Withdrawal of Proposed Reclassification of the Hawaiian Hawk or Io (Buteo solitarius) from Endangered to Threatened; Proposed Rule to Remove the Hawaiian hawk from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened WildlifeAbout the DocumentTitle: Withdrawal of Proposed Reclassification of the Hawaiian Hawk or Io (Buteo solitarius) from Endangered to Threatened; Proposed Rule to Remove the Hawaiian hawk from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife About the Peer Review ProcessIn accordance with the requirements of the Office of Management and Budget’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review and the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service’s interagency peer review policy, we will initiate peer review of the science relevant to the proposed rule to remove the Hawaiian hawk from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The Service will solicit comments from at least three independent scientific reviewers who will submit individual comments in written form. Peer reviewers will be selected by the Service. The scientific peer review will run concurrently with public review. We will solicit reviews from experts who are willing to commit to providing an objective review within the needed time frame. Reviewers will be selected by the Service from specialists in the relevant areas of expertise. We will strive to strike a balance between reviewers on one side of the decision with those on the other side and will avoid selecting peer reviewers who are likely to experience personal gain or loss as a result of the Service’s decision. The primary disciplines or expertise that are needed for this peer review are: ornithology, island ecology, and conservation biology. We anticipate soliciting comments from at least 3 peer reviewers for this review. The Service will provide each peer reviewer with information necessary to complete the peer review. Because the peer review comment period will run concurrently with the public comment period, we cannot provide them with public comments prior to their review. However, we will ask the peer reviewers to determine whether the relevant data were considered and whether they were considered appropriately. We will also ask them to evaluate uncertainty and the strength of the data and conclusions. Deadline for receipt of reviews will be clearly stated. Peer review comments will be public documents.Estimated Peer Review Timeline:60-day comment period Will the public and/or scientific or professional societies be asked to nominate peer reviewers?: No. Are waivers or deferrals being invoked? No. Estimated Start Date of Peer Review: August 6, 2008.
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