Fish and Wildlife Service August 8, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Hermes copper butterfly (Hermelycaena [Lycaena] hermes) as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We find the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the Hermes copper butterfly may be warranted. Therefore, are not initiating a status review in response to this petition. We ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of the species or threats to it.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Casey's June beetle (Dinacoma caseyi) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find the petition presents substantial scientific information indicating that listing the Casey's June beetle as endangered may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review, and we will issue a 12-month finding on the petition to list the Casey's June beetle announcing our determination of whether listing the species as endangered is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information regarding this species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the public comment period, a public hearing on the proposed revision of critical habitat for the Alabama beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus ammobates) (ABM), and the availability of the draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are also using this comment period to correct minor acreage calculation errors in the February 1, 2006, proposed rule (71 FR 5516), announce the inclusion of an additional 6 acres (distributed among proposed critical habitat units 1, 2, and 3), and solicit further comments on the proposed rule. The draft economic analysis forecasts that costs associated with conservation activities for the ABM would range from $18.3 million to $51.8 million in undiscounted dollars over the next 20 years. Adjusted for possible inflation, the costs would range from $16.1 million to $46.8 million over 20 years, or $1.1 million to $3.1 million annually using a 3 percent discount; or $14.2 million to $41.7 million over 20 years, or $1.3 million to $3.9 million annually using a 7 percent discount. We are reopening the public comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic analysis. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be incorporated into the public record and fully considered in preparation of the final rule.