[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 38 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9798-9799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04095]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2014-0054; FXES11130900000C2-167-FF09E32000]
RIN 1018-BA46


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removal of 
Solidago albopilosa (White-Haired Goldenrod) From the Federal List of 
Endangered and Threatened Plants

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
reopening of the comment period on our September 1, 2015, proposed rule 
to remove the plant Solidago albopilosa (white-haired goldenrod) from 
the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. We are reopening 
the comment period for 30 days in order to conduct peer review and 
provide interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the 
proposed rule and draft post delisting monitoring plan. Comments 
previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully 
considered in preparation of the final listing determination.

DATES: To allow us adequate time to consider your comments on the 
proposed rule, we must receive your comments on or before March 28, 
2016.

ADDRESSES: Written comments: You may submit comments on the proposed 
rule and draft post-delisting monitoring plan by one of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: 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-R4-ES-2014-0054. Then click 
on the Search button. On the resulting page, you may submit a comment 
by clicking on ``Comment Now!'' Please ensure that you have found the 
correct rulemaking before submitting your comment.
     By U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2014-0054, 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 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for more information).
    Document availability: 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-R4-ES-2014-0054. A copy of the draft post-
delisting monitoring plan can be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov 
under Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2014-0054, or at the Kentucky Ecological 
Services Field Office's Web site at http://www.fws.gov/frankfort/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virgil Lee Andrews, Jr., Field 
Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Ecological 
Services Field Office, 330 West Broadway, Suite 265, Frankfort, KY 
40601; telephone (502) 695-0468. Individuals who are hearing-impaired 
or speech-impaired may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 
(800) 877-8339 for TTY assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 1, 2015, we published a 
proposed rule (80 FR 52717) to remove the plant Solidago albopilosa 
(white-haired goldenrod) from the Federal List of Endangered and 
Threatened Plants based on a thorough review of the best available 
scientific and commercial data, which indicate that this species has 
recovered and no longer meets the definition of an endangered or a 
threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). We sought information, data, and comments 
from the public regarding the proposal and the associated draft post-
delisting monitoring plan for 60 days, ending November 2, 2015. We are 
reopening the comment period on that proposed rule and the associated 
draft post-delisting monitoring plan for an additional 30 days (see 
DATES). We will accept written

[[Page 9799]]

comments and information during this reopened comment period. We are 
specifically soliciting comments from peer reviewers (see Peer Review, 
below), but we are providing all interested parties with this 
additional time to submit information. Please refer to the proposed 
rule for more information on our proposed action and the specific 
information we seek.
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed 
rule or the associated draft post-delisting monitoring plan by one of 
the methods listed in ADDRESSES. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. All comments and recommendations, including names and 
addresses, will become part of the administrative record.
    If you submit information via http://www.regulations.gov, your 
entire comment--including any personal identifying information--will be 
posted on the Web site. While you can ask us in your comment to 
withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    If you mail or hand-deliver 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, but we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. To ensure that the 
electronic docket for this rulemaking is complete and all comments we 
receive are publicly available, we will post all hardcopy submissions 
on http://www.regulations.gov.

Peer Review

    In accordance with our policy published in the Federal Register on 
July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270), and the OMB's Final Information Quality 
Bulletin for Peer Review, dated December 16, 2004, we are soliciting 
the expert opinions of at least three appropriate and independent 
specialists regarding the science in our proposed rule published on 
September 1, 2015 (80 FR 52717), and the associated draft post-
delisting monitoring plan. The purpose of such review is to ensure that 
we base our decisions on scientifically sound data, assumptions, and 
analyses. We are sending peer reviewers copies of the proposed rule and 
the draft post-delisting monitoring plan. We are inviting peer 
reviewers to comment, during this reopened public comment period, on 
the specific assumptions and conclusions regarding the proposed 
delisting and draft post-delisting monitoring plan. We will summarize 
the opinions of these reviewers in the final decision documents, and we 
will consider their input and any additional information we receive as 
part of our process of making a final decision on the proposal and the 
draft post-delisting monitoring plan. Such communication may lead to a 
final decision that differs from the proposal.

    Dated: February 17, 2016.
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-04095 Filed 2-25-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P