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

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the Draft Post-Delisting Monitoring Plan (PDM Plan) for the Western Great Lakes (WGL) Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus). Under the Draft PDM Plan, we would monitor the status of the gray wolves in the WGL DPS over a 5-year period. Our monitoring would include population estimates, health data from individual wolves, and review of changes in State and tribal management and legal protections that might impact the WGL DPS's status. During the PDM period, we and the Eastern Timber Wolf Recovery Team would annually conduct a review of the monitoring data and monitoring program. We solicit review and comment on this Draft Monitoring Plan from local, tribal, State, and Federal agencies and the public.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes regulations that would authorize the nonlethal, incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of Pacific walruses (walruses) and polar bears during year-round oil and gas industry (Industry) exploration activities in the Chukchi Sea and adjacent western coast of Alaska. We are proposing that this rule be effective for 5 years from date of issuance. We propose a finding that the total expected takings of walruses and polar bears during oil and gas industry exploration activities will have a negligible impact on these species and will not have an unmitigable adverse impact on the availability of these species for subsistence use by Alaska Natives. The regulations that we propose to issue include permissible methods of nonlethal taking, measures to ensure the least practicable adverse impact on the species and the availability of these species for subsistence uses, and requirements for monitoring and reporting. If the proposed regulations are issued, we can issue Letters of Authorization to conduct activities under the provisions of these regulations when requested by citizens of the United States. We are seeking public comments on this proposed rule. In addition, the Service proposes to issue authorizations to take small numbers of marine mammals by harassment incidental to conducting exploration activities during the 2007 open-water season for oil and gas operators (Incidental Harassment Authorization). These activities will be carried out from approximately July 1 through November 30, 2007. The authorizations we propose to issue will also include permissible methods of nonlethal taking, measures to ensure the least practicable adverse impact on the species and the availability of these species for subsistence uses, and requirements for monitoring and reporting. We are seeking public comments on this proposal.