Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of Status Review for the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as Threatened or Endangered, 23172-23173 [E8-9181]
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23172
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 83 / Tuesday, April 29, 2008 / Proposed Rules
address the taxonomy and status of the
western sage-grouse, including relevant
information received in response to this
notice, within the rangewide status
review of the greater sage-grouse.
Further, because the three status
reviews are somewhat interrelated, we
anticipate that any interrelated aspects
will be taken into account in our
ultimate decisions.
If we determine that listing the
western sage-grouse is warranted, we
intend to propose critical habitat to the
maximum extent prudent and
determinable at the time we prepare a
proposed listing rule.
an additional opportunity to submit
information for the status review.
Information previously submitted need
not be resubmitted; it already has been
incorporated into the public record and
will be fully considered in the status
review.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
To allow us adequate time to
conduct this review, we request that
information be submitted on or before
June 27, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit
information by one of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R6–
ES–2008–0022; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We
will post all information received on
https://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us
(see the Information Solicited section
below for more details).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Wyoming Ecological Services Field
Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Suite
308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009; telephone
307–772–2374. People who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Fish and Wildlife Service
Information Solicited
References Cited
A complete list of all references cited
herein is available, upon request from
the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office (see
ADDRESSES).
Author
The primary author of this notice is
the staff of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority
The authority for this action is the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: April 18, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8–9180 Filed 4–28–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
50 CFR Part 17
[FWS–R6–ES–2008–0022; 1111 FY07 MO–
B2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Initiation of Status Review
for the Greater Sage-Grouse
(Centrocercus urophasianus) as
Threatened or Endangered
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice; initiation of status
review and solicitation of new
information; extension of period for
submitting information.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with PROPOSALS
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
extension of the period for submitting
information that is pertinent to our
status review of the greater sage-grouse
(Centrocercus urophasianus). The
extension will provide the public and
Federal, State, and local agencies with
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:38 Apr 28, 2008
Jkt 214001
DATES:
To ensure that the status review is
complete and based on the best
scientific and commercial information
available, we are soliciting information
concerning the status of the greater sagegrouse. Information submitted prior to
January 12, 2005, will be considered
and need not be resubmitted. New
information submitted since the
initiation of the current status review on
February 26, 2008 (73 FR 10218) need
not be resubmitted. We request
information from the public,
governmental agencies, Native
American Tribes, the scientific
community, industry, or any other
interested parties on the status of the
greater sage-grouse throughout its range,
including:
(1) Information regarding the species’
historical and current population status,
distribution, and trends; its biology and
ecology; and habitat selection.
(2) Information on the effects of
potential threat factors that are the basis
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
for a listing determination under section
4(a) of the Act, which are:
(a) The present or threatened
destruction, modification, or
curtailment of the species’ habitat or
range;
(b) overutilization for commercial,
recreational, scientific, or educational
purposes;
(c) disease or predation;
(d) the inadequacy of existing
regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) other natural or manmade factors
affecting its continued existence.
(3) Information on management
programs for the conservation of the
greater sage-grouse.
Please note that submissions merely
stating support of or opposition to any
potential decisions based on the status
review without providing relevant
information, although noted, will not be
considered, because section 4(b)(1)(A) of
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) directs
that determinations as to whether any
species is a threatened or endangered
species must be made ‘‘solely on the
basis of the best scientific and
commercial data available.’’ We intend
to use the status review as the basis for
determining whether listing the species
is warranted, not warranted, or
warranted but precluded.
You may submit information
concerning this status review by one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section. We will not consider
submissions sent by e-mail or fax or to
an address not listed in the ADDRESSES
section.
If you submit information via https://
www.regulations.gov, your entire
submission—including any personal
identifying information—will be posted
on the website. If your submission is
made via a hardcopy that includes
personal identifying information, you
may request at the top of your document
that we withhold this personal
information from public review.
However, we cannot guarantee that we
will be able to do so. We will post all
hardcopy submissions on https://
www.regulations.gov.
Information and materials we receive
will be available for public inspection
on https://www.regulations.gov, or by
appointment, during normal business
hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Wyoming Ecological Services
Field Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road,
Suite 308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009;
telephone 307–772–2374.
Background
On February 26, 2008, we announced
the initiation of a status review for the
greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus
urophasianus), and requested that
E:\FR\FM\29APP1.SGM
29APP1
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 83 / Tuesday, April 29, 2008 / Proposed Rules
information regarding the status of the
greater sage-grouse be submitted by May
27, 2008 (73 FR 10218). We are
extending that period by 30 days, until
June 27, 2008, to allow the public ample
opportunity to provide information
relevant to this status review.
Information previously submitted will
be considered and need not be
resubmitted. We will base our status
review on the best scientific and
commercial information available,
including all such information received
as a result of this notice. For more
information on the biology, habitat, and
range of the greater sage-grouse, please
refer to our previous 12-month finding
published in the Federal Register on
January 12, 2005 (70 FR 2244).
Elsewhere in today’s Federal Register,
we have published separate notices of
90-day petition findings and the
initiation of status reviews for the Mono
Basin population and the western
subspecies of the greater sage-grouse (C.
u. phaios). Consequently, at this time
the Service has formally initiated three
status reviews involving the greater
sage-grouse, and the respective notices
in today’s Federal Register each request
that information be submitted by June
27, 2008. Information submitted for any
one of these status reviews that is
relevant to the others need not be
submitted more than once. Because the
status review of the greater sage-grouse
that we initiated on February 26, 2008
(73 FR 10218) covers the entire range of
the species, it encompasses the Mono
Basin population and the western
subspecies of the greater sage-grouse. It
is our intention to address the taxonomy
and status of the Mono Basin area
population and the western subspecies
within the rangewide status review of
the greater sage-grouse. Further, because
the three status reviews are somewhat
interrelated, we anticipate that any
interrelated aspects will be taken into
account in our ultimate decisions.
Author
The primary author of this notice is
the staff of the Wyoming Fish and
Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT).
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with PROPOSALS
Authority
The authority for this action is the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: April 18, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. E8–9181 Filed 4–28–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
VerDate Aug<31>2005
17:38 Apr 28, 2008
Jkt 214001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[FWS–R8–ES–2008–0043; 1111 FY07 MO–
B2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; 90-Day Finding on
Petitions To List the Mono Basin Area
Population of the Greater Sage-Grouse
(Centrocercus urophasianus) as
Threatened or Endangered
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of petition finding and
initiation of status review.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce a
90-day finding on two petitions to list
the Mono Basin area population of the
greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus
urophasianus) in the Bi-State area of
California and Nevada as threatened or
endangered under the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
We find that the petitions present
substantial scientific or commercial
information indicating that listing this
population may be warranted.
Therefore, with the publication of this
notice, we are initiating a status review
to determine if listing the Mono Basin
area population of greater sage-grouse is
warranted. To ensure that the status
review is comprehensive, we are
soliciting scientific and commercial data
and other information regarding this
population of the species. We will
initiate a determination on critical
habitat for this species if and when we
initiate a listing action.
DATES: To allow us adequate time to
conduct this review, we request that
information be submitted on or before
June 27, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit
information by one of the following
methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://
www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R8–
ES–2008–0043; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We
will post all information received on
https://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means that we will post any
personal information you provide us
(see the Information Solicited section
below for more details).
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
23173
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert D. Williams, Field Supervisor,
Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, by
mail (see ADDRESSES), by telephone
(775–861–6300), or by facsimile (775–
861–6301). Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information Solicited
When we make a finding that a
petition presents substantial
information indicating that listing a
species may be warranted, we are
required to promptly commence a
review of the status of the species. To
ensure that the status review is
complete and based on the best
available scientific and commercial
information, we are soliciting
information concerning the status of the
Mono Basin area population of the
greater sage-grouse. We request
information from the public, other
concerned governmental agencies,
Native American Tribes, the scientific
community, industry, or any other
interested parties on the status of the
Mono Basin area population of the
greater sage-grouse, including:
(1) Information for the Mono Basin
area population of greater sage-grouse
regarding historical and current
population status, distribution, and
trends; biology and ecology; and habitat
selection;
(2) Information on the effects of
potential threat factors that are the basis
for a listing determination under section
4(a) of the Act, which are:
(a) The present or threatened
destruction, modification, or
curtailment of the species’ habitat or
range;
(b) overutilization for commercial,
recreational, scientific, or educational
purposes;
(c) disease or predation;
(d) the inadequacy of existing
regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) other natural or manmade factors
affecting its continued existence; or
(3) Information on management
programs for the conservation of the
Mono Basin area population of greater
sage-grouse.
Please note that submissions merely
stating support for or opposition to the
action under consideration without
providing supporting information,
although noted, will not be considered
in making a determination, as section
4(b)(1)(A) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) directs that determinations as to
whether any species is a threatened or
endangered species must be made
‘‘solely on the basis of the best scientific
E:\FR\FM\29APP1.SGM
29APP1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 83 (Tuesday, April 29, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 23172-23173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9181]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[FWS-R6-ES-2008-0022; 1111 FY07 MO-B2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of
Status Review for the Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
as Threatened or Endangered
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice; initiation of status review and solicitation of new
information; extension of period for submitting information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
extension of the period for submitting information that is pertinent to
our status review of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus
urophasianus). The extension will provide the public and Federal,
State, and local agencies with an additional opportunity to submit
information for the status review. Information previously submitted
need not be resubmitted; it already has been incorporated into the
public record and will be fully considered in the status review.
DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct this review, we request
that information be submitted on or before June 27, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may submit information by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing,
Attn: FWS-R6-ES-2008-0022; Division of Policy and Directives
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203.
We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all information
received on https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we
will post any personal information you provide us (see the Information
Solicited section below for more details).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Suite
308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009; telephone 307-772-2374. People who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information Solicited
To ensure that the status review is complete and based on the best
scientific and commercial information available, we are soliciting
information concerning the status of the greater sage-grouse.
Information submitted prior to January 12, 2005, will be considered and
need not be resubmitted. New information submitted since the initiation
of the current status review on February 26, 2008 (73 FR 10218) need
not be resubmitted. We request information from the public,
governmental agencies, Native American Tribes, the scientific
community, industry, or any other interested parties on the status of
the greater sage-grouse throughout its range, including:
(1) Information regarding the species' historical and current
population status, distribution, and trends; its biology and ecology;
and habitat selection.
(2) Information on the effects of potential threat factors that are
the basis for a listing determination under section 4(a) of the Act,
which are:
(a) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of the species' habitat or range;
(b) overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes;
(c) disease or predation;
(d) the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued
existence.
(3) Information on management programs for the conservation of the
greater sage-grouse.
Please note that submissions merely stating support of or
opposition to any potential decisions based on the status review
without providing relevant information, although noted, will not be
considered, because section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) directs that determinations as to whether any species is a
threatened or endangered species must be made ``solely on the basis of
the best scientific and commercial data available.'' We intend to use
the status review as the basis for determining whether listing the
species is warranted, not warranted, or warranted but precluded.
You may submit information concerning this status review by one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section. We will not consider
submissions sent by e-mail or fax or to an address not listed in the
ADDRESSES section.
If you submit information via https://www.regulations.gov, your
entire submission--including any personal identifying information--will
be posted on the website. If your submission is made via a hardcopy
that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the
top of your document that we withhold this personal information from
public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do
so. We will post all hardcopy submissions on https://
www.regulations.gov.
Information and materials we receive will be available for public
inspection on https://www.regulations.gov, or by appointment, during
normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wyoming
Ecological Services Field Office, 5353 Yellowstone Road, Suite 308A,
Cheyenne, WY 82009; telephone 307-772-2374.
Background
On February 26, 2008, we announced the initiation of a status
review for the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), and
requested that
[[Page 23173]]
information regarding the status of the greater sage-grouse be
submitted by May 27, 2008 (73 FR 10218). We are extending that period
by 30 days, until June 27, 2008, to allow the public ample opportunity
to provide information relevant to this status review.
Information previously submitted will be considered and need not be
resubmitted. We will base our status review on the best scientific and
commercial information available, including all such information
received as a result of this notice. For more information on the
biology, habitat, and range of the greater sage-grouse, please refer to
our previous 12-month finding published in the Federal Register on
January 12, 2005 (70 FR 2244).
Elsewhere in today's Federal Register, we have published separate
notices of 90-day petition findings and the initiation of status
reviews for the Mono Basin population and the western subspecies of the
greater sage-grouse (C. u. phaios). Consequently, at this time the
Service has formally initiated three status reviews involving the
greater sage-grouse, and the respective notices in today's Federal
Register each request that information be submitted by June 27, 2008.
Information submitted for any one of these status reviews that is
relevant to the others need not be submitted more than once. Because
the status review of the greater sage-grouse that we initiated on
February 26, 2008 (73 FR 10218) covers the entire range of the species,
it encompasses the Mono Basin population and the western subspecies of
the greater sage-grouse. It is our intention to address the taxonomy
and status of the Mono Basin area population and the western subspecies
within the rangewide status review of the greater sage-grouse. Further,
because the three status reviews are somewhat interrelated, we
anticipate that any interrelated aspects will be taken into account in
our ultimate decisions.
Author
The primary author of this notice is the staff of the Wyoming Fish
and Wildlife Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: April 18, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-9181 Filed 4-28-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
