Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plan for White Abalone, 62257-62258 [E8-24921]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 203 / Monday, October 20, 2008 / Notices
research/enhancement purposes. The
corresponding regulations established
procedures for persons to apply for such
permits. In addition, the regulations set
forth specific reporting requirements for
such permit holders. The regulations
contain two sets of information
collections: (1) Applications for
research/enhancement permits, and (2)
reporting requirements for permits
issued.
The required information is used to
evaluate the impacts of the proposed
activity on endangered species, to make
the determinations required by the ESA
prior to issuing a permit, and to
establish appropriate permit conditions.
To issue permits under ESA Section
10(a)(1)(A), the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) must
determine that (1) such exceptions were
applied for in good faith, (2) if granted
and exercised, will not operate to the
disadvantage of such endangered
species, and (3) will be consistent with
the purposes and policy set forth in
Section 2 of the ESA.
The currently approved application
and reporting requirements are being
revised to apply only to Pacific salmon
and steelhead, as requirements
regarding other species are being
addressed in a separate information
collection. Clarification of some of the
instructions will also be provided, based
on previous applicants’ responses and
submitted applications and reports.
II. Method of Collection
Respondents have a choice of either
electronic or paper forms. Methods of
submittal include e-mail of electronic
forms, and mail and facsimile
transmission of paper forms.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0402.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Non-profit
institutions; State, local, or tribal
government; business or other for-profit
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
131.
Estimated Time per Response: Permit
applications, 20 hours; permit
modification requests and final reports,
10 hours; and annual reports, 5 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 865.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $18,646.
IV. Request for Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether
the proposed collection of information
is necessary for the proper performance
of the functions of the agency, including
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:42 Oct 17, 2008
Jkt 217001
whether the information shall have
practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden
(including hours and cost) of the
proposed collection of information; (c)
ways to enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the
burden of the collection of information
on respondents, including through the
use of automated collection techniques
or other forms of information
technology.
Comments submitted in response to
this notice will be summarized and/or
included in the request for OMB
approval of this information collection;
they also will become a matter of public
record.
Dated: October 15, 2008.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief
Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E8–24888 Filed 10–17–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XK57
Endangered and Threatened Species;
Recovery Plan for White Abalone
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the
availability of a final recovery plan for
the white abalone (Haliotis sorenseni).
This endangered gastropod is a longlived, slow moving bottom dweller and
is a member of the California Haliotids.
Currently, isolated survivors have been
identified along the mainland coast in
Santa Barbara County and at some of the
offshore islands and banks along the
central California coast. NMFS’ ultimate
goal is to increase white abalone
abundance to viable and self-sustaining
levels such that the species can be
downlisted to threatened status and
eventually removed from the
Endangered Species List.
ADDRESSES: The final Plan can be
obtained via the Internet at: https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov or by submitting a
request to the Assistant Regional
Administrator, Protected Resources
Division, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501
West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long
Beach, CA 90802–4213. You may also
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
62257
contact NMFS by e-mail at:
whiteabalone.recoveryplan@noaa.gov;
by facsimile at: 562–980–4027,
Attention: Melissa Neuman.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Melissa Neuman, NMFS, Southwest
Region at 562–980–4115.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened
animals or plants is a primary goal of
the endangered species program. A
species is considered recovered once the
species’ ecosystem is restored and/or
threats to the species are removed so
that self-sustaining and self-regulating
populations can be supported as
persistent members of native biotic
communities. Recovery plans describe
actions considered necessary for the
conservation of the species, establish
criteria for downlisting or delisting
listed species, and estimate the time and
cost for implementing the measures
needed for recovery.
White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni)
was listed as the first federally
endangered marine invertebrate under
the United States Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
(ESA) in May 2001. The ESA requires
that NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) develop and implement
recovery plans for the conservation and
survival of threatened and endangered
species under its jurisdiction, unless it
is determined that such plans would not
promote the conservation of the species.
Accordingly, during the summer of
2002, NMFS appointed a recovery team
comprised of experts in the fields of
abalone biology and ecology,
conservation biology, genetics,
population dynamics and modeling,
pathology, aquaculture, and marine
policy to develop a recovery plan (Plan)
as mandated by the ESA.
NMFS sought a scientific review of
the draft Plan by 12 experts in October
2005. NMFS requested that the
scientific reviewers consider: (1) issues
and assumptions relating to the
biological and ecological information of
the draft Plan, and (2) scientific data
relating to the tasks in the proposed
recovery program. Four reviewers
responded to NMFS’ request. The
recovery team reconvened in June 2006
to consider the reviewer’s comments
and incorporate changes to the draft
Plan accordingly. On November 2, 2006
(71 FR 64512) the draft Plan was made
available for public comment. NMFS
considered all substantive comments
and information presented during the
public comment period in the course of
finalizing this Plan. We will forward
E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM
20OCN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
62258
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 203 / Monday, October 20, 2008 / Notices
substantive comments regarding
recovery plan implementation to
appropriate Federal or other entities so
that they can take these comments into
account during the course of
implementing recovery actions.
The purposes of the Plan are to: (1)
delineate those aspects of white abalone
biology, life history, and threats that are
pertinent to its endangerment and
recovery; (2) outline and justify a
strategy to achieve recovery; (3) identify
the site-specific management actions
necessary to achieve recovery; (4)
identify goals and criteria by which to
measure the achievement of recovery;
(5) serve as an outreach tool by
articulating the reasons for white
abalone’s endangerment, and by
explaining why the particular suite of
recovery actions described is the most
effective and efficient approach to
achieving recovery; (6) help potential
cooperators and partners understand the
rationale behind the recovery actions
identified, and assist them in
identifying how they can facilitate
recovery; (7) serve as a tool for
monitoring recovery activities; and (8)
be used to obtain funding for NMFS and
its partners by identifying necessary
recovery actions and their relative
priority in the recovery process.
The objective of this Plan is to
provide a framework for the recovery of
white abalone so that protection under
the ESA is no longer necessary. As
recovery criteria are met, the status of
the white abalone will be reviewed and
considered for reclassification to
threatened status or for removal from
the Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants (50 CFR
part 17). The white abalone will be
considered for delisting when: (1) the
density of emergent (detectable by
human observation without substrate
disturbance) animals (short term) is
greater than 2, 000 per hectare for 75
percent of the geographic localities; (2)
a total of 380,000 animals are
maintained in the wild, distributed
among all geographic localities in the
USA and Mexico; (3) the proportion of
size of emergent animals in 75 percent
of geographic localities includes at least
85 percent intermediate-size animals (90
to 130 mm); (4) proportion of size of
emergent animals in 75 percent of
geographic localities includes no more
than 15 percent large animals (≤130
mm); (5) there is a stable or increasing
estimate of geometric population growth
(lambda ≥1) for >75 percent of the
geographic localities over a ten year
period; and (6) there is reoccupation of
white abalone over a spatial scale that
encompasses their historic range such
that 75 percent of the geographic
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:42 Oct 17, 2008
Jkt 217001
localities in the USA and Mexico are
reoccupied and meet the recovery
criteria.
Dated: October 14, 2008.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office
of Protected Resources, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8–24921 Filed 10–17–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration
[Docket No. 0810141353–81354–01]
Public Telecommunications Facilities
Program: Closing Date
National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Closing Date for
Solicitation of Applications; Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Consolidated
Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009.
Public Law No. 110–329 (2008), the
National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA),
U.S. Department of Commerce,
announces the solicitation of
applications for planning and
construction grants for public
telecommunications facilities under the
Public Telecommunications Facilities
Program (PTFP). The PTFP assists,
through matching grants, in the
planning and construction of public
telecommunications facilities in order
to: (1) Extend delivery of services to as
many citizens as possible by the most
cost-effective means, including use of
broadcast and non-broadcast
technologies; (2) increase public
telecommunications services and
facilities available to, operated by, and
controlled by minorities and women;
and (3) strengthen the capability of
existing public television and radio
stations to provide public
telecommunications services to the
public.
Applications must be received
prior to 5 p.m. Eastern Time (Closing
Time), December 18, 2008 (Closing
Date). Applications submitted by
facsimile are not acceptable. If an
application is received after the Closing
Date due to (1) carrier error, when the
carrier accepted the package with a
guarantee for delivery by the Closing
Date and Closing Time, (2) significant
weather delays or natural disasters, or
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(3) delays due to national security
issues, NTIA will, upon receipt of
proper documentation, consider the
application as having been received by
the deadline. NTIA will not accept
applications posted on the Closing Date
or later and received after this deadline.
ADDRESSES: To obtain a printed
application package, submit completed
applications, or send any other
correspondence, write to PTFP at the
following address (please note the new
room number): NTIA/PTFP, Room H–
4812, U.S. Department of Commerce,
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230. Application
materials may be obtained electronically
via the Internet at https://
www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp or https://
www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
William Cooperman, Director, Public
Broadcasting Division, telephone: (202)
482–5802; fax: (202) 482–2156.
Information about the PTFP can also be
obtained electronically via the Internet
at https://www.ntia.doc.gov/ptfp.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
The full funding opportunity
announcement for the PTFP fiscal year
(FY) 2009 grant cycle is available
through https://www.Grants.gov or by
contacting the PTFP office at the
address noted above.
Funding Availability
Issuance of grants is subject to the
availability of FY 2009 funds. At this
time, the Congress has passed the
Consolidated Security, Disaster
Assistance, and Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2009. Public Law
No. 110–329 (2008), to fund operations
of the PTFP through March 6, 2009.
Further notice will be made in the
Federal Register about the final status of
funding for this program at the
appropriate time. For FY 2008, NTIA
awarded $18.5 million in PTFP funds to
109 projects, including 61 radio awards,
45 television awards and 3
nonbroadcast awards. The radio awards
ranged from $8,800 to $337,684. The
television awards ranged from $10,000
to $801,345. The nonbroadcast awards
ranged from $89,853 to $187,931.
Statutory and Regulatory Authority
The Public Telecommunications
Facilities Program is authorized by the
Communications Act of 1934, as
amended, 47 U.S.C. 390–393, 397–
399(b). The PTFP operates pursuant to
rules (1996 Rules) which were
published on November 8, 1996 (61 FR
57966). Copies of the 1996 Rules (15
E:\FR\FM\20OCN1.SGM
20OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 203 (Monday, October 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62257-62258]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-24921]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XK57
Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plan for White
Abalone
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the
availability of a final recovery plan for the white abalone (Haliotis
sorenseni). This endangered gastropod is a long-lived, slow moving
bottom dweller and is a member of the California Haliotids. Currently,
isolated survivors have been identified along the mainland coast in
Santa Barbara County and at some of the offshore islands and banks
along the central California coast. NMFS' ultimate goal is to increase
white abalone abundance to viable and self-sustaining levels such that
the species can be downlisted to threatened status and eventually
removed from the Endangered Species List.
ADDRESSES: The final Plan can be obtained via the Internet at: https://
www.nmfs.noaa.gov or by submitting a request to the Assistant Regional
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Southwest Region, NMFS,
501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213. You may
also contact NMFS by e-mail at: whiteabalone.recoveryplan@noaa.gov; by
facsimile at: 562-980-4027, Attention: Melissa Neuman.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Neuman, NMFS, Southwest Region
at 562-980-4115.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened animals or plants is a primary
goal of the endangered species program. A species is considered
recovered once the species' ecosystem is restored and/or threats to the
species are removed so that self-sustaining and self-regulating
populations can be supported as persistent members of native biotic
communities. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for
the conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or
delisting listed species, and estimate the time and cost for
implementing the measures needed for recovery.
White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) was listed as the first
federally endangered marine invertebrate under the United States
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (ESA) in May
2001. The ESA requires that NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) develop and implement recovery plans for the conservation and
survival of threatened and endangered species under its jurisdiction,
unless it is determined that such plans would not promote the
conservation of the species. Accordingly, during the summer of 2002,
NMFS appointed a recovery team comprised of experts in the fields of
abalone biology and ecology, conservation biology, genetics, population
dynamics and modeling, pathology, aquaculture, and marine policy to
develop a recovery plan (Plan) as mandated by the ESA.
NMFS sought a scientific review of the draft Plan by 12 experts in
October 2005. NMFS requested that the scientific reviewers consider:
(1) issues and assumptions relating to the biological and ecological
information of the draft Plan, and (2) scientific data relating to the
tasks in the proposed recovery program. Four reviewers responded to
NMFS' request. The recovery team reconvened in June 2006 to consider
the reviewer's comments and incorporate changes to the draft Plan
accordingly. On November 2, 2006 (71 FR 64512) the draft Plan was made
available for public comment. NMFS considered all substantive comments
and information presented during the public comment period in the
course of finalizing this Plan. We will forward
[[Page 62258]]
substantive comments regarding recovery plan implementation to
appropriate Federal or other entities so that they can take these
comments into account during the course of implementing recovery
actions.
The purposes of the Plan are to: (1) delineate those aspects of
white abalone biology, life history, and threats that are pertinent to
its endangerment and recovery; (2) outline and justify a strategy to
achieve recovery; (3) identify the site-specific management actions
necessary to achieve recovery; (4) identify goals and criteria by which
to measure the achievement of recovery; (5) serve as an outreach tool
by articulating the reasons for white abalone's endangerment, and by
explaining why the particular suite of recovery actions described is
the most effective and efficient approach to achieving recovery; (6)
help potential cooperators and partners understand the rationale behind
the recovery actions identified, and assist them in identifying how
they can facilitate recovery; (7) serve as a tool for monitoring
recovery activities; and (8) be used to obtain funding for NMFS and its
partners by identifying necessary recovery actions and their relative
priority in the recovery process.
The objective of this Plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of white abalone so that protection under the ESA is no longer
necessary. As recovery criteria are met, the status of the white
abalone will be reviewed and considered for reclassification to
threatened status or for removal from the Federal List of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (50 CFR part 17). The white abalone
will be considered for delisting when: (1) the density of emergent
(detectable by human observation without substrate disturbance) animals
(short term) is greater than 2, 000 per hectare for 75 percent of the
geographic localities; (2) a total of 380,000 animals are maintained in
the wild, distributed among all geographic localities in the USA and
Mexico; (3) the proportion of size of emergent animals in 75 percent of
geographic localities includes at least 85 percent intermediate-size
animals (90 to 130 mm); (4) proportion of size of emergent animals in
75 percent of geographic localities includes no more than 15 percent
large animals (>130 mm); (5) there is a stable or increasing estimate
of geometric population growth (lambda [gteqt]1) for >75 percent of the
geographic localities over a ten year period; and (6) there is
reoccupation of white abalone over a spatial scale that encompasses
their historic range such that 75 percent of the geographic localities
in the USA and Mexico are reoccupied and meet the recovery criteria.
Dated: October 14, 2008.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E8-24921 Filed 10-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S
