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    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>1018-AX49</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201410</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>1018</CODE>
            <NAME>United States Fish and Wildlife Service</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>FWS</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>1000</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of the Interior</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>DOI</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>Policy on Interpretation of the Phrase &quot;Significant Portion of Its Range&quot; in the Endangered Species Act&apos;s Definitions of &quot;Endangered Species&quot; and &quot;Threatened Species&quot;</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service developed a policy to provide their interpretation of the phrase "significant portion of its range" in the Endangered Species Act's (ESA's) definitions of "endangered species" and "threatened species." The phrase is ambiguous and is not defined in the ESA, and its interpretation and application have been subject to litigation. The FWS's current interpretation has been rejected by the court. The purpose of this policy is to provide an interpretation and application of "significant portion of its range" that reflects a permissible reading of the law and its legislative history and minimizes undesirable policy outcomes, while fulfilling the conservation purposes of the ESA. Our intent was to publish a final policy that will provide a consistent standard for interpretation of the phrase and its role in listing determinations that will be accorded deference by the Federal courts.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Other Significant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>Previously Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Completed Actions</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>None</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>16 USC 1531 et seq</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST/>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Notice--Draft Policy</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>12/09/2011</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>76 FR 76987</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Notice--Draft Policy Comment Period End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>02/07/2012</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Notice--Draft Policy Comment Period Extended</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>02/07/2012</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>77 FR 6138</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Notice--Draft Policy Comment Period Extended End</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>03/08/2012</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Action</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/01/2014</TTBL_DATE>
                <FR_CITATION>79 FR 37578</FR_CITATION>
            </TIMETABLE>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Final Action Effective</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>07/31/2014</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Federal</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Local</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>State</GOVT_LEVEL>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>Tribal</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <RELATED_AGENCY_LIST>
            <RELATED_AGENCY>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0648</CODE>
                    <NAME>National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>NOAA</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <AGENCY_RELATION>Joint</AGENCY_RELATION>
            </RELATED_AGENCY>
        </RELATED_AGENCY_LIST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Don</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Morgan</LAST_NAME>
                <MIDDLE_NAME>R.</MIDDLE_NAME>
                <TITLE>Chief, Branch of Delisting and Foreign Species, Ecological Services</TITLE>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>1018</CODE>
                    <NAME>United States Fish and Wildlife Service</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>FWS</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>703 358-2444</PHONE>
                <FAX>703 358-1735</FAX>
                <EMAIL>don_morgan@fws.gov</EMAIL>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>ARLSQ-420, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: ES,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Falls Church</CITY>
                    <STATE>VA</STATE>
                    <ZIP>22041-3808</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
