[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 3369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1829]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AD20
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Special
Rule for the Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl on Non-Federal
Lands
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Reopening of the comment period for the proposed special rule.
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SUMMARY: On February 17, 1995, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)
published a proposed special rule in the Federal Register (60 FR 9484,
February 17, 1995) pursuant to section 4(d) of the Endangered Species
Act (Act), to replace the blanket prohibitions against incidental take
of spotted owls with a narrower, more tailor-made set of standards that
reduce prohibitions applicable to timber harvest and related activities
on specified non-Federal forest lands in Washington and California. The
comment period was scheduled to end on January 26, 1996. The intent of
this document is to reopen the comment period to March 1, 1996.
DATES: The comment period for written comments is reopened until March
1, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Comments and materials concerning this proposed rule should
be sent to Mr. Michael J. Spear, Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-
4181.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Curt Smitch, Assistant Regional
Director, North Pacific Coast Ecoregion, 3704 Griffin Lane SE, Suite
102, Olympia, Washington 98501 (360/534-9330); or Mr. Ron Crete,
Manager, Habitat Protection and Restoration, Office of Technical
Support-Forest Resources, P.O. Box 3623, Portland, Oregon 97204-3623
(503/326-6700).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The implementing regulations for threatened wildlife generally
incorporate the prohibitions of section 9 of the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (Act), for endangered wildlife, except when a
``special rule'' promulgated pursuant to section 4(d) of the Act has
been issued with respect to a particular threatened species. At the
time the northern spotted owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, was listed
as a threatened species in 1990, the Service did not promulgate a
special section 4(d) rule and therefore, all of the section 9
prohibitions, including the ``take'' prohibitions, became applicable to
the species. To replace the blanket prohibitions against take of
spotted owls, the Service published a proposed special rule, 50 CFR
Part 17, on February 17, 1995, in the Federal Register, pursuant to
section 4(d) of the Act, which proposes a narrower, more tailor-made
set of standards that reduce prohibitions applicable to timber harvest
and related activities on specified non-Federal forest lands in
Washington and California.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.
Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
Dated: January 25, 1996.
Curt Smitch,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1,
Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 96-1829 Filed 1-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
