Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Seventeenth Regular Meeting: Taxa Being Considered for Amendments to the CITES Appendices, 51830-51834 [2015-21033]
Download as PDF
51830
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices
Notice of availability; request
for comments.
ACTION:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, invite the public to
comment on the following applications
for recovery permits to conduct
activities with the purpose of enhancing
the survival of endangered species. The
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act), prohibits certain
activities with endangered species
unless a Federal permit allows such
activity. The Act also requires that we
invite public comment before issuing
such permits.
DATES: To ensure consideration, please
send your written comments by
September 25, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Program Manager,
Restoration and Endangered Species
Classification, Ecological Services, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific
Regional Office, 911 NE. 11th Avenue,
Portland, OR 97232–4181. Please refer
to the permit number for the application
when submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Colleen Henson, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above address, or by
telephone (503–231–6131) or fax (503–
231–6243).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Background
The Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
prohibits certain activities with respect
to endangered and threatened species
unless a Federal permit allows such
activity. Along with our implementing
regulations in the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17, the Act
provides for certain permits, and
requires that we invite public comment
before issuing these permits for
endangered species.
A permit granted by us under section
10(a)(1)(A) of the Act authorizes the
permittee to conduct activities
(including take or interstate commerce)
with respect to U.S. endangered or
threatened species for scientific
purposes or enhancement of
propagation or survival. Our regulations
implementing section 10(a)(1)(A) of the
Act for these permits are found at 50
CFR 17.22 for endangered wildlife
species, 50 CFR 17.32 for threatened
wildlife species, 50 CFR 17.62 for
endangered plant species, and 50 CFR
17.72 for threatened plant species.
Applications Available for Review and
Comment
We invite local, State, and Federal
agencies and the public to comment on
the following applications. Please refer
to the permit number for the application
when submitting comments.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:29 Aug 25, 2015
Jkt 235001
Documents and other information
submitted with these applications are
available for review by request from the
Program Manager for Restoration and
Endangered Species Classification at the
address listed in the ADDRESSES section
of this notice, subject to the
requirements of the Privacy Act (5
U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552).
Permit Number: TE–060179
Applicant: Zoological Society of San
Diego, San Diego, California.
The applicant requests a permit
amendment to take (collect eggs and
nestlings, band, radio-tag, satellite-tag,
collect biosamples, release, and
recapture) the aga or Mariana crow
(Corvus kubaryi), in conjunction with
captive propagation and release in the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands and Guam for the purpose of
enhancing the species’ survival.
Permit Number: TE–829250
The applicant requests a permit
amendment to take (relocate nests) the
honu or green sea turtle (Chelonia
mydas) and to take (insert temperature
loggers and data sensors into nests and
utilize a trained turtle nest detector dog)
the honu or green sea turtle, the honu
ea or hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys
imbricata), and the olive Ridley sea
turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), in
conjunction with scientific research on
the islands of Kaho‘olawe, Lana‘i, Maui,
and Moloka‘i, for the purpose of
enhancing their survival.
Public Availability of Comments
All comments and materials we
receive in response to this request will
be available for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business
hours at the address listed in the
ADDRESSES section.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware 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 your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Authority
We provide this notice under section
10 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Frm 00066
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
[FR Doc. 2015–21096 Filed 8–25–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2014–0018;
FF09A1000–145–FXIA16710900000]
Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES); Seventeenth
Regular Meeting: Taxa Being
Considered for Amendments to the
CITES Appendices
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The United States, as a Party
to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES), may propose
amendments to the CITES Appendices
for consideration at meetings of the
Conference of the Parties. The
seventeenth regular meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to CITES
(CoP17) is scheduled to be held in
South Africa, September 24 to October
5, 2016. With this notice, we describe
proposed amendments to the CITES
Appendices (species proposals) that the
United States might submit for
consideration at CoP17 and invite your
comments and information on these
proposals.
SUMMARY:
Applicant: Hawaii Wildlife Fund,
Kahului, Hawaii.
PO 00000
Dated: August 18, 2015.
Stephen Zylstra,
Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
We will consider written
information and comments we receive
by October 26, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
pertaining to species proposals for
consideration at CoP17 by one of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments
on Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2014–0018.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–HQ–
IA–2014–0018; Division of Policy,
Performance, and Management
Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: BPHC;
Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.
We will not consider comments sent
by email or fax or to an address not
listed in ADDRESSES. We will post all
comments on https://
www.regulations.gov. This generally
means that we will post any personal
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices
information you provide us. If you
submit a comment via https://
www.regulations.gov, your entire
comment—including any personal
identifying information—will be posted
on the Web site. If you submit a
hardcopy comment that includes
personal identifying information, you
may request at the top of your document
that we withhold this information from
public review. However, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
We will post all hardcopy comments on
https://www.regulations.gov.
Comments and materials we receive
in response to this notice will be
available for public inspection on https://
www.regulations.gov, or by appointment
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except Federal holidays,
at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Division of Scientific Authority, 5275
Leesburg Pike, MS: IA, Falls Church, VA
22041–3803; phone 703–358–1708.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rosemarie Gnam Ph.D., Chief, Division
of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, at 703–358–1708
(phone), 703–358–2276 (fax), or
scientificauthority@fws.gov (email). If
you use a telecommunications device
for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at
800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Background
The Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora, hereinafter referred to
as CITES or the Convention, is an
international treaty designed to control
and regulate international trade in
certain animal and plant species that are
affected by trade and are now, or
potentially may become, threatened
with extinction. These species are
included in the Appendices to CITES,
which are available on the CITES
Secretariat’s Web site at www.cites.org.
Currently, 181 Parties, including the
United States, have joined CITES. The
Convention calls for regular biennial
meetings of the Conference of the
Parties, unless the Conference decides
otherwise, and meetings are typically
held every 2 to 3 years. At these
meetings, the Parties review the
implementation of CITES, make
provisions enabling the CITES
Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out
its functions, consider amendments to
the list of species in Appendices I and
II, consider reports presented by the
Secretariat, and make recommendations
for the improved effectiveness of CITES.
Any country that is a Party to CITES
may propose amendments to
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:29 Aug 25, 2015
Jkt 235001
Appendices I and II, as well as
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items
for consideration by all the Parties.
This is our third in a series of Federal
Register notices that, together with an
announced public meeting (time and
place to be announced), provide you
with an opportunity to participate in the
development of the U.S. submissions
and negotiating positions for the
seventeenth regular meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to CITES
(CoP17), which is scheduled to be held
in South Africa, from September 24 to
October 5, 2016. We published our first
CoP17-related Federal Register notice
on June 27, 2014 (79 FR 36550), in
which we requested information and
recommendations on animal and plant
species proposals for the United States
to consider submitting for consideration
at CoP17. You may obtain information
on that Federal Register notice from the
Division of Scientific Authority at the
address provided in FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT above. We
published our second CoP17-related
Federal Register notice on May 11, 2015
(80 FR 26948), in which we requested
information and recommendations on
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items
that the United States might consider
submitting for discussion at CoP17, and
provided preliminary information on
how to request approved observer status
for national nongovernmental
organizations within the United States
that wish to attend the meeting.
Comments received on that notice may
be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov
at Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2014–0018.
You may obtain information on that
Federal Register notice by contacting
Craig Hoover, Chief, Wildlife Trade and
Conservation Branch, Division of
Management Authority, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, at 703–358–2095
(phone), 703–358–2298 (fax), or
managementauthority@fws.gov (email).
Our regulations governing this public
process are found in title 50 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (CFR) at § 23.87.
Recommendations for Species
Proposals for the United States to
Consider Submitting for CoP17
In our Federal Register notice of June
27, 2014 (79 FR 36550), we requested
information and recommendations on
potential species proposals for the
United States to consider submitting for
consideration at CoP17. We received
recommendations from 22 individuals
and the following organizations for
possible proposals involving 80 taxa (2
families, 6 genera, 70 individual
species, and 2 general groups (U.S. and
foreign softshell turtles and North
American map turtles)): the American
PO 00000
Frm 00067
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
51831
Herbal Products Association (AHPA);
Center for Biological Diversity (CBD);
Earthtrust; Ginseng Board of Wisconsin
(GBW); Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises, Inc.
(HGE); Humane Society International
(HSI); International Fund for Animal
Welfare (IFAW); International Union for
Conservation of Nature–Species
Survival Commission (IUCN–SSC)
Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle
Specialist Group; Natural Resources
Defense Council (NRDC); Pew
Environment Group (PEG); Species
Survival Network (SSN); United Plant
Savers (UPS); Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS); and World Wildlife
Fund (WWF)/TRAFFIC. We also
received general comments from
individual commenters for CITES
protections on the following species: 7
on rhinoceroses, elephants, and lions;
44 on elephants; 39 on rhinoceroses;
and 29,738 on polar bears, pangolins,
nautiluses, snapping and map turtles,
walruses, sea cucumbers, and seahorses.
Additionally, the United States may
submit proposals on six animal species,
one plant species, and one plant genus
currently under periodic review by the
CITES technical committees, and is
undecided about submitting proposals
regarding four bird species based on
recent taxonomic changes.
We have undertaken initial
assessments of the available trade and
biological information on all of these
taxa. Based on these assessments, we
made provisional evaluations of
whether to proceed with the
development of proposals for species to
be included in, removed from, or
transferred between the CITES
Appendices. We made these evaluations
by considering the biological and trade
information available on the species; the
presence, absence, and effectiveness of
other mechanisms that may preclude
the need for species’ inclusion in the
CITES Appendices (e.g., range country
actions or other international
agreements); and availability of
resources. We have also considered the
following factors, as per the U.S.
approach for CoP17 discussed in our
June 27, 2014, Federal Register notice:
(1) Does the proposed action address
a serious wildlife or plant trade issue
that the United States is experiencing as
a range country for species in trade?
(2) Does the proposed action address
a serious wildlife or plant trade issue for
species not native to the United States?
(3) Does the proposed action provide
additional conservation benefit for a
species already covered by another
international agreement?
Based on our initial assessments, we
have assigned each taxon to one of three
categories, which reflects the likelihood
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
51832
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices
of our submitting a proposal. In sections
A, B, and C below, we have listed the
current status of each species proposal
recommended by the public, as well as
species proposals we have been
developing on our own. Please note that
we have only provided here a list of taxa
and the proposed action. We have
posted an extended version of this
notice on our Web site at https://
www.fws.gov/international/
publications-and-media/federal-registernotices.html, with text describing in
more detail each proposed action and
explaining the rationale for the tentative
U.S. position on each possible proposal.
Copies of the extended version of the
notice are also available from the
Division of Scientific Authority at the
above address or at www.regulations.gov
at Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2014–0018.
We welcome your comments,
especially if you are able to provide any
additional biological or trade
information on these species. For each
species, more detailed information is on
file in the Division of Scientific
Authority.
A. What species proposals is the United
States likely to submit for consideration
at CoP17?
The United States is likely to develop
and submit proposals for the following
taxa. Most of the taxa in this section are
undergoing periodic review of the
CITES Appendices by the Animals
Committee (AC) and Plants Committee
(PC), in accordance with Resolution
Conf. 14.8 (Rev. CoP16). This is a
regular process under CITES to evaluate
whether listings of taxa in CITES
Appendices I and II continue to be
appropriate, based on current biological
and trade information. These taxa are at
various stages in the periodic review
process. This process includes an initial
assessment that is put before the
appropriate Committee (Plants or
Animals) for discussion, which may
result in an AC or PC recommendation
that a taxon be uplisted (transferred
from Appendix II to Appendix I); or
downlisted (transferred from Appendix
I to Appendix II, or deleted from
Appendix II); or that no change be made
to the listing.
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Plants
1. Saw-toothed Lewisia (Lewisia
serrata)—Potential amendment to
Appendix–II listing
2. Fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus spp.)—
Potential amendments to
Appendix–I and Appendix–II
listings
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:29 Aug 25, 2015
Jkt 235001
Invertebrates
3. Wabash riffleshell (Epioblasma
sampsonii)—Potential amendment
to Appendix–I listing
Reptiles
4. Puerto Rican boa (Epicrates
inornatus)—Amendment to
Appendix–I listing
Mammals
5. Caribbean monk seal (Monachus
tropicalis)—Potential amendment to
Appendix–I listing
6. Guam flying-fox (Pteropus tokudae)—
Potential amendment to Appendix–
II listing
7. Eastern cougar (Puma concolor
couguar) and Florida panther (P.
concolor coryi)—Potential
amendments to Appendix I
listings—Potential amendments to
Appendix–II listings
8. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)—
Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
lessoni), White threadfish (H.
leucospilota), Pepino de mar (H.
mexicana), Bantunan (H. pardalis),
‘‘Unknown’’ (H. pervicax), Black
teatfish (H. whitmaei), Four-sided
sea cucumber (Isostichopus
badionotus), Blackspotted sea
cucumber (Pearsonothuria graeffei),
Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus),
Curryfish (S. herrmanni), Selenka’s
sea cucumber (S. horrens), Prickly
redfish (Thelenota ananas), Amber
fish (T. anax), and Lemonfish (T.
rubralineata)—Inclusion in
Appendix II
2. Chambered nautiluses (Allonautilus
spp. and Nautilus spp.)—Inclusion
in Appendix II
3. Red and pink corals (Corallium spp.
and Paracorallium spp.)—Inclusion
in Appendix II
B. On what species proposals is the
United States still undecided, pending
additional information and
consultations?
The United States is still undecided
on whether to submit proposals for
CoP17 for the following taxa. In most
cases, we have not completed our
consultations with relevant range
countries. In other cases, we expect
meetings to occur in the immediate
future, at which participants will
generate important recommendations,
trade analyses, or biological information
on the taxon in question that may be
useful to our final decision-making.
Fishes
4. American eel (Anguilla rostrata)—
Inclusion in Appendix II
5. Lined seahorse (Hippocampus
erectus)—Transfer from Appendix
II to Appendix I
6. Dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus
zosterae)—Transfer from Appendix
II to Appendix I
7. Devil rays (Mobula spp.): Pygmy devil
ray (M. eregoodootenkee), Atlantic
devil ray (M. hypostoma), Spinetail
devil ray (M. japanica), Shortfin
devil ray (M. kuhlii), Giant devil ray
(M. mobular), Smoothtail devil ray
(M. munkiana), Lesser Guinean
devil ray (M. rochebrunei), Sicklefin
devil ray (M. tarapacana), and
Smoothtail devil ray (M.
thurstoni))—Inclusion in Appendix
II
Invertebrates
1. Sea cucumbers native to the United
States: Pepino de mar (Actinopyga
agassizii), Deep-water redfish (A.
echinites), Stonefish (A. lecanora),
Surf redfish (A. mauritiana),
Blackfish (A. miliaris), Giant
California sea cucumber
(Apostichopus californicus), Warty
sea cucumber (A. parvimensis),
Furry sea cucumber (Astichopus
multifidus), Leopard fish
(Bohadschia argus), Brown sandfish
(B. vitiensis), Orange-footed sea
cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa),
Tripang (Holothuria arenicola),
Lollyfish (H. atra), Zanga fleur (H.
cinerascens), Snakefish (H.
coluber), Pinkfish (H. edulis), Red
snakefish (H. flavomaculata),
Labuyo (H. fuscocinerea), White
teatfish (H. fuscogilva), Elephant
trunkfish (H. fuscopunctata), Tiger
tail (H. hilla), Spotted sea cucumber
(H. impatiens), Golden sandfish (H.
Reptiles
8. Chaco side-necked turtle
(Acanthochelys pallidipectoris)—
Inclusion in Appendix II or
Appendix I
9. African and Middle Eastern softshell
turtles in the family Trionychidae:
Aubry’s flapshell turtle
(Cycloderma aubryi); Zambezi
flapshell turtle (C. frenatum);
Nubian flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis
elegans); Senegal flapshell turtle (C.
senegalensis); Euphrates softshell
turtle (Rafetus euphraticus); and
African or Nile softshell turtle
(Trionyx triunguis)—Inclusion in
Appendix II
10. African pygmy chameleons
(Rhampholeon spp. and Rieppeleon
spp): Mount Gorongosa pygmy
chameleon (Rhampholeon
gorongosae), Marshall’s pygmy
chameleon (R. marshalli),
Cameroon stumptail chameleon (R.
spectrum), East Usambara pygmy
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices
chameleon (R. temporalis), Rare
(Green) pygmy chameleon (R.
viridis), Nguru spiny pygmy
chameleon (R. acuminatus),
Beraducci’s pygmy chameleon (R.
beraduccii), Boulenger’s pygmy
chameleon (R. boulangeri),
Chapman’s pygmy chameleon (R.
chapmanorum), Udzungwa pygmy
chameleon (R. moyeri), Nchisi
pygmy chameleon (R. nchisiensis),
Mulanje pygmy chameleon (R.
platyceps), Uluguru pygmy
chameleon (R. uluguruensis),
Mount Inago pygmy chameleon (R.
bruessoworum), Mount Namuli
pygmy chameleon (R. tilburyi),
Mount Chiperone pygmy
chameleon (R. nebulauctor), Mount
Mabu pygmy chameleon (R.
maspictus), Zomba pygmy
chameleon (Rieppeleon
brachyurus), Bearded pygmy
chameleon (R. brevicaudatus),
Kenya leaf chameleon (R.
kerstenii)—Inclusion in Appendix II
Birds
11. Four Indo-Pacific bird species:
Loria’s bird-of-paradise
(Cnemophilus loriae), Crested birdof-paradise (C. macgregorii),
Yellow-breasted bird-of-paradise
(Loboparadisea sericea), and
Macgregor’s bird-of-paradise
(Macgregoria pulchra)—Removal
from Appendix II
12. African grey parrot (Psittacus
erithacus)—Transfer from
Appendix II to Appendix I
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Mammals
13. Pangolins (Manis spp.)—Transfer
from Appendix II to Appendix I
14. Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)—
Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
15. African lion (Panthera leo leo)—
Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
C. What species proposals is the United
States not likely to submit for
consideration at CoP17, unless we
receive significant additional
information?
The United States does not intend to
submit proposals for the following taxa
unless we receive significant additional
information indicating that a proposal is
warranted. As described further in the
extended version of this notice on our
Web site, information currently
available for each of the taxa listed
below does not support a proposal.
Plants
1. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)—
Removal from Appendix II
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:29 Aug 25, 2015
Jkt 235001
2. American ginseng (Panax
quinquefolius)—Amendment of the
Appendix–II listing annotation to
exclude sliced roots from CITES
control
3. Hawaiian sandalwoods (Santalum
spp.)—Inclusion in Appendix II
Invertebrates
4. Sea cucumbers not native to the
United States: Deepwater blackfish
(Actinopyga palauensis), Burying
blackfish (A. spinea), Japanese sea
cucumber (Apostichopus
japonicas), Brown-spotted sandfish
(Bohadschia marmorata),
Falalyjaka (B. subrubra), Japanese
cucumaria (Cucumaria japonica),
Black teatfish (Holothuria nobilis),
Sandfish (H. scabra), Selenka’s sea
cucumber (Stichopus
monotuberculatus), Selenka’s sea
cucumber (S. naso)—Inclusion in
Appendix II
Fishes
5. Thresher sharks (Alopias spp.):
Bigeye thresher shark (A.
pelagicus), Pelagic thresher shark A.
superciliosus), Common thresher
shark (A. vulpinus)—Inclusion in
Appendix II
6. Dusky shark (Carcharhinus
obscurus)—Inclusion in Appendix
II
7. Silky shark (Carcharhinus
falciformis)—Inclusion in
Appendix II
8. Mako sharks: Longfin mako shark
(Isurus oxyrinchus) and shortfin
mako shark (I. paucus)—Inclusion
in Appendix II
9. Blue shark (Prionace glauca)—
Inclusion in Appendix II
10. Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae
Family): Winghead shark (Eusphyra
blochii), Scalloped bonnethead
(Sphyrna corona), Whitefin
hammerhead (S. couardi),
Scoophead shark (S. media),
Bonnethead shark (S. tiburo),
Smalleye hammerhead shark (S.
tudes)—Inclusion in Appendix II
11. Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus
undulatus)—Transfer from
Appendix II to Appendix I
Reptiles
12. North American softshell turtles in
the Genus Apalone: Spiny softshell
(A. spinifera, including 6 subsp.*);
Smooth softshell (A. mutica,
including 2 subsp.); and Florida
softshell (A. ferox)—Inclusion in
Appendix II [* excluding A.s. atra,
which is in Appendix I and found
in Mexico]
13. North American map turtles
(Graptemys spp.): Barbour’s map
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
51833
turtle (G. barbouri); Cagle’s map
turtle (G. caglei); Escambia map
turtle (G. ernsti); Yellow-blotched
map turtle (G. flavimaculata);
Northern map turtle (G.
geographica); Pascagoula map turtle
(G. gibbonsi); Black-knobbed map
turtle (G. nigrinoda); Ringed map
turtle (G. oculifera); Ouachita map
turtle (G. ouachitensis); Pearl River
map turtle (G. pearlensis); False
map turtle (G. pseudogeographica);
Alabama map turtle (G. pulchra);
Texas map turtle (G. versa)—
Transfer from Appendix III to
Appendix II
14. Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus
sinensis)—Inclusion in Appendix II
15. Alligator snapping turtle
(Macrochelys temminckii)—
Transfer from Appendix III to
Appendix II
Mammals
16. Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus
pusillus)—Transfer to Appendix I
17. White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium
simum)—Inclusion of the entire
species in Appendix I
18. African elephant (Loxodonta
africana)—Inclusion of the entire
species in Appendix I
19. Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)—
Inclusion in Appendix I
Future Actions
As stated above, the next regular
meeting of the Conference of the Parties
(CoP17) is scheduled to be held in
South Africa, September 24 to October
5, 2016. The United States must submit
any proposals to amend Appendix I or
II, or any draft resolutions, decisions, or
agenda items for discussion at CoP17, to
the CITES Secretariat 150 days (April
27, 2016) prior to the start of the
meeting. In order to meet this deadline
and to prepare for CoP17, we have
developed a tentative U.S. schedule.
Approximately 12 months prior to
CoP17, we plan to publish a Federal
Register notice announcing draft
resolutions, draft decisions, and agenda
items the United States is considering
submitting for CoP17 and soliciting
further information and comments on
them. Approximately 4 months prior to
CoP17, we will post on our Web site an
announcement of the species proposals,
draft resolutions, draft decisions, and
agenda items submitted by the United
States to the CITES Secretariat for
consideration at CoP17.
Through a series of additional notices
and Web site postings in advance of
CoP17, we will inform you about
preliminary negotiating positions on
resolutions, decisions, and amendments
to the Appendices proposed by other
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
51834
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 165 / Wednesday, August 26, 2015 / Notices
Parties for consideration at CoP17. We
will also publish an announcement of a
public meeting to be held approximately
3 months prior to CoP17. That meeting
will enable us to receive public input on
our positions regarding CoP17 issues.
The procedures for developing U.S.
documents and negotiating positions for
a meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to CITES are outlined in 50 CFR
23.87. As noted in paragraph (c) of that
section, we may modify or suspend the
procedures outlined there if they would
interfere with the timely or appropriate
development of documents for
submission to the CoP and of U.S.
negotiating positions.
Author
The primary author of this notice is
Patricia De Angelis, Ph.D., Division of
Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
Authority
The authority for this action is the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: August 17, 2015.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–21033 Filed 8–24–15; 12:00 pm]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–ES–2015–N139; FF04E00000–
1115–0000 156]
Proposed Joint Programmatic
Candidate Conservation Agreement
With Assurances and Safe Harbor
Agreement in the Saline, Caddo, and
Ouachita River (Headwaters)
Watersheds, Arkansas
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice advises the public
that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Arkansas Ecological Services Field
Office (ARFO), the Arkansas Game and
Fish Commission (AGFC), the U.S.
Department of Agriculture—Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS),
and The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
have applied for enhancement of
survival permits (permits) pursuant to
the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(Act). The permit application includes a
proposal (referred to as the
‘‘agreement’’) that combines a safe
harbor agreement (SHA) for 5
endangered and threatened species and
a candidate conservation agreement
rmajette on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
14:29 Aug 25, 2015
Jkt 235001
with assurances (CCAA) for 20 State
species of concern. The term of the
agreement would be 30 years. If
approved, the agreement would allow
the applicants to issue certificates of
inclusion (CI) to eligible non-Federal
landowners throughout the Saline,
Caddo, and Ouachita River
(Headwaters) Watersheds in Arkansas
whose property owner management
agreements (POMA) are approved. We
invite public comments on these
documents.
DATES: We must receive any written
comments at our Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES) on or before September 25,
2015.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of
the information available by contacting
Melvin Tobin, Field Supervisor, Fish
and Wildlife Service, Arkansas
Ecological Services Field Office, 110
South Amity Road, Suite 300, Conway,
AR 72032. Documents are also available
for public inspection by appointment
during normal business hours at the
Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regional
Office, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite
200, Atlanta, GA 30345; or at the
Arkansas Ecological Services Field
Office, Fish and Wildlife Service, 110
Amity Road, Suite 300, Conway, AR
72032. Note that requests for any
documents must be in writing to be
processed. When you are requesting or
commenting on the information
provided in this notice, please reference
‘‘Programmatic CCAA and SHA in the
Saline, Caddo, and Ouachita Rivers’’ in
any correspondence.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Michael Harris, At-Risk Species
Coordinator, at the Regional Office (see
ADDRESSES), telephone: 404–679–7066;
or Mr. Chris Davidson, Endangered
Species Program Supervisor, at the
Arkansas Field Office (see ADDRESSES),
telephone: 501–513–4481.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
We announce the availability of the
agreement, which covers the Arkansas
fatmucket (Lampsilis powellii), pink
mucket (Lampsilis abrupta),
spectaclecase (Cumberlandia
monodonta), and rabbitsfoot (Quadrula
cylindrica cylindrica) mussels, and
Harperella (Ptilmnium nodosum), a
plant, and a candidate conservation
agreement with assurances (CCAA) for
20 State species of concern (collectively
‘‘covered species’’).
CCAAs and SHAs
Under a CCAA, participating property
owners voluntarily undertake
management activities on their property
to enhance, restore, or maintain habitat
benefiting species that may warrant
PO 00000
Frm 00070
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
listing under the Act. CCAAs encourage
private and other non-Federal property
owners to implement conservation
efforts for candidate and at-risk species
by assuring property owners they will
not be subjected to increased property
use restrictions should the species
become listed as threatened or
endangered under the Act. Under a
SHA, participating property owners
voluntarily undertake management
activities on their property to enhance,
restore, or maintain habitat benefiting
federally listed species under the Act.
SHAs encourage private and other nonFederal property owners to implement
conservation efforts for federally listed
species by assuring property owners
they will not be subjected to increased
property use restrictions under the Act.
Application requirements and issuance
criteria for SHAs and CCAAs are found
in 50 CFR 17.22(d) and 50 CFR 17.32(d),
respectively. Because of the significant
overlap between the covered species’
habitat requirements and the anticipated
beneficial effects from implementation
of the voluntary conservation measures,
we believe that it is appropriate to
combine the CCAA/SHA components in
a single agreement for consideration in
this notice.
Parties’ Agreement
The Agreement describes
conservation practices designed to
protect and enhance streambed and
bankside habitats for the benefit of the
covered species on private or nonFederal public lands enrolled under the
agreement. Enrolled landowners who
implement these measures would
receive assurances against take liability
for the federally listed species, as well
as for the covered species that might
become federally listed in the future.
Conservation land use practices will
vary according to the needs of a
particular enrolled landowner. Typical
measures include controlling livestock
access to streams; protection,
enhancement, or restoration of
streamside or in-stream habitats; species
reintroduction to unoccupied suitable
habitat; and other conservation
measures that may be developed in the
future.
We specifically request information,
views, and opinions from the public via
this notice on our proposed Federal
action, including our determination that
the agreement, including its proposed
conservation measures, would have
minor or negligible effects on the
covered species. Therefore, we have
determined that the agreement is a
‘‘low-effect’’ project and qualifies for
categorical exclusion under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 165 (Wednesday, August 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51830-51834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-21033]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2014-0018; FF09A1000-145-FXIA16710900000]
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES);
Seventeenth Regular Meeting: Taxa Being Considered for Amendments to
the CITES Appendices
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The United States, as a Party to the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES), may propose amendments to the CITES Appendices for
consideration at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. The
seventeenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES
(CoP17) is scheduled to be held in South Africa, September 24 to
October 5, 2016. With this notice, we describe proposed amendments to
the CITES Appendices (species proposals) that the United States might
submit for consideration at CoP17 and invite your comments and
information on these proposals.
DATES: We will consider written information and comments we receive by
October 26, 2015.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments pertaining to species proposals for
consideration at CoP17 by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-HQ-
IA-2014-0018.
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing,
Attn: FWS-HQ-IA-2014-0018; Division of Policy, Performance, and
Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 5275 Leesburg
Pike, MS: BPHC; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
We will not consider comments sent by email or fax or to an address
not listed in ADDRESSES. We will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any
personal
[[Page 51831]]
information you provide us. If you submit a comment via https://www.regulations.gov, your entire comment--including any personal
identifying information--will be posted on the Web site. If you submit
a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying information, you
may request at the top of your document that we withhold this
information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. We will post all hardcopy comments on https://www.regulations.gov.
Comments and materials we receive in response to this notice will
be available for public inspection on https://www.regulations.gov, or by
appointment between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of
Scientific Authority, 5275 Leesburg Pike, MS: IA, Falls Church, VA
22041-3803; phone 703-358-1708.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rosemarie Gnam Ph.D., Chief, Division
of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at 703-358-
1708 (phone), 703-358-2276 (fax), or scientificauthority@fws.gov
(email). If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD),
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora, hereinafter referred to as CITES or the Convention, is
an international treaty designed to control and regulate international
trade in certain animal and plant species that are affected by trade
and are now, or potentially may become, threatened with extinction.
These species are included in the Appendices to CITES, which are
available on the CITES Secretariat's Web site at www.cites.org.
Currently, 181 Parties, including the United States, have joined CITES.
The Convention calls for regular biennial meetings of the Conference of
the Parties, unless the Conference decides otherwise, and meetings are
typically held every 2 to 3 years. At these meetings, the Parties
review the implementation of CITES, make provisions enabling the CITES
Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out its functions, consider
amendments to the list of species in Appendices I and II, consider
reports presented by the Secretariat, and make recommendations for the
improved effectiveness of CITES. Any country that is a Party to CITES
may propose amendments to Appendices I and II, as well as resolutions,
decisions, and agenda items for consideration by all the Parties.
This is our third in a series of Federal Register notices that,
together with an announced public meeting (time and place to be
announced), provide you with an opportunity to participate in the
development of the U.S. submissions and negotiating positions for the
seventeenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES
(CoP17), which is scheduled to be held in South Africa, from September
24 to October 5, 2016. We published our first CoP17-related Federal
Register notice on June 27, 2014 (79 FR 36550), in which we requested
information and recommendations on animal and plant species proposals
for the United States to consider submitting for consideration at
CoP17. You may obtain information on that Federal Register notice from
the Division of Scientific Authority at the address provided in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above. We published our second CoP17-
related Federal Register notice on May 11, 2015 (80 FR 26948), in which
we requested information and recommendations on resolutions, decisions,
and agenda items that the United States might consider submitting for
discussion at CoP17, and provided preliminary information on how to
request approved observer status for national nongovernmental
organizations within the United States that wish to attend the meeting.
Comments received on that notice may be viewed at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2014-0018. You may obtain
information on that Federal Register notice by contacting Craig Hoover,
Chief, Wildlife Trade and Conservation Branch, Division of Management
Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at 703-358-2095 (phone),
703-358-2298 (fax), or managementauthority@fws.gov (email). Our
regulations governing this public process are found in title 50 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at Sec. 23.87.
Recommendations for Species Proposals for the United States to Consider
Submitting for CoP17
In our Federal Register notice of June 27, 2014 (79 FR 36550), we
requested information and recommendations on potential species
proposals for the United States to consider submitting for
consideration at CoP17. We received recommendations from 22 individuals
and the following organizations for possible proposals involving 80
taxa (2 families, 6 genera, 70 individual species, and 2 general groups
(U.S. and foreign softshell turtles and North American map turtles)):
the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); Center for Biological
Diversity (CBD); Earthtrust; Ginseng Board of Wisconsin (GBW); Hsu's
Ginseng Enterprises, Inc. (HGE); Humane Society International (HSI);
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW); International Union for
Conservation of Nature-Species Survival Commission (IUCN-SSC) Tortoise
and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group; Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC); Pew Environment Group (PEG); Species Survival Network
(SSN); United Plant Savers (UPS); Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS);
and World Wildlife Fund (WWF)/TRAFFIC. We also received general
comments from individual commenters for CITES protections on the
following species: 7 on rhinoceroses, elephants, and lions; 44 on
elephants; 39 on rhinoceroses; and 29,738 on polar bears, pangolins,
nautiluses, snapping and map turtles, walruses, sea cucumbers, and
seahorses. Additionally, the United States may submit proposals on six
animal species, one plant species, and one plant genus currently under
periodic review by the CITES technical committees, and is undecided
about submitting proposals regarding four bird species based on recent
taxonomic changes.
We have undertaken initial assessments of the available trade and
biological information on all of these taxa. Based on these
assessments, we made provisional evaluations of whether to proceed with
the development of proposals for species to be included in, removed
from, or transferred between the CITES Appendices. We made these
evaluations by considering the biological and trade information
available on the species; the presence, absence, and effectiveness of
other mechanisms that may preclude the need for species' inclusion in
the CITES Appendices (e.g., range country actions or other
international agreements); and availability of resources. We have also
considered the following factors, as per the U.S. approach for CoP17
discussed in our June 27, 2014, Federal Register notice:
(1) Does the proposed action address a serious wildlife or plant
trade issue that the United States is experiencing as a range country
for species in trade?
(2) Does the proposed action address a serious wildlife or plant
trade issue for species not native to the United States?
(3) Does the proposed action provide additional conservation
benefit for a species already covered by another international
agreement?
Based on our initial assessments, we have assigned each taxon to
one of three categories, which reflects the likelihood
[[Page 51832]]
of our submitting a proposal. In sections A, B, and C below, we have
listed the current status of each species proposal recommended by the
public, as well as species proposals we have been developing on our
own. Please note that we have only provided here a list of taxa and the
proposed action. We have posted an extended version of this notice on
our Web site at https://www.fws.gov/international/publications-and-media/federal-register-notices.html, with text describing in more
detail each proposed action and explaining the rationale for the
tentative U.S. position on each possible proposal. Copies of the
extended version of the notice are also available from the Division of
Scientific Authority at the above address or at www.regulations.gov at
Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2014-0018.
We welcome your comments, especially if you are able to provide any
additional biological or trade information on these species. For each
species, more detailed information is on file in the Division of
Scientific Authority.
A. What species proposals is the United States likely to submit for
consideration at CoP17?
The United States is likely to develop and submit proposals for the
following taxa. Most of the taxa in this section are undergoing
periodic review of the CITES Appendices by the Animals Committee (AC)
and Plants Committee (PC), in accordance with Resolution Conf. 14.8
(Rev. CoP16). This is a regular process under CITES to evaluate whether
listings of taxa in CITES Appendices I and II continue to be
appropriate, based on current biological and trade information. These
taxa are at various stages in the periodic review process. This process
includes an initial assessment that is put before the appropriate
Committee (Plants or Animals) for discussion, which may result in an AC
or PC recommendation that a taxon be uplisted (transferred from
Appendix II to Appendix I); or downlisted (transferred from Appendix I
to Appendix II, or deleted from Appendix II); or that no change be made
to the listing.
Plants
1. Saw-toothed Lewisia (Lewisia serrata)--Potential amendment to
Appendix-II listing
2. Fishhook cactus (Sclerocactus spp.)--Potential amendments to
Appendix-I and Appendix-II listings
Invertebrates
3. Wabash riffleshell (Epioblasma sampsonii)--Potential amendment to
Appendix-I listing
Reptiles
4. Puerto Rican boa (Epicrates inornatus)--Amendment to Appendix-I
listing
Mammals
5. Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis)--Potential amendment to
Appendix-I listing
6. Guam flying-fox (Pteropus tokudae)--Potential amendment to Appendix-
II listing
7. Eastern cougar (Puma concolor couguar) and Florida panther (P.
concolor coryi)--Potential amendments to Appendix I listings--Potential
amendments to Appendix-II listings
8. Polar bear (Ursus maritimus)--Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix
I
B. On what species proposals is the United States still undecided,
pending additional information and consultations?
The United States is still undecided on whether to submit proposals
for CoP17 for the following taxa. In most cases, we have not completed
our consultations with relevant range countries. In other cases, we
expect meetings to occur in the immediate future, at which participants
will generate important recommendations, trade analyses, or biological
information on the taxon in question that may be useful to our final
decision-making.
Invertebrates
1. Sea cucumbers native to the United States: Pepino de mar (Actinopyga
agassizii), Deep-water redfish (A. echinites), Stonefish (A. lecanora),
Surf redfish (A. mauritiana), Blackfish (A. miliaris), Giant California
sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus), Warty sea cucumber (A.
parvimensis), Furry sea cucumber (Astichopus multifidus), Leopard fish
(Bohadschia argus), Brown sandfish (B. vitiensis), Orange-footed sea
cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa), Tripang (Holothuria arenicola),
Lollyfish (H. atra), Zanga fleur (H. cinerascens), Snakefish (H.
coluber), Pinkfish (H. edulis), Red snakefish (H. flavomaculata),
Labuyo (H. fuscocinerea), White teatfish (H. fuscogilva), Elephant
trunkfish (H. fuscopunctata), Tiger tail (H. hilla), Spotted sea
cucumber (H. impatiens), Golden sandfish (H. lessoni), White threadfish
(H. leucospilota), Pepino de mar (H. mexicana), Bantunan (H. pardalis),
``Unknown'' (H. pervicax), Black teatfish (H. whitmaei), Four-sided sea
cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus), Blackspotted sea cucumber
(Pearsonothuria graeffei), Greenfish (Stichopus chloronotus), Curryfish
(S. herrmanni), Selenka's sea cucumber (S. horrens), Prickly redfish
(Thelenota ananas), Amber fish (T. anax), and Lemonfish (T.
rubralineata)--Inclusion in Appendix II
2. Chambered nautiluses (Allonautilus spp. and Nautilus spp.)--
Inclusion in Appendix II
3. Red and pink corals (Corallium spp. and Paracorallium spp.)--
Inclusion in Appendix II
Fishes
4. American eel (Anguilla rostrata)--Inclusion in Appendix II
5. Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus)--Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
6. Dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae)--Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
7. Devil rays (Mobula spp.): Pygmy devil ray (M. eregoodootenkee),
Atlantic devil ray (M. hypostoma), Spinetail devil ray (M. japanica),
Shortfin devil ray (M. kuhlii), Giant devil ray (M. mobular),
Smoothtail devil ray (M. munkiana), Lesser Guinean devil ray (M.
rochebrunei), Sicklefin devil ray (M. tarapacana), and Smoothtail devil
ray (M. thurstoni))--Inclusion in Appendix II
Reptiles
8. Chaco side-necked turtle (Acanthochelys pallidipectoris)--Inclusion
in Appendix II or Appendix I
9. African and Middle Eastern softshell turtles in the family
Trionychidae: Aubry's flapshell turtle (Cycloderma aubryi); Zambezi
flapshell turtle (C. frenatum); Nubian flapshell turtle (Cyclanorbis
elegans); Senegal flapshell turtle (C. senegalensis); Euphrates
softshell turtle (Rafetus euphraticus); and African or Nile softshell
turtle (Trionyx triunguis)--Inclusion in Appendix II
10. African pygmy chameleons (Rhampholeon spp. and Rieppeleon spp):
Mount Gorongosa pygmy chameleon (Rhampholeon gorongosae), Marshall's
pygmy chameleon (R. marshalli), Cameroon stumptail chameleon (R.
spectrum), East Usambara pygmy
[[Page 51833]]
chameleon (R. temporalis), Rare (Green) pygmy chameleon (R. viridis),
Nguru spiny pygmy chameleon (R. acuminatus), Beraducci's pygmy
chameleon (R. beraduccii), Boulenger's pygmy chameleon (R. boulangeri),
Chapman's pygmy chameleon (R. chapmanorum), Udzungwa pygmy chameleon
(R. moyeri), Nchisi pygmy chameleon (R. nchisiensis), Mulanje pygmy
chameleon (R. platyceps), Uluguru pygmy chameleon (R. uluguruensis),
Mount Inago pygmy chameleon (R. bruessoworum), Mount Namuli pygmy
chameleon (R. tilburyi), Mount Chiperone pygmy chameleon (R.
nebulauctor), Mount Mabu pygmy chameleon (R. maspictus), Zomba pygmy
chameleon (Rieppeleon brachyurus), Bearded pygmy chameleon (R.
brevicaudatus), Kenya leaf chameleon (R. kerstenii)--Inclusion in
Appendix II
Birds
11. Four Indo-Pacific bird species: Loria's bird-of-paradise
(Cnemophilus loriae), Crested bird-of-paradise (C. macgregorii),
Yellow-breasted bird-of-paradise (Loboparadisea sericea), and
Macgregor's bird-of-paradise (Macgregoria pulchra)--Removal from
Appendix II
12. African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus)--Transfer from Appendix
II to Appendix I
Mammals
13. Pangolins (Manis spp.)--Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I
14. Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)--Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix
I
15. African lion (Panthera leo leo)--Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
C. What species proposals is the United States not likely to submit for
consideration at CoP17, unless we receive significant additional
information?
The United States does not intend to submit proposals for the
following taxa unless we receive significant additional information
indicating that a proposal is warranted. As described further in the
extended version of this notice on our Web site, information currently
available for each of the taxa listed below does not support a
proposal.
Plants
1. Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)--Removal from Appendix II
2. American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)--Amendment of the Appendix-II
listing annotation to exclude sliced roots from CITES control
3. Hawaiian sandalwoods (Santalum spp.)--Inclusion in Appendix II
Invertebrates
4. Sea cucumbers not native to the United States: Deepwater blackfish
(Actinopyga palauensis), Burying blackfish (A. spinea), Japanese sea
cucumber (Apostichopus japonicas), Brown-spotted sandfish (Bohadschia
marmorata), Falalyjaka (B. subrubra), Japanese cucumaria (Cucumaria
japonica), Black teatfish (Holothuria nobilis), Sandfish (H. scabra),
Selenka's sea cucumber (Stichopus monotuberculatus), Selenka's sea
cucumber (S. naso)--Inclusion in Appendix II
Fishes
5. Thresher sharks (Alopias spp.): Bigeye thresher shark (A.
pelagicus), Pelagic thresher shark A. superciliosus), Common thresher
shark (A. vulpinus)--Inclusion in Appendix II
6. Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)--Inclusion in Appendix II
7. Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)--Inclusion in Appendix II
8. Mako sharks: Longfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) and shortfin
mako shark (I. paucus)--Inclusion in Appendix II
9. Blue shark (Prionace glauca)--Inclusion in Appendix II
10. Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrnidae Family): Winghead shark (Eusphyra
blochii), Scalloped bonnethead (Sphyrna corona), Whitefin hammerhead
(S. couardi), Scoophead shark (S. media), Bonnethead shark (S. tiburo),
Smalleye hammerhead shark (S. tudes)--Inclusion in Appendix II
11. Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)--Transfer from Appendix II to
Appendix I
Reptiles
12. North American softshell turtles in the Genus Apalone: Spiny
softshell (A. spinifera, including 6 subsp.*); Smooth softshell (A.
mutica, including 2 subsp.); and Florida softshell (A. ferox)--
Inclusion in Appendix II [* excluding A.s. atra, which is in Appendix I
and found in Mexico]
13. North American map turtles (Graptemys spp.): Barbour's map turtle
(G. barbouri); Cagle's map turtle (G. caglei); Escambia map turtle (G.
ernsti); Yellow-blotched map turtle (G. flavimaculata); Northern map
turtle (G. geographica); Pascagoula map turtle (G. gibbonsi); Black-
knobbed map turtle (G. nigrinoda); Ringed map turtle (G. oculifera);
Ouachita map turtle (G. ouachitensis); Pearl River map turtle (G.
pearlensis); False map turtle (G. pseudogeographica); Alabama map
turtle (G. pulchra); Texas map turtle (G. versa)--Transfer from
Appendix III to Appendix II
14. Chinese softshell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)--Inclusion in
Appendix II
15. Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)--Transfer from
Appendix III to Appendix II
Mammals
16. Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus)--Transfer to Appendix I
17. White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)--Inclusion of the entire
species in Appendix I
18. African elephant (Loxodonta africana)--Inclusion of the entire
species in Appendix I
19. Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus)--Inclusion in Appendix I
Future Actions
As stated above, the next regular meeting of the Conference of the
Parties (CoP17) is scheduled to be held in South Africa, September 24
to October 5, 2016. The United States must submit any proposals to
amend Appendix I or II, or any draft resolutions, decisions, or agenda
items for discussion at CoP17, to the CITES Secretariat 150 days (April
27, 2016) prior to the start of the meeting. In order to meet this
deadline and to prepare for CoP17, we have developed a tentative U.S.
schedule. Approximately 12 months prior to CoP17, we plan to publish a
Federal Register notice announcing draft resolutions, draft decisions,
and agenda items the United States is considering submitting for CoP17
and soliciting further information and comments on them. Approximately
4 months prior to CoP17, we will post on our Web site an announcement
of the species proposals, draft resolutions, draft decisions, and
agenda items submitted by the United States to the CITES Secretariat
for consideration at CoP17.
Through a series of additional notices and Web site postings in
advance of CoP17, we will inform you about preliminary negotiating
positions on resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the Appendices
proposed by other
[[Page 51834]]
Parties for consideration at CoP17. We will also publish an
announcement of a public meeting to be held approximately 3 months
prior to CoP17. That meeting will enable us to receive public input on
our positions regarding CoP17 issues. The procedures for developing
U.S. documents and negotiating positions for a meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to CITES are outlined in 50 CFR 23.87. As
noted in paragraph (c) of that section, we may modify or suspend the
procedures outlined there if they would interfere with the timely or
appropriate development of documents for submission to the CoP and of
U.S. negotiating positions.
Author
The primary author of this notice is Patricia De Angelis, Ph.D.,
Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: August 17, 2015.
Daniel M. Ashe,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-21033 Filed 8-24-15; 12:00 pm]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P