Fish and Wildlife Service 2009 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The United States, as a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), may submit proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for consideration at meetings of the Conference of the Parties to CITES. The United States may also propose amendments to the CITES Appendices for consideration at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. The fifteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP15) is tentatively scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, March 13-25, 2010.

We, Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a public meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list two species of Hawaiian damselflies, the flying earwig Hawaiian damselfly (Megalagrion nesiotes) and the Pacific Hawaiian damselfly (M. pacificum), as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would extend the Act's protections to these species. We have determined that critical habitat for these two Hawaiian damselflies is prudent, but not determinable at this time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list coqui llanero (Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi), a tree frog, as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Following our review of the petition, we find that it provides substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing this species may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we initiate a status review to determine if listing the coqui llanero is warranted. To ensure that the status review is comprehensive, we request scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species. We will initiate a determination on critical habitat for this species if and when we initiate a listing action.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list a distinct population segment (DPS) of the roundtail chub (Gila robusta) in the lower Colorado River basin as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The petition also asked the Service to designate critical habitat. After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that the petitioned listing action is warranted, but precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Upon publication of this 12-month petition finding, this species will be added to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list this population segment of the roundtail chub pursuant to our Listing Priority System. Any determinations on critical habitat will be made at that time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 23 species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We conduct these reviews to ensure that the classification of species as threatened or endangered on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is accurate. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list the western U.S. population of the northern leopard frog (Lithobates [=Rana] pipiens) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Following a review of the petition, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the western U.S. population of northern leopard frog may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a status review of the species, and we will issue a 12-month finding to determine if listing the species throughout all or a significant portion of its range is warranted. To ensure that the status review of the northern leopard frog is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial information and other information regarding this species.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a proposed HCP, 13 accompanying ITP applications, and an EA related to proposed development that would effect three fish species in a covered area encompassing 3,773 square kilometers (km\2\) (932,000 ac). Each county and municipality seeking incidental take authorization has prepared a separate application in conjunction with the one HCP and EA. The HCP analyzes the take of the Federally endangered fish species amber darter (Percina antesella) and Etowah darter (Etheostoma etowahae), and the Federally threatened Cherokee darter (Etheostoma scotti), incidental to the applicants' regulation of development and construction in their respective jurisdictions. The applicants request ITPs under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. The Applicants' HCP

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to remove the Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and the shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife (List) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that removing the Lost River sucker or shortnose sucker from the List may be warranted. Therefore, we will not initiate a status review for either species in response to this petition. We ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of, or threats to, the Lost River and shortnose suckers or their habitat at any time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (refuge). We will also prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential effects of various CCP alternatives. We provide this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise the public, other Federal and State agencies, and Tribes of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider during the planning process.

This notice advises the public that the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), on behalf of the State of Montana, has submitted an incidental take permit (ITP) application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, US) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). As the ESA requires, DNRC has also prepared a proposed habitat conservation plan (HCP) designed to minimize and mitigate any such take of endangered or threatened species. The ITP application includes the proposed HCP and draft Implementation Agreement (IA). We also announce the availability of a draft environmental impact statement (draft EIS) for the proposed

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Sacramento, Delevan, Colusa, and Sutter National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges). The CCP, prepared pursuant to the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, and in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, describes how the Service will manage the Refuges for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), announce a 90- day finding on a petition to revise critical habitat for Eriogonum pelinophilum (clay-loving wild buckwheat) under the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. Following a review of the petition, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that revision of the critical habitat for E. pelinophilum may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the critical habitat for the species, and will subsequently issue a 12-month finding to determine if revisions to the species' critical habitat are warranted. To ensure that the review is comprehensive, we are soliciting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species.

We (NMFS and USFWS, collectively referred to as the Services) have determined that naturally spawned and conservation hatchery populations of anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) whose freshwater range occurs in the watersheds from the Androscoggin River northward along the Maine coast to the Dennys River, including those that were already listed in November 2000, constitute a distinct population segment (DPS) and hence a ``species'' for listing. We have determined that the Gulf of Maine (GOM) DPS warrants listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Critical habitat for the GOM DPS will be designated in a subsequent Federal Register notice.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) document for Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we intend to conduct public scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to gather information necessary to help develop a NEPA document in connection with a proposed Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Beacon Solar Energy Project (Beacon HCP), currently under development by Beacon Solar LLC (the applicant). To be implemented near California City, in Kern County, California, the proposed Beacon HCP forms part of an incidental take permit application under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The requested permit term is 45 years. We provide this notice to obtain suggestions, comments, and useful information from other agencies and the public on the scope of the document, including the significant issues deserving of study, the range of alternatives, and the range of impacts to be considered.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have issued the following permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals.

We (Fish and Wildlife Service) have sent an Information Collection Request (ICR) to OMB for review and approval. The ICR, which is summarized below, describes the nature of the collection and the estimated burden and cost. OMB approval for this information collection is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2009. We may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. However, under OMB regulations, we may continue to conduct or sponsor this information collection while it is pending at OMB.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Modoc National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. In these documents, we describe alternatives, including our preferred alternative, to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP. Draft compatibility determinations for several public uses are also available for review and public comment in the Draft CCP/EA.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to revise designated critical habitat for Navarretia fossalis (spreading navarretia). Approximately 6,872 acres (ac) (2,781 hectares (ha)) of habitat fall within the boundaries of the proposed revised critical habitat designation. This proposed revised designation of critical habitat is located in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego Counties in southern California.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90-day finding on a petition to list Oenothera acutissima (narrowleaf evening-primrose) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing O. acutissima may be warranted. Therefore, we will not initiate a further 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 O. acutissima or threats to its habitat at any time. This information will help us monitor and encourage the conservation of the species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and associated National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). 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.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) for public review and comment. In this Draft CCP/ EA, we describe the alternative we propose to use to manage this refuge for the 15 years following approval of the final CCP.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), will host a Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee (Committee) meeting June 30 through July 2, 2009. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting agenda will include reports from the Legal, Science Tools & Procedures, and Synthesis Subcommittees, and discussion of the current draft Recommendations to the Secretary.