Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 136 / Friday, July 16, 1999 / Notices 38465 on Canada for recovery of the grizzly comments included: using science and DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR bear. data to the best extent possible, using On September 10, 1997, we published cumulative effects modeling, Fish and Wildlife Service a Notice of Availability (62 FR 47677, maintaining habitat security, identifying Sept. 10, 1997) for the draft important seasonal foods and ensuring Availability of Supplemental supplemental information on the five their monitoring and availability, the Information Regarding the Recovery remanded issues. We provided our final role of private lands and impacts of Plan for the Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos finding on the issues to the court on private land development, road horribilis) May 15, 1999, and a notice of densities and access management, AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, availability of that document will be maintaining roadless habitat and habitat Interior. published in the Federal Register in the security in such areas, ensuring effective ACTION: Notice of document availability. near future. road closures, minimizing human Under the provisions of the Act we development and activities that result in SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife approved the revised Grizzly Bear human-bear conflicts, and minimizing Service (Service), announce the Recovery Plan on September 10, 1993. actions that result in nuisance bears. availability of our finding on Task 423 in the 1993 Grizzly Bear The comments were carefully supplemental information relative to the Recovery Plan (USFWS 1993) states: considered, reviewed, and discussed by recovery plan for the grizzly bear (Ursus ‘‘Establish a threshold of minimal a team of specialists from the Fish and arctos horribilis). Portions of the habitat values to be maintained within Wildlife Service, Geological Survey, information will be added to the Grizzly each Cumulative Effects Analysis Unit Forest Service, Park Service, the Idaho Bear Recovery Plan after appropriate in order to ensure that sufficient habitat Department of Fish and Game, the public notice and comment. is available to support a viable Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife population.’’ This task, developing ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to receive and Parks, and the Wyoming Game and a copy of the supplemental information habitat-based recovery criteria, is Fish Department. This group of agency specific to each ecosystem, as the finding may obtain a copy by contacting specialists developed these draft habitat the Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, habitat necessary to support a viable criteria using the information and ideas grizzly bear population will vary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in the public comments from the University Hall, Room 309, University between ecosystems due to differences workshop, as well as the best available in foods, vegetation, habitat, and human of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812. scientific information on the grizzly Comments and materials received are activities. bear habitat and population in the As part of a 1997 court settlement on available on request for public Yellowstone ecosystem. the Recovery Plan, all parties agreed inspection, by appointment, during Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in normal business hours at the above that: 1988, requires that public notice and an 1. Prior to our release of the draft address. opportunity for public review and habitat-based recovery criteria for the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: comment be provided during recovery Dr. grizzly bear in Yellowstone, plaintiffs plan development. We will consider all Christopher Servheen, Grizzly Bear could submit comments to us and such Recovery Coordinator (see ADDRESSES comments would be considered as part information presented during a public comment period prior to approval of above), at telephone (406) 243–4903. of the administrative record. We would SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: convene a workshop during the public each new or revised recovery plan. We comment period on the draft habitat- and other Federal land management Background based recovery criteria where all agencies also will take these comments into account in the course of The primary goal of our endangered interested parties could present their species program is to restore endangered ideas on the habitat needs for grizzly implementing approved recovery plans. We now seek public comment on the or threatened animals or plants to the bear recovery and discuss proposals for draft habitat-based recovery criteria for point where they are secure, self- habitat-based recovery criteria. This the Yellowstone ecosystem to both sustaining members of their ecosystem. workshop was held in Bozeman, address Task 423 in the Grizzly Bear To help guide the recovery effort, we Montana, on June 17, 1997. prepare recovery plans for most of the 2. The information and views Recovery Plan and the lawsuit settlement agreement. listed species native to the United presented at the workshop, together States. Recovery plans describe actions with all other information submitted to Public Comments Solicited considered necessary for conservation of us during the public comment period on We solicit written comments on the the species, establish criteria for the draft habitat criteria would be information described above. All recovery levels for downlisting or considered by us before the habitat- comments received by the date specified delisting them, and estimate time and based recovery criteria are finalized. in the DATES section above will be cost for implementing the recovery When we finalize the habitat-based considered prior to finalization of the measures needed. recovery criteria, we will address habitat-based recovery criteria. The grizzly bear was listed under the significant public comments in writing, Appropriate portions of these criteria Act as a threatened species in the 48 including those significant public will be appended to, and become part conterminous States on July 28, 1995 comments offered at the workshop. of, the Plan. (40 FR 31734). Threats to grizzly bear We received 1,167 comments at or in Authority: The authority for this action is populations come primarily from response to the grizzly bear habitat habitat modification caused by human workshop. Of these, 132 were letters, 3 section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). activities and from direct bear/human were form letters, 923 were postcards conflicts resulting from recreational and with preprinted form comments, 44 Dated: July 9, 1999. Terry T. Terrell, resource use activities, highway and were postcards with preprinted form railroad corridors, and illegal mortality. Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado. comments and written comments, and Under the provisions of the 65 were written remarks delivered at the [FR Doc. 99–18137 Filed 7–15–99; 8:45 am] Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) as workshop. Major issues identified in the BILLING CODE 4310±55±P amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we approved the revised Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan on September 10, 1993.

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In May 1994 The Fund For Animals, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Preservation Plan for the long-term Inc., and 22 other organizations and management of historic properties. individuals filed suit in the U.S. District Fish and Wildlife Service Midway and Midway’s Historic Court for the District of Columbia over Preservation Plan are unique in several Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge the adequacy of the Plan approved in respects: first, the plan focuses on Historic Preservation Plan 1993. Later in May 1994 the National treatment of properties that have been previously identified and evaluated; Audubon Society and 19 other AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, organizations and individuals also filed Interior. second, some treatment options for Midway were determined by the suit in the same court. The two cases ACTION: Notice of availability. were eventually consolidated. In Programmatic Agreement and implemented, with adverse effects September 1995 the court issued an SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife mitigated by completion of opinion. The motions for summary Service has issued the Midway Atoll documentation for all historic judgment of both the plaintiffs and the National Wildlife Refuge Historic properties; third, the mission statement Preservation Plan as part of its defendants were granted in part and and primary goals of Midway Atoll responsibilities for the long-term denied in part. The court ordered us to National Wildlife Refuge include management of historic properties on reconsider certain portions of the Plan, preservation of historic resources. This Midway Atoll. This plan defines a and to provide supplemental Historic Preservation Plan focuses on program to integrate historic information. The court remanded five long-term management conditions and preservation planning with the wildlife issues that might affect grizzly bear goals for preserving and stabilizing conservation mission of the Service. By recovery for our reconsideration. Those historic properties, and recommends this notice, the public is informed that issues were: disease and parasites; procedures for treating new discoveries, the plan is available and that copies livestock interactions and mortality; the caring for museum collections, and may be obtained on request to the effects of genetic isolation; population implementing a public outreach Service. monitoring methods; and our reliance program that includes historic on Canada for recovery of the grizzly ADDRESSES: Written requests for copies preservation. bear. should be addressed to: U.S.A. Fish and Wildlife Service—Pacific Islands Dated: July 9, 1999. On September 10, 1997, we published Ecoregion, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI Thomas Dwyer, a Notice of Availability (62 FR 47677, 96850. Acting Regional Director, Pacific Region. Sept. 10, 1997) for the draft FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: [FR Doc. 99–18158 Filed 7–15–99; 8:45 am] supplemental information on the five Robert P. Smith, Pacific Islands BILLING CODE 4310±55±M remanded issues. We provided our final Manager, telephone (808) 541–2749. finding on the issues to the court on SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: May 15, 1999, and this notice Midway’s DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR historically important buildings and announces that the document is structures are primarily associated with available for public distribution. Bureau of Land Management World War II. Nine structures We are also in the process of specifically associated with the June [FES±99±18] developing draft grizzly bear habitat- 1942 Battle of Midway were designated Notice of Availability of Final based recovery criteria, which are being as National Historic Landmarks in 1986. Environmental Impact Statement made available for public review and Archaeological and architectural studies comment under a separate notice of conducted in 1993 and 1994 identified ACTION: Notice of availability. availability. and evaluated buildings, structures, and SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in objects on the atoll’s two main islands and determined that an additional 69 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 1988, requires that public notice and an has prepared a Final Environmental opportunity for public review and properties were eligible to the National Register of Historic Places. Impact Statement (EIS) for the Colorado comment be provided during recovery Sodium Products Development Project plan development. We will provide a The Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–510, as (Project), located in Rio Blanco County public comment period prior to amended, led to the closure of Midway’s and Garfield County, Colorado. Written approval of each new amendment to the Naval Air Facility on October 1, 1993 comments and recommendations on this recovery plan. We and other Federal and transfer of the property to the Final EIS should be received on or land management agencies also will Service on October 31, 1996. Transition before September 13, 1999. take these comments into account in the from a Naval Air Facility to a wildlife ADDRESSES: Address all comments course of implementing approved refuge necessitated a reduction in concerning this EIS to Mr. Larry Shults, recovery plans. personnel and operational facilities. Natural Resources Specialist, U.S. Authority: The authority for this action is Therefore, identifying excess property Bureau of Land Management, White section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, was accomplished by the U.S. Navy and River Field Office, 73544 Highway 64, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). the Service in consultation with the Meeker, CO 81641. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dated: July 9, 1999. Advisory Council on Historic Larry Shults, (970) 878–3601. Terry T. Terrell, Preservation (Council), the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Officer, and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: American Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado. interested parties. Treatment of Soda, L.L.P. (American Soda) intends to [FR Doc. 99–18138 Filed 7–15–99; 8:45 am] Midway’s 78 historic properties during construct and operate a commercial BILLING CODE 4310±55±P the Base Closure and transfer led to a nahcolite solution mining operation in Programmatic Agreement in 1996. One the northcentral portion of the Piceance of the stipulations in the agreement was Creek Basin in Rio Blanco County, for the Service to prepare a Historic Colorado. Nahcolite is naturally

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