[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6934-6935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-3806]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
50 CFR Part 424
[I.D. 010997C]
Endangered and Threatened Species and Designation of Critical
Habitat; Petition To Designate Critical Habitat for the Atlantic Green
and Hawksbill Turtles.
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of a petition presenting substantial
information and request for additional information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS announces receipt of a petition to designate critical
habitat for the Atlantic green and hawksbill turtles pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). NMFS is soliciting public comment
and information on the petition to designate critical habitat.
DATES: Written comments will be accepted through April 15, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on this announcement may be submitted to
the Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Schroeder, 301-713-1401, or
Charles A. Oravetz, 813-570-5312.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On November 7, 1996, Ms. Cindy Gines-Sanchez, Esq., on behalf of
the Mision Industrial de Puerto Rico, Inc. and Chelonia, The Puerto
Rico Herpetological Society, Inc., petitioned NMFS to designate
critical habitat for the Atlantic green and hawksbill turtles to
include all coastal waters surrounding the islands of the Culebra
archipelago, including Isla de Culebra, Cayo Norte, Cayo Ballena, Cayos
Geniqui, Isla Culebrita, Arrecife Culebrita, Cayo de Luis Pena, Las
Hermanas, El Mono, Cayo Lobo, Cayo Lobito, Cayo Botijuela, Alcarraza,
Los Gemelos, and Piedra Steven, from the Mean High Water line out to 3
nautical miles (nm)(4.2 km).
Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 50 CFR part 424
contain provisions allowing interested parties to petition for the
designation of critical habitat. Although the ESA does not require that
the time frames outlined in section 4(b) of the ESA be followed for
designation of critical habitat for species listed prior to 1982, NMFS
will apply those time frames to the referenced petition, as a matter of
policy, to the greatest extent practicable.
NMFS has determined that the petition presents substantial
information indicating that designation may be warranted. A copy of the
information submitted with the petition is available upon request (see
ADDRESSES).
NMFS will conduct a review to determine if the petitioned action to
designate critical habitat is warranted. The determination concerning
critical habitat will be made on the best available scientific and
commercial data and the economic impacts of such designation. NMFS will
make a determination by November 7, 1997, 12 months after receipt of
the petition. A notice of finding will be published in the Federal
Register and, if the action is warranted, a proposed regulation to
implement the action will be included.
Unlike listing a species as endangered or threatened, economic
impacts must be considered when designating critical habitat. An area
may be excluded from the designation if it is determined that the
benefits of an exclusion outweigh the benefits of including the area as
critical habitat, and the exclusion will not result in the extinction
of the species.
NMFS is soliciting information and comments concerning the petition
to
[[Page 6935]]
ensure that the review is complete and is based on the best available
information. In addition, NMFS is soliciting information and comments
concerning other areas in the U.S. Caribbean where the designation of
critical habitat for listed sea turtles may be warranted. We request
that the information and comments be accompanied by (1) supporting
documentation such as maps, biological references or reprints of
pertinent publications and (2) the person's name, address and
association, institution, or business that the person represents.
Dated: February 10, 1997.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-3806 Filed 2-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
