82_FR_45982 82 FR 45793 - Refuge-Specific Regulation; Public Use; Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

82 FR 45793 - Refuge-Specific Regulation; Public Use; Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 189 (October 2, 2017)

Page Range45793-45794
FR Document2017-21124

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) intends to initiate a rulemaking process that will consider changes to public use regulations that are applicable to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and that were promulgated on May 5, 2016.

Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 189 (Monday, October 2, 2017) 
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 189 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 45793-45794]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21124]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 36

[Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2017-0058; FF07R00000 178 FXRS12610700000]


Refuge-Specific Regulation; Public Use; Kenai National Wildlife 
Refuge

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Regulatory review.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) intends to initiate a 
rulemaking process that will consider changes to public use regulations 
that are applicable to Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and that were 
promulgated on May 5, 2016.

DATES: October 2, 2017.

ADDRESSES: The final rule that is the subject of this document may be 
found at www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FWS-R7-NWRS-2017-0058.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ryan Mollnow, Division of Natural 
Resources Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System--Alaska, 1011 E. Tudor 
Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone: (907) 786-3326; facsimile: (907) 
786-3901; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 5, 2016, the FWS published a final 
rule to amend its regulations in title 50 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (CFR) in part 36 regarding public use of Kenai National 
Wildlife Refuge (81 FR 27030). The final rule became effective on June 
6, 2016. The provisions of the final rule:
    (1) amended regulations regarding use of aircraft, motorboats, 
motorized vehicles, and snowmobiles;
    (2) codified historic restrictions on hunting and trapping within 
the Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area (WRA) consistent with the 2007 
Skilak WRA final revised management plan;
    (3) expanded a prohibition on the discharge of firearms to include 
areas of intensive public use along the Russian and Kenai Rivers;

[[Page 45794]]

    (4) clarified the intent of existing regulations that require a 
special use permit for hunting black bears over bait by specifying that 
only the take of black bears is authorized under this requirement;
    (5) amended regulations associated with camping, use of public use 
cabins, and public use facilities;
    (6) established permanent regulations for managing wildlife 
attractants in the Russian River Special Management Area to reduce 
potential for human-bear conflicts; and
    (7) established regulations allowing for noncommercial gathering of 
edible wild foods and shed antlers.
    The FWS intends to initiate a rulemaking process that will consider 
changes to the May 5, 2016, final rule (81 FR 27030) that was codified 
at 50 CFR part 36. Throughout this process, the FWS will consider the 
purposes of Secretarial Order 3347 (``Conservation Stewardship and 
Outdoor Recreation''): Enhanced conservation stewardship, increased 
opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing, 
for all Americans, and improved management of game species and their 
habitat. The FWS will also identify ways to improve cooperation, 
consultation, and communication with State of Alaska wildlife managers 
regarding recreational hunting and fishing.
    At this time, the FWS is not accepting comments on the upcoming 
rulemaking process. When we publish a proposed rule in the Federal 
Register, the FWS will comply with all applicable laws governing the 
rulemaking process, including the requirement under 5 U.S.C. 553 to 
provide an opportunity for public comment on any proposed regulatory 
changes.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 460k et seq., 668dd-668ee, 3101 et seq.

Todd Willens,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 2017-21124 Filed 9-29-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P

Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Proposed Rules 45793 genus are adapted to drought and are Government-to-Government § 17.12 [Amended] able to re-colonize disturbed areas. Relationship With Tribes ■ 2. Section 17.12(h) is amended by Therefore, if the population numbers are removing the entry for ‘‘Astragalus decreasing but may be fluctuating due to In accordance with the President’s desereticus’’ under ‘‘FLOWERING decreased rainfall or drought, additional memorandum of April 29, 1994, PLANTS’’ from the List of Endangered Government-to-Government Relations and Threatened Plants. monitoring may show that the with Native American Tribal population bounces back during the Dated: September 7, 2017. Governments (59 FR 22951), E.O. 13175, extended monitoring period allowed for James W. Kurth, and the Department of the Interior’s in scenario two. However, if the manual at 512 DM 2, we readily Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife population is decreasing beyond what acknowledge our responsibility to Service. might occur as a result of drought, a communicate meaningfully with [FR Doc. 2017–21073 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] formal status review would be recognized Federal Tribes on a BILLING CODE 4333–15–P immediately initiated as described in government-to-government basis. In scenario three. accordance with Secretarial Order 3206 It is our intent to work with our of June 5, 1997 (American Indian Tribal DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR partners towards maintaining the Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered Fish and Wildlife Service recovered status of Astragalus desereticus. We seek public and peer Species Act), we readily acknowledge our responsibilities to work directly 50 CFR Part 36 review comments on the draft PDM plan, including its objectives and with Tribes in developing programs for [Docket No. FWS–R7–NWRS–2017–0058; procedures (see Public Comments, healthy ecosystems, to acknowledge that FF07R00000 178 FXRS12610700000] above), with the publication of this tribal lands are not subject to the same controls as Federal public lands, to Refuge-Specific Regulation; Public proposed rule. Use; Kenai National Wildlife Refuge remain sensitive to Indian culture, and Required Determinations to make information available to Tribes. AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Clarity of the Rule We have determined that no Tribes will Interior. be affected by this rule because there are ACTION: Regulatory review. Executive Order 12866 requires no tribal lands within or adjacent to agencies to write regulations that are Astragalus desereticus habitat. SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife easy to understand. We invite your Service (FWS) intends to initiate a References Cited comments on how to make this proposal rulemaking process that will consider easier to understand including answers A complete list of all references cited changes to public use regulations that to questions such as the following: (1) in this proposed rule is available at are applicable to Kenai National Is the discussion in the SUPPLEMENTARY http://www.regulations.gov at Docket Wildlife Refuge and that were INFORMATION section of the preamble No. FWS–R6–ES–2016–0013, or upon promulgated on May 5, 2016. helpful to your understanding of the request from the Utah Ecological DATES: October 2, 2017. proposal? (2) Does the proposal contain Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES). ADDRESSES: The final rule that is the technical language or jargon that subject of this document may be found Authors at www.regulations.gov in Docket No. interferes with its clarity? (3) Does the format of the proposal (groupings and The primary authors of this proposed FWS–R7–NWRS–2017–0058. order of sections, use of headings, rule are staff members of the Service’s FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: paragraphing, etc.) aid or reduce its Mountain Prairie Region and the Utah Ryan Mollnow, Division of Natural clarity? What else could we do to make Ecological Services Field Office (see Resources Chief, National Wildlife the proposal easier to understand? Send ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER Refuge System—Alaska, 1011 E. Tudor a copy of any comments on how we INFORMATION CONTACT). Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone: could make this rule easier to (907) 786–3326; facsimile: (907) 786– List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17 3901; email: ryan_mollnow@fws.gov. understand to: Office of Regulatory Affairs, Department of the Interior, Endangered and threatened species, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 5, Room 7229, 1849 C Street NW., Exports, Imports, Reporting and 2016, the FWS published a final rule to Washington, DC 20240. You may also recordkeeping requirements, amend its regulations in title 50 of the email the comments to this address: Transportation. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in Exsec@ios.doi.gov. part 36 regarding public use of Kenai Proposed Regulation Promulgation National Wildlife Refuge (81 FR 27030). National Environmental Policy Act The final rule became effective on June Accordingly, we hereby propose to 6, 2016. The provisions of the final rule: We have determined that amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter (1) amended regulations regarding use environmental assessments and I, title 50 of the Code of Federal of aircraft, motorboats, motorized environmental impact statements, as Regulations, as set forth below: vehicles, and snowmobiles; defined under the authority of the (2) codified historic restrictions on sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with PROPOSALS National Environmental Policy Act of PART 17—ENDANGERED AND hunting and trapping within the Skilak 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), need not THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS Wildlife Recreation Area (WRA) be prepared in connection with consistent with the 2007 Skilak WRA regulations pursuant to section 4(a) of ■ 1. The authority citation for part 17 final revised management plan; the Act. We published a notice outlining continues to read as follows: (3) expanded a prohibition on the our reasons for this determination in the Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361–1407; 1531– discharge of firearms to include areas of Federal Register on October 25, 1983 1544; and 4201–4245; unless otherwise intensive public use along the Russian (48 FR 49244). noted. and Kenai Rivers; VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:16 Sep 29, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\02OCP1.SGM 02OCP1

45794 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Proposed Rules (4) clarified the intent of existing changes to the May 5, 2016, final rule At this time, the FWS is not accepting regulations that require a special use (81 FR 27030) that was codified at 50 comments on the upcoming rulemaking permit for hunting black bears over bait CFR part 36. Throughout this process, process. When we publish a proposed by specifying that only the take of black the FWS will consider the purposes of rule in the Federal Register, the FWS bears is authorized under this Secretarial Order 3347 (‘‘Conservation will comply with all applicable laws requirement; Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation’’): governing the rulemaking process, (5) amended regulations associated Enhanced conservation stewardship, including the requirement under 5 with camping, use of public use cabins, increased opportunities for outdoor U.S.C. 553 to provide an opportunity for and public use facilities; public comment on any proposed (6) established permanent regulations recreation, including hunting and fishing, for all Americans, and improved regulatory changes. for managing wildlife attractants in the Russian River Special Management Area management of game species and their Authority: 16 U.S.C. 460k et seq., to reduce potential for human–bear habitat. The FWS will also identify 668dd–668ee, 3101 et seq. conflicts; and ways to improve cooperation, consultation, and communication with Todd Willens, (7) established regulations allowing for noncommercial gathering of edible State of Alaska wildlife managers Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and wild foods and shed antlers. regarding recreational hunting and Wildlife and Parks. The FWS intends to initiate a fishing. [FR Doc. 2017–21124 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] rulemaking process that will consider BILLING CODE 4333–15–P sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with PROPOSALS VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:16 Sep 29, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\02OCP1.SGM 02OCP1


Document Created: 2017-09-30 04:41:49
Document Modified: 2017-09-30 04:41:49
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionProposed Rules
ActionRegulatory review.
DatesOctober 2, 2017.
ContactRyan Mollnow, Division of Natural Resources Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System--Alaska, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone: (907) 786-3326; facsimile: (907) 786-3901; email: [email protected]
FR Citation82 FR 45793 
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