Fish and Wildlife Service April 5, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), intend to prepare the monument management plan (MMP) for the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (Monument), established by Presidential Proclamation 8336. Additionally, the FWS also intends to prepare new or revised comprehensive conservation plans (CCPs) for the following national wildlife refuges (Refuges) contained therein: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Atoll. When the draft MMP is complete, we will advertise its availability and again seek public comment. We furnish this notice to advise the public and other Federal agencies of our intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to consider during the planning process. An environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential effects of various management alternatives will also be prepared. The EA will provide resource managers with the information needed to determine if the potential effects may be significant and warrant preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), or if the potential impacts lead to a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Bearmouth mountainsnail (Oreohelix species 3), Byrne Resort mountainsnail (Oreohelix species 31), and meltwater lednian stonefly (Lednia tumana) as endangered or threatened, and to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of all available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the Bearmouth mountainsnail and the Byrne Resort mountainsnail is not warranted because neither constitutes a valid taxon; therefore, they are not considered to be listable entities under the Act. We find that listing of the meltwater lednian stonefly is warranted. However, currently listing of the meltwater lednian stonefly 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, we will add the meltwater lednian stonefly to our candidate species list. We will develop a proposed rule to list the meltwater lednian stonefly as our priorities allow. We will make any determination on critical habitat during development of the proposed listing rule. During any interim period, we will address the status of the candidate taxon through our annual Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR).