Reclassifying the Wood Bison

6734 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Proposed Rules input in person, by mail, e-mail, or January 13, 2011. generally means that we will post any phone at any time during the Peter J. Probasco, personal information you provide us rulemaking process. Acting Chair, Federal Subsistence Board. (see the Public Comments section below January 13, 2011. for more information). Executive Order 13211 Steve Kessler, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: This Executive Order requires Subsistence Program Leader, USDA–Forest Marilyn Myers at U.S. Fish and Wildlife agencies to prepare Statements of Service. Service, Fisheries and Ecological Energy Effects when undertaking certain [FR Doc. 2011–2679 Filed 2–7–11; 8:45 am] Services, 1011 E. Tudor Road, actions. However, this proposed rule is BILLING CODE 3410–11–P; 4310–55–P Anchorage, Alaska 99503, or telephone not a significant regulatory action under 907–786–3559 or by facsimile at (907) E.O. 13211, affecting energy supply, 786–3848. If you use a distribution, or use, and no Statement of DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal Energy Effects is required. Fish and Wildlife Service Information Relay Service (FIRS) at Drafting Information 800–877–8339. 50 CFR Part 17 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Theo Matuskowitz drafted these regulations under the guidance of Peter [Docket No. FWS–R9–IA–2008–0123; MO Public Comments 92210–1113FWDB B6] J. Probasco of the Office of Subsistence We intend that any final action Management, Alaska Regional Office, RIN 1018–AI83 resulting from this proposed rule will be U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, based on the best scientific and Anchorage, Alaska. Additional Endangered and Threatened Wildlife commercial data available and be as assistance was provided by: and Plants; Reclassifying the Wood accurate and as effective as possible. • Bison (Bison bison athabascae) Under Therefore, we request comments or Daniel Sharp, Alaska State Office, the Endangered Species Act as Bureau of Land Management; information from the public, other Threatened Throughout Its Range concerned governmental agencies, the • Sandy Rabinowitch and Nancy AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, scientific community, industry, or any Swanton, Alaska Regional Office, Interior. other interested party concerning this National Park Service; ACTION: Proposed rule and notice of 12- proposed rule to reclassify the wood • Dr. Glenn Chen, Alaska Regional month petition finding. bison as threatened. The comments that Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs; will be most useful and likely to SUMMARY: • Jerry Berg, Alaska Regional Office, We, the U.S. Fish and influence our decisions are those that Wildlife Service (Service), propose to are supported by data or peer-reviewed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and reclassify the wood bison (Bison bison studies and those that include citations • Steve Kessler, Alaska Regional athabascae) from endangered to to, and analyses of, applicable laws and Office, U.S. Forest Service. threatened under the Endangered regulations. Please make your comments List of Subjects Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). as specific as possible and explain the This proposed action is amended based basis for them. In addition, please 36 CFR Part 242 on a review of the best available include sufficient information with your scientific and commercial data, which comments (such as scientific journal Administrative practice and indicate that the endangered articles or other publications) to allow procedure, Alaska, Fish, National designation no longer correctly reflects us to authenticate any scientific or forests, Public lands, Reporting and the status of the wood bison. This commercial information you include. recordkeeping requirements, Wildlife. proposal also constitutes our 12-month We particularly seek comments 50 CFR Part 100 finding on the petition to reclassify this concerning: subspecies. We are seeking data and (1) Information on taxonomy, Administrative practice and comments from the public on this distribution, habitat selection and use, procedure, Alaska, Fish, National proposed rule. food habits, population density and forests, Public lands, Reporting and DATES: We must receive your written trends, habitat trends, disease, and recordkeeping requirements, Wildlife. comments on this proposed rule by effects of management on wood bison; April 11, 2011 in order to consider (2) Information on captive herds, Proposed Regulation Promulgation them. We must receive your written including efficacy of breeding and request for a public hearing by March reintroduction programs, origin of For the reasons set out in the 25, 2011. parental stock, stock supplementation preamble, the Federal Subsistence ADDRESSES: for genetic purposes, growth rates, birth Board proposes to amend 36 CFR part You may submit written comments and other information by and mortality rates in captivity, location 242 and 50 CFR part 100 for the 2012– either of the following methods: of captive herds in comparison to wild 13 and 2013–14 regulatory years. The • Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// populations, effects of captive breeding text of the proposed amendments to 36 www.regulations.gov. Follow the on the species, and any other factors CFR 242.24, 242.25, and 242.26 and 50 instructions for submitting comments. from captive breeding that might affect CFR 100.24, 100.25, and 100.26 is the • U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public wild populations or natural habitat; final rule for the 2010–12 regulatory Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R9– (3) Information on the adequacy of period (75 FR 37918; June 30, 2010), as IA–2008–0123; Division of Policy and existing regulatory mechanisms; trends modified by any subsequent Federal Directives Management; U.S. Fish and in domestic and international trade of Subsistence Board action. Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, live specimens, sport-hunted trophies, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. or other parts and products; poaching of We will post all comments on wild wood bison; illegal trade and http://www.regulations.gov. This enforcement efforts and solutions; and VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:16 Feb 07, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\08FEP1.SGM 08FEP1 emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with PROPOSALS Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 8, 2011 / Proposed Rules 6735 oversight of reintroduction or Service, Anchorage Regional Office (see bison from an endangered species to a introduction programs; FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). threatened species under the Act. (4) Information on the effects of other Public Hearing Previous Federal Actions potential threat factors, including contaminants, changes of the Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act provides The listing history is reconstructed distribution and abundance of wild for one or more public hearings on this here based on Federal Register populations, disease episodes within proposal, if requested. We must receive documents and the Code of Federal wild and captive populations, large requests for public hearings, in writing, Regulations (CFR). Wood bison became mortality events, the effects of climate at the address shown in FOR FURTHER listed in the United States under the change, or negative effects resulting INFORMATION CONTACT by the date shown 1969 Endangered Species Conservation from the presence of invasive species; in DATES. We will schedule public Act when it was included on the first (5) Information on management hearings on this proposal, if any are List of Endangered Foreign Fish and programs for wood bison conservation requested, and announce the dates, Wildlife, which was published in the in the wild, including private, tribal, or times, and places of those hearings, as Federal Register on June 2, 1970 (35 FR governmental conservation programs well as how to obtain reasonable 8491). A column labeled ‘‘where found’’ that benefit wood bison; and accommodations, in the Federal indicated ‘‘Canada,’’ but the introduction ‘‘ (6) Current or planned activities Register at least 15 days before the first to the list stated that [t]he ‘Where within the geographic range of the wood hearing. Found’ column is a general guide to the bison that may impact or benefit the native countries or regions where the Background named animals are found. It is not species including any planned intended to be definitive.’’ developments, roads, or expansion of Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act requires In 1974, the first list under the 1973 the Service to make a finding known as agricultural enterprises. Endangered Species Act appeared in the a ‘‘90-day finding,’’ on whether a Please note that submissions merely CFR. Because the wood bison was listed stating support for or opposition to the petition to add, remove, or reclassify a under the 1969 Endangered Species action under consideration without species from the list of endangered or Conservation Act, there is not a separate providing supporting information, threatened species has presented Federal Register notice that defined the although noted, will not be considered substantial information indicating that population(s) and analyzed threats to in making a determination, as section the requested action may be warranted. the species. Like the 1970 list, the list 4(b)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species To the maximum extent practicable, the for foreign species at 50 CFR 17.11 Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) directs that finding shall be made within 90 days listed the wood bison, with a ‘‘where a determination

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