[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8729-8730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3748]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. ]
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Extension of Comment Period on Draft Guidance for Candidate
Species, Draft Petition Management Guidance, Draft Policy Regarding the
Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments, Preliminary
Draft Handbook for Habitat Conservation Planning and Incidental Take
Permit Processing, and Draft Section 7 Endangered Species Consultation
Handbook
AGENCIES: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National Marine
Fisheries Service, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment periods.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries
Service (Services) provide notice that the comment periods on their
draft guidance and policies published in the Federal Register on
December 21, 1994 (59 FR 65780-82 and 65884) are extended. All
interested parties are invited to submit comments.
DATES: The comment periods, which originally were to close on February
21, 1995, now close on April 7, 1995.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft guidance documents or
policy statements may obtain copies by contacting the nearest Regional
Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Regional Offices are
listed below.
Region 1.--California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington,
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Pacific Territories
of the United States.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastside
Federal Complex, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181
(503-231-6241).
Region 2.--Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
1306, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103 (505-766-3972).
Region 3.--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal
Building, Fort Snelling, Twin Cities, Minnesota 55111 (612-725-3276).
Region 4.--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, [[Page 8730]] Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1875
Century Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (404-679-7103).
Region 5.--Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300
Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 01035-9589 (413-253-8615).
Region 6.--Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box
25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 (303-236-7398).
Region 7.--Alaska.
Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East
Tudor Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501 (907-786-3605).
Written comments should be sent to the Division of Endangered
Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room
452, Arlington, Virginia 22203 (telephone 703/358-2105). Each comment
should address only a single guidance document or policy.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert G. Ruesink, Acting Chief,
Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at the
above address (703/358-2171), or Russell Bellmer, Chief, Endangered
Species Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 (301/713-1401).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On December 21, 1994, the Services published in the Federal
Register (59 FR 65780-82 and 65884) a series of draft guidance
documents and policy statements under the Endangered Species Act (Act)
of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq.). A brief description is
given below of each of these documents and policy statements.
1. Draft Policy Regarding the Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate
Population Segments: The authority to list a ``species'' as endangered
or threatened is not restricted to species recognized in formal
taxonomic terms, but extends to subspecies, and for vertebrate taxa, to
distinct population segments. This document proposes to adopt a policy
to clarify the Services' interpretation of the term ``distinct
population segments'' for the purposes of listing, delisting, and
reclassifying vertebrates.
2. Draft Guidance for Candidate Species: This draft document is
intended to provide internal guidance for the assessment, monitoring,
and conservation of species that are candidates for listing under the
Act.
3. Draft Petition Management Guidance: The purpose of this document
is to provide policy and guidance for managing petitions submitted to
the Services under the Act so as to promote efficiency and nationwide
consistency.
4. Draft Section 7 Endangered Species Consultation Handbook: This
draft handbook provides consistent procedures to the Services' for
compliance with the affirmative conservation responsibilities of
section 7(a)(1) of the Act, and for the conduct of section 7(a)(2)-(4)
consultations and conferences.
5. Draft Handbook for Habitat Conservation Planning and Incidental
Take Permit Processing: This draft document provides internal guidance
for conducting the incidental take permit program under section
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act so as to promote efficiency and nationwide
consistency within and between the Services.
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
Dated: January 31, 1995.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
Dated: February 7, 1995.
Rolland A. Schmitteh,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-3748 Filed 2-14-95; 8:45 am]
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