Press Release
Service Extends Comment Period and Schedules Hearing on Proposed Critical Habitat for Miami Tiger Beetle

The public has more time to have a say on the proposed critical habitat for the endangered Miami tiger beetle. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is extending the comment period 45 days until December 23, 2021, and holding a virtual public hearing December 2, 2021, from 6-7:30 p.m. Eastern Time to allow people additional opportunities to provide input on the proposed rule. The change is in response to a request received during the initial 60-day comment period that began Sept. 7. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and are fully considered in preparing the final rule.

The rule proposes to designate approximately 1,977 acres as critical habitat for the species in Miami-Dade County, Florida. A draft economic analysis (DEA) is also available for the proposed designation. For more information on the proposed rule, please visit ourFrequently Asked Questions.

Individuals can attend the virtual public hearing via the Zoom platform or teleconference. During the hearing, the Service takes formal verbal testimony. Registration for the virtual hearing is required. See the Virtual Pubic Hearing section below for information on how to register.

The public can submit comments at the Federal eRulemaking Portal, (http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS–R4–ES–2021–0053, which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Comments must be received before midnight Eastern Time December 23, 2021.

To learn more please visit the Miami tiger beetle species profile.  More information on the proposal, including the draft economic analysis, is available by going to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053/document.


Virtual Public Hearing

Instructions on Attending the Virtual Public Meeting:

The USFWS has scheduled a virtual public hearing on December 2nd, 2021, from 6:00 – 7:30pm Eastern Time (ET). The virtual public hearing is intended to give the public an opportunity to learn more about the proposed critical habitat rule for the Miami tiger beetle.

The USFWS will hold the virtual public hearing via the Zoom online platform so that participants can attend remotely. During the virtual public hearing, attendees can join by computer or phone to learn about the proposed critical habitat rule. The virtual public hearing will start with a brief presentation by USFWS staff followed by an opportunity for attendees to provide verbal public comments. Commenters may have an allotted time period to provide comments, and the order of commenters will be based on meeting registration. In addition, public comments can be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2021–0053.

We recommend that members of the public log into the Zoom meeting platform 5 minutes prior to the beginning of the presentation to ensure that they can connect. If using the phone-only option, participants will be able to listen to the virtual public meeting, but they will not view the presentation. Instructions will be given regarding how participants will be able to provide their comments for the public meeting.

For security purposes, registration is required. To listen and view the meeting via Zoom, listen to the meeting by telephone, or provide verbal public comment during the meeting by Zoom or telephone, you must register.

Interested members of the public not familiar with the Zoom platform should view the Zoom video tutorials (https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-video-tutorials) prior to the public meeting.

If you have technical difficulties registering for the meeting or joining the meeting on December 2nd, please email amanda.biedermann@empsi.com.

Instructions for Attending the Virtual Public Meeting:

For Participants Joining by Zoom Web Platform or Zoom App:

  1. Please pre-register using the link provided below.

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUldeuvpzwtEtEGCah8iny0xEC5A3Ye1nbd

If you plan on providing a comment during the public comment portion of the meeting, please indicate that when registering.

  1. After registration, participants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

  2. On the day of the meeting, please join using the information contained in your confirmation email.

For Participants Joining by Phone:

  1. Register for the hearing (see above). On the day of your meeting, call in using one of the toll-free phone numbers listed below. You will be prompted to enter your Meeting ID. Enter your Meeting ID from your confirmation email and press the # key.

  2. You will then be prompted: “Enter your Participant ID followed by #. Otherwise just press #.” Phone-only participants will not receive an individualized Participant ID, so just press the # key.

  3. You will be directly joined to the meeting. If the meeting has not started, you will be on hold until the meeting begins.

Call-in Numbers (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

US: +1 720 707 2699 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 646 558 8656 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799

International numbers available: International numbers

Reasonable Accommodations

The USFWS is committed to providing access to the virtual public meeting for all participants. Closed captioning will be available during the public meeting. Further, a full audio and video recording and transcript of the public meeting will be posted at the bottom of this page after the meeting.  Participants will also have access to live audio during the public meeting via their telephone or computer speakers. An accessible version of the USFWS’s public meeting presentation will also be posted at the bottom of this page prior to the meeting.

Story Tags

Endangered and/or Threatened species