Fish and Wildlife Service May 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the draft economic analysis and draft environmental assessment, the reopening of the public comment period, and a public hearing on the proposed revised designation of critical habitat for the wintering population of the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 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 and draft environmental assessment. The draft economic analysis finds that costs associated with conservation activities for the wintering population of the piping plover in North Carolina are forecasted to range from $0 to $12.2 million in lost consumer surplus and $0 to $21.1 million in lost trip expenditures in undiscounted dollars over the next 20 years, with an additional $32,000 to $79,000 in administrative costs. Discounted impacts are estimated to range from $0 to $6.2 million in lost consumer surplus and $0 to $10.6 million in lost trip expenditures over 20 years using a real rate of seven percent, with an additional $17,000 to $42,000 in administrative costs. This amounts to $0 to $503,000 in lost consumer surplus and $0 to $861,000 in lost trip expenditures, annually. Using a real rate of three percent, discounted impacts are estimated at $0 to $8.9 million in lost consumer surplus and $0 to $15.4 million in lost trip expenditures over the next 20 years, with an additional $24,000 to $59,000 in administrative costs. This amounts to $2,000 to $600,000 in lost consumer surplus and $0 to $1.0 million in lost trip expenditures, annually. The draft environmental assessment finds that designation of critical habitat would not impose any physical alteration of the physical or biological communities used by the wintering population of the piping plover, nor would it alter any social, cultural, or recreational resources or the use of such resources beyond current conditions or existing management strategies. 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.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly (Icaricia shasta charlestonensis) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review of this subspecies, and we will issue a 12- month finding to determine if the petitioned action is warranted. To ensure that the status review of the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial data regarding this subspecies. A determination on critical habitat will be made if and when a listing action is initiated for this subspecies.

The following permits were issued.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability of the revised Recovery Plan for the Whooping Crane (Grus americana). This is the third revision of the recovery plan for this species; the original was completed in 1980. The whooping crane is found in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and in central Canada. This revision to the recovery plan was developed by an international team and will be jointly adopted by the United States and Canada.

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

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species or marine mammals.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we, our) is gathering the information needed to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated environmental assessment (EA) for Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck and Featherstone National Wildlife Refuges (NWR), two of the three refuges in the Potomac River NWR Complex. We publish this notice in compliance with our policy of advising other agencies and the public of our intentions to conduct detailed planning on refuges and obtain suggestions and information about the scope of issues to consider in the planning process.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that a final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex) is available. This CCP, prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service intends to manage the Complex, which includes Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Slade NWR, Florence Lake NWR, and Long Lake Wetland Management District (WMD), for the next 15 years.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, intend to gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and associated environmental documents for Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge. We furnish this notice in compliance with our comprehensive conservation planning policy to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered during the planning process.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). Parrish Medical Center (applicant) requests an incidental take permit (ITP) for a duration of 2 years pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicant anticipates taking approximately 6.93 acre (ac) of Florida scrub-jay (Alphelocoma coerulescens)occupied habitat incidental to constructing a health center in Brevard County, Florida (project). The applicant's HCP describes the mitigation and minimization measures the applicant proposes to address the effects of the project to the scrub-jay.

The Fish and Wildlife Service intends to gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment for Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. This notice is furnished in compliance with the Service's comprehensive conservation planning policy to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated environmental documents for the Muscatatuck, Tamarac, and Big Muddy National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) and Tamarac Wetland Management District (WMD). We furnish this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process. In addition, the Service is inviting comments on archeological, historic, and traditional cultural sites in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act. Special mailings, newspaper articles, internet postings, and other media announcements will inform people of the opportunities for written comments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) announce that the Draft Revised Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge is available for public comment. We prepared this CCP pursuant to the Alaska National Interests Land Conservation Act of 1980 (ANILCA), the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 (Refuge Administration Act), as amended by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Refuge Improvement Act), and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). In this plan, we describe how the Service proposes to manage this refuge over the next 15 years.

This notice advises that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to gather information necessary to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated environmental documents for the Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Complex), South Dakota. The Service is furnishing this notice in compliance with Service CCP policy to advise other agencies and the public of its intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.

The public is invited to comment on the following application to conduct certain activities with endangered species.

The Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group (TAMWG) affords stakeholders the opportunity to give policy, management, and technical input concerning Trinity River (California) restoration efforts to the Trinity Management Council. Primary objectives of the meeting will include discussion of the following topics: Habitat/geomorphic mapping, gravel augmentation planning, Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) budget, Integrated Assessment Plan, reimbursability of TRRP program costs, TAMWG communications with the Trinity Management Council, TAMWG membership/quorum/bylaws in regard to voting. Completion of the agenda is dependent on the amount of time each item takes. The meeting could end early if the agenda has been completed. The meeting is open to the public.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces that the Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) are available for distribution. The CCP, prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act as amended, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service will manage the Refuge for the next 15 years. The compatibility determinations for Research and Monitoring; Wildlife Observation and Photography; Environmental Education and Interpretive Staff-led Tours; and Sport Fishing are also included in the CCP.

This notice advises the public that we the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) intend to initiate a single planning process to consecutively develop a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment for the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and a step-down research management plan (RMP) and environmental assessment for both Palmyra and Kingman Reef NWRs. This notice also announces a public open house meeting; see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the details. Both NWRs are low coral atolls located in the Central Pacific Ocean approximately 1,000 miles south of Hawai'i. We furnish this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other agencies and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning process.

This rule revises the list of nonrural areas identified by the Federal Subsistence Board (Board, we, us). Only residents of areas identified as rural are eligible to participate in the Federal Subsistence Management Program on Federal public lands in Alaska. We are changing Adak's status to rural. We also are adding Prudhoe Bay to the list of nonrural areas. The following areas continue to be nonrural, but we are changing their boundaries: the Kenai Area; the Wasilla/Palmer Area, including Point McKenzie; the Homer Area, including Fritz Creek East (except Voznesenka) and the North Fork Road area; and the Ketchikan Area. We have also added Saxman to the Ketchikan nonrural area. We are making no other changes in status. This final rule differs from the proposed rule relative to the Kodiak area and Saxman: For reasons set forth below, we did not change the status of the Kodiak area from rural to nonrural, as we had proposed, and we included Saxman in the nonrural Ketchikan area, which we had not proposed. Residents of those areas changing from rural to nonrural have 5 years to come into compliance with this rule.

The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a recovery plan for two plants, Nesogense rotensis and Osmoxylon mariannense. These two plants are found only on the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and were federally listed as endangered in 2004.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce our 12-month finding on a petition to list the Sand Mountain blue butterfly (Euphilotes pallescens arenamontana) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After a thorough review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that the petitioned action is not warranted. We ask the public to continue to submit to us any new information concerning the status of, and threats to, this subspecies. This information will help us to monitor and encourage the ongoing management of this subspecies.