{"abstract":"We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or FWS), propose to revise the rule for the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) promulgated under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). The intended purposes are threefold: To increase protection for African elephants in light of the recent rise in international trade of live African elephants by establishing ESA enhancement permit requirements for international trade in live elephants and specific enhancement requirements for the import of wild- sourced elephants, as well as requirements to ensure that proposed recipients of live African elephants are suitably equipped to house and care for them; to clarify the existing enhancement requirement during our evaluation of an application for a permit to import African elephant sport-hunted trophies; and to incorporate a Party's designation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) National Legislation Project into the decision-making process for the import of live African elephants, African elephant sport-hunted trophies, and African elephant parts and products other than ivory and sport-hunted trophies. We anticipate these measures will affect implementation in foreign countries of management measures that enhance African elephant conservation.","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"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2022/11/17/2022-25010.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":17,"title":50}],"citation":"87 FR 68975","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2023-01-17","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"We will accept comments on the proposed rule and the draft environmental assessment received or postmarked on or before January 17, 2023. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below), must be received by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on the closing date.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099","FXIA16710900000-223-FF09A30000"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Form 3-200-37h Interstate Commerce Transfer Export or Foreign Commerce of Live African Ele_32524","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-27072"},{"title":"FONSI_EA_African_Elephant_4d","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-27071"},{"title":"Environmental_Assessment_African_Elephant_4(d)","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-27070"},{"title":"USFWS Virtual Public Meeting for the African Elephant Transcript","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-14461"},{"title":"Form 3-200-37h Transfer Captive-Held African Elephants","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0036"},{"title":"Registration Link and Instructions - African Elephant Virtual Public Hearing, January 2023","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0035"},{"title":"Registration Link and Instructions - African Elephant Virtual Public Hearing","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0033"},{"title":"Draft Environmental Assessment and Economic Analysis Revisions to the African Elephant Rule under Section 4(d) of Endangered Species Act","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0024"}],"agency_name":"FWS","documents":[{"comment_count":55150,"comment_start_date":"2022-11-17","updated_at":"2023-03-22T01:01:23.407-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0001","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0001","comment_end_date":"2023-01-18","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":8,"id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision to the African elephant 4d rule"}],"document_number":"2022-25010","effective_on":null,"end_page":68995,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2022/11/17/2022-25010.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/17/2022-25010/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-revision-to-the-section-4d-rule-for-the-african","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2022-25010?publication_date=2022-11-17","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2022-11-17/2022-25010/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":21,"page_views":{"count":2641,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 16:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2022-11-17/pdf/2022-25010.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2022-25010.pdf?1668606327","publication_date":"2022-11-17","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2022/11/17/2022-25010.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1018-BG66":{"issue":"202310","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BG66/revision-to-the-section-4-d-rule-for-the-african-elephant-final-rule","title":"Revision to the Section 4(d) Rule for the African Elephant, Final rule","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202310&RIN=1018-BG66&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1018-BG66"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Form 3-200-37h Interstate Commerce Transfer Export or Foreign Commerce of Live African Ele_32524","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-27072"},{"title":"FONSI_EA_African_Elephant_4d","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-27071"},{"title":"Environmental_Assessment_African_Elephant_4(d)","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-27070"},{"title":"USFWS Virtual Public Meeting for the African Elephant Transcript","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-14461"},{"title":"Form 3-200-37h Transfer Captive-Held African Elephants","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0036"},{"title":"Registration Link and Instructions - African Elephant Virtual Public Hearing, January 2023","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0035"},{"title":"Registration Link and Instructions - African Elephant Virtual Public Hearing","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0033"},{"title":"Draft Environmental Assessment and Economic Analysis Revisions to the African Elephant Rule under Section 4(d) of Endangered Species Act","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0024"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BG66/revision-to-the-section-4-d-rule-for-the-african-elephant-final-rule","title":"Revision to the Section 4(d) Rule for the African Elephant, Final rule"},"comments_count":55150,"agency_id":"FWS","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099","supporting_documents_count":8,"docket_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099","document_id":"FWS-HQ-IA-2021-0099-0001","regulation_id_number":"1018-BG66","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision to the African elephant 4d rule","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-03-23T01:00:06Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":68975,"subtype":null,"title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision to the Section 4(d) Rule for the African Elephant","toc_doc":"Revision to the Section 4(d) Rule for the African Elephant","toc_subject":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants:\n","topics":["Endangered and threatened species","Exports","Imports","Plants","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Transportation","Wildlife"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":87}