The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking public comment on a proposed rule reevaluating the designation of critical habitat for the marbled murrelet. The Service is not proposing any changes to critical habitat.

The marbled murrelet is a small, robin-sized diving seabird that spends the majority of its time on the ocean resting and feeding, but flies inland to nest in old growth forests. The Washington, Oregon and California population of marbled murrelet was federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. Critical habitat was designated in 1996 and revised in 2011, and includes approximately 3,698,100 acres within the three-state range, including land in Wahkiakum County. Critical habitat identifies the specific areas of habitat within the geographic range of a listed species that are essential for its long-term survival.

In response to litigation, the Service initiated a voluntary review of the marbled murrelet critical habitat designation in 2015. This review included an evaluation of whether and how the currently designated areas meet the legal definition of critical habitat. The review confirmed that the designated areas meet the statutory definition of critical habitat, and the proposed rule concludes the previously designated critical habitat remains valid.

The Service is opening a 60-day public comment period and invites the public to review and comment on the proposed rule re-evaluating the designated critical habitat. Written comments must be received on or before October 26, 2015.

To submit written comments, use one of the following methods:

--Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the search box, enter FWS–R1–ES–2015–0070, which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, in the search panel on the left side of the screen, under the document type heading, click on the proposed rules link to locate this document. One may submit a comment by clicking on “Comment Now!”

--By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R1–ES–2015–0070; Division of Policy, Performance, and Management Programs, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.

For more information about marbled murrelet, and to read the Federal Register notice, visit:

http://go.usa.gov/3GTdx. For more information about critical habitat, visit: http://go.usa.gov/3GTdj.