81 FR 9799 - Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 38 (February 26, 2016)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are extending the comment period for our January 8, 2016, proposed rule to amend our regulations for National Wildlife Refuges (refuges) in Alaska. This action ensures that the public has an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. We are also rescheduling the Kodiak open house and public hearing to March 2, 2016.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 38 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9799-9800]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04133]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Parts 32 and 36

[Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2014-0005; FF07R06000 167 FXRS12610700000]
RIN 1018-BA31


Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and 
Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period and rescheduled 
public open house and hearing.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
extending the comment period for our January 8, 2016, proposed rule to 
amend our regulations for National Wildlife Refuges (refuges) in 
Alaska. This action ensures that the public has an additional 
opportunity to comment on the proposed rule. We are also rescheduling 
the Kodiak open house and public hearing to March 2, 2016.

DATES: 
    Comment submission: Submit your comments on the proposed rule on or 
before April 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.
    Public meetings: The rescheduled open house and public hearing in 
Kodiak will be held on March 2, 2016; the open house will be held from 
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the public hearing will be held from 5:30 
p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: You may obtain copies of the proposed rule 
and associated draft environmental assessment at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2014-0005.
    Comment submission: You may submit comments on the proposed rule by 
any one of the following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R7-NWRS-2014-0005, 
which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then click on the 
Search button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment by 
clicking on ``Comment Now!''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R7-NWRS-2014-0005; Division of Policy, 
Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    (3) At open houses or public hearings: Written comments will be 
accepted by Service personnel at any of the nine scheduled open houses 
or public hearings. Public testimony will be recorded and submitted for 
the record at only the public hearings via a court reporter.
    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.
    Public meetings: The rescheduled open house and public hearing will 
be held at the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 402 
Center Ave., Kodiak, Alaska; 907-487-2600. For the dates and times of 
the other open houses and public hearings, see our Federal Register 
document announcing these open houses and public hearings (81 FR 886; 
January 8, 2016).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Brady, Chief of Conservation 
Planning and Policy, National Wildlife Refuge System, Alaska Regional 
Office, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Mail Stop 211, Anchorage, AK 99503; 
telephone (907) 306-7448.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 8, 2016, we published a proposed 
rule (81 FR 887) to clarify how our existing mandates for the 
conservation of natural and biological diversity, biological integrity, 
and environmental health on refuges in Alaska relate to predator 
control; to

[[Page 9800]]

prohibit several particularly effective methods and means for take of 
predators; and to update our public participation and closure 
procedures. The proposed rule would not change Federal subsistence 
regulations or restrict the taking of fish or wildlife for subsistence 
uses under Federal subsistence regulations.
    We received multiple requests from several entities, including the 
Alaska Congressional Delegation and the Governor of Alaska, to extend 
the comment period on the proposed rule. In order to provide all 
interested parties an additional opportunity to review and comment on 
our proposed rule, we are extending the comment period on the proposed 
rule for an additional 30 days, until April 7, 2016.
    If you previously submitted comments or information on the proposed 
rule, please do not resubmit them. We have incorporated them into the 
public record, and we will fully consider them in our final rulemaking. 
Our final determination concerning the proposed rulemaking will take 
into consideration all written comments and any additional information 
we receive.
    You may submit your comments and any associated materials 
concerning the proposed rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. 
We request that you send comments only by the methods described in 
ADDRESSES.
    If you submit 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 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.

Authority

    The authority for this action is 5 U.S.C. 301; 16 U.S.C. 460k et 
seq., 664, 668dd-668ee, 715i, and 3101 et seq.

     Dated: February 19, 2016.
Michael J. Bean,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2016-04133 Filed 2-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P