E8-15614. General Regulations for Areas Administered by the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service

AGENCIES:

Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of re-opening of comment period.

SUMMARY:

The Department of the Interior, through the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service, announces the re-opening of the comment period on the proposed rule concerning the possession and transportation of firearms in national park areas and national wildlife refuges. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2008 (73 FR 23388).

DATES:

We must receive your comments by August 8, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments, by any of the following methods:

—Federal rulemaking portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

—Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: 1024-AD70; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.

—Hand-deliver: 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mark Lawyer, [phone], [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The comment period on our proposed rule governing firearms on lands managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) closed on June 30, 2008. The Department of Interior has received a number of written requests to extend the public comment period for this proposed rule. We have given consideration to these requests and believe it is appropriate to provide an additional 30 day period for comment on the proposed regulation. We are therefore re-opening the comment period for an additional 30 days.

Public Comments

If you have already commented on the rule you do not have to resend your comment. We will consider it when we prepare the final rule. We will also consider any comments received between the close of the comment period on June 30 and the re-opening of this comment period.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Dated: July 3, 2008.

Lyle Laverty,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.