Fish and Wildlife Service March 13, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the Final Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the Greater Yellowstone Area (Final Conservation Strategy). This document will guide management decisions for the Yellowstone grizzly bear population upon delisting.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the San Diego Gas and Electric Company (Applicant) for a 40-year incidental take permit for one covered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The application addresses the potential for ``take'' of the federally endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) associated with the operation and maintenance of the existing gas and electric system, and construction of new facilities. A conservation program to mitigate for the project activities would be implemented by the Applicant as described in the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan for the San Diego Gas and Electric Company, San Diego, Riverside and Orange Counties, California (Plan), which would be implemented by the Applicant. We are requesting comments on the permit application and on the preliminary determination that the proposed Plan qualifies as a ``low- effect'' Habitat Conservation Plan, eligible for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. The basis for this determination is discussed in the Environmental Action Statement and the associated Low Effect Screening Form (Screening Form), which is also available for public review.