 1502, that this rule would not impose a cost of $100 million or 
more in any given year on local or State governments or private 
entities. A Small Government Agency Plan is not required. As explained 
above, small governments would not be affected because the proposed 
rule would not place additional requirements on any city, county, or 
other local municipalities.
    (b) This proposed rule would not produce a Federal mandate on 
State, local, or tribal governments or the private sector of $100 
million or greater in any year; that is, this proposed rule is not a 
``significant regulatory action''' under the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act. This proposed rule would impose no obligations on State, local, or 
tribal governments.

Takings (E.O. 12630)

    In accordance with Executive Order 12630, this proposed rule would 
not have significant takings implications. This proposed rule would not 
pertain to ``taking'' of private property interests, nor would it 
directly affect private property. A takings implication assessment is 
not required because this proposed rule (1) would not effectively 
compel a property owner to suffer a physical invasion of property and 
(2) would not deny all economically beneficial or productive use of the 
land or aquatic resources. This proposed rule would substantially 
advance a legitimate government interest (conservation and recovery of 
endangered and threatened species) and would not present a barrier to 
all reasonable and expected beneficial use of private property.

Federalism (E.O. 13132)

    In accordance with Executive Order 13132, we have considered 
whether this proposed rule would have significant Federalism effects 
and have determined that a federalism summary impact statement is not 
required. This proposed rule pertains only to the petition process 
under the Endangered Species Act, and would not have substantial direct 
effects on the States, on the relationship between the Federal 
Government and the States, or on the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among the various levels of government.

Civil Justice Reform (E.O. 12988)

    This proposed rule does not unduly burden the judicial system and 
meets the applicable standards provided in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of 
Executive Order 12988. This proposed rule would clarify the petition 
process under the Endangered Species Act.

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

    In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, 
``Government-to-Government Relations With Native American Tribal 
Governments'' (59 FR 22951), Executive Order 13175, and the Department 
of the Interior's manual at 512 DM 2, we readily acknowledge our 
responsibility to communicate meaningfully with recognized Federal 
Tribes on a government-to-government basis.

National Environmental Policy Act

    We are analyzing this proposed regulation in accordance with the 
criteria of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Department of the Interior regulations on Implementation of the 
National Environmental Policy Act (43 CFR 46.10-46.450), the Department 
of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6 and 8), and National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrative Order 216-6. We invite 
the public to comment on the extent to which this proposed regulation 
may have a significant impact on the human environment, or fall within 
one of the categorical exclusions for actions that have no individual 
or cumulative effect on the quality of the human environment. We will 
complete our analysis, in compliance with NEPA, before finalizing this 
regulation.

Energy Supply, Distribution or Use (E.O. 13211)

    Executive Order 13211 requires agencies to prepare Statements of 
Energy Effects when undertaking certain actions. This proposed rule, if 
made final, is not expected to affect energy supplies, distribution, 
and use. Therefore, this action is not a significant energy action, and 
no Statement of Energy Effects is required.

Clarity of This Proposed Rule

    We are required by Executive Orders 12866 and 12988 and by the 
Presidential Memorandum of June 1, 1998, to write all rules in plain 
language. This means that each rule or policy we publish must:
    (a) Be logically organized;
    (b) Use the active voice to address readers directly;
    (c) Use clear language rather than jargon;
    (d) Be divided into short sections and sentences; and
    (e) Use lists and tables wherever possible.
    If you feel that we have not met these requirements, send us 
comments by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. To better help us 
revise the proposed rule, your comments should be as specific as 
possible. For example, you should tell us the sections or paragraphs 
that are unclearly written, which sections or sentences are too long, 
the sections where you feel lists or tables would be useful, etc.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 424

    Administrative practice and procedure, Endangered and threatened 
species.

Proposed Regulation Promulgation

    Accordingly, we propose to amend part 424, subchapter A of chapter 
IV, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth below:

[[Page 29294]]

PART 424--LISTING ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES AND DESIGNATING 
CRITICAL HABITAT

0
1. The authority citation for part 424 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

0
2. Revise Sec.  424.14 to read as follows:


Sec.  424.14  Petitions.

    (a) Ability to petition. Any interested person may submit a written 
petition to the Secretary requesting that one of the actions described 
in Sec.  424.10 be taken for a species.
    (b) Requirements for petitions. A petition must clearly identify 
itself as such, be dated, and contain the following information:
    (1) The name, signature, address, telephone number, if any, and the 
association, institution, or business affiliation, if any, of the 
petitioner;
    (2) The scientific and any common name of the species that is the 
subject of the petition. One and only one species may be the subject of 
a petition;
    (3) A clear indication of the administrative action the petitioner 
seeks (e.g., listing of a species or revision of critical habitat);
    (4) A detailed narrative justification for the recommended 
administrative action that contains an analysis of the information 
presented;
    (5) Literature citations that are specific enough for the Secretary 
to locate the information cited in the petition, including page numbers 
or chapters as applicable;
    (6) Electronic or hard copies of any supporting materials (e.g., 
publications, maps, reports, letters from authorities) cited in the 
petition, or valid links to public Web sites where the supporting 
materials can be accessed; and
    (7) For a petition to list a species, information to establish 
whether the subject entity is a ``species'' as defined in the Act.
    (8) For a petition to list a species, delist a species, or change 
the status of a listed species, information on the current geographic 
range of the species, including range States or countries.
    (9) For any petition submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service pertaining to species found within the United States, a 
certification:
    (i) That a copy of the petition was provided to the State 
agency(ies) responsible for the management and conservation of fish, 
plant, or wildlife resources in each State where the species occurs at 
least 30 days prior to submission to the Service; and
    (ii) That the State agency(ies) either:
    (A) Provided to the petitioner data or written comments regarding 
the accuracy or completeness of the petition, and all those data or 
comments have been clearly labeled as such and appended to the 
petition; or
    (B) Did not provide to the petitioner in response any data or 
written comments regarding the accuracy or completeness of the 
petition.
    (10) Certification that the petitioner has gathered all relevant 
information (including information that may support a negative 90-day 
finding) that is reasonably available, such as that available on Web 
sites maintained by the affected States, and has clearly labeled this 
information and appended it to the petition.
    (c) Types of information to be included in petitions to add or 
remove species from the lists, or change the listed status of a 
species. The Secretary's determination as to whether the petition 
provides substantial information that the petitioned action may be 
warranted will depend in part on the degree to which the petition 
includes the following types of information; failure to include 
adequate information on any one or more of the following (except 
paragraph (5)) may result in the Secretary finding that the petition 
does not present substantial information:
    (1) Information on current population status and trends and 
estimates of current population sizes and distributions, both in 
captivity and the wild, if available;
    (2) Identification of the factors under section 4(a)(1) of the Act 
that may affect the species and where these factors are acting upon the 
species;
    (3) Whether any or all of the factors alone or in combination 
identified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act may cause the species to be an 
endangered species or threatened species (i.e., place the species in 
danger of extinction now or in the foreseeable future), and, if so, 
how, including a description of the magnitude and imminence of the 
threats;
    (4) Information on adequacy of regulatory protections and 
conservation activities initiated or currently in place that may 
protect the species or its habitat; and
    (5) Except for petitions to delist, information that is useful in 
determining whether a critical habitat designation for the species is 
prudent and determinable (see Sec.  424.12), including information on 
recommended boundaries and physical features and the habitat 
requirements of the species; such information, however, will not be a 
basis for determining whether the petition has presented substantial 
information that the petitioned action may be warranted.
    (d) Additional information to include in petitions to revise 
critical habitat. The Secretary's determination as to whether the 
petition provides substantial information that the petitioned action 
may be warranted will depend in part on the degree to which the 
petition includes the following types of information; failure to 
include adequate information on any one or more of the following may 
result in the Secretary finding that the petition does not present 
substantial information:
    (1) A description and map(s) of areas that the current designation 
does not include that should be included, or includes that should no 
longer be included, and the benefits of designating or not designating 
these specific areas as critical habitat. Petitioners should include 
available data layers if feasible;
    (2) A description of the physical or biological features essential 
for the conservation of the species and whether they may require 
special management considerations or protection;
    (3) For any areas petitioned to be added to critical habitat within 
the geographical area occupied by the species at time it was listed, 
information indicating that the specific areas contain the physical or 
biological features that are essential to the conservation of the 
species and may require special management considerations or 
protection. The petitioner should also indicate which specific areas 
contain which features;
    (4) For any areas petitioned for removal from currently designated 
critical habitat within the geographical area occupied by the species 
at the time it was listed, information indicating that the specific 
areas do not contain features (including features that allow the area 
to support the species periodically, over time) that are essential to 
the conservation of the species, or that these features do not require 
special management consideration or protections;
    (5) For any areas petitioned to be added to or removed from 
critical habitat that were outside the geographical area occupied by 
the species at the time it was listed, information indicating why the 
petitioned areas are or are not essential for the conservation of the 
species; and
    (6) Information demonstrating that the petition includes a complete 
presentation of the relevant facts, including an explanation of what 
sources of information the petitioner consulted in drafting the 
petition, as well as any relevant information known

[[Page 29295]]

to the petitioner not included in the petition.
    (e) Response to requests. (1) If a request does not meet the 
requirements set forth at paragraph (b) of this section, the Secretary 
will reject the request without making a finding, and will notify the 
sender and provide an explanation of the rejection.
    (2) If a request does meet the requirements set forth at paragraph 
(b) of this section, the Secretary will acknowledge, in writing, the 
receipt of a petition, within 30 days of receipt.
    (f) Supplemental information. If the petitioner provides 
supplemental information before the initial finding is made and asks 
that it be considered in making a finding, the new information, along 
with the previously submitted information, is treated as a new petition 
that supersedes the original petition, and the statutory timeframes 
will begin when such supplemental information is received.
    (g) Findings on petitions to add or remove a species from the 
lists, or change the listed status of a species. (1) To the maximum 
extent practicable, within 90 days of receiving a petition to add a 
species to the lists, remove a species from the lists, or change the 
listed status of a species, the Secretary will make a finding as to 
whether the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial 
information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. The 
Secretary will promptly publish such finding in the Federal Register 
and so notify the petitioner.
    (i) For the purposes of this section, ``substantial scientific or 
commercial information'' refers to credible scientific or commercial 
information in support of the petition's claims such that a reasonable 
person conducting an impartial scientific review would conclude that 
the action proposed in the petition may be warranted. Conclusions drawn 
in the petition without the support of credible scientific or 
commercial information will not be considered ``substantial 
information.''
    (ii) The Secretary will consider the information referenced at 
paragraphs (b), (c), and (f) of this section. The Secretary may also 
consider information readily available in the agency's possession at 
the time the determination is made in reaching his or her initial 
finding on the petition. The Secretary will not consider any supporting 
materials cited by the petitioner that are not provided to us by the 
petitioner in the format required at paragraph (b)(6) of this section 
or otherwise readily available in our possession.
    (iii) The ``substantial scientific or commercial information'' 
standard must be applied in light of any prior determinations made by 
the Secretary for the species that is the subject of the petition. 
Where the Secretary has already conducted a status review of that 
species (whether in response to a petition or on the Secretary's own 
initiative) and made a final listing determination, any petition 
seeking to list, reclassify, or delist that species will be considered 
a ``subsequent petition'' for purposes of this section. A subsequent 
petition provides ``substantial scientific or commercial information'' 
only if it provides sufficient new information or analysis not 
considered in the previous determination (or previous 5-year review, if 
applicable) such that a reasonable person conducting an impartial 
scientific review would conclude that the action proposed in the 
petition may be warranted despite the previous determination.
    (2) If a positive 90-day finding is made, the Secretary will 
commence a review of the status of the species concerned. Within 12 
months of receipt of the petition, the Secretary will make one of the 
following findings:
    (i) The petitioned action is not warranted, in which case the 
Secretary shall promptly publish such finding in the Federal Register 
and so notify the petitioner.
    (ii) The petitioned action is warranted, in which case the 
Secretary will promptly publish in the Federal Register a proposed 
regulation to implement the action pursuant to Sec.  424.16; or
    (iii) The petitioned action is warranted, but:
    (A) The immediate proposal and timely promulgation of a regulation 
to implement the petitioned action is precluded because of other 
pending proposals to list, delist, or change the listed status of 
species; and
    (B) Expeditious progress is being made to list, delist, or change 
the listed status of qualified species, in which case such finding will 
be promptly published in the Federal Register together with a 
description and evaluation of the reasons and data on which the finding 
is based. The Secretary will make a determination of expeditious 
progress in relation to the amount of funds available after complying 
with nondiscretionary duties under section 4 of the Act and court 
orders and court-approved settlement agreements to take actions 
pursuant to section 4 of the Act.
    (3) If a finding is made under paragraph (g)(2)(iii) of this 
section with regard to any petition, the Secretary will, within 12 
months of such finding, again make one of the findings described in 
paragraph (g)(2) of this section with regard to such petition.
    (h) Findings on petitions to revise critical habitat. (1) To the 
maximum extent practicable, within 90 days of receiving a petition to 
revise a critical habitat designation, the Secretary will make a 
finding as to whether the petition presents substantial scientific 
information indicating that the revision may be warranted. The 
Secretary will promptly publish such finding in the Federal Register 
and so notify the petitioner.
    (i) For the purposes of this section, ``substantial scientific 
information'' refers to credible scientific information in support of 
the petition's claims such that a reasonable person conducting an 
impartial scientific review would conclude that the revision proposed 
in the petition may be warranted. Conclusions drawn in the petition 
without the support of credible scientific information will not be 
considered ``substantial information.''
    (ii) The Secretary will consider the information referenced at 
paragraphs (b), (d), and (f) of this section. The Secretary may also 
consider other information readily available in the agency's possession 
at the time the determination is made in reaching its initial finding 
on the petition. The Secretary will not consider any supporting 
materials cited by the petitioner that are not provided to us by the 
petitioner in the format required by paragraph (b)(6) of this section 
or otherwise readily available in our possession.
    (2) Within 12 months after receiving a petition found to present 
substantial information indicating that revision of a critical habitat 
designation may be warranted, the Secretary will determine how to 
proceed with the requested revision, and will promptly publish notice 
of such intention in the Federal Register. Such finding may, but need 
not, take a form similar to one of the findings described under 
paragraph (g)(2) of this section.
    (i) Petitions to designate critical habitat or adopt special rules. 
Upon receiving a petition to designate critical habitat or to adopt a 
special rule to provide for the conservation of a species, the 
Secretary will promptly conduct a review in accordance with the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) and applicable Departmental 
regulations, and take appropriate action.
    (j) Withdrawal of petition. A petitioner may withdraw the petition 
at any time during the petition process by submitting such request in 
writing. This request must include the name,

[[Page 29296]]

signature, address, telephone number, if any, and the association, 
institution, or business affiliation, if any, of the petitioner. If a 
petition is withdrawn, the Secretary may, at his or her discretion, 
discontinue action on the petition finding, even if the Secretary has 
already made a positive 90-day finding.

    Dated: May 15, 2015.
 Michael J. Bean,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
    Dated: May 13, 2015.
 Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-12316 Filed 5-20-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P; 3510-22-P