{"abstract":"We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), are revising the regulations for the nonessential experimental population of the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes; ferret) in Arizona. We established the Aubrey Valley Experimental Population Area (AVEPA) in 1996 in accordance with section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). This rule allows the introduction of ferrets across a larger landscape as part of a nonessential experimental population and includes the AVEPA within a larger \"Southwest Experimental Population Area\" (SWEPA), which includes parts of Arizona and identified contiguous Tribal lands in New Mexico and Utah. This revision provides a framework for establishing and managing reintroduced populations of ferrets that will allow greater management flexibility and increased landowner and manager cooperation. The best available data indicate that additional reintroductions of the ferret into more widely distributed habitat in the SWEPA is feasible and will promote the conservation of the species.","action":"Final 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/2023/10/05/2023-21978.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":17,"title":50}],"citation":"88 FR 69045","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This rule is effective November 6, 2023.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123","FXES11130200000-223-FF02ENEH00"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Draft EA Black footed-ferret, December 2020","document_id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0003"},{"title":"Literature Cited Black footed-ferret proposed rule -- See attachments","document_id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0002"}],"agency_name":"FWS","documents":[{"comment_count":0,"comment_start_date":"2023-10-05","updated_at":"2023-10-05T09:00:52.675-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0025","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0025","comment_end_date":null,"regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":2,"id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Revision of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes) in the Southwest"}],"document_number":"2023-21978","effective_on":"2023-11-06","end_page":69073,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2023/10/05/2023-21978.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/05/2023-21978/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-revision-of-a-nonessential-experimental-population-of","images":{"ER05OC23.062":{"large":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER05OC23.062/ER05OC23.062_large.png","medium":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER05OC23.062/ER05OC23.062_medium.png","original_size":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER05OC23.062/ER05OC23.062_original_size.png"}},"images_metadata":{"ER05OC23.062":{"large":{"identifier":"ER05OC23.062","content_type":"image/png","size":91331,"width":822,"sha":"65ec380f2df6252382f043f06812f74c","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER05OC23.062/ER05OC23.062_large.png","height":1085},"medium":{"identifier":"ER05OC23.062","content_type":"image/png","size":42510,"width":485,"sha":"d40b3f36cacd541bb8c9c18d144c43ff","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER05OC23.062/ER05OC23.062_medium.png","height":640},"original_size":{"identifier":"ER05OC23.062","content_type":"image/png","size":287112,"width":3656,"sha":"e6560667259404c7c3a40eee29c2f0bc","url":"https://img.federalregister.gov/ER05OC23.062/ER05OC23.062_original_size.png","height":4826}}},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2023-21978?publication_date=2023-10-05","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2023-10-05/2023-21978/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":29,"page_views":{"count":694,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 16:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-10-05/pdf/2023-21978.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-21978.pdf?1696423534","publication_date":"2023-10-05","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2023/10/05/2023-21978.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"1018-BD61":{"issue":"202304","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BD61/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-revision-of-a-nonessential-experimental-population-of-","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in the Southwest","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202304&RIN=1018-BD61&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Substantive, Nonsignificant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["1018-BD61"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Draft EA Black footed-ferret, December 2020","document_id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0003"},{"title":"Literature Cited Black footed-ferret proposed rule -- See attachments","document_id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0002"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BD61/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-revision-of-a-nonessential-experimental-population-of-","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in the Southwest"},"comments_count":0,"agency_id":"FWS","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123","supporting_documents_count":2,"docket_id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123","document_id":"FWS-R2-ES-2020-0123-0025","regulation_id_number":"1018-BD61","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Revision of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes) in the Southwest","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-10-06T12:00:16Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":69045,"subtype":null,"title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revision of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-Footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes) in the Southwest","toc_doc":"Revision of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-Footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes) in the Southwest","toc_subject":"Endangered and Threatened Species:\n","topics":["Endangered and threatened species","Exports","Imports","Plants","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Transportation","Wildlife"],"type":"Rule","volume":88}