The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it will re-open the public comment period on its proposal to designate 546,335 acres of critical habitat for the western population of yellow-billed cuckoo in 80 separate units in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. On Oct. 3, 2014, the Service published a final rule to list the western population of yellow-billed cuckoo as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and designate critical habitat.
On Aug. 14, 2014, the Service announced a 60-day comment period on the proposal, which closes Oct. 14, 2014. The Service decided to re-open the comment period after receiving requests from members of Congress in the affected states to allow additional time for public review and comment. The Service is now drafting a new notice for publication in the Federal Register with additional information about the proposal and comment period extension. The comment period will reopen when the notice is Federal Register published in the coming days. In addition to publication in the Federal Register, the Service will issue a news release announcing the re-opening of the comment period.
Members of the public who have already submitted comments during the first 60-day comment period (Aug. 14 – Oct. 14, 2014) do not need to resubmit their comments. Comments and information provided online or by mail to the Service during the first 60-day comment period are still valid.
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