WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of the Interior and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today announced a 30-day extension to the public comment period on the proposed rule change to the Endangered Species Act consultation process.
The narrow changes to the consultation process were announced in August 2008 and seek to make the process more efficient by allowing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service employees, who perform the consultations, to focus their efforts on projects with a significant negative impact on an endangered or threatened species or critical habitat.
The extended comment period will now run until October 15, 2008. Comments may still be submitted online at www.Regulations.gov