Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi, 913-915 [E9-298]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 6 / Friday, January 9, 2009 / Notices
USCIS a Form I–829, ‘‘Petition by
Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions.’’ 8
CFR 216.6(a)(1). Failure to timely
submit Form I–829 or to obtain a
removal of conditions may result in
termination of conditional resident
status and USCIS taking action to place
the alien and accompanying dependents
in removal proceedings. 8 CFR
216.6(a)(5).
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
B. Filing Locations
The regulations provide that EB–5
petitions (Forms I–526 and I–829) must
be filed with the service center having
jurisdiction over the area in which the
new commercial enterprise is or will be
principally doing business. 8 CFR
204.6(b); 8 CFR 216.6(a)(2). Currently,
the Texas and California Service Centers
have jurisdiction to adjudicate EB–5 I–
526 and I–829 petitions. 63 FR 67135
(Dec. 4, 1998). EB–5-related Forms I–
485 must be filed at Texas Service
Center (TSC), regardless of where the
alien resides. See Instructions to Form
I–485, p. 6.
For proposals submitted by regional
centers under the Immigrant Investor
Pilot Program, the regulations provide
that proposals must be submitted to the
‘‘Assistant Commissioner for
Adjudications,’’ a position held at the
Headquarters of the former Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS).
However, this position was rendered
obsolete following the abolishment of
INS in March 2003. See 6 U.S.C. 291;
Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public
Law 107–296, 116 Stat. 2135 (Nov. 25,
2002). No parallel position is present in
USCIS. In the absence of further
guidance, regional centers wishing to
participate in the Immigrant Investor
Pilot Program have been submitting
their proposals to the Chief of Service
Center Operations.
In an effort to improve the
consistency and timeliness of EB–5related adjudications, USCIS has
determined that it is necessary to
consolidate such adjudications under
the jurisdiction of the CSC. USCIS has
established a unit at the CSC comprised
of specially-trained adjudicators
dedicated to EB–5 adjudications. The
deciding official will be the Director of
the CSC. By consolidating adjudications
at the CSC, USCIS believes that it will
be able to reduce overall processing
times and better monitor EB–5-related
adjudications.
II. Filing Location Change
Beginning on January 26, 2009, Forms
I–526, I–829, and I–485 (EB–5-related
only), and regional center proposals
under the Immigrant Investor Pilot
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:16 Jan 08, 2009
Jkt 217001
Program must by filed at the following
address:
For Direct Mail:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, California Service Center,
ATTN: EB–5 Processing Unit, P.O. Box
10526, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607–0526.
For non-United States Postal Service
(USPS) deliveries (e.g. private couriers):
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, California Service Center,
ATTN: EB–5 Processing Unit, 24000
Avila Road, Room, 2nd Floor, Laguna
Niguel, CA 92677.
For a 30-day period, until February 9,
2009, Forms I–526, I–829, and I–485
(EB–5-related only) received by the TSC
will be considered properly filed,
assuming all other filing requirements
have been met. The TSC will transfer
such forms to the CSC for adjudication.
Likewise, for a 30-day period, until
February 9, 2009, Immigrant Investor
Pilot Program regional center proposals
received by USCIS Headquarters will be
considered properly filed. Such
proposals will be transferred to the CSC
for adjudication. After the 30-day
transition periods, any Forms I–526, I–
829, and I–485 (EB–5-related only) or
regional center proposals that are
received at a location other than the
address specified in this Notice will be
rejected and returned with directions to
re-file at the appropriate address.
Any Forms I–526, I–829, and I–485
(EB–5-related only) at the TSC for which
no adjudicative action has commenced
as of January 26, 2009 will be forwarded
to the CSC. In addition, any regional
center proposals for which no
adjudicative action has commenced as
of January 26, 2009 will be forwarded to
the CSC.
III. Paperwork Reduction Act
USCIS is amending the instructions to
the Forms I–485, I–526 and I–829 to
reflect the new filing location.
Accordingly, USCIS has submitted
Information Correction Worksheets
(OMB 83–C) to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in
accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act. The instruction changes
will not impose any new reporting or
recordkeeping requirements. The OMB
control number for these collections are
contained in 8 CFR 299.5, Display of
control numbers.
Dated: January 5, 2009.
Michael Aytes,
Acting Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services.
[FR Doc. E9–231 Filed 1–8–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111–97–P
PO 00000
Frm 00039
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
913
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR–5280–N–01]
Federal Property Suitable as Facilities
To Assist the Homeless
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Community Planning and
Development, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
SUMMARY: This Notice identifies
unutilized, underutilized, excess, and
surplus Federal property reviewed by
HUD for suitability for possible use to
assist the homeless.
DATES: Effective Date: January 9, 2009.
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: December 30, 2008.
Mark R. Johnston,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs.
[FR Doc. E8–31391 Filed 1–8–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210–67–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R2–ES–2008–N0337; 20124–
11130000–C4]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Mexican Wolf (Canis lupus
baileyi) Conservation Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; draft
conservation assessment; request for
comments.
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) announce the
E:\FR\FM\09JAN1.SGM
09JAN1
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
914
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 6 / Friday, January 9, 2009 / Notices
availability of the Draft Mexican Wolf
Conservation Assessment (draft
assessment) for public review and
comment. The draft assessment
provides scientific information relevant
to the conservation of the Mexican wolf
(Canis lupus baileyi) in Arizona and
New Mexico as a component of the
Service’s gray wolf (Canis lupus)
recovery efforts. Not required by the
Endangered Species Act (Act), the draft
assessment is a non-regulatory
document that does not require action
by any party. We solicit review and
comment from the public on this
document.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we
must receive any comments from
interested parties no later than March
10, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a paper or
electronic copy of the draft assessment
by contacting John Slown, Biologist,
New Mexico Ecological Services Field
Office, 2105 Osuna, NE., Albuquerque,
NM 87113; telephone: 505/761–4782,
facsimile 505/346–2542, e-mail:
John_Slown@fws.gov. The draft
assessment is also available online at:
https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/
mexicanwolf/.
You may submit written comments on
the draft assessment by any one of the
following means: (1) By U.S. mail to
John Slown at the Albuquerque address
above; (2) by fax to the number above,
or (3) e-mail to mexwolfdca@fws.gov.
We must receive comments by the date
in DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct all questions or requests for more
information on the draft assessment to
John Slown, Biologist, at the
Albuquerque address above; telephone:
505/761–4782.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We
announce the availability of the Draft
Mexican Wolf Conservation Assessment
(draft assessment) for public review and
comment. The draft assessment
provides scientific information relevant
to the conservation of the Mexican wolf
(Canis lupus baileyi) in Arizona and
New Mexico as a component of the
Service’s gray wolf (Canis lupus)
recovery efforts. Not required by the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.; Act) the draft assessment is a
non-regulatory document that does not
require action by any party. We solicit
review and comment from the public on
this document.
Listed Entity
The Mexican wolf was listed as an
endangered subspecies of gray wolf in
1976 (41 FR 17736, April 28, 1976). In
1978, the Service listed the gray wolf
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:16 Jan 08, 2009
Jkt 217001
species in North America south of
Canada as endangered, except in
Minnesota where it was listed as
threatened (43 FR 9607, March 9, 1978).
The 1978 rangewide listing of the gray
wolf species subsumed the subspecies
listing; however, the preamble to the
rule continued to recognize the Mexican
wolf as a valid biological subspecies for
purposes of research and conservation
(43 FR 9607). After the 1978 listing of
the gray wolf in the U.S. Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), the 50 CFR 17.11(h)
List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife did not explicitly refer to an
entity called the ‘‘Mexican wolf.’’ Due to
the Mexican wolf’s previous listed
status as a subspecies, we have
continued to refer to the gray wolf in the
southwestern United States as the
‘‘Mexican wolf.’’ Today, the gray wolf is
listed as threatened in the Great Lakes
and remains endangered throughout the
coterminous United States and Mexico,
except where designated as nonessential experimental populations (59
FR 60266, November 22, 1994, and 63
FR 1752, January 12, 1998).
Background
The conservation and recovery of
species is one of the primary goals of
our endangered species program. The
Mexican wolf historically inhabited the
southwestern United States and
portions of Mexico until it was virtually
eliminated in the wild by private and
governmental predator eradication
efforts in the late 1800s and early to
mid-1900s. Conservation and recovery
efforts to ensure the survival of the
Mexican wolf were initially guided by
the 1982 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1982)
(recovery plan), which recommended
the establishment of a captive breeding
program and the reintroduction of
Mexican wolves to the wild. Both of
these recommendations have been
implemented, and today an
international captive breeding program
houses more than 300 wolves, and a
wild population of approximately 52
wolves (as of the official 2007 end-ofyear count) inhabits Arizona and New
Mexico.
Although the 1982 recovery plan was
instrumental in guiding the inception of
the Mexican wolf program in the
Southwest, the plan requires updating
to provide current guidance for the
reintroduction and recovery effort. We
have initiated revisions to the 1982
plan, but have been unable to finalize a
revision due to various logistical
constraints. We are working to resolve
these constraints to reinitiate a full
revision of the recovery plan, and are
PO 00000
Frm 00040
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
undertaking this conservation
assessment as an interim step.
The draft assessment provides the
type of information typically contained
in a recovery plan, including the listing
history of the Mexican wolf and gray
wolf, current species’ biology and
ecology, an assessment of current
threats to the Mexican wolf in the wild,
and an overview and assessment of
current conservation and recovery
efforts. However, the draft assessment is
not intended to serve as a revised
recovery plan for the Mexican wolf. The
assessment does not contain recovery
criteria, site-specific management
actions, or time and cost estimates, the
three statutorily required elements of a
recovery plan (16 U.S.C. 1533(f)(1)(B)),
nor does it contain recommendations for
the future of our Mexican wolf program
in the Southwest. Social and economic
aspects of wolf conservation are not
addressed in the document. It is a nonregulatory document intended solely as
a compilation of current scientific
information relevant to Mexican wolf
conservation that may be used by any
interested party. We intend to use the
document as one of many information
sources guiding our continuing
conservation and recovery efforts in the
Southwest.
Public Comments Solicited
We seek public comments on the draft
assessment. General comments in
support of or against wolf recovery or
reintroduction are not solicited at this
time. All comments and information we
receive by the date specified in DATES
will be considered prior to the approval
of the final Mexican Wolf Conservation
Assessment. Concurrent with public
review, the Service is soliciting peer
review of the draft assessment from
persons with expertise in wolf
conservation and related disciplines. All
comments, including names and
addresses, will become part of the
supporting record.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail 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. Comments and materials received
will be available for public inspection,
by appointment, during normal business
hours at New Mexico Ecological
Services Field Office in Albuquerque,
New Mexico (see ADDRESSES).
E:\FR\FM\09JAN1.SGM
09JAN1
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 6 / Friday, January 9, 2009 / Notices
If you wish to provide comments and/
or information, you may submit your
comments and materials by any one of
several methods (see ADDRESSES).
Comments submitted electronically
should be in the body of the e-mail
message itself or attached as a text file
(ASCII), and should not use special
characters or encryption. Please also
include ‘‘Attn: Draft Conservation
Assessment,’’ your full name, and your
return address in your e-mail message.
If you do not receive a confirmation
from the system that we have received
your e-mail message, please contact us
directly by calling our New Mexico
Ecological Services Field Office (see
ADDRESSES).
References
All literature referenced in the draft
assessment is available for viewing, by
appointment, at New Mexico Ecological
Services Field Office during normal
business hours (see ADDRESSES section).
Authority
The authority for this action is the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: December 30, 2008.
Nancy J. Gloman,
Acting Regional Director, Region 2.
[FR Doc. E9–298 Filed 1–8–09; 8:45 am]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R4–R–2008–N0314; 40136–1265–
0000–S3]
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge,
St. Martin and Iberville Parishes, LA
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a
comprehensive conservation plan and
environmental assessment; request for
comments.
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), intend to
prepare a comprehensive conservation
plan (CCP) and associated National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
documents for Atchafalaya National
Wildlife Refuge (NWR). We provide this
notice in compliance with our CCP
policy to advise other agencies, tribes,
and the public of our intentions, and to
obtain suggestions and information on
the scope of issues to consider in the
planning process.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we
must receive your written comments by
February 23, 2009. A public meeting
16:16 Jan 08, 2009
Jkt 217001
Introduction
With this notice, we initiate our
process for developing a CCP for
Atchafalaya NWR in St. Martin and
Iberville Parishes, Louisiana.
This notice complies with our CCP
policy to (1) advise other Federal and
State agencies, Tribes, and the public of
our intention to conduct detailed
planning on this refuge; and (2) obtain
suggestions and information on the
scope of issues to consider in the
environmental document and during
development of the CCP.
Background
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
VerDate Nov<24>2008
will be held during the scoping phase of
the CCP development process. The date,
time, and place for the meeting will be
announced in the local media.
ADDRESSES: Comments, questions, and
requests for information should be sent
to: Tina Chouinard, Natural Resource
Planner, Hatchie National Wildlife
Refuge, 6772 Highway 76 South,
Stanton, Tennessee 38069.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tina
Chouinard, Natural Resource Planner;
Telephone: 731/780–8208; Fax: 731/
772–7839; E-mail:
tina_chouinard@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The CCP Process
The National Wildlife Refuge System
Improvement Act of 1997 (16 U.S.C.
668dd–668ee) (Improvement Act),
which amended the National Wildlife
Refuge System Administration Act of
1966, requires us to develop a CCP for
each national wildlife refuge. The
purpose in developing a CCP is to
provide refuge managers with a 15-year
strategy for achieving refuge purposes
and contributing to the mission of the
National Wildlife Refuge System,
consistent with sound principles of fish
and wildlife management, conservation,
legal mandates, and our policies. In
addition to outlining broad management
direction on conserving wildlife and
their habitats, CCPs identify wildlifedependent recreational opportunities
available to the public, including
opportunities for hunting, fishing,
wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental
education and interpretation. We will
review and update the CCP at least
every 15 years in accordance with the
Improvement Act.
Each unit of the National Wildlife
Refuge System is established for specific
purposes. We use these purposes as the
foundation for developing and
prioritizing the management goals and
objectives for each refuge within the
National Wildlife Refuge System
PO 00000
Frm 00041
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
915
mission, and to determine how the
public can use each refuge. The
planning process is a way for us and the
public to evaluate management goals
and objectives for the best possible
conservation approach to this important
wildlife habitat, while providing for
wildlife-dependent recreation
opportunities that are compatible with
the refuge’s establishing purposes and
the mission of the National Wildlife
Refuge System.
Our CCP process provides
participation opportunities for State,
Tribal, and local governments; agencies;
organizations; and the public. At this
time we encourage input in the form of
issues, concerns, ideas, and suggestions
for the future management of
Atchafalaya NWR. Special mailings,
newspaper articles, and other media
outlets will be used to announce
opportunities for input throughout the
planning process.
We will conduct the environmental
assessment in accordance with the
requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.); NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts
1500–1508); other appropriate Federal
laws and regulations; and our policies
and procedures for compliance with
those laws and regulations.
Atchafalaya NWR is located in the
lower Atchafalaya Floodway in St.
Martin and Iberville Parishes, Louisiana.
The name originated from its location
within the Atchafalaya River Basin.
Atchafalaya NWR is bounded on the
north by U.S. Highway 190, on the
south by Interstate 10, on the west by
the Atchafalaya River, and on the east
by the East Atchafalaya Protection
Levee. Atchafalaya NWR is part of the
Southeast Louisiana NWR Complex.
The Atchafalaya River Basin, located
in south-central Louisiana, is a natural
alluvial flood plain of the Atchafalaya
River. The Atchafalaya River
headwaters begin at Old River near
Simmesport and flow to the Gulf of
Mexico 140 miles to the south.
In order to provide for safe passage of
major floods in the lower Mississippi
River system below Old River, the Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) modified a
portion of the natural Atchafalaya River
Basin to convey flood water in excess of
the capacity of the levied Mississippi
River. The Atchafalaya River Basin
Floodway was formed by constructing
protection levees to the east, west, and
parallel to the Atchafalaya River
channel. In addition to the Atchafalaya
River, two artificial intakes, the
Morganza Floodway and the West
Atchafalaya Floodway, have been
provided to divert excess flood waters of
E:\FR\FM\09JAN1.SGM
09JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 913-915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-298]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2008-N0337; 20124-11130000-C4]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Mexican Wolf
(Canis lupus baileyi) Conservation Assessment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; draft conservation assessment; request
for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce the
[[Page 914]]
availability of the Draft Mexican Wolf Conservation Assessment (draft
assessment) for public review and comment. The draft assessment
provides scientific information relevant to the conservation of the
Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) in Arizona and New Mexico as a
component of the Service's gray wolf (Canis lupus) recovery efforts.
Not required by the Endangered Species Act (Act), the draft assessment
is a non-regulatory document that does not require action by any party.
We solicit review and comment from the public on this document.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive any comments from
interested parties no later than March 10, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a paper or electronic copy of the draft
assessment by contacting John Slown, Biologist, New Mexico Ecological
Services Field Office, 2105 Osuna, NE., Albuquerque, NM 87113;
telephone: 505/761-4782, facsimile 505/346-2542, e-mail: John_
Slown@fws.gov. The draft assessment is also available online at: http:/
/www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/.
You may submit written comments on the draft assessment by any one
of the following means: (1) By U.S. mail to John Slown at the
Albuquerque address above; (2) by fax to the number above, or (3) e-
mail to mexwolfdca@fws.gov. We must receive comments by the date in
DATES.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct all questions or requests for
more information on the draft assessment to John Slown, Biologist, at
the Albuquerque address above; telephone: 505/761-4782.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We announce the availability of the Draft
Mexican Wolf Conservation Assessment (draft assessment) for public
review and comment. The draft assessment provides scientific
information relevant to the conservation of the Mexican wolf (Canis
lupus baileyi) in Arizona and New Mexico as a component of the
Service's gray wolf (Canis lupus) recovery efforts. Not required by the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; Act) the draft
assessment is a non-regulatory document that does not require action by
any party. We solicit review and comment from the public on this
document.
Listed Entity
The Mexican wolf was listed as an endangered subspecies of gray
wolf in 1976 (41 FR 17736, April 28, 1976). In 1978, the Service listed
the gray wolf species in North America south of Canada as endangered,
except in Minnesota where it was listed as threatened (43 FR 9607,
March 9, 1978). The 1978 rangewide listing of the gray wolf species
subsumed the subspecies listing; however, the preamble to the rule
continued to recognize the Mexican wolf as a valid biological
subspecies for purposes of research and conservation (43 FR 9607).
After the 1978 listing of the gray wolf in the U.S. Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), the 50 CFR 17.11(h) List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife did not explicitly refer to an entity called the
``Mexican wolf.'' Due to the Mexican wolf's previous listed status as a
subspecies, we have continued to refer to the gray wolf in the
southwestern United States as the ``Mexican wolf.'' Today, the gray
wolf is listed as threatened in the Great Lakes and remains endangered
throughout the coterminous United States and Mexico, except where
designated as non-essential experimental populations (59 FR 60266,
November 22, 1994, and 63 FR 1752, January 12, 1998).
Background
The conservation and recovery of species is one of the primary
goals of our endangered species program. The Mexican wolf historically
inhabited the southwestern United States and portions of Mexico until
it was virtually eliminated in the wild by private and governmental
predator eradication efforts in the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s.
Conservation and recovery efforts to ensure the survival of the Mexican
wolf were initially guided by the 1982 Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan (U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service 1982) (recovery plan), which recommended the
establishment of a captive breeding program and the reintroduction of
Mexican wolves to the wild. Both of these recommendations have been
implemented, and today an international captive breeding program houses
more than 300 wolves, and a wild population of approximately 52 wolves
(as of the official 2007 end-of-year count) inhabits Arizona and New
Mexico.
Although the 1982 recovery plan was instrumental in guiding the
inception of the Mexican wolf program in the Southwest, the plan
requires updating to provide current guidance for the reintroduction
and recovery effort. We have initiated revisions to the 1982 plan, but
have been unable to finalize a revision due to various logistical
constraints. We are working to resolve these constraints to reinitiate
a full revision of the recovery plan, and are undertaking this
conservation assessment as an interim step.
The draft assessment provides the type of information typically
contained in a recovery plan, including the listing history of the
Mexican wolf and gray wolf, current species' biology and ecology, an
assessment of current threats to the Mexican wolf in the wild, and an
overview and assessment of current conservation and recovery efforts.
However, the draft assessment is not intended to serve as a revised
recovery plan for the Mexican wolf. The assessment does not contain
recovery criteria, site-specific management actions, or time and cost
estimates, the three statutorily required elements of a recovery plan
(16 U.S.C. 1533(f)(1)(B)), nor does it contain recommendations for the
future of our Mexican wolf program in the Southwest. Social and
economic aspects of wolf conservation are not addressed in the
document. It is a non-regulatory document intended solely as a
compilation of current scientific information relevant to Mexican wolf
conservation that may be used by any interested party. We intend to use
the document as one of many information sources guiding our continuing
conservation and recovery efforts in the Southwest.
Public Comments Solicited
We seek public comments on the draft assessment. General comments
in support of or against wolf recovery or reintroduction are not
solicited at this time. All comments and information we receive by the
date specified in DATES will be considered prior to the approval of the
final Mexican Wolf Conservation Assessment. Concurrent with public
review, the Service is soliciting peer review of the draft assessment
from persons with expertise in wolf conservation and related
disciplines. All comments, including names and addresses, will become
part of the supporting record.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. Comments and materials received will be available for
public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at New
Mexico Ecological Services Field Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico (see
ADDRESSES).
[[Page 915]]
If you wish to provide comments and/or information, you may submit
your comments and materials by any one of several methods (see
ADDRESSES). Comments submitted electronically should be in the body of
the e-mail message itself or attached as a text file (ASCII), and
should not use special characters or encryption. Please also include
``Attn: Draft Conservation Assessment,'' your full name, and your
return address in your e-mail message. If you do not receive a
confirmation from the system that we have received your e-mail message,
please contact us directly by calling our New Mexico Ecological
Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES).
References
All literature referenced in the draft assessment is available for
viewing, by appointment, at New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office
during normal business hours (see ADDRESSES section).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: December 30, 2008.
Nancy J. Gloman,
Acting Regional Director, Region 2.
[FR Doc. E9-298 Filed 1-8-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
