Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Endangered Status for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale; Public Hearing, 37697-37698 [E7-13481]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 132 / Wednesday, July 11, 2007 / Proposed Rules
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC72 with PROPOSALS
respect to the threat of nest predation by
introduced predators which is
documented as a serious threat by the
petitioner in citations for other endemic
species, the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species citation for this
species, based on a 2005 assessment,
states for the royal penguin that ‘‘rats
take some eggs and young’’ but goes on
to state that ‘‘feral cats have now been
eliminated from Macquarie Island.’’
This suggests that conservation actions
related to removing introduced
predators prescribed in the Penguin
Conservation Assessment and
Management Plan for the royal penguin
cited by the petitioner (Ellis 1999) are
being successfully implemented. In fact,
this recommendation regarding
removing introduced predators is not
included in the 2005 update of the
IUCN Red List citation (Birdlife
International 2006). Similarly, according
to this cited source, the threat of human
disturbance is being managed; ‘‘tourists
on breeding islands are managed to
prevent disturbance.’’ Citations in the
petition on possible specific or general
impacts of climate change on penguins
at various Antarctic and sub-Antarctic
latitudes do not mention the royal
penguin, yet the petitioners assert the
species will be affected on the basis of
inferred similarity with other species for
which the petitioner cites such impacts.
We note that the petitioners do not
include all penguin species in the
petition. This indicates a conclusion by
the petitioners that not all penguin
species are equally under threat from
the cited climate change factors and
reduces confidence in the extrapolation
of information, whether general, or
directly tied to other specific locations
or other species, to species included in
the petition for which no specific
information on these factors is provided.
Because the petitioner provided no
information indicating population
declines or documenting specific threats
to the species supported by scientific
data or studies, we find that the
petitioner does not present substantial
scientific or commercial information to
indicate that listing the royal penguin as
threatened or endangered may be
warranted at this time.
Finding
We have determined that the petition
presents substantial scientific or
commercial information to indicate that
listing 10 species of penguins as
endangered or threatened may be
warranted. We find the petition does not
present substantial scientific or
commercial information to indicate that
listing the snares crested penguin and
the royal penguin as threatened or
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15:24 Jul 10, 2007
Jkt 211001
endangered may be warranted at this
time.
References Cited
Birdlife International (Birdlife). 2006. In
IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species. Available at: https://
www.iucnredlist.org.
del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal
(Eds.). 2002. Handbook of the Birds of the
World. Vol. 1. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Ellis, S. 1999. The Penguin Conservation
Assessment and Management Plan: a
Description of the Process. Marine
Ornithology 27:163–169.
Author
The primary author of this notice is
Pat Ford, 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: July 3, 2007.
H. Dale Hall,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 07–3355 Filed 7–6–07; 11:47 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 224
[I.D. 021607C]
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Proposed Endangered Status for the
Cook Inlet Beluga Whale; Public
Hearing
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: On April 20, 2007, NMFS
proposed the listing of the Cook Inlet
beluga whale as an endangered species
under the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (ESA), as amended. As part of that
proposal, NMFS announced a public
comment period to end on June 19,
2007, and then extended the comment
period to August 3, 2007. NMFS has
received requests for public hearings on
this issue. In response, NMFS
announced two public hearings to be
held in Alaska and one public hearing
to be held in Maryland in two previous
Federal Register notices. In addition,
NMFS is announcing a separate hearing
in this notice that will be held in
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
37697
Soldotna, Alaska, in order to provide
greater opportunity for public comment.
DATES: The hearing will be held on July
27, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. in Soldotna,
AK. Written comments must be received
by August 3, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The July 27, 2007, hearing
will be held at the Kenai Peninsula
Borough Assembly chambers, 144 North
Binkley Street, Soldotna, AK.
Written comments can be sent to Kaja
Brix, Assistant Regional Administrator,
Protected Resources Division, Alaska
Region, NMFS, Attn: Ellen Sebastian.
Comments may be submitted by:
• E-mail: CIB-ESAEndangered@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line the following document
identifier: Cook Inlet Beluga Whale PR.
E-mail comments, with or without
attachments, are limited to 5 megabytes.
• Webform at the Federal
eRulemaking Portal:
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions at that site for submitting
comments.
• Mail: P. O Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802.
• Hand delivery to the Federal
Building: 709 W. 9th Street, Juneau, AK.
• Fax: (907) 586–7557.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad
Smith, NMFS, 222 West 7th Avenue,
Anchorage, AK 99517, telephone (907)
271–5006; Kaja Brix, NMFS, (907) 586–
7235; or Marta Nammack, NMFS, (301)
713–1401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 20, 2007, NMFS published
a proposed rule to list the Cook Inlet
beluga whale as an endangered species
under the Endangered Species Act of
1973 (ESA), as amended (72 FR 19854).
This action followed completion of the
Cook Inlet beluga whale status review,
which found this population to be at
risk of extinction within the next 100
years and described NMFS=
determination that this population
constitutes a ‘‘species’’, or distinct
population segment under the ESA.
Following the publication of the
proposed rule to list the Cook Inlet
beluga whale as endangered, NMFS
received requests to schedule public
hearings on this issue. In response to
these requests, NMFS published two
separate notices in the Federal Register
announcing public hearings in Alaska
(72 FR 32605; June 13, 2007) and
Maryland (72 FR 34661; June 25, 2007).
Following these announcements, NMFS
received an additional request for a
public hearing to be held in Soldotna,
AK. NMFS has decided to honor the
request in order to provide additional
opportunities for public comment.
E:\FR\FM\11JYP1.SGM
11JYP1
37698
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 132 / Wednesday, July 11, 2007 / Proposed Rules
Public Hearings
cprice-sewell on PROD1PC72 with PROPOSALS
Joint Commerce-Interior ESA
implementing regulations state that the
Secretary shall promptly hold at least
one public hearing if any person
requests one within 45 days of
publication of a proposed regulation to
list a species or to designate critical
habitat (see 50 CFR 424.16(c)(3)). In past
ESA rule-making NMFS has conducted
traditional public hearings, consisting of
recorded oral testimony from interested
individuals. This format, although
providing a means for public input,
does not provide opportunities for
dialogue and information exchange.
NMFS believes that the traditional
public hearing format can be improved
upon by also including a brief
presentation on the results of the Cook
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:24 Jul 10, 2007
Jkt 211001
Inlet beluga Status Review and other
topics of interest.
The preferred means for providing
public comment to the official record is
via written testimony prepared in
advance of the meeting which may also
be presented orally. Blank ‘‘comment
sheets’’ will be provided at the meetings
for those without prepared written
comments, and opportunity will also be
provided for additional oral testimony.
There is no need to register for these
hearings.
In scheduling these public hearings,
NMFS has anticipated that many
affected stakeholders and members of
the public may prefer to discuss the
proposed listing directly with staff
during the public comment period.
These public meetings are not the only
opportunity for the public to provide
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
input on this proposal. The public and
stakeholders are encouraged to continue
to comment and provide input to NMFS
on the proposal (via correspondence, email, and the Internet; see ADDRESSES,
above) up until the scheduled close of
the comment period on August 3, 2007.
References
The proposed rule, status review,
maps, a list of the references cited in
this document, and other materials
relating to the proposed listing can be
found on the NMFS Alaska Region
website https://www.fakr.noaa.gov/.
Dated: July 6, 2007.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E7–13481 Filed 7–10–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
E:\FR\FM\11JYP1.SGM
11JYP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 11, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 37697-37698]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13481]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 224
[I.D. 021607C]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Endangered Status for
the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale; Public Hearing
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public hearing.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On April 20, 2007, NMFS proposed the listing of the Cook Inlet
beluga whale as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 (ESA), as amended. As part of that proposal, NMFS announced a
public comment period to end on June 19, 2007, and then extended the
comment period to August 3, 2007. NMFS has received requests for public
hearings on this issue. In response, NMFS announced two public hearings
to be held in Alaska and one public hearing to be held in Maryland in
two previous Federal Register notices. In addition, NMFS is announcing
a separate hearing in this notice that will be held in Soldotna,
Alaska, in order to provide greater opportunity for public comment.
DATES: The hearing will be held on July 27, 2007, from 6 to 9 p.m. in
Soldotna, AK. Written comments must be received by August 3, 2007.
ADDRESSES: The July 27, 2007, hearing will be held at the Kenai
Peninsula Borough Assembly chambers, 144 North Binkley Street,
Soldotna, AK.
Written comments can be sent to Kaja Brix, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be submitted by:
E-mail: CIB-ESA-Endangered@noaa.gov. Include in the
subject line the following document identifier: Cook Inlet Beluga Whale
PR. E-mail comments, with or without attachments, are limited to 5
megabytes.
Webform at the Federal eRulemaking Portal:
www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions at that site for
submitting comments.
Mail: P. O Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802.
Hand delivery to the Federal Building: 709 W. 9th Street,
Juneau, AK.
Fax: (907) 586-7557.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Smith, NMFS, 222 West 7th Avenue,
Anchorage, AK 99517, telephone (907) 271-5006; Kaja Brix, NMFS, (907)
586-7235; or Marta Nammack, NMFS, (301) 713-1401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 20, 2007, NMFS published a proposed rule to list the Cook
Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended (72 FR 19854). This action
followed completion of the Cook Inlet beluga whale status review, which
found this population to be at risk of extinction within the next 100
years and described NMFS= determination that this population
constitutes a ``species'', or distinct population segment under the
ESA.
Following the publication of the proposed rule to list the Cook
Inlet beluga whale as endangered, NMFS received requests to schedule
public hearings on this issue. In response to these requests, NMFS
published two separate notices in the Federal Register announcing
public hearings in Alaska (72 FR 32605; June 13, 2007) and Maryland (72
FR 34661; June 25, 2007). Following these announcements, NMFS received
an additional request for a public hearing to be held in Soldotna, AK.
NMFS has decided to honor the request in order to provide additional
opportunities for public comment.
[[Page 37698]]
Public Hearings
Joint Commerce-Interior ESA implementing regulations state that the
Secretary shall promptly hold at least one public hearing if any person
requests one within 45 days of publication of a proposed regulation to
list a species or to designate critical habitat (see 50 CFR
424.16(c)(3)). In past ESA rule-making NMFS has conducted traditional
public hearings, consisting of recorded oral testimony from interested
individuals. This format, although providing a means for public input,
does not provide opportunities for dialogue and information exchange.
NMFS believes that the traditional public hearing format can be
improved upon by also including a brief presentation on the results of
the Cook Inlet beluga Status Review and other topics of interest.
The preferred means for providing public comment to the official
record is via written testimony prepared in advance of the meeting
which may also be presented orally. Blank ``comment sheets'' will be
provided at the meetings for those without prepared written comments,
and opportunity will also be provided for additional oral testimony.
There is no need to register for these hearings.
In scheduling these public hearings, NMFS has anticipated that many
affected stakeholders and members of the public may prefer to discuss
the proposed listing directly with staff during the public comment
period. These public meetings are not the only opportunity for the
public to provide input on this proposal. The public and stakeholders
are encouraged to continue to comment and provide input to NMFS on the
proposal (via correspondence, e-mail, and the Internet; see ADDRESSES,
above) up until the scheduled close of the comment period on August 3,
2007.
References
The proposed rule, status review, maps, a list of the references
cited in this document, and other materials relating to the proposed
listing can be found on the NMFS Alaska Region website https://
www.fakr.noaa.gov/.
Dated: July 6, 2007.
James H. Lecky,
Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. E7-13481 Filed 7-10-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
