Fish and Wildlife Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), advise the public that we are extending the public review and comment period for the Report to Congress: John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System Digital Mapping Pilot Project and draft maps. Also, we plan to host public meetings via Web cast and teleconference on the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) Digital Mapping Pilot Project.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Georgia pigtoe mussel (Pleurobema hanleyianum), interrupted rocksnail (Leptoxis foremani), and rough hornsnail (Pleurocera foremani), as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Georgia pigtoe, interrupted rocksnail, and rough hornsnail are endemic to the Coosa River drainage within the Mobile River Basin of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. These three species have disappeared from large portions of their natural ranges due to extensive construction of dams that eliminated or reduced water currents and caused changes in habitat and water quality. The surviving populations are small, localized, and highly vulnerable to water quality and habitat deterioration.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), invite the public to comment on the following application for a permit to conduct certain activities with endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), which requires that we invite public comment on the permit application.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) and environmental assessment (EA) for the Texas Mid-Coast Refuge Complex (Complex). The Complex consists of the following refuges: Brazoria and San Bernard, located in Brazoria County, and Big Boggy in Matagorda County, Texas. Discontinuous refuge parcels and conservation easements, located primarily within the forested bottomlands of the Brazos River, San Bernard River, and Colorado River basins, in Brazoria, Wharton, and Fort Bend counties, are also part of the Complex. 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 Bond Swamp 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.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), and its implementing regulations, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have developed draft revised marine mammal stock assessment reports (SARs) for the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) stock and for each of the two polar bear (Ursus maritimus) stocks in Alaska: The southern Beaufort Sea polar bear stock and the Chukchi/Bering seas polar bear stock. These three SARs are available for public review and comment.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the revised recovery plan for the Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata). The revised recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be met in order to reclassify this species to threatened status and delist it under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are designating final revised critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Approximately 62,125 acres (ac) (25,141 hectares (ha)) of habitat in San Diego and Riverside Counties, California, are being designated as critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly. This final revised designation constitutes a reduction of approximately 109,479 ac (44,299 ha) from the 2002 designation of critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. The Endangered Species Act requires that we invite public comment on these permit applications.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for the Cape Meares, Oregon Islands, and Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuges (Refuges), and a draft wilderness stewardship plan (Draft WSP) for the Oregon Islands and Three Arch Rocks Refuges (collectively Draft CCP/WSP/EA). The Draft CCP/WSP/EA is available for public review and comment. It describes our proposal for managing the Refuges for the next 15 years. The Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex office, located in Newport, Oregon, manages the Refuges, which are scattered along the Oregon coast in Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Lane, Coos, and Curry Counties.

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended (MMPA), and its implementing regulations, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have developed a draft revised marine mammal stock assessment report (SAR) for each of the two West Indian manatee stocks in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico: The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) stock and the Puerto Rico stock of Antillean manatee (Trichechus manatus manatus). Both are available for public review and comment.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the extension of the public comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are extending the comment period for an additional 30 days from the date of this notice 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft comprehensive conservation plan and environmental assessment (Draft CCP/EA) for Bayou Teche 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), announce the schedule of public hearings on the proposed rule to remove (delist) the Hawaiian hawk (Buteo solitarius) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and the reopening of the public comment period on this proposed action. The public is invited to review and comment on the proposed rule and on the draft post-delisting monitoring plan (draft PDM Plan) for the Hawaiian hawk at the scheduled public hearings or in writing.

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and habitat conservation plan (HCP). Lake County Public Works (applicant) requests a 5-year ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicant anticipates taking approximately 0.19 acres (ac) of sand skink (Neoseps reynoldsi)occupied habitat incidental to realignment of a county road (CR) and construction of a storm water retention pond in Lake County, Florida (project). The applicant's HCP describes the mitigation and minimization measures the applicant

The North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Council) will meet to select North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant proposals for recommendation to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (Commission). This meeting is open to the public. The Advisory Group for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grants program (Advisory Group) will also meet. This meeting is also open to the public, and interested persons may present oral or written statements.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species and/or marine mammals. Both the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act require that we invite public comment on these permit applications.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), intend to prepare a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge (refuge) located in Adams and Grant Counties, Washington. We will also prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential effects of various CCP alternatives. This notice also announces a public open house meeting; see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the details. We issue this notice in compliance with our CCP policy to advise the public and other agencies of our intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues we will consider during the CCP planning process.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), proposed in an earlier document to establish annual hunting regulations for certain migratory game birds for the 2009-10 hunting season. This supplement to the proposed rule provides the regulatory schedule, announces the Service Migratory Bird Regulations Committee and Flyway Council meetings, and provides Flyway Council recommendations resulting from their March meetings.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announce that the Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) 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 Pathfinder NWR for the next 15 years.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our final recovery plan for and the initiation of a 5- year status review for the short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), a bird species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Our recovery plan describes the status, current management, recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions needed to enable us to reclassify the short-tailed albatross from endangered to threatened, or from threatened to delisted. It also includes criteria that would justify reclassifying the species from threatened back to endangered. We conduct 5-year reviews to ensure that our classification of each species as threatened or endangered on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is accurate. We request any new information on this species that may have a bearing on its classification as endangered. Based on the results of this 5-year review, we will make a finding on whether this species is properly classified under the Act.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an enhancement of survival permit pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The permit application includes a proposed Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement (Agreement) between ODFW and the Service. The proposed term of the permit and Agreement is 30 years. The requested permit would authorize ODFW to extend incidental take coverage with assurances to eligible landowners who are willing to carry out habitat management measures that would benefit the federally- listed as endangered Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) by enrolling them under the Agreement as Cooperators through issuance of Certificates of Inclusion. The covered area or geographic scope of this Agreement includes all non-Federal properties in the Willamette Valley between the cities of Oregon City and Oakridge, Oregon, the estimated historical distribution of the species. We request comments from the public on the permit application, proposed Agreement, and related

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate revised critical habitat for the wintering population of the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in 18 specific units in Texas under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). In total, approximately 139,029 acres (56,263 hectares) fall within the boundaries of the revised critical habitat designation. The revised critical habitat is located in Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Aransas, Calhoun, Matagorda, and Brazoria Counties, Texas. Other previously designated critical habitat for the wintering piping plover in Texas or elsewhere in the United States remains unaffected.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. The Endangered Species Act requires that we invite public comment on these permit applications.

Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to reclassify the Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) from endangered to threatened. This proposal is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific data, which indicate that the species' status has improved such that it is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. We seek information, data, and comments from the public regarding the Oregon chub and this proposal.