Migratory Bird Hunting; Proposed Frameworks for Early Season Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations; Notice of Meetings; Proposed Rule
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Vol. 76 Tuesday, No. 143 July 26, 2011 Part IV Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 20 Migratory Bird Hunting; Proposed Frameworks for Early Season Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations; Notice of Meetings; Proposed Rule VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:32 Jul 25, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\26JYP4.SGM 26JYP4 sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS 44730 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 143 / Tuesday, July 26, 2011 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR generally means that we will post any 18. Hawaii personal information you provide us 19. Puerto Rico Fish and Wildlife Service (see the Public Comments section below 20. Virgin Islands 21. Falconry for more information). 22. Other 50 CFR Part 20 Meetings: The SRC will meet in room 200 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Subsequent documents will refer only [Docket No. FWS–R9–MB–2011–0014; to numbered items requiring attention. 91200–1231–9BPP–L2] Service’s Arlington Square Building, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA. Therefore, it is important to note that we RIN 1018–AX34 will omit those items requiring no FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron W. Kokel, U.S. Fish and Wildlife attention, and remaining numbered Migratory Bird Hunting; Proposed items will be discontinuous and appear Frameworks for Early-Season Service, Department of the Interior, MS MBSP–4107–ARLSQ, 1849 C Street, incomplete. Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations; On June 22, 2011, we published in the NW., Washington, DC 20240; (703) 358– Notice of Meetings Federal Register (76 FR 36508) a second 1714. document providing supplemental AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interior. proposals for early- and late-season migratory bird hunting regulations. The ACTION: Regulations Schedule for 2011 Proposed rule; supplemental. June 22 supplement also provided On April 8, 2011, we published in the detailed information on the 2011–12 SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Federal Register (76 FR 19876) a Service (hereinafter Service or we) is regulatory schedule and announced the proposal to amend 50 CFR part 20. The SRC and Flyway Council meetings. proposing to establish the 2011–12 proposal provided a background and early-season hunting regulations for This document, the third in a series overview of the migratory bird hunting of proposed, supplemental, and final certain migratory game birds. We regulations process, and addressed the annually prescribe frameworks, or outer rulemaking documents for migratory establishment of seasons, limits, and bird hunting regulations, deals limits, for dates and times when hunting other regulations for hunting migratory may occur and the maximum number of specifically with proposed frameworks game birds under §§ 20.101 through for early-season regulations and the birds that may be taken and possessed 20.107, 20.109, and 20.110 of subpart K. in early seasons. Early seasons may regulatory alternatives for the 2011–12 Major steps in the 2011–12 regulatory duck hunting seasons. It will lead to open as early as September 1, and cycle relating to open public meetings include seasons in Alaska, Hawaii, final frameworks from which States may and Federal Register notifications were select season dates, shooting hours, and Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. also identified in the April 8 proposed These frameworks are necessary to daily bag and possession limits for the rule. 2011–12 season. allow State selections of specific final Further, we explained that all sections seasons and limits and to allow We have considered all pertinent of subsequent documents outlining comments received through June 30, recreational harvest at levels compatible hunting frameworks and guidelines with population status and habitat 2011, on the April 8 and June 22, 2011, were organized under numbered rulemaking documents in developing conditions. This proposed rule also headings. Those headings are: provides the final regulatory alternatives this document. In addition, new for the 2011–12 duck hunting seasons. 1. Ducks proposals for certain early-season A. General Harvest Strategy regulations are provided for public DATES: Comments: You must submit B. Regulatory Alternatives comment. Comment periods are comments on the proposed early-season C. Zones and Split Seasons specified above under DATES. We will frameworks by August 5, 2011. D. Special Seasons/Species Management publish final regulatory frameworks for Meetings: The Service Migratory Bird i. September Teal Seasons ii. September Teal/Wood Duck Seasons early seasons in the Federal Register on Regulations Committee (SRC) will meet or about August 16, 2011. to consider and develop proposed iii. Black Ducks regulations for late-season migratory iv. Canvasbacks Service Migratory Bird Regulations v. Pintails Committee Meetings bird hunting and the 2012 spring/ vi. Scaup summer migratory bird subsistence vii. Mottled Ducks Participants at the June 22–23, 2011, seasons in Alaska on July 27 and 28, viii. Wood Ducks meetings reviewed information on the 2011. All meetings will commence at ix. Youth Hunt current status of migratory shore and approximately 8:30 a.m. x. Mallard Management Units upland game birds and developed 2011– ADDRESSES: Comments: You may submit 2. Sea Ducks 12 migratory game bird regulations comments on the proposals by one of 3. Mergansers recommendations for these species plus 4. Canada Geese the following methods: regulations for migratory game birds in • A. Special Seasons Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// B. Regular Seasons Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin www.regulations.gov. Follow the C. Special Late Seasons Islands; special September waterfowl instructions for submitting comments 5. White-fronted Geese seasons in designated States; special sea on Docket No. FWS–R9–MB–2011– 6. Brant duck seasons in the Atlantic Flyway; 0014. 7. Snow and Ross’s (Light) Geese and extended falconry seasons. In • U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public 8. Swans addition, we reviewed and discussed Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R9– 9. Sandhill Cranes preliminary information on the status of MB–2011–0014; Division of Policy and 10. Coots waterfowl. Directives Management; U.S. Fish and 11. Moorhens and Gallinules Participants at the previously 12. Rails Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 13. Snipe announced July 27–28, 2011, meetings MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203. 14. Woodcock will review information on the current We will not accept e-mailed or faxed 15. Band-Tailed Pigeons status of waterfowl and develop comments. We will post all comments 16. Doves recommendations for the 2011–12 on http://www.regulations.gov. This 17. Alaska regulations pertaining to regular VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:32 Jul 25, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\26JYP4.SGM 26JYP4 sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 143 / Tuesday, July 26, 2011 / Proposed Rules 44731 waterfowl seasons and other species and conditions in the prairies expanded in of the Maritimes and Maine, which had seasons not previously discussed at the 2011, including a region along the colder than normal temperatures and early-season meetings. In accordance Alberta and Saskatchewan border that above-average precipitation. Despite with Department of the Interior policy, had been poor for the last 2 years. The regional differences in winter these meetings are open to public 2011 estimate of ponds in Prairie conditions, above-average spring observation and you may submit Canada was 4.9 ± 0.2 million. This was precipitation recharged deficient comments on the matters discussed. 31 percent above last year’s estimate wetlands, subsequently providing good (3.7 ± 0.2 million) and 43 percent above Population Status and Harvest to excellent production habitat across the 1955–2010 average (3.4 ± 0.03 the region. The boreal forest and The following paragraphs provide million). As expected, residual water Canadian Maritimes of the eastern preliminary information on the status of from summer 2010 precipitation survey area continued to have good to waterfowl and information on the status remained in the Parklands and the excellent habitat conditions in 2011. and harvest of migratory shore and majority of the area was classified as Habitat conditions in Ontario and upland game birds excerpted from good. Fair to poor conditions, however, southern Quebec improved from poor to various reports. For more detailed were observed in the Parklands of fair in 2010 to good to excellent. information on methodologies and Alberta. Northern sections of the eastern survey results, you may obtain complete copies Wetland numbers and conditions area continued to remain in good to of the various reports at the address were excellent in the U.S. prairies. The excellent conditions in 2011. indicated under FOR FURTHER 2011 pond estimate for the north-central INFORMATION CONTACT or from our Web U.S. was 3.2 ± 0.1 million, which was Status of Teal ± site at http://www.fws.gov/ similar to last year’s estimate (2.9 0.1 The estimate of blue-winged teal from migratorybirds/ million) and 102 percent above the ± the traditional survey area is 8.9 NewsPublicationsReports.html. 1974–2010 average (1.6 0.02 million). million. This record-high count The eastern U.S. prairies benefitted from Waterfowl Breeding and Habitat Survey represents a 41.0 percent increase from abundant moisture in 2010 and the 2010, and is 91 percent above the 1955– Federal, provincial, and State entire U.S. prairies experienced above- 2010 average. agencies conduct surveys each spring to average winter and spring precipitation estimate the size of breeding in 2010 and 2011, resulting in good to Sandhill Cranes populations and to evaluate the excellent conditions across nearly the conditions of the habitats. These Compared to increases recorded in the entire region. The western Dakotas and 1970s, annual indices to abundance of surveys are conducted using fixed-wing eastern Montana, which were extremely aircraft, helicopters, and ground crews the Mid-Continent Population (MCP) of dry in 2010, improved from fair to poor sandhill cranes have been relatively and encompass principal breeding areas in 2010 to good to excellent in 2011.