🐟Proposed Rule for Clear Lake Hitch
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi), a freshwater fish subspecies in the North American minnow family that is restricted to the Clear Lake watershed in Lake County, California, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the Clear Lake hitch. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Clear Lake hitch is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Clear Lake hitch as a threatened species with protective regulations issued under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add the Clear Lake hitch to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to this subspecies.
Learn More🛑New Export Regulations
In this rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding 16 entities to the Entity List, under the destinations of China, People's Republic of (China) (14) and Singapore (2). These entities have been determined by the U.S. Government to be acting contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.
Learn More🐻New Grizzly Bear Listing
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or FWS), propose to revise the listing of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the lower-48 States under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act or ESA). After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we affirm that the currently listed grizzly bear population meets our requirements for consideration as a distinct population segment (DPS) under the Act and that the population remains likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future. However, we find that clarification of the geographic areas included within the DPS is warranted. Therefore, we propose to revise the listing by defining the boundaries of the contiguous U.S. grizzly bear DPS. The revised entity would include all geographic portions of the currently listed lower-48 entity that contain suitable habitat and where grizzly bears are currently found or are likely to be found in the future as populations recover. This area includes all of Washington and portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. The contiguous U.S. grizzly bear DPS would retain threatened species status. This proposed rule would promote conservation of the grizzly bear by ensuring that the listing under the Act explicitly reflects the areas where grizzly bears currently occur and are likely to occur in the future. Clarifying that the listing does not include areas outside of the grizzly bear's historical range will assist as recovery proceeds. We are also proposing to revise protective regulations for the grizzly bear issued under section 4(d) of the Act.
Learn More📈OFAC Adjusts Civil Monetary Penalties for Inflation, Effective 2025
The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing this final rule to adjust certain civil monetary penalties for inflation pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.
Learn More🐟Designation of Critical Habitat for Bay-Delta Longfin Smelt
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for the San Francisco Bay-Delta distinct population segment (DPS) of the longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys), a fish species from the San Francisco Bay estuary in California, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 91,630 acres (37,082 hectares) in California fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of an economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for the species.
Learn More🤖New Export Controls Impacting AI Technology and Business Compliance
With this interim final rule, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) revises the Export Administration Regulations' (EAR) controls on advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs) and adds a new control on artificial intelligence (AI) model weights for certain advanced closed-weight dual-use AI models. In conjunction with the expansion of these controls, which BIS has determined are necessary to protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, BIS is adding new license exceptions and updating the Data Center Validated End User authorization to facilitate the export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of advanced computing (ICs) to end users in destinations that do not raise national security or foreign policy concerns. Together, these changes will cultivate secure ecosystems for the responsible diffusion and use of AI and advanced computing ICs.
Learn More📦New Regulations for Low-Value Shipments
This document proposes amendments to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations pertaining to the entry of certain low-value shipments not exceeding $800 that are eligible for an administrative exemption from duty and tax. Specifically, CBP proposes to create a new process for entering low-value shipments, allowing CBP to target high-risk shipments more effectively, including those containing synthetic opioids such as illicit fentanyl. This document also proposes to revise the current process for entering low-value shipments to require additional data elements that would assist CBP in verifying eligibility for duty- and tax-free entry of low-value shipments and bona-fide gifts.
Learn More🐋New Regulations for Florida and Antillean Manatees
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the two subspecies of the West Indian manatee, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and the Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We have conducted status reviews for the two subspecies, and, as a result, we are proposing to list the Florida manatee as a threatened species with protective regulations under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"), and the Antillean manatee as an endangered species, under the Act. These two listings would replace the current threatened species listing of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus). This determination also serves as our 12-month findings on two petitions and as our completed 5-year review of the West Indian manatee. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would remove the West Indian manatee from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (List), add the Florida manatee and Antillean manatee to the List, and extend the Act's protections to the Florida manatee and Antillean manatee.
Learn More🐸Critical Habitat Designation for Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog in California
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat for four distinct population segments (DPSs) of the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 760,071 acres (307,590 hectares) in California fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of an economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for four DPSs.
Learn More🚂New Regulations for Rail Cargo Export Manifest Submission
This document proposes a new regulation pursuant to the Trade Act of 2002 requiring the submission of export manifest data electronically to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) for cargo transported by rail for any train departing the United States. The proposed regulation would mandate the electronic transmission of rail export manifest information, identify the parties eligible to transmit information, and describe the time frames prior to departure of the train in which the information is due. This rule would enable CBP to address important cargo security concerns while providing efficiencies to the trade.
Learn More