The Office of Advocacy will host a roundtable to discuss the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule to update regulations concerning experimental populations of endangered and threatened species. The Service is proposing to allow for the introduction of populations into habitat outside of their historical range for conservation purposes, among other changes. The roundtable will take place virtually on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, from 2-3 p.m. (ET). Roundtable participation details will be provided upon receipt of RSVP. RSVPs should be sent to Prianka.Sharma@sba.gov. If you wish to provide comments during the roundtable, please indicate this in your RSVP. The purpose of the roundtable will be to gather small entity input and feedback on the issue for discussion.
Agenda
2 p.m. – 2:05 p.m. Introductory Remarks
Prianka Sharma, Assistant Chief Counsel, Office of Advocacy
Tyler Richards, Regulatory Economist, Office of Advocacy
2:05 p.m.- 3 p.m. Input from Interested Small Entity Representatives
Please note: Participation in the roundtable does not substitute for written comments to the agency directly. Interested parties are encouraged to submit their comments to the rulemaking docket by the deadline.
Roundtable meetings are open to all interested persons, with the exception of the press, in order to facilitate open and frank discussion about the impacts of Federal regulatory activities on small entities. Agendas and presentations are available to all, including the press. Anyone who wants to receive roundtable agendas or presentations, or to be included in the distribution list, should forward such requests to prianka.sharma@sba.gov. The purpose of these roundtable meetings is to exchange opinions, facts, and information and to obtain the attendees’ individual views and opinions regarding small entity concerns. The meetings are not intended to achieve or communicate any consensus positions of the attendees.
Small Entity Endangered Species Roundtable
Issue for Discussion
July 20, 2022
Proposed Rule to Update Regulations Concerning Experimental Populations
On June 7, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed rule to update regulations concerning experimental populations of endangered and threatened species. The Service is proposing to remove “historical range” from the regulatory language to allow for the introduction of populations into habitat outside of their historical range for conservation purposes. The Service states that the rule change is necessary for instances in which little to no habitat remains in the historical range of a species. The Service is also proposing several additional regulatory text edits. The Service is accepting written comments on the proposed rule. Members of the public are encouraged to review the proposed rule and submit written comments. Written comments are due by August 8, 2022.
Advocacy is hosting a roundtable to gather small entity comments and feedback on the proposed rule. Interested participants may RSVP to prianka.sharma@sba.gov. Oral comments presented during the roundtable will not substitute for written comments directly to FWS.
Advocacy contact: Prianka Sharma or at (202) 205-6938.