Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Proposed Rules 45793 

genus are adapted to drought and are 

able to re-colonize disturbed areas. 

Therefore, if the population numbers are 

decreasing but may be fluctuating due to 

decreased rainfall or drought, additional 

monitoring may show that the 

population bounces back during the 

extended monitoring period allowed for 

in scenario two. However, if the 

population is decreasing beyond what 

might occur as a result of drought, a 

formal status review would be 

immediately initiated as described in 

scenario three. 

It is our intent to work with our 

partners towards maintaining the 

recovered status of Astragalus 

desereticus. We seek public and peer 

review comments on the draft PDM 

plan, including its objectives and 

procedures (see Public Comments, 

above), with the publication of this 

proposed rule. 

Required Determinations 

Clarity of the Rule 

Executive Order 12866 requires 

agencies to write regulations that are 

easy to understand. We invite your 

comments on how to make this proposal 

easier to understand including answers 

to questions such as the following: (1) 

Is the discussion in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of the preamble 

helpful to your understanding of the 

proposal? (2) Does the proposal contain 

technical language or jargon that 

interferes with its clarity? (3) Does the 

format of the proposal (groupings and 

order of sections, use of headings, 

paragraphing, etc.) aid or reduce its 

clarity? What else could we do to make 

the proposal easier to understand? Send 

a copy of any comments on how we 

could make this rule easier to 

understand to: Office of Regulatory 

Affairs, Department of the Interior, 

Room 7229, 1849 C Street NW., 

Washington, DC 20240. You may also 

email the comments to this address: 

Exsec@ios.doi.gov. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

We have determined that 

environmental assessments and 

environmental impact statements, as 

defined under the authority of the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), need not 

be prepared in connection with 

regulations pursuant to section 4(a) of 

the Act. We published a notice outlining 

our reasons for this determination in the 

Federal Register on October 25, 1983 

(48 FR 49244). 

Government-to-Government 

Relationship With Tribes 

In accordance with the President’s 

memorandum of April 29, 1994, 

Government-to-Government Relations 

with Native American Tribal 

Governments (59 FR 22951), E.O. 13175, 

and the Department of the Interior’s 

manual at 512 DM 2, we readily 

acknowledge our responsibility to 

communicate meaningfully with 

recognized Federal Tribes on a 

government-to-government basis. In 

accordance with Secretarial Order 3206 

of June 5, 1997 (American Indian Tribal 

Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust 

Responsibilities, and the Endangered 

Species Act), we readily acknowledge 

our responsibilities to work directly 

with Tribes in developing programs for 

healthy ecosystems, to acknowledge that 

tribal lands are not subject to the same 

controls as Federal public lands, to 

remain sensitive to Indian culture, and 

to make information available to Tribes. 

We have determined that no Tribes will 

be affected by this rule because there are 

no tribal lands within or adjacent to 

Astragalus desereticus habitat. 

References Cited 

A complete list of all references cited 

in this proposed rule is available at 

http://www.regulations.gov at Docket 

No. FWS–R6–ES–2016–0013, or upon 

request from the Utah Ecological 

Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES). 

Authors 

The primary authors of this proposed 

rule are staff members of the Service’s 

Mountain Prairie Region and the Utah 

Ecological Services Field Office (see 

ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT). 

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17 

Endangered and threatened species, 

Exports, Imports, Reporting and 

recordkeeping requirements, 

Transportation. 

Proposed Regulation Promulgation 

Accordingly, we hereby propose to 

amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter 

I, title 50 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations, as set forth below: 

PART 17—ENDANGERED AND 

THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 17 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361–1407; 1531– 

1544; and 4201–4245; unless otherwise 

noted. 

§ 17.12 [Amended] 

■ 2. Section 17.12(h) is amended by 

removing the entry for ‘‘Astragalus 

desereticus’’ under ‘‘FLOWERING 

PLANTS’’ from the List of Endangered 

and Threatened Plants. 

Dated: September 7, 2017. 

James W. Kurth, 

Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21073 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] 

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

50 CFR Part 36 

[Docket No. FWS–R7–NWRS–2017–0058; 

FF07R00000 178 FXRS12610700000] 

Refuge-Specific Regulation; Public 

Use; Kenai National Wildlife Refuge 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Regulatory review. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS) intends to initiate a 

rulemaking process that will consider 

changes to public use regulations that 

are applicable to Kenai National 

Wildlife Refuge and that were 

promulgated on May 5, 2016. 

DATES: October 2, 2017. 

ADDRESSES: The final rule that is the 

subject of this document may be found 

at www.regulations.gov in Docket No. 

FWS–R7–NWRS–2017–0058. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Ryan Mollnow, Division of Natural 

Resources Chief, National Wildlife 

Refuge System—Alaska, 1011 E. Tudor 

Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone: 

(907) 786–3326; facsimile: (907) 786– 

3901; email: ryan_mollnow@fws.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 5, 

2016, the FWS published a final rule to 

amend its regulations in title 50 of the 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in 

part 36 regarding public use of Kenai 

National Wildlife Refuge (81 FR 27030). 

The final rule became effective on June 

6, 2016. The provisions of the final rule: 

(1) amended regulations regarding use 

of aircraft, motorboats, motorized 

vehicles, and snowmobiles; 

(2) codified historic restrictions on 

hunting and trapping within the Skilak 

Wildlife Recreation Area (WRA) 

consistent with the 2007 Skilak WRA 

final revised management plan; 

(3) expanded a prohibition on the 

discharge of firearms to include areas of 

intensive public use along the Russian 

and Kenai Rivers; 


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45794 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 189 / Monday, October 2, 2017 / Proposed Rules 

(4) clarified the intent of existing 

regulations that require a special use 

permit for hunting black bears over bait 

by specifying that only the take of black 

bears is authorized under this 

requirement; 

(5) amended regulations associated 

with camping, use of public use cabins, 

and public use facilities; 

(6) established permanent regulations 

for managing wildlife attractants in the 

Russian River Special Management Area 

to reduce potential for human–bear 

conflicts; and 

(7) established regulations allowing 

for noncommercial gathering of edible 

wild foods and shed antlers. 

The FWS intends to initiate a 

rulemaking process that will consider 

changes to the May 5, 2016, final rule 

(81 FR 27030) that was codified at 50 

CFR part 36. Throughout this process, 

the FWS will consider the purposes of 

Secretarial Order 3347 (‘‘Conservation 

Stewardship and Outdoor Recreation’’): 

Enhanced conservation stewardship, 

increased opportunities for outdoor 

recreation, including hunting and 

fishing, for all Americans, and improved 

management of game species and their 

habitat. The FWS will also identify 

ways to improve cooperation, 

consultation, and communication with 

State of Alaska wildlife managers 

regarding recreational hunting and 

fishing. 

At this time, the FWS is not accepting 

comments on the upcoming rulemaking 

process. When we publish a proposed 

rule in the Federal Register, the FWS 

will comply with all applicable laws 

governing the rulemaking process, 

including the requirement under 5 

U.S.C. 553 to provide an opportunity for 

public comment on any proposed 

regulatory changes. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 460k et seq., 

668dd–668ee, 3101 et seq. 

Todd Willens, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and 

Wildlife and Parks. 

[FR Doc. 2017–21124 Filed 9–29–17; 8:45 am] 

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