Recovery Plan for Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis, 59301-59302 [E7-20628]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 202 / Friday, October 19, 2007 / Notices (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of an existing information collection. (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status. (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department of Homeland Security sponsoring the collection: Form I–539. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households. This information collection is used to determine eligibility for the requested immigration benefit; the form will serve as a standardized request for the benefit sought and will ensure that basic information required to assess eligibility is provided by all applicants. (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: 261,867 responses at 45 minutes (.75) per response. (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: 196,400 annual burden hours. If you have additional comments, suggestions, or need a copy of the information collection instrument, please visit the USCIS Web site at: https://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ component/main. We may also be contacted at: USCIS, Regulatory Management Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., 3rd floor, Suite 3008, Washington, DC 20529, telephone number 202–272–8377. Dated: October 15, 2007. Richard Sloan, Chief, Regulatory Management Division, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security. [FR Doc. E7–20614 Filed 10–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4410–10–P DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR–5125–N–42] Federal Property Suitable as Facilities To Assist the Homeless Office of the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development, HUD. ACTION: Notice. pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: This Notice identifies unutilized, underutilized, excess, and surplus Federal property reviewed by HUD for suitability for possible use to assist the homeless. VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:46 Oct 18, 2007 Jkt 214001 DATES: Effective Date: October 19, 2007. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathy Ezzell, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 7262, Washington, DC 20410; telephone (202) 708–1234; TTY number for the hearing- and speech-impaired (202) 708–2565, (these telephone numbers are not toll-free), or call the toll-free Title V information line at 800–927–7588. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the December 12, 1988 court order in National Coalition for the Homeless v. Veterans Administration, No. 88–2503–OG (D.D.C.), HUD publishes a Notice, on a weekly basis, identifying unutilized, underutilized, excess and surplus Federal buildings and real property that HUD has reviewed for suitability for use to assist the homeless. Today’s Notice is for the purpose of announcing that no additional properties have been determined suitable or unsuitable this week. Dated: October 11, 2007 Mark R. Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs. [FR Doc. 07–5105 Filed 10–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–M DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Plan for Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis) Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of document availability. AGENCY: SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the Recovery Plan for the Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis). This species, which is found only on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, was federally listed as endangered in 2004. ADDRESSES: Copies of the recovery plan are available by request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3–122, Box 50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (phone: 808/792–9400). An electronic copy of the recovery plan is also available at https://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/ index.html#plans. Printed copies of the recovery plan will be available for distribution in 4 to 6 weeks. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Amidon, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, at PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 59301 the above Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office address. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a primary goal of the Endangered Species Act (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and our endangered species program. Recovery means improvement of the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer required under the criteria in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for the conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for implementing the measures needed for recovery. The Act requires the development of recovery plans for endangered or threatened species unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of the species. Recovery plans help guide the recovery effort by describing actions considered necessary for the conservation of the species, and estimating time and cost for implementing the measures needed for recovery. Section 4(f) of the Act requires that public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery plan development. In fulfillment of this requirement, the Draft Recovery Plan for the Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops rotensis) was made available for public comment from September 19 to November 20, 2006 (71 FR 54838). Information provided during the public comment period was considered in our preparation of this recovery plan, and is summarized in an appendix to the plan. The nosa Luta, or Rota bridled whiteeye, is an endemic bird of the island of Rota in the Mariana archipelago and was federally listed as endangered in 2004 (69 FR 3022). In 1999, the population was estimated to be approximately 1,000 individuals and the species’ core range consisted of approximately 628 acres (254 hectares) of forest above 490 feet (150 meters) elevation. Available information indicates that habitat loss and degradation and predation by introduced rats (Ratttus spp.) and black drongos (Dicrurus macrocercus) may be having some impact on the nosa Luta population. Due to its restricted range and small population size, the species is also highly susceptible to random catastrophic events like typhoons and the accidental introduction of new predators like the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis), and avian diseases E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1 59302 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 202 / Friday, October 19, 2007 / Notices like west Nile virus. Therefore, recovery actions in this plan focus on protecting and enhancing forests in the species’ range; determining the specific habitat requirements of the species to better manage areas for the species’ conservation; assessing the impact of black drongos and rats on nosa Luta, and controlling these species as appropriate; preventing the introduction of new predators and avian diseases; and developing techniques to safeguard the species from extinction due to random catastrophic events. Due to the limited information available about the species and its threats, this recovery plan focuses on ten years of the recovery process. As additional information is learned about the species and its threats, recovery strategies and measures should be reassessed to determine the steps needed for downlisting and then delisting the species. The primary objectives of this recovery plan are to stop further declines in the range and composition of the nosa Luta population, develop safeguards to prevent the species from going extinct, and reverse population declines to population levels estimated in 1982 (10,000 individuals). These objectives will be attained by conducting the following actions: (1) Reducing the decline of intact nosa Luta habitat to help reduce further population declines and range restrictions and increasing the amount of habitat available for sustaining an increasing nosa Luta population; (2) assessing the impact of black drongos and introduced rats on the nosa Luta population and controlling these species, as needed, to decrease their impacts on the nosa Luta; (3) preventing the brown treesnake and other threats, like West Nile virus, from becoming established on Rota to prevent further declines in the nosa Luta population; (4) evaluating the need and determining the requirements for establishing a second population of nosa Luta to prevent the species’ extinction; and (5) establishing an outreach program to increase public support for conservation of the nosa Luta. pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). Dated: September 7, 2007. Renne Lohoefener, Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. E7–20628 Filed 10–18–07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P VerDate Aug<31>2005 16:46 Oct 18, 2007 Jkt 214001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Draft Environmental Assessment and Receipt of Application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit Associated With the Reintroduction of Black-Footed Ferrets on Private Land in Logan County, KS Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior ACTION: Notice of availability and receipt of application. AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed use of an Enhancement of Survival Permit (ESP) for the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets on private land in Logan County, Kansas, pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. as amended (Act). The Service requests information, views, and opinions from the public via this notice. DATES: Written comments on the permit application must be received by November 19, 2007. ADDRESSES: Written data or comments should be submitted to the Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries-Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225–0486; facsimile 303–236–0027. Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review, subject to the requirements of the Privacy Act [5 U.S.C. 552A] and Freedom of Information Act [5 U.S.C. 552], by any party who submits a request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice to Kris Olsen, by mail or by telephone at 303–236–4256. You also may obtain copies of the permit application and the draft EA by visiting our Web site at https://mountainprairie.fws.gov/species/mammals/ blackfootedferret/. All comments received from individuals become part of the official public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris Olsen, Regional Permit Coordinator (ADDRESSES above), telephone 303–236– 4256, or Mike LeValley, Project Leader, Kansas Ecological Services Office, 2609 Anderson Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, telephone 785–539–3474, extension 105. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Manhattan, Kansas, TE–139523, has requested issuance of an enhancement of survival permit to conduct certain activities with PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 endangered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Act. Our draft EA has been conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The black-footed ferret is one of the rarest mammals in North America. Formerly co-occurring across the ranges of all prairie dog species, its distribution has been greatly reduced due to disease (plague), poisoning of prairie dogs, and human-related habitat alteration. The only known current populations are those in captivity and those started through reintroduction of captive-bred individuals. Protection of this species and enhancement of its habitat on private land will benefit recovery efforts. The primary objections of the proposed action are—(a) to experiment with reintroduction of ferrets into much smaller prairie dog colonies than has traditionally been attempted; and (b) to attempt to establish a self-sustaining population outside the known active occurrence of sylvatic plague. This action could result in the accidental taking of individual ferrets on or off the release properties, from normal agricultural activities and vehicular traffic, and the permit will cover that take. The property upon which ferrets will be reintroduced is currently used as grazing land and cropland and is bordered by private lands. At the present time, each property supports several active prairie dog colonies, which have been evaluated and determined potentially suitable for the support of ferrets. The proposed reintroduction experiment would continue for 5 years, after which it may be terminated or continued indefinitely depending upon success and cooperating landowner desires. For more information regarding specifics of the experiment, contact the Kansas Field Office (FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). We have made the determination that the proposed activities will enhance survival and recovery of the blackfooted ferret. This notice is provided pursuant to NEPA and section 10 of the Act. The Service has evaluated the impacts of this action under the NEPA and determined that it is not a major Federal action which would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of section 102(s)(C) of the NEPA. The Service has also evaluated whether the activity complies with section 7 of the Act by conducting an intra-Service section 7 consultation on the issuance of the permit. The result of the biological opinion, in combination with the above finding and E:\FR\FM\19OCN1.SGM 19OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 202 (Friday, October 19, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59301-59302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-20628]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Recovery Plan for Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops 
rotensis)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the Recovery Plan for the Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled 
White-eye (Zosterops rotensis). This species, which is found only on 
the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
was federally listed as endangered in 2004.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the recovery plan are available by request from 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife 
Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, 
Hawaii 96850 (phone: 808/792-9400). An electronic copy of the recovery 
plan is also available at https://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/
index.html#plans. Printed copies of the recovery plan will be available 
for distribution in 4 to 6 weeks.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Amidon, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office 
address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a 
primary goal of the Endangered Species Act (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.) and our endangered species program. Recovery means improvement of 
the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer 
required under the criteria in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. Recovery 
plans describe actions considered necessary for the conservation of the 
species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting listed 
species, and estimate time and cost for implementing the measures 
needed for recovery.
    The Act requires the development of recovery plans for endangered 
or threatened species unless such a plan would not promote the 
conservation of the species. Recovery plans help guide the recovery 
effort by describing actions considered necessary for the conservation 
of the species, and estimating time and cost for implementing the 
measures needed for recovery.
    Section 4(f) of the Act requires that public notice and an 
opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery 
plan development. In fulfillment of this requirement, the Draft 
Recovery Plan for the Nosa Luta or Rota Bridled White-eye (Zosterops 
rotensis) was made available for public comment from September 19 to 
November 20, 2006 (71 FR 54838). Information provided during the public 
comment period was considered in our preparation of this recovery plan, 
and is summarized in an appendix to the plan.
    The nosa Luta, or Rota bridled white-eye, is an endemic bird of the 
island of Rota in the Mariana archipelago and was federally listed as 
endangered in 2004 (69 FR 3022). In 1999, the population was estimated 
to be approximately 1,000 individuals and the species' core range 
consisted of approximately 628 acres (254 hectares) of forest above 490 
feet (150 meters) elevation. Available information indicates that 
habitat loss and degradation and predation by introduced rats (Ratttus 
spp.) and black drongos (Dicrurus macrocercus) may be having some 
impact on the nosa Luta population. Due to its restricted range and 
small population size, the species is also highly susceptible to random 
catastrophic events like typhoons and the accidental introduction of 
new predators like the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis), and avian 
diseases

[[Page 59302]]

like west Nile virus. Therefore, recovery actions in this plan focus on 
protecting and enhancing forests in the species' range; determining the 
specific habitat requirements of the species to better manage areas for 
the species' conservation; assessing the impact of black drongos and 
rats on nosa Luta, and controlling these species as appropriate; 
preventing the introduction of new predators and avian diseases; and 
developing techniques to safeguard the species from extinction due to 
random catastrophic events. Due to the limited information available 
about the species and its threats, this recovery plan focuses on ten 
years of the recovery process. As additional information is learned 
about the species and its threats, recovery strategies and measures 
should be reassessed to determine the steps needed for downlisting and 
then delisting the species.
    The primary objectives of this recovery plan are to stop further 
declines in the range and composition of the nosa Luta population, 
develop safeguards to prevent the species from going extinct, and 
reverse population declines to population levels estimated in 1982 
(10,000 individuals). These objectives will be attained by conducting 
the following actions: (1) Reducing the decline of intact nosa Luta 
habitat to help reduce further population declines and range 
restrictions and increasing the amount of habitat available for 
sustaining an increasing nosa Luta population; (2) assessing the impact 
of black drongos and introduced rats on the nosa Luta population and 
controlling these species, as needed, to decrease their impacts on the 
nosa Luta; (3) preventing the brown treesnake and other threats, like 
West Nile virus, from becoming established on Rota to prevent further 
declines in the nosa Luta population; (4) evaluating the need and 
determining the requirements for establishing a second population of 
nosa Luta to prevent the species' extinction; and (5) establishing an 
outreach program to increase public support for conservation of the 
nosa Luta.

    Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the 
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: September 7, 2007.
Renne Lohoefener,
Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E7-20628 Filed 10-18-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

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