Department of the Interior April 19, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a meeting of the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Task Force. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting topics are identified in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

Michael Perez and Cynthia Perez (Applicants) request an incidental take permit (ITP) for a two-year term pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Applicants anticipate the removal of about 0.22 acre of Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)(scrub-jay) foraging, sheltering, and possibly nesting habitat, incidental to lot preparation for the construction of a single-family home and supporting infrastructure in Charlotte County, Florida (Project). The Applicants' Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) describes the mitigation and minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the Project to the Florida scrub-jay. These measures are outlined in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below.

We invite the public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to sell by public auction 72 parcels of Federal public land, aggregating approximately 705.235 acres, more or less, in the Las Vegas Valley, Nevada. The sale will be under the authority of the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (112 Stat. 2343), as amended by Title IV of the Clark County Conservation of Public Land and Natural Resources Act of 2002 (116 Stat. 1994) (SNPLMA). The SNPLMA sale will be subject to the applicable provisions of Sections 203 and 209 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1713 and 1719), and BLM land sale and mineral conveyance regulations at 43 CFR parts 2710 and 2720. The sale will be conducted in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 2, 2006, using competitive bidding procedures under the regulations, at not less than the appraised fair market value (FMV) of each parcel.

The Fish and Wildlife Service announces that a Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Finding of No Significant Impact for Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge are available for distribution. The plan was prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge system Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and describes how the refuge will be managed for the next 15 years. The compatibility determinations for (1) recreational fishing; (2) recreational hunting; (3) wildlife observation and wildlife photography; (4) environmental education and interpretation; (5) commercial alligator harvest; (6) commercially guided wildlife viewing, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation; (7) research and monitoring; (8) commercial video and photography; (9) adjacent property access; and (10) beneficial use of dredge material are also included in the plan.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to revise the regulations that implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty that regulates international trade in certain protected species. The United States was one of the original signatories to CITES, which has been in effect since July 1, 1975. CITES uses a system of permits and certificates to help ensure that international trade is legal and does not threaten the survival of wildlife or plant species in the wild. Since the existing regulations were finalized, the CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP) has held a number of meetings where resolutions have been adopted. The Parties adopt resolutions as a means of standardizing interpretation and implementation of the provisions of the Treaty. On May 8, 2000, we proposed a revision of the regulations to incorporate applicable resolutions, as appropriate, adopted through the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP10). This new proposal includes consideration of the comments received in response to the 2000 proposal and incorporates appropriate resolutions adopted at CoP11 through CoP13. Revised regulations will help us more effectively promote species conservation, continue to fulfill our responsibilities under the Treaty, and help those affected by CITES to understand how to conduct lawful international trade in CITES species.