11134 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Proposed Rules

Such designation would not be

beneficial to this species. In other

proposed rules we determined that

critical habitat was prudent for nine

species that occur on Lanai as well as

on Kauai, Niihau, Maui, or Kahoolawe

(65 FR 66808; 65 FR 79192). The

remaining 17 species historically found

on Lanai no longer occur on this island.

However, these species do occur on

other islands, so proposed prudency

determinations will be made in future

rules addressing plants on those islands.

This proposed rule also proposes

designation of critical habitat for 18

plant species. Ten critical habitat units,

covering 1,953 hectares (4,826 acres),

are proposed for designation on the

island of Lanai.

Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act (16 U.S.C.

1531 et seq.), requires that a public

hearing be held if it is requested within

45 days of the publication of a proposed

rule. In response to a request from a

government agency of the State of

Hawaii, the Service will hold a public

hearing on the date and at the address

described in the DATES and ADDRESSES

sections above.

Anyone wishing to make an oral

statement for the record is encouraged

to provide a written copy of their

statement and present it to the Service

at the hearing. In the event there is a

large attendance, the time allotted for

oral statements may be limited. Oral and

written statements receive equal

consideration. There are no limits to the

length of written comments presented at

the hearing or mailed to the Service.

Legal notices announcing the date, time,

and location of the public hearing will

be published in newspapers

concurrently with the Federal Register

notice.

Comments from the public regarding

the accuracy of this proposed rule are

sought, especially regarding:

(1) The reasons why critical habitat

for any of these species is prudent or not

prudent;

(2) The reasons why any particular

area should or should not be designated

as critical habitat for any of these

species;

(3) Specific information on the

amount and distribution of habitat for

any of these species;

(4) Land use practices and current or

planned activities in the subject areas

and their possible impacts on proposed

critical habitat;

(5) Any economic or other relevant

impacts resulting from the proposed

designations of critical habitat,

including any impacts on small entities

or families; and

(6) Economic and other potential

values associated with designating

critical habitat for the 18 plant species

such as those derived from nonconsumptive uses (e.g., hiking, camping,

birding, enhanced watershed protection,

increased soil retention, ‘‘existence

values’’, and reductions in

administrative costs).

Reopening of the comment period

will enable the Service to respond to the

request for a public hearing on the

proposed action. The comment period

on this proposal now closes on April 2,

2001. Written comments should be

submitted to the Service office listed in

the ADDRESSES section.

Author

The primary authors of this notice are

Christa Russell and Michelle Stephens

(see ADDRESSES section).

Authority: The authority for this action is

the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: February 13, 2001.

Rowan W. Gould,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4381 Filed 2–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018–AG13

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Reopening of Public

Comment Period on Proposed Critical

Habitat for Wintering Piping Plovers

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of

public comment period.

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, provide notice that the

public comment period on the proposed

rule to designate critical habitat for

wintering piping plovers (Charadrius

melodus) is hereby reopened.

Comments submitted during the prior

comment periods need not be

resubmitted as they will be incorporated

into the public record and will be fully

considered in the final determination on

the proposal.

DATES: The original comment period,

scheduled to close on September 5,

2000, was extended until November 24,

2000. The comment period is now

reopened and will close on March 1,

2001. Comments from all interested

parties must be received by the closing

date. Any comments that are received

after the closing date may not be

considered in the final decision on this

proposal.

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be

submitted to the Field Supervisor,

Ecological Services Field Office, c/o

TAMUCC, Box 338, 6300 Ocean Drive,

Corpus Christi, Texas 78412; by

facsimile at (361) 994–8262; or by email

at winterplovercomments@fws.gov.

Comments and materials received will

be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Allan Strand, Acting Field Supervisor,

at the above address (telephone 361/

994–9005).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The piping plover (Charadrius

melodus) is a small North American

shorebird that breeds in the Great

Plains, Great Lakes, and upper Atlantic

Coast states, and its winter areas include

the lower Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the

United States. The piping plover on its

wintering areas is listed as a threatened

species under the Endangered Species

Act of 1973, as amended.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

proposed critical habitat for wintering

piping plovers on July 6, 2000 (65 FR

41782), and published extensions of the

comment period on August 30, 2000 (65

FR 52691), and October 27, 2000 (65 FR

64414). The proposal includes 146 areas

along the coasts of North Carolina,

South Carolina, Georgia, Florida,

Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and

Texas. This includes approximately

2,734 kilometers (1,699 miles) of

shoreline along the Gulf and Atlantic

coasts and along margins of interior

bays, inlets, and lagoons.

Section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered

Species Act requires that we designate

or revise critical habitat based upon the

best scientific and commercial data

available and after taking into

consideration the economic impact, and

any other relevant impact, of specifying

any particular area as critical habitat.

We may exclude an area from critical

habitat if we determine that the benefits

of excluding the area outweigh the

benefits of including the area as critical

habitat, provided such exclusion will

not result in the extinction of the

species. Consequently, we have

prepared and made available a draft

economic analysis concerning the

proposed critical habitat designation,

which is available for review and

comment at the above Internet and

mailing addresses.

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 36 / Thursday, February 22, 2001 / Proposed Rules 11135

Public Comments Solicited

Pursuant to regulations at 50 CFR

424.16(c)(2), we may extend or reopen

a public comment period on a proposal

to designate critical habitat upon

finding that there is good cause to do so.

Since the close of the original comment

period on proposed designation of

critical habitat for wintering piping

plovers, we have received a number of

comments which provide information

relevant to the proposed designation. In

the interest of considering the best

scientific and commercial information

available in making our final

determination on the proposal, we find

that good cause exists to reopen the

public comment period on this

proposed action.

We solicit comments on all aspects of

the critical habitat proposal, including

the draft economic analysis. Our final

determination on the proposed critical

habitat will take into consideration

comments and any additional

information received by the date

specified above. All previous comments

and information submitted during the

comment period need not be

resubmitted. Written comments may be

submitted to the Field Supervisor at the

above address.

Author

The primary author of this notice is

Steve Spangle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque,

New Mexico 87103.

Authority: The authority for this action is

the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: February 15, 2001.

Frank S. Shoemaker, Jr.,

Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–4430 Filed 2–21–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P