Fish and Wildlife Service November 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce our decision and availability of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Hanford Reach National Monument (Monument) Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Final CCP/EIS). The ROD documents our selection of Alternative C-1, the Preferred Alternative in our Final CCP/EIS, for implementation as the Monument's CCP. Alternative C-1 addresses the key issues identified during the planning process and will best achieve the purposes and goals of the Monument as well as the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). The Monument is located in Adams, Benton, Franklin, and Grant Counties, Washington.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) as threatened or endangered with critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The petitioners provided three listing options for consideration by the Service: (1) Listing the U.S. population as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS); (2) listing Thamnophis eques megalops throughout its range in the United States and Mexico based on its rangewide status; or (3) listing Thamnophis eques megalops throughout its range in the United States and Mexico based on its status in the United States. On the basis of the best scientific and commercial information available, we find that listing the northern Mexican gartersnake as threatened or endangered throughout its range in the United States and Mexico, based on its rangewide status, is warranted under the Act, due to the present or threatened destruction, modification or curtailment of its habitat; predation; and the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms. Currently, listing is precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Upon publication of this 12-month petition finding, the northern Mexican gartersnake will be added to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list the northern Mexican gartersnake as our priorities allow. Any determination on critical habitat will be made during development of the proposed rule.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published a final rule in the Federal Register on November 5, 2008, that sets forth regulations that authorize measures to increase harvest of certain populations of light geese, revise the regulations for the management of overabundant light goose populations, and modify the conservation order that will increase take of birds from such populations. That final rule contained errors in two amendatory instructions and certain corresponding text of the regulations; one error would incorrectly remove changes made to the regulations at 50 CFR part 20 in a series of final rules we published concerning hunting methods for resident Canada geese and the other mischaracterizes the contents of subpart E of 50 CFR part 21. This document corrects those errors.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Shell Keys National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.

We announce a meeting of the Sporting Conservation Council (Council). The meeting agenda includes: (1) The status of the Final White Papers Document associated with the White House Conference on North American Wildlife Policy, (2) the 10-year Action Plan mandated by Executive Order 13443, and (3) a report on the comparative risk modeling being developed at Michigan State University. This Council meeting is open to the public, and will include a session for the public to comment.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of the Revised Recovery Plan for the Sihek or Guam Micronesian Kingfisher (Halcyon cinnamomina cinnamomina). This subspecies, which was found only on the island of Guam, was federally listed as endangered in 1984.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the public comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the revised proposed rule, the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. If you submitted comments previously, you do not need to resubmit them because we have already incorporated them into the public record and will fully consider them in preparation of the final rule.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for Wolf Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). In the final CCP, we describe how we will manage this refuge for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, located in Colorado and Austin Counties, Texas. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise other Federal and State agencies, Tribes, and the public of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider in the planning process.

This notice advises the public that we authorize States in the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways to implement regulations for managing the harvest of light goose populations. The regulations for this harvest are published elsewhere in today's Federal Register.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), request public comment on a right-of-way (ROW) permit application we have received from Texas Gas Transmission, LLC (Texas Gas), to install a 36- inch-diameter natural gas pipeline under lands within Hillside National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) in Holmes County, MS.