FWS and NOAA Fisheries Issue Final Rule to Improve the Process for Critical Habitat Proposals under the ESA

On August 23^rd, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service submitted for publication in the Federal Register a final rule revising regulations for impact analyses of critical habitat designations for endangered and threatened species.  According to the announcement, the rule will go into effect on October 30, 2013.

According to the FWS, the rule is meant to “to improve transparency and public comment by providing the public access to both the scientific analysis and the draft economic analysis of a proposed critical habitat designation at the same time.”

Read more on the final rule HERE.