The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is providing an additional opportunity for the public to comment on a proposal to designate 9,238 acres of critical habitat on five islands for 12 endangered Hawaiian picture-wing flies.

The new comment period will end April 25.

Patrick Leonard, field supervisor for the Fish and Wildlife Office in the Pacific Islands, said that during the previous public comment period, the agency received requests to hold public hearings, so the deadline was extended to allow for meetings on the Big Island and in Honolulu.

The Big Island hearing will be April 8 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel with the Honolulu hearing April 10 at the Queen Kapiolani Hotel. Informational sessions will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with the hearings from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Comments may be sent via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov or mailed to Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AU93, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203.

Copies of the proposed rule may be downloaded from the Web site at www.fws.gov/pacificislands.