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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 100 (Tuesday, May 27, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22222-22223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office []
[FR Doc No: 2025-09352]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2023-0157; FXES1111090FEDR-256-FF09E21000]
RIN 1018-BH11


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of 
Critical Habitat for Four Distinct Population Segments of the Foothill 
Yellow-Legged Frog; Reopening of the Comment Period

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce that we are 
reopening the comment period for the proposed rule to designate 
critical habitat for four distinct population segments (DPSs) of the 
foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) under the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 760,071 acres 
(307,590 hectares) in California fall within the boundaries of the 
proposed critical habitat designation. Comments previously submitted on 
the proposed rule need not be resubmitted as they are already 
incorporated into the public record for the rulemaking action and will 
be fully considered in our development of the final rule.

DATES: The comment period on the proposed rule that published on 
January 14, 2025, at 90 FR 3412 is reopened until July 28, 2025. 
Comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
(see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on 
the closing date.

ADDRESSES: 
    Availability of documents: You may obtain a copy of the proposed 
rule and associated supporting documents on the internet at  at Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2023-0157.
    Comment submission: You may submit written comments by one of the 
following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: . In the Search box, enter FWS-R8-ES-2023-0157, 
which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, click on the 
Search button. On the resulting page, in the panel on the left side of 
the screen, under the Document Type heading, check the Proposed Rule 
box to locate the correct document. You

[[Page 22223]]

may submit a comment by clicking on ``Comment.''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments 
Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2023-0157, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kim Turner, Deputy Field Supervisor, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office; 
916-414-6606; [email protected]. Individuals in the United States 
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability 
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications 
relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the 
relay services offered within their country to make international calls 
to the point-of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On August 29, 2023, under the authority of the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we published a 
final rule (88 FR 59698) that added four DPSs of the foothill yellow-
legged frog to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife at 50 CFR 
17.11(h). Two DPSs are listed as endangered, and two DPSs are listed as 
threatened. On January 14, 2025, after obtaining required information 
to complete our analysis for determining critical habitat, we published 
a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the four DPSs (90 FR 
3412). The proposed rule opened a 60-day comment period, which ended 
March 17, 2025.
    As a result of a public request and to give all interested parties 
an additional opportunity to comment on the proposed rule, we are 
reopening the comment period for the proposed rule to designate 
critical habitat for the four DPSs of the foothill yellow-legged frog 
described above for an additional 60-day period.
    Please refer to the proposed rule to designate critical habitat for 
more information on our proposed action and the specific information we 
seek. Additional information about the proposed rule, including 
supplementary materials and the comments received, is available on the 
internet at  at Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2023-
0157.
    We request that you send comments only by the methods described 
above in ADDRESSES. We will post all comments on . This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see Public Comments, below, for 
more information).

Public Comments

    If you already submitted comments or information on the January 14, 
2025, proposed rule (90 FR 3412), please do not resubmit them. Any such 
comments are incorporated as part of the public record of the 
rulemaking proceeding, and we will fully consider them in the 
preparation of our final determination.
    Comments should be as specific as possible. Please include any 
supplemental information with your submission (such as scientific 
journal articles or other publications) to allow us to verify any 
scientific information you include. Please note that submissions merely 
stating support for, or opposition to, the action under consideration 
without providing supporting information, although noted, do not 
provide substantial information necessary to support a determination, 
as section 4(b)(2) of the Act directs that the Secretary shall 
designate critical habitat on the basis of the best scientific data 
available.
    You may submit your comments and materials by one of the methods 
listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you send comments only by the 
methods described in ADDRESSES. If you submit information via , your entire submission--including your personal 
identifying information--will be posted on the website. If your 
submission is made via a hardcopy that includes personal identifying 
information, you may request at the top of your document that we 
withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so. We will post all hardcopy 
submissions on .

Signing Authority

    Paul Souza, Regional Director, Region 8, Exercising the Delegated 
Authority of the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
approved this action on May 6, 2025, for publication. On May 20, 2025, 
Paul Souza authorized the undersigned to sign the document 
electronically and submit it to the Office of the Federal Register for 
publication as an official document of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.

Madonna Baucum,
Regulations and Policy Chief, Division of Policy, Economics, Risk 
Management, and Analytics of the Joint Administrative Operations, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-09352 Filed 5-23-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P