[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 53 (Friday, March 18, 2011)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 14883]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6466]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 223

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 hearing.

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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, in a 
previous notice we announced public hearings to be held in Anchorage 
and Barrow, AK. In addition, in this notice NMFS is announcing a 
separate hearing that will be held in Nome, AK, to provide greater 
opportunity for public comment.

DATES: A hearing will be held on April 5, 2011, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. 
in Nome, AK. Written comments must be received on or before March 25, 
2011, or during the hearing in Nome.

ADDRESSES: The April 5, 2011, hearing will be held at the Mini-
Convention Center, 409 River Street, Nome, AK.
    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-XZ59, 
by any one of the following methods:
    <bullet> Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the 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 77496), 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 6755; 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 published a 
notice in the Federal Register announcing public hearings to be held in 
Anchorage and Barrow, AK (76 FR 9734, February 22, 2011). We are 
announcing a separate hearing in Nome, AK, to provide greater 
opportunity for public comment. 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: March 15, 2011.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-6466 Filed 3-17-11; 8:45 am]
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