81 FR 61658 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 173 (September 7, 2016)

Page Range		61658-61661
FR Document		2016-21368

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on our March 11, 2016, proposed rule to revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act, by removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). In our proposed rule, we emphasized that the governments of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho needed to promulgate regulations managing human-caused mortality of grizzly bears before we would proceed with a final rule. Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho recently finalized such mechanisms. We are also announcing the receipt of five independent peer reviews of the proposed rule. We are reopening the comment period for the proposed rule to allow all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule in light of these documents. If you submitted comments previously, you do not need to resubmit them because we have already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them in preparing the final rule.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 173 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 173 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61658-61661]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21368]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042; FXES11130900000-167-FF09E42000]
RIN 1018-BA41

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears From the
Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period; availability of
peer review and supplementary documents.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
reopening of the public comment period on our March 11, 2016, proposed
rule to revise the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, under
the authority of the Endangered Species Act, by removing the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos
horribilis). In our proposed rule, we emphasized that the governments
of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho needed to promulgate regulations
managing human-caused mortality of grizzly bears before we would
proceed with a final rule. Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho recently
finalized such mechanisms. We are also announcing the receipt of five
independent peer reviews of the proposed rule. We are reopening the
comment period for the proposed rule to allow all interested parties an
additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule in light of
these documents. If you submitted comments previously, you do not need
to resubmit them because we have already incorporated them into the
public record and will fully consider them in preparing the final rule.

DATES: We will consider comments received or postmarked on or before
October 7, 2016. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the search box, enter the docket number for the
proposed rule, which is FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042. Then click on the Search
button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by clicking on
``Comment Now!'' Please ensure you have found the correct document
before submitting your comments. If your comments will fit in the
provided comment box, please use that feature of http://www.regulations.gov, as it is most compatible with our comment review
procedures. If you attach your comments as a separate document, our
preferred file format is Microsoft Word. If you attach multiple
comments (such as form letters or a petition), our preferred format is
a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel.
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042; Division of Policy,
Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service;
MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
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 Public Comments below in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more
information).
Document availability: You may obtain the information and documents
associated with this reopened public comment period and described below
in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket
No. FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042, from the Service's Mountain Prairie Region
Grizzly Bear Web site https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlybear.php, or from the office listed in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Kasworm, Acting Grizzly Bear
Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grizzly Bear
Recovery Office, University Hall, Room #309, University of Montana,
Missoula, MT 59812; telephone 406-243-4903. For Tribal inquiries,
contact Ivy Allen, Native American Liaison, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; telephone: 303-236-4575. Persons who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Public Comments

We will accept written comments and information during this
reopened comment period on the March 11, 2016, proposed rule (81 FR
13174) to remove the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population of
grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) from the List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife. We specifically seek comments on the proposed rule
in light of five peer reviews and recently finalized State regulatory
mechanisms. The State regulations describe Wyoming, Montana, and
Idaho's approach to managing human-caused mortality should we delist
the grizzly bear in the GYE. The State regulatory mechanisms include
Montana's Grizzly Bear Hunting Regulations, Chapter 67 of the Wyoming
Game and Fish Commission regulations, Idaho's Fish and Game Commission
Proclamation, and the Memorandum of Agreement Regarding the Management
and Allocation of Discretionary Mortality of Grizzly Bears in the
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Tri-State MOA). Copies of Grizzly Bear
Montana Hunting Regulations, Chapter 67 of the Wyoming Game and Fish
Commission regulations, Idaho's Fish and Game Commission Proclamation,
and the Tri-State MOA are available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042 or at https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlybear.php; or upon request from
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grizzly Bear Recovery Office (see
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). We will consider information and
recommendations from all interested parties.

[[Page 61659]]

You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We will not accept
comments sent by email or fax or to an address not listed in ADDRESSES.
If you submit a comment via http://www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment--including your personal identifying information--will be
posted on the Web site. 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. We will post all
hardcopy comments on http://www.regulations.gov.
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 under Docket No.
FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042, or by appointment, during normal business hours,
at the Grizzly Bear Recovery Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT).

Background

On March 11, 2016, we published a proposed rule to revise the List
of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in title 50 of the Code of
Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 17.11(h), under the authority of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), by
removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population of grizzly
bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) (81 FR 13174). In the proposed rule, we
explained that State regulations addressing human-caused grizzly bear
mortality in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho must include five elements to
maintain a recovered population of grizzly bears in the GYE:
1. Suspension of all discretionary mortality inside the Demographic
Monitoring Area (DMA), except if required for human safety, if the
model-averaged Chao2 population estimate falls below 600.
2. Suspension of grizzly bear hunting inside the DMA if total
mortality limits for any sex/age class (as per tables 1, 2, and 3 in
the proposed rule) are met at any time during the year (the mortality
limits in these tables are reiterated in table 1 in this document,
below).
3. Prohibition of recreational harvest of female grizzly bears with
young.
4. In a given year, allowance of discretionary mortality only if
nondiscretionary mortality (e.g., mortality from illegal kills,
mortality from self-defense, calculated unknown/unreported mortalities,
natural mortalities, and mortality from other causes such as vehicle
collisions) does not meet or exceed total mortality limits for that
year.
5. Provisions to ensure that any mortality that exceeds total
mortality limits in any year will be subtracted from that age/sex class
total mortality limit for the following year to ensure that long-term
mortality levels remain within prescribed limits inside the DMA.

Table 1 \1\--Total Mortality \2\ Limits for Grizzly Bears Inside the
Demographic Monitoring Area
[These mortality rates were calculated as those limits necessary to
manage toward the long-term average population size that occurred from
2002 to 2014 using the model-averaged Chao2 population estimate method
(674, 95% CI = 600-747). If the population estimate is fewer than 674,
the total mortality rate for independent females and dependent young
must be less than 7.6 percent. If population size is estimated at fewer
than 600 in any year, no discretionary mortality will occur unless
necessary for human safety.\3\]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total grizzly bear population
estimate
--------------------------------------
<=674 675-747 >747
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mortality limit % for independent <=7.6% 9% 10%
FEMALES (>=2 years) (using model-
averaged Chao2 method)..........
Mortality limit % for independent 15% 20% 22%
MALES (>=2 years) (using model-
averaged Chao2 method)..........
Mortality limit % for DEPENDENT <=7.6% 9% 10%
YOUNG (using model-averaged
Chao2 method)...................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Similar to table 1 in proposed rule (81 FR 13174, March 11. 2016).
\2\ Total mortality: Documented known and probable grizzly bear
mortalities from all causes including but not limited to: Management
removals, illegal kills, mistaken-identity kills, self-defense kills,
vehicle kills, natural mortalities, undetermined-cause mortalities,
grizzly bear hunting, and a statistical estimate of the number of
unknown/unreported mortalities.
\3\ The phrasing in the table header in the proposed rule erroneously
noted that there would be no discretionary mortality at population
levels fewer than or equal to 600 bears, as opposed to population
levels fewer than 600 bears. We changed the phrasing here to match the
phrasing in the rest of the proposed rule, the revised recovery
criteria, and the draft conservation strategy.

We noted that regulatory mechanisms containing these provisions
must be in place in each State for delisting to occur because the
adequacy or inadequacy of those regulatory mechanisms help inform us
whether a species, once delisted, will remain recovered. The ESA
requires the Service to consider existing regulatory mechanisms when
making listing determinations.
Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho recently finalized such regulatory
mechanisms governing potential hunting seasons for grizzly bear. These
three States also approved the Tri-State MOA, which outlines their
coordinated plans for grizzly bear management and allocates
discretionary mortality of grizzly bears in the GYE between the three
States. The three States approved the Tri-State MOA on the following
dates: Wyoming, on May 11, 2016; Montana, on July 13, 2016; and Idaho,
on August 8, 2016.

Highlights of Recently Released State Grizzly Bear Management
Regulations

Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho each used a different regulatory
method, appropriate to their respective legal processes, to enact their
State rules governing human-caused grizzly bear mortality. Montana's
Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted hunting regulations that outline
the structure of a possible future grizzly bear hunting season on July
13, 2016 (Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, 2016). Montana's Fish
and Wildlife Commission also approved the Tri-State MOA (Wyoming Game
and Fish Commission, Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, & Idaho Fish
and Game Commission, 2016). Before adopting these regulations and the
MOA, Montana released the drafts of these documents for public comment
and review. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted the
hunting regulations and the MOA in the same manner that it adopts other
regulations, with public notice and comment. In the Service Assessment
below, we assume the MOA and hunting regulations are regulatory in
nature.
On July 8, 2016, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission approved a
regulatory framework that ``provides for the management of grizzly
bears in Wyoming to ensure a recovered population'' (Wyoming Game and
Fish Commission, 2016). The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission invited
the

[[Page 61660]]

public to participate in the process of developing these regulations
with a public comment period. Once the Governor of Wyoming approves and
signs these regulations, they will be incorporated into Chapter 67 of
the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's regulations. In the Service
Assessment, set forth below, we anticipate that, prior to publication
of our final rule, the Governor of Wyoming will sign the version of the
regulations that was approved by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission.
Idaho's Fish and Game Commission issued a proclamation relating to
the limit of the take of grizzly bears in the GYE on August 8, 2016
(Idaho Fish and Game Commission, 2016). Idaho Code Section 36-105
authorizes the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to use proclamations,
which ``have full force and effect as law,'' as a means of ``setting
any season or limit on numbers, size, sex or species of wildlife
classified by the commission as game animals.'' Since grizzly bears are
classified as game animals in Idaho Administrative Code
13.01.06.100.01e, the Idaho Fish and Game Commission may use a
proclamation to establish binding limits on the take of grizzly bears
(Idaho Administrative Code 13.01.06.100.01e).
Table 2 cross-references the aforementioned requirements in the
proposed rule with the content of each State's regulations. The full
text of the State regulations and the Tri-State MOA can be found on the
Internet at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2016-
0042 or https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlybear.php; or
upon request from the Grizzly Bear Recovery Office (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).

Table 2--Cross-Reference Between the Regulatory Requirements in the Proposed Rule To Remove the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears From Listing Under the Endangered Species Act (81 FR 13174;
March 11, 2016) and the State Grizzly Bear Regulatory Mechanisms
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Montana (Tri-state
Required element described in the memorandum of agreement Wyoming (Chapter 67 of Idaho (ID Fish and Game
proposed rule (MOA) and Grizzly Bear WY Game and Fish Commission
hunting regulations) Commission regulations) proclamation)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requirement 1: Suspension of all Tri-State MOA: section Section 4(c)........... Section 2.
discretionary mortality inside the IV(2)(a)(i), section
Demographic Monitoring Area (DMA), IV(2)(c)(i), section
except if required for human safety, IV(4)(a), and section
if the model-averaged Chao2 IV(6).
population estimate falls below 600.
Requirement 2: Suspension of grizzly Tri-State MOA: section Section 4(d)........... Section 3 and section
bear hunting inside the DMA if total IV(2)(c), section 5.
mortality limits for any sex/age IV(4)(a), and section
class (as per tables 1, 2, and 3 in IV(6).
the proposed rule) are met at any
time during the year (these
mortality limits are reiterated in
table 1 in this document).
Requirement 3: Prohibition of Tri-State MOA: section Section 4(e)........... Section 4.
recreational harvest of female IV(4)(b); Grizzly Bear
grizzly bears with young. Hunting Regulations,
pp. 4 and 7.
Requirement 4: In a given year, Tri-State MOA: section Section 4(d) and Section 5.
allowance of discretionary mortality IV(2)(c), section section 4(k).
only if non-discretionary mortality IV(4)(a), and section
(e.g., mortality from illegal kills, IV(6).
self-defense, calculated unknown/
unreported mortalities, natural
mortalities, and other causes such
as vehicle collisions) does not meet
or exceed total mortality limits for
that year.
Requirement 5: Provisions to ensure Tri-State MOA: section Section 4(g), section Section 6.
that any mortality that exceeds IV(2)(c). 4(k), and section 4(l).
total mortality limits in any year
will be subtracted from that age/sex
class total mortality limit for the
following year to ensure that long-
term mortality levels remain within
prescribed limits inside the DMA.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Service Assessment

The Service has reviewed the recently finalized State regulations
governing the management of grizzly bears in the GYE and the regulation
of human-caused mortality (including the Tri-State MOA, Montana's
Grizzly Bear Hunting Regulations, Chapter 67 of Wyoming's Game and Fish
Commission regulations, and Idaho's Fish and Game Commission
Proclamation). Our preliminary assessment is that these documents are
consistent with the letter or intent of the regulatory requirements
regarding human-caused mortality that we outlined in the proposed rule.
Thus, based on our review, we believe the regulatory framework in
Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho, in combination with the Tri-State MOA,
will maintain a recovered population of grizzly bears in the GYE. We
are accepting public comments on these State regulations and our
preliminary assessment that they provide adequate regulatory mechanisms
such that we can conclude that the population no longer meets the
definition of threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Peer Review and Public Comments

In accordance with our joint policy on peer review published in the
Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270), we subjected the
proposed delisting rule to peer review. We received submissions from
five independent peer reviewers, and their input is available as
described under ADDRESSES. These peer reviews were conducted by third-
party selected scientific experts in large carnivore ecology and
management with expertise in one or more of the following areas:
population ecology, management, demographics, conservation, and
population genetics.

[[Page 61661]]

We welcome any comments on the proposed rule in light of these reviews
(see compiled reviews in Amec Foster Wheeler, 2016). Previously
received public comments, and the data and information they provided,
can be found at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-
2016-0042.

References Cited

A complete list of references cited is available: on the Internet
at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2016-0042;
from the Service's Mountain Prairie Region Grizzly Bear Web site
https://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlybear.php; or upon
request from the Grizzly Bear Recovery 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: August 16, 2016.
James W. Kurth,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-21368 Filed 9-6-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 173 / Wednesday, September 7, 2016 / Proposed Rules 61659

You may submit your comments and Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 2. Suspension of grizzly bear hunting
materials concerning the proposed rule CONTACT). inside the DMA if total mortality limits
by one of the methods listed in for any sex/age class (as per tables 1, 2,
Background
ADDRESSES. We will not accept and 3 in the proposed rule) are met at
comments sent by email or fax or to an On March 11, 2016, we published a any time during the year (the mortality
address not listed in ADDRESSES. If you proposed rule to revise the List of limits in these tables are reiterated in
submit a comment via http:// Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in table 1 in this document, below).
www.regulations.gov, your entire title 50 of the Code of Federal 3. Prohibition of recreational harvest
comment—including your personal Regulations at 50 CFR 17.11(h), under of female grizzly bears with young.
identifying information—will be posted the authority of the Endangered Species 4. In a given year, allowance of
on the Web site. If you submit a Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 discretionary mortality only if
hardcopy comment that includes et seq.), by removing the Greater nondiscretionary mortality (e.g.,
personal identifying information, you Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) mortality from illegal kills, mortality
may request at the top of your document population of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos from self-defense, calculated unknown/
that we withhold this information from horribilis) (81 FR 13174). In the unreported mortalities, natural
public review. However, we cannot proposed rule, we explained that State mortalities, and mortality from other
guarantee that we will be able to do so. regulations addressing human-caused causes such as vehicle collisions) does
We will post all hardcopy comments on grizzly bear mortality in Montana, not meet or exceed total mortality limits
http://www.regulations.gov. Wyoming, and Idaho must include five for that year.
Comments and materials we receive, elements to maintain a recovered 5. Provisions to ensure that any
as well as supporting documentation we population of grizzly bears in the GYE: mortality that exceeds total mortality
used in preparing the proposed rule, 1. Suspension of all discretionary limits in any year will be subtracted
will be available for public inspection mortality inside the Demographic from that age/sex class total mortality
on http://www.regulations.gov under Monitoring Area (DMA), except if limit for the following year to ensure
Docket No. FWS–R6–ES–2016–0042, or required for human safety, if the model- that long-term mortality levels remain
by appointment, during normal business averaged Chao2 population estimate within prescribed limits inside the
hours, at the Grizzly Bear Recovery falls below 600. DMA.

TABLE 1 1—TOTAL MORTALITY 2 LIMITS FOR GRIZZLY BEARS INSIDE THE DEMOGRAPHIC MONITORING AREA
[These mortality rates were calculated as those limits necessary to manage toward the long-term average population size that occurred from
2002 to 2014 using the model-averaged Chao2 population estimate method (674, 95% CI = 600–747). If the population estimate is fewer
than 674, the total mortality rate for independent females and dependent young must be less than 7.6 percent. If population size is esti-
mated at fewer than 600 in any year, no discretionary mortality will occur unless necessary for human safety.3]

Total grizzly bear population estimate

≤674 675–747 >747

Mortality limit % for independent FEMALES (≥2 years) (using model-averaged Chao2 method) ......... ≤7.6% 9% 10%
Mortality limit % for independent MALES (≥2 years) (using model-averaged Chao2 method) .............. 15% 20% 22%
Mortality limit % for DEPENDENT YOUNG (using model-averaged Chao2 method) ............................ ≤7.6% 9% 10%
1 Similar to table 1 in proposed rule (81 FR 13174, March 11. 2016).
2 Total mortality: Documented known and probable grizzly bear mortalities from all causes including but not limited to: Management removals,
illegal kills, mistaken-identity kills, self-defense kills, vehicle kills, natural mortalities, undetermined-cause mortalities, grizzly bear hunting, and a
statistical estimate of the number of unknown/unreported mortalities.
3 The phrasing in the table header in the proposed rule erroneously noted that there would be no discretionary mortality at population levels
fewer than or equal to 600 bears, as opposed to population levels fewer than 600 bears. We changed the phrasing here to match the phrasing in
the rest of the proposed rule, the revised recovery criteria, and the draft conservation strategy.

We noted that regulatory mechanisms dates: Wyoming, on May 11, 2016; Commission, & Idaho Fish and Game
containing these provisions must be in Montana, on July 13, 2016; and Idaho, Commission, 2016). Before adopting
place in each State for delisting to occur on August 8, 2016. these regulations and the MOA,
because the adequacy or inadequacy of Montana released the drafts of these
Highlights of Recently Released State
those regulatory mechanisms help documents for public comment and
Grizzly Bear Management Regulations
inform us whether a species, once review. The Montana Fish and Wildlife
delisted, will remain recovered. The Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho each Commission adopted the hunting
ESA requires the Service to consider used a different regulatory method, regulations and the MOA in the same
existing regulatory mechanisms when appropriate to their respective legal manner that it adopts other regulations,
making listing determinations. processes, to enact their State rules with public notice and comment. In the
Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho governing human-caused grizzly bear Service Assessment below, we assume
recently finalized such regulatory mortality. Montana’s Fish and Wildlife the MOA and hunting regulations are
mechanisms governing potential Commission adopted hunting regulatory in nature.
regulations that outline the structure of
ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS

hunting seasons for grizzly bear. These On July 8, 2016, the Wyoming Game
three States also approved the Tri-State a possible future grizzly bear hunting and Fish Commission approved a
MOA, which outlines their coordinated season on July 13, 2016 (Montana Fish regulatory framework that ‘‘provides for
plans for grizzly bear management and and Wildlife Commission, 2016). the management of grizzly bears in
allocates discretionary mortality of Montana’s Fish and Wildlife Wyoming to ensure a recovered
grizzly bears in the GYE between the Commission also approved the Tri-State population’’ (Wyoming Game and Fish
three States. The three States approved MOA (Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, 2016). The Wyoming
the Tri-State MOA on the following Commission, Montana Fish and Wildlife Game and Fish Commission invited the

VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:04 Sep 06, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\07SEP1.SGM 07SEP1

$Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 173 / Wednesday, September 7, 2016 / Proposed Rules 61661 We welcome any comments on the References Cited Authority proposed rule in light of these reviews A complete list of references cited is The authority for this action is the (see compiled reviews in Amec Foster available: on the Internet at http:// Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Wheeler, 2016). Previously received www.regulations.gov under Docket No. amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). public comments, and the data and FWS–R6–ES–2016–0042; from the information they provided, can be found Service’s Mountain Prairie Region Dated: August 16, 2016. at http://www.regulations.gov under Grizzly Bear Web site https:// James W. Kurth, Docket No. FWS–R6–ES–2016–0042. www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/ Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife grizzlybear.php; or upon request from Service. the Grizzly Bear Recovery Office (see [FR Doc. 2016–21368 Filed 9–6–16; 8:45 am] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). BILLING CODE 4333–15–P ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:04 Sep 06, 2016 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00034 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\07SEP1.SGM 07SEP1$

Document Created: 2016-09-07 11:50:09
Document Modified: 2016-09-07 11:50:09

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Proposed Rules
Action		Proposed rule; reopening of comment period; availability of peer review and supplementary documents.
Dates		We will consider comments received or postmarked on or before October 7, 2016. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal
Contact		Wayne Kasworm, Acting Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grizzly Bear Recovery Office, University Hall, Room #309, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812; telephone 406-243-4903. For Tribal inquiries, contact Ivy Allen, Native American Liaison, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; telephone: 303-236-4575. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
FR Citation		81 FR 61658
RIN Number		1018-BA41

81 FR 61658 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORFish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 173 (September 7, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service