Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service, Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), collectively "the Services," propose to designate critical habitat for the Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We propose 14 geographic areas among the Gulf of Mexico rivers and tributaries as critical habitat for the Gulf sturgeon. These 14 geographic areas (units) encompass approximately 2,544 river kilometers (rkm) (1,580 river miles (rmi)) and 6,042 square kilometers (km\2\) (2,333 square miles (mi\2\)) of estuarine and marine habitat. Critical habitat identifies specific areas that are essential to the conservation of a listed species, and that may require special management considerations or protection. If this proposal is made final, section 7(a)(2) of the Act requires that Federal agencies ensure that actions they fund, permit, or carry out are not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. The regulatory effect of the critical habitat designation does not extend beyond those activities funded, permitted, or carried out by Federal agencies. State or private actions, with no Federal involvement, are not affected. Section 4 of the Act requires us to consider the economic and other relevant impacts of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. We hereby solicit data and comments from the public on all aspects of this proposal, including data on the economic and other impacts of the designation.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 RIN 1018-AI23 Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 50 CFR Part 226 [Docket No. 0202522126-2126-01; I.D. 052002A] RIN 0648-AQ03 AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior, and National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), collectively “the Services,” propose to designate critical habitat for the Gulf sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi ), a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We propose 14 geographic areas among the Gulf of Mexico rivers and tributaries as critical habitat for the Gulf sturgeon. These 14 geographic areas (units) encompass approximately 2,544 river kilometers (rkm) (1,580 river miles (rmi)) and 6,042 square kilometers (km 2 ) (2,333 square miles (mi 2 )) of estuarine and marine habitat. Critical habitat identifies specific areas that are essential to the conservation of a listed species, and that may require special management considerations or protection. If this proposal is made final, section 7(a)(2) of the Act requires that Federal agencies ensure that actions they fund, permit, or carry out are not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat. The regulatory effect of the critical habitat …
Citation: 67 FR 39107
