WASHINGTON — June 11, 2014 — House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (WA-04) and 42 Members of Congress sent a letter today to U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) Director Dan Ashe and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Kathryn Sullivan requesting a six month extension of the public comment period for three proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations.
The proposed rules, released on May 12, 2014, would make sweeping changes to how critical habitat designations are determined. Specifically, how the federal government will evaluate whether proposed actions “destroy or adversely modify” critical habitat under the ESA; redefining “adverse modification” as used in consultation under Section 7 of the ESA, and creating a new policy on whether and when to exclude lands or waters from critical habitat designations under Section 4(b)(2). The current 60 day public comment period expires on July 11, 2014.