38674 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 156 / Tuesday, August 15, 2017 / Notices 

analytical methods for evaluating 

extinction risk. 

In addition to the above requested 

information, we are interested in any 

information concerning protective 

efforts that have not yet been fully 

implemented or demonstrated as 

effective. Our consideration of 

conservation measures, regulatory 

mechanisms, and other protective 

efforts will be guided by the Services 

‘‘Policy for Evaluation of Conservation 

Efforts When Making Listing Decisions’’ 

(PECE Policy) (68 FR 15100; March 28, 

2003). The PECE established criteria to 

ensure the consistent and adequate 

evaluation of formalized conservation 

efforts when making listing decisions 

under the ESA. This policy may also 

guide the development of conservation 

efforts that sufficiently improve a 

species’ status so as to make listing the 

species as threatened or endangered 

unnecessary. Under the PECE the 

adequacy of conservation efforts is 

evaluated in terms of the certainty of 

their implementation, and the certainty 

of their effectiveness. Criteria for 

evaluating the certainty of 

implementation include whether: The 

necessary resources are available; the 

necessary authority is in place; an 

agreement is formalized (i.e., regulatory 

and procedural mechanisms are in 

place); there is a schedule for 

completion and evaluation; for 

voluntary measures, incentives to 

ensure necessary participation are in 

place; and there is agreement of all 

necessary parties to the measure or plan. 

Criteria for evaluating the certainty of 

effectiveness include whether the 

measure or plan: Includes a clear 

description of the factors for decline to 

be addressed and how they will be 

reduced; establishes specific 

conservation objectives; identifies 

necessary steps to reduce threats; 

includes quantifiable performance 

measures for monitoring compliance 

and effectiveness; employs principles of 

adaptive management; and is certain to 

improve the species’ status at the time 

of listing determination. We request that 

any information submitted with respect 

to conservation measures, regulatory 

mechanisms, or other protective efforts 

that have yet to be implemented or 

show effectiveness explicitly address 

these criteria in the PECE. 

If you wish to provide your 

information for this status review, you 

may submit your information and 

materials electronically via email (see 

ADDRESSES section). We request that all 

information be accompanied by: (1) 

Supporting documentation such as 

maps, bibliographic references, or 

reprints of pertinent publications; and 

(2) the submitter’s name, address, and 

any association, institution, or business 

that the person represents. 

Authority: The authority for this action is 

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (16. U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

Dated: August 10, 2017. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–17218 Filed 8–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Notice of Availability of Record of 

Decision for the Final Environmental 

Impact Statement for the Disposal and 

Reuse of Surplus Property at Naval 

Station Newport, Rhode Island 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the 

Navy (Navy), after carefully weighing 

the environmental consequences of the 

proposed action, announces its decision 

to implement Alternative 1, the Navy’s 

preferred alternative as described in the 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) for the Disposal and Reuse of 

Surplus Property at Naval Station 

(NAVSTA) Newport, Rhode Island. This 

decision will make 158 acres of former 

NAVSTA Newport property available to 

the local communities of Aquidneck 

Island for economic redevelopment. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Disposal 

and reuse under the chosen alternative 

is consistent with the Aquidneck Island 

Reuse Planning Authority’s 

‘‘Redevelopment Plan for Surplus 

Properties at NAVSTA Newport’’ 

(Redevelopment Plan) and Public Law 

101–510, the Defense Base Closure and 

Realignment Act of 1990, as amended in 

2005 (BRAC Law). The complete text of 

the Record of Decision (ROD) is 

available for public viewing on the 

project Web site at https://

www.BRACPMO.Navy.mil along with 

the Final EIS and supporting 

documents. Single copies of the ROD 

will be made available upon request by 

contacting: Mr. Gregory Preston, BRAC 

Program Management Office East, 4911 

South Broad Street, Building 679, 

Philadelphia, PA 19112–1303, 

telephone 215–897–4900, facsimile 

215–897–4902, email gregory.preston@

navy.mil. 

Dated: August 7, 2017. 

A.M. Nichols, 

Lieutenant Commander, Judge Advocate 

General’s Corps, U.S. Navy, Federal Register 

Liaison Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2017–17140 Filed 8–14–17; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3810–FF–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Department of the Navy 

Notice of Redesignation of the 

Environmental Impact Statement To 

Transition FA–18C Strike Fighter 

Squadrons to FA–18E Strike Fighter 

Squadrons at Naval Air Station 

Oceana, Virginia, as an Environmental 

Assessment and Announcement of 

Public Meetings 

AGENCY: Department of the Navy, DoD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Navy’s 

(DoN) intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the transition of the remaining F/A– 

18A/C/D (Hornet) aircraft, based at 

Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, to the 

F/A–18E/F (Super Hornet), published in 

the Federal Register on September 10, 

2015 (80 FR 175), is hereby modified. 

The DoN is redesignating the EIS as an 

Environmental Assessment (EA). The 

DoN will hold public meetings on 

August 29 and 30, 2017, to inform the 

public and answer questions about the 

Draft EA and the proposed action as 

well as provide opportunities for the 

public to comment on the Draft EA. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to the National Environmental Policy 

Act of 1969 and regulations 

implemented by the Council on 

Environmental Quality, the DoN 

published a Notice of Intent to prepare 

an EIS to transition Hornet aircraft to 

Super Hornet aircraft at NAS Oceana on 

September 10, 2015, in the Federal 

Register (80 FR 175). The majority of 

aircraft based at NAS Oceana 

transitioned to Super Hornet over a 

decade ago (as part of a separate 

proposed action), and are currently 

conducting flight training operations at 

NAS Oceana and Naval Auxiliary 

Landing Field (NALF) Fentress. The 

purpose of transitioning the remaining 

Hornet aircraft to Super Hornet aircraft 

is to provide newer, more capable, and 

more reliable aircraft to the NAS 

Oceana-based strike fighter community, 

which are needed to support the Navy’s 

national defense requirements under 

Title 10 U.S. Code Section 5062. 

During the development of the EIS, 

the DoN’s analysis showed no 

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