[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53686-53688]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25734]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Migratory Bird Permits; Notice of Intent To Prepare Two
Management Plans and Environmental Assessments for Take of Wild
Peregrine Falcons
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
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SUMMARY: The American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum) was
removed from the protection of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) on
August 25, 1999. The arctic peregrine falcon (F. p. tundrius) was
removed from ESA protection in 1994. Due to their special status as
recently delisted subspecies, we intend to develop two
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joint State/Federal management plans to govern take of wild peregrine
falcons (F. peregrinus) in the United States. We will prepare
Environmental Assessments (EAs) for public review as part of the
process. One management plan will address take of peregrine falcon
nestlings in the United States. The other will address take of immature
peregrines that originate in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, and migrate
through the contiguous United States. These management plans will be
developed cooperatively by the Service and the States with input from
the governments of Canada, Greenland, and Mexico. Once the plans are
completed, the States will be responsible for managing the species
within the framework of the plans. Our intent is that these management
plans will apply only until the Service and the States agree that
special management is no longer warranted. Comments on development of
harvest strategies and management plans are solicited and will be
considered in development of the plans and associated Environmental
Assessments.
DATES: Written comments are requested by November 12, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments to the Chief, Office of
Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North
Fairfax Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203 (fax: 703/358-2272).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Allen, Office of Migratory Bird
Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at 703/358-1714.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Three subspecies of peregrine falcon are
recognized in North America: the maritime, or Peale's peregrine (F. p.
pealei); the tundra, or arctic peregrine; and the American peregrine.
The Peale's peregrine is a year round resident of the coastal areas of
western Canada and southern Alaska to the Aleutians. It was never
listed as endangered or threatened under the ESA. The arctic peregrine
breeds in the northern tundra regions from Alaska across Canada to
Greenland. It was listed as endangered, but breeding populations in
North America expanded considerably in recent decades, and the
subspecies was delisted in 1994 (October 5, 1994; 59 FR 50796). The
American peregrine subspecies breeds from the boreal forests of Alaska
and Canada south through the western United States and northern Mexico.
Numeric recovery goals for breeding pairs in southeastern Canada and
the eastern United States have recently been met, and numbers now
exceed recovery goals over most of its North American range. We
delisted the American peregrine falcon, and removed the similarity of
appearance provision for free-flying peregrines in the conterminous
states, on August 25, 1999 (64 FR 46542). That action had the effect of
eliminating the Endangered Species Act prohibitions against take of
wild-caught peregrines for falconry, raptor propagation, scientific
collecting, and other purposes permittable under the Migratory Bird
Treaty Act. However, except for scientific research, which will be
considered on a case-by-case basis, and depredation permits issued for
public safety reasons at airports, we have continued the prohibition on
take of wild peregrines until we complete management plans to govern
harvest.
Migrant juvenile peregrines were captured by falconers along the
Atlantic coast barrier islands annually for many years prior to 1970,
and migrants and nestlings were taken less regularly elsewhere in the
United States. Falconers would like the use of wild peregrines to
resume now that peregrines have met recovery goals. Although captive-
bred peregrines have been available for falconry since 1983, wild
peregrines have not been available due to ESA restrictions, except in
Alaska where a limited take of Peale's peregrines is allowed, and a
limited take of arctic peregrines has been allowed since its delisting.
Falconry is regulated under a joint State-Federal permitting system
(50 CFR 21.28--21.29). Regulations provide for three progressive
classes of falconry permits'apprentice, general, and master
falconer'depending on the individual's level of experience. Apprentice
falconers may possess only one raptor at a time and may take only
certain species, which do not include peregrine falcons. General
falconers may possess two raptors at a time and may take no more than
two from the wild during any 12-month period. Master falconers may
possess three raptors and take no more than two from the wild during
any 12-month period. Federal and most State falconry regulations permit
the removal from the wild of non-endangered raptors for falconry.
In anticipation of high interest in take of wild peregrines for
falconry following the delisting of the American peregrine, we have
been working with the States to develop harvest criteria that will
ensure that recovery achieved under the ESA is sustained and that
further population growth is not impeded. We will develop,
cooperatively with the States, two management plans. The first plan
will deal with take of nestling (eyas) peregrines in the United States.
The second plan will deal with take of juvenile migrant (passage)
peregrines. Most migrant peregrines will originate in Canada,
Greenland, or Alaska. The management plans will include (1) biological
criteria for a harvest of peregrine falcons, (2) implementation
criteria for the harvest, and (3) procedures for evaluating and
adjusting harvest in an adaptive-management framework. The management
plans will provide overall guidance for take of peregrines. Within the
framework provided by each plan, the States will be responsible for
decisions about harvest.
To avoid compromising the restoration of peregrine populations in
North America, our preliminary objectives for the combined plans are:
(1) Protect from harvest to the extent possible, nestling and
dispersing juvenile American peregrines from natal areas in eastern
Canada and eastern United States.
(2) Allow a conservative and sustainable level of take of migrant
juvenile peregrines originating from the Alaskan and Canadian arctic
and Greenland.
(3) Allow a conservative and sustainable level of take of nestling
peregrines from healthy populations in the western United States and
Alaska.
The Environmental Assessments will likely include several
alternatives, such as various harvest levels from particular management
groups. Possible harvest levels include no take, take of 5 percent or
10 percent of annual production, or no restrictions on take beyond the
existing falconry regulations (i.e., no management plan).
Because take of nestlings is a United States issue, we expect to
complete this plan ahead of the plan for migrants, which will require
international coordination with Canada, Greenland, and Mexico. We hope
to complete the plan and EA for nestlings by spring and for migrants by
fall, 2000, respectively.
The Service has a statutory obligation under the ESA to monitor the
status of delisted species in cooperation with the States. The purpose
of the ESA monitoring plan is to ensure that recovery is sustained. We
intend to publish a draft ESA monitoring plan for the American
peregrine falcon in the Federal Register in the near future. Take of
American peregrines under the MBTA pursuant to the management plans
that are the subject of this current notice will be considered during
the ESA monitoring program. However, the management plans under MBTA,
which will govern take of all North American subspecies of peregrine,
and the monitoring plan for the American
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peregrine subspecies under ESA are otherwise unrelated.
Dated: September 27, 1999.
Jamie Rappaport Clark,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 99-25734 Filed 10-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
