[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 201 (Thursday, October 17, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55530-55531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22445]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 223, 224, and 226
[Docket No. 190925-0039 and 190829-0020]
RIN 0648-BI06, 0648-BH95
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Rule To
Designate Critical Habitat for the Central America, Mexico, and Western
North Pacific Distinct Population Segments of Humpback Whales and
Proposed Rule To Revise Critical Habitat for the Southern Resident
Killer Whale Distinct Population Segment, Public Hearings
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notification of public hearings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, NMFS, will hold five public hearings related to our
proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the Western North
Pacific distinct population segment (DPS), the Central America DPS, and
the Mexico DPS of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) under the
Endangered
[[Page 55531]]
Species Act (ESA). We will also hold three public hearings related to
our proposed rule to revise the critical habitat designation for the
Southern Resident killer whale DPS (Orcinus orca) under the ESA. Three
of the public hearings will be joint hearings that address both of
these proposed rules.
DATES: Public hearings will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. (local time) on
the following dates: November 4, 2019, in Santa Cruz, California;
November 5, 2019, in Newport, Oregon; November 6, 2019, in Seattle,
Washington; November 7, 2019, in Juneau, Alaska; and December 3, 2019,
in Anchorage, Alaska.
ADDRESSES: The November 4th hearing will be held in conference Room 188
at the NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Santa Cruz Laboratory
on the University of California Santa Cruz's Coastal Science Campus,
110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
The November 5th hearing will be held in the Hennings Auditorium at
the Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center, 2030 SE Marine
Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365.
The November 6th hearing will be held in the Alder Auditorium at
the University of Washington, 1310 NE 40th Street, Seattle, WA 98105.
(The auditorium entrance is located on NE 40th Street between Brooklyn
Avenue NE and University Way NE.)
The November 7th hearing will be held in the Egan Lecture Hall
(Room 112), University of Alaska Southeast, 11066 Auke Lake Way,
Juneau, Alaska 99801.
The December 3rd hearing will be held in the Wilda Marston Theater
in Z.J. Loussac Public Library, 3600 Denali St., Anchorage, AK 99503.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Manning, NMFS, Office of
Protected Resources 301-427-8466; or Nancy Young, NMFS West Coast
Region, 206-526-4297.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 19, 2019, we published a proposed rule to revise
existing critical habitat for endangered Southern Resident killer
whales (84 FR 49214) under the ESA. This rule proposes to revise the
critical habitat by designating six new marine areas along the U.S.
West Coast. The specific new areas proposed for designation extend
along the U.S. West Coast from the U.S. international border with
Canada, south to Point Sur, California. Based on consideration of
national security impacts, we are proposing to exclude from the
designation one area off the coast of Washington. We are soliciting
public comment on this proposed rule through December 18, 2019.
On October 9, 2019, we published a proposed rule to designate
critical habitat for the endangered Western North Pacific DPS, the
endangered Central America DPS, and the threatened Mexico DPS of
humpback whales under the ESA (84 FR 54354). Areas proposed as critical
habitat include specific marine areas located off the coasts of
California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Based on consideration of
national security and economic impacts, we are also proposing to
exclude multiple areas from the designation for each DPS. We are
soliciting comments on the proposed humpback whale critical habitat
designations through December 9, 2019.
Public Hearings
Each of the public hearings will be conducted in the same manner.
The hearings will begin with a brief presentation by NMFS that gives an
overview of critical habitat under the ESA and a summary of the
relevant proposed critical habitat designation(s). Following the
presentation, members of the public will have the opportunity to
provide oral comments on the record regarding the proposed
designations. Members of the public will also have the opportunity to
submit written comments at the hearing. Written comments may also be
submitted at any time during the relevant public comment period via the
Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. To do the latter, go to
www.regulations.gov; and for Southern Resident killer whale critical
habitat search on the docket ID ``NOAA-NMFS-2014-0041''; for humpback
whale critical habitat search on docket ID ``NOAA-NMFS-2019-0066'';
click the ``Comment Now!'' icon; then complete the required fields and
enter or attach your comments. Note that all comments received are a
part of the public record and will generally be posted for public
viewing on www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily
by the commenter will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept
anonymous comments (enter ``N/A'' in the required fields if you wish to
remain anonymous). Attachments to electronic comments will be accepted
in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF file formats only.
Reasonable Accommodations
People needing accommodations so that they may attend and
participate at the public hearings should submit a request for
reasonable accommodations as soon as possible, and no later than 7
business days prior to the hearing date, by contacting Lisa Manning or
Nancy Young (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: October 9, 2019.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-22445 Filed 10-16-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P