{"abstract":"We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively referred to as the \"Services\" or \"we\") propose to amend our regulations, which implements the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Our regulation establishes the procedural regulations governing interagency cooperation under section 7 of the Act. The Act requires Federal agencies, in consultation with and with the assistance of the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce, to insure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of endangered or threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat of such species. In 1986, the Services established a definition for \"destruction or adverse modification\" (Sec. 402.02) that was found to be invalid by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth (2001) and Ninth (2004) Circuits. We propose to amend our regulations to replace the invalidated definition with one that is consistent with the Act and the circuit court opinions. Finally, the proposed amendment is part of the Services' response to Section 6 of Executive Order 13563 (January 18, 2011), which directs agencies to analyze their existing regulations and, among other things, modify or streamline them in accordance with what has been learned.","action":"Proposed rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR","name":"Interior Department","id":253,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/interior-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/253","parent_id":null,"slug":"interior-department"},{"raw_name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","id":197,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/fish-and-wildlife-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/197","parent_id":253,"slug":"fish-and-wildlife-service"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","name":"Commerce Department","id":54,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/commerce-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/54","parent_id":null,"slug":"commerce-department"},{"raw_name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","id":361,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/361","parent_id":54,"slug":"national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2014/05/12/2014-10503.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":402,"title":50},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":402,"title":50}],"citation":"79 FR 27060","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2014-07-11","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"We will accept comments from all interested parties until July 11, 2014. Please note that if you are using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES below), the deadline for submitting an electronic comment is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on this date.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FWS-R9-ES-2011-0072","Docket No. 120106026-3731-01: 92210-0-0009-B4"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2014-10503","effective_on":null,"end_page":27066,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2014/05/12/2014-10503.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2014/05/12/2014-10503/interagency-cooperation-endangered-species-act-of-1973-as-amended-definition-of-destruction-or","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2014-10503?publication_date=2014-05-12","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2014-05-12/2014-10503/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":7,"page_views":{"count":2827,"last_updated":"2026-10-24 16:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-05-12/pdf/2014-10503.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2014-10503.pdf?1399640062","publication_date":"2014-05-12","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2014/05/12/2014-10503.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1018-AX88":{"issue":"201510","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-AX88/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-definition-of-destruction-or-adverse-modification-of-c","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Definition of \"Destruction or Adverse Modification\" of Critical Habitat","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201510&RIN=1018-AX88&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"},"0648-BB80":{"issue":"201510","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0648-BB80/interagency-cooperation-endangered-species-act-of-1973-as-amended-definition-of-destruction-or-adver","title":"Interagency Cooperation--Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Amended; Definition of Destruction or Adverse Modification of Critical Habitat","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201510&RIN=0648-BB80&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["0648-BB80","1018-AX88"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-AX88/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-definition-of-destruction-or-adverse-modification-of-c","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Definition of \"Destruction or Adverse Modification\" of Critical Habitat"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FWS-R9-ES-2011-0072","supporting_documents_count":0,"docket_id":"FWS-R9-ES-2011-0072","regulation_id_number":"1018-AX88","title":"50 CFR 402: Definition for \"destruction or adverse modification\"; Proposed Endangered Species Act Implementing Regulations","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2014-07-13T05:00:57Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":27060,"subtype":null,"title":"Interagency Cooperation-Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Amended; Definition of Destruction or Adverse Modification of Critical Habitat","toc_doc":"Amendments; Definition of Destruction or Adverse Modification of Critical Habitat","toc_subject":"Endangered Species Act:","topics":["Endangered and threatened species"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":79}