[Federal Register: October 18, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 200)]
[Notices]
[Page 61348-61349]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18oc04-23]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 052104F]
Endangered and Threatened Species: Extension of Public Comment
Period and Notice of Rescheduled Public Hearing on Proposed Listing
Determinations for West Coast Salmonids
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Extension of public comment period; notice of rescheduled
public hearing.
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SUMMARY: In June 2004, NMFS proposed to list 27 Evolutionarily
Significant Units (ESUs) of salmon (chum, Oncorhynchus keta; coho, O.
kisutch, sockeye, O. nerka; chinook, O. tshawytscha) and O. mykiss as
threatened and endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and
subsequently extended the public comment period and announced public
hearings. NMFS is again extending the public comment period on the
proposed listing determinations through November 12, 2004.
Additionally, NMFS is rescheduling a public hearing in Portland, Oregon
(originally to be held on October 13, 2004) to be held on November 9,
2004.
DATES: The due date for written comments is extended from October 20,
2004, to November 12, 2004. A public hearing is rescheduled to November
9, 2004.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed hatchery listing
policy (69 FR 31354; June 3, 2004) by any of the following methods:
E-mail: The mailbox address for submitting e-mail comments on the
proposed listing determinations is salmon.nwr@noaa.gov. Please include
in the subject line of the e-mail comment the document identifier
``Proposed Listing Determinations.''
Mail: Submit written comments and information to Chief, NMFS,
Protected Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500,
Portland, OR 97232-2737. Please identify the comment as regarding the
``Proposed Listing Determinations.'' You may hand-deliver written
comments to our office at the street address given above, suite 210.
Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
Hand Delivery/Courier: NMFS, Protected Resources Division, 525 NE
[[Page 61349]]
Oregon Street, Suite 210, Portland, OR 97232-2737. Business hours are
noted above.
Fax: 503-230-5435. Please identify the fax comment as regarding the
``Proposed Listing Determinations.''
The public hearing will be held at the Doublettree Hotel Portland-
Columbia River, 1401 N. Hayden Island Drive, Portland, OR 97217. You
may obtain information updates on the public hearing on the Internet at
the following web address: http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/AlseaResponse/20040528/meetings.html
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Garth Griffin, NMFS, Northwest Region,
(503) 231-2005. Copies of the Federal Register notices cited herein and
additional salmon-related materials are available on the Internet at
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1srd/Prop_Determins/. For information
regarding public hearings on the proposed listing determinations held
in California, please contact Craig Wingert, NMFS, Southwest Region,
(562) 980-4021. Information on public hearings in California is also
available on the Internet at http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/news/SalmonidHearings.NR.pdf
.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On June 14, 2004, NMFS published proposed ESA listing
determinations for 27 salmon and O. mykiss ESUs, including 18 ESUs that
occur in Oregon, Washington and Idaho (69 FR 33101). The 27 proposed
listing determinations include 162 total hatchery programs as part of 4
ESUs being proposed for endangered status and 23 ESUs being proposed
for threatened status. In addition, NMFS proposed amendments to the
existing ESA 4(d) protective regulations for the proposed threatened
ESUs.
With the publication of the proposed listing determinations NMFS
announced a 90-day public comment period extending through September
13, 2004. In Federal Register notices published on August 31, 2004 (69
FR 53031) and September 9, 2004 (69 FR 54620), NMFS extended the public
comment period for the proposed policy through October 20, 2004.
Additionally, NMFS announced that it would hold public hearings at
eight locations in the Pacific Northwest and six locations in
California to provide additional opportunities and formats to receive
public input. To date NMFS has held seven of these public hearings in
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and all six public hearings in
California.
Extension of Public Comment Period
NMFS has received a request from a U.S. congressional
representative to extend the public comment period and postpone any
remaining public meetings to provide additional opportunity for the
public to consider the proposed listing determinations and to provide
comment. In this notice NMFS is extending the public comment period
through November 12, 2004.
Rescheduling of Public Hearing
In addition to extending the public comment period, NMFS is
rescheduling a public hearing in Portland, Oregon (originally to be
held on October 13, 2004) to be held on November 9, 2004 (see ADDRESSES
for hearing location).
Public Hearing Format
Joint Commerce-Interior ESA implementing regulations state that the
Secretary shall promptly hold at least one public hearing if any person
requests one within 45 days of publication of a proposed regulation to
list a species or to designate critical habitat (see 50 CFR
424.16(c)(3)). In past ESA rule-making, NMFS has conducted traditional
public hearings, consisting of recorded oral testimony from interested
individuals. This format, although providing an alternative means of
public input, is time consuming for the attendees and does not provide
opportunities for dialogue and information exchange. In the Federal
Register notice published on August 31, 2004 (69 FR 53039), NMFS
described an alternative ``open-house'' format aimed at providing all
hearing participants with the opportunity to obtain information on and
discuss the proposed listing determinations. NMFS has held seven of
these ``open-house'' style public hearings, and believes that the new
format improves the ability of the public to engage effectively in the
rulemaking process.
Afternoon Practitioners' Session
An afternoon session (1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., November 9, 2004) in
Portland (Oregon) will be provided for local practitioners and
stakeholders involved with managing the ESA on a regular basis,
including: tribal governments; forestry and agricultural interests;
home builders and developers; the sport and commercial fishing
community; the environmental community; the business community; utility
and special districts; local government elected officials and their
staff; other locally based Federal and state agencies; and public
interest groups. Attendance at the afternoon sessions in Portland
(Oregon) will be on a pre-registration basis. Information on attending
the practitioners' afternoon session in Portland is available from NMFS
upon request (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, above) as well as on
the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/AlseaResponse/20040528/PortlandMeeting.html
.
Evening Open House and Public Testimony
An evening ``open house'' session, designed for broader public
participation, will be conducted in Portland (Oregon) on the same day
as the afternoon practitioners' session (November 9, 2004) from 6:30
p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The ``open house'' format will provide the general
public with an opportunity to meet with NMFS staff in small groups on
specific topics. This evening meeting will also provide opportunities
for the public to make formal recorded comments on the proposal. There
is no need to register; just drop in anytime during the course of the
evening event.
Special Accommodations
This hearing is physically accessible to people with disabilities.
Requests for sign language or other aids should be directed to Garth
Griffin (see ADDRESSES) 7 days before the meeting date.
References
Copies of the Federal Register notices and related materials cited
in this document are available on the Internet at http://nwr.noaa.gov,
or upon request (see ADDRESSES section above).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: October 12, 2004.
Laurie K. Allen,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-23283 Filed 10-15-04; 8:45 am]
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