[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 22, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 9734-9735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3882]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 223

[Docket No. 101126591-0588-01]
RIN 0648-XZ58


Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for 
Distinct Population Segments of the Bearded Seal

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: On December 10, 2010, we, NMFS, published a proposed rule to 
list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of 
the bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) as threatened under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). As part of that 
proposal, we announced a public comment period to end on February 8, 
2011, and then extended the comment period to March 25, 2011. NMFS has 
received requests for public hearings on this issue. In response, we 
announce that public hearings will be held at three locations in Alaska 
(Anchorage, Barrow, and Nome) to provide additional opportunities and 
formats to receive public input.

DATES: A hearing will be held on March 7, 2011, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 
p.m. in Anchorage, and on March 22, 2011, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in 
Barrow, AK. The date and time for a hearing in Nome will be announced 
in a forthcoming notice in the Federal Register. As previously noted, 
we will consider written comments received on or before March 25, 2011.

ADDRESSES: The March 7, 2011, hearing will be held at the Egan Center 
(Lower Level), 555 West Fifth Avenue, Anchorage, AK. The March 22, 
2011, hearing will be held at the I[ntilde]upiat Heritage Center, 5421 
North Star Street, Barrow, AK. As noted above, we will announce the 
address for a hearing in Nome in a forthcoming notice in the Federal 
Register.
    Send written comments to Kaja Brix, Assistant Regional 
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn: 
Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0648-XZ58, 
by any one of the following methods:
    <bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the

[[Page 9735]]

Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
    <bullet> Mail: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802.
    <bullet> Fax: (907) 586-7557.
    <bullet> Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 West 9th 
Street, Room 420A, Juneau, AK.
    All comments received are a part of the public record. Comments 
will generally be posted without change. All Personal Identifying 
Information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by 
the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential 
Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.
    We will accept anonymous comments (enter N/A in the required 
fields, if you wish to remain anonymous). You may submit attachments to 
electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or Adobe PDF 
file formats only.
    The proposed rule, status review report, and other materials 
relating to this proposal can be found on the Alaska Region Web site 
at: http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tamara Olson, NMFS Alaska Region, 
(907) 271-5006; Kaja Brix, NMFS Alaska Region, (907) 586-7235; or Marta 
Nammack, Office of Protected Resources, Silver Spring, MD (301) 713-
1401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On December 10, 2010 (75 FR 77476), we published a proposed rule to 
list the Beringia and Okhotsk Distinct Population Segments (DPSs) of 
the bearded seal as threatened under the ESA. Based on the status of 
these DPSs, we also proposed protective regulations pursuant to section 
4(d) of the ESA for these DPSs to include all of the prohibitions in 
section 9(a)(1) of the ESA. The original due date for comments on these 
proposed actions (February 8, 2011) was extended to March 25, 2011 (76 
FR 6754; February 8, 2011).

Public Hearings

    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 response to requests from various parties to hold 
public hearings in a number of locations in Alaska, we will hold three 
public hearings: one in Anchorage, one in Barrow, and one in Nome. We 
will accept oral and written comments on both the proposed rule for 
bearded seals and the proposed rule for ringed seals (75 FR 77476; 
December 10, 2010) during these hearings.
    People wishing to make an oral statement for the record at a public 
hearing are encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement and 
present it to us at the hearing. In the event that attendance at the 
public hearings is large, the time allotted for oral statements may be 
limited. Oral and written statements receive equal consideration. There 
are no limits on the length of written comments submitted to us.

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1533 et seq.

    Dated: February 15, 2011.
Helen Golde,
Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources.
[FR Doc. 2011-3882 Filed 2-16-11; 4:15 pm]
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