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Thursday, November 17, 2005 Part III Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designating the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of Grizzly Bears as a Distinct Population Segment; Removing the Yellowstone Distinct Population Segment of Grizzly Bears From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Proposed Rule VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:48 Nov 16, 2005 Jkt 208001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\17NOP2.SGM 17NOP2 69854 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 221 / Thursday, November 17, 2005 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR sustainable mortality limits for the • January 9, 2006, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Yellowstone grizzly bear population. the Holiday Inn, 5 Baxter Lane, Fish and Wildlife Service Both the Conservation Strategy and the Bozeman, Montana. supplemental information to be • January 10, 2006, from 4 to 7 p.m. 50 CFR Part 17 appended to the Recovery Plan have at the Cody Auditorium, 1240 Beck RIN 1018–AT38 already undergone public review and Avenue, Cody Wyoming. comment (62 FR 19777, April 23, 1997; • January 11, 2006, from 4 to 8 p.m. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 62 FR 47677, September 10, 1997; 64 FR at the Snow King Resort, 400 E. Snow and Plants; Designating the Greater 38464, July 16, 1999; 64 FR 38465, July King Avenue, Jackson, Wyoming. Yellowstone Ecosystem Population of 16, 1999; 65 FR 11340, March 2, 2000). • January 12, 2006, from 4 to 8 p.m. Grizzly Bears as a Distinct Population In a subsequent notice, the revised at the Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay Boulevard, Segment; Removing the Yellowstone methodology pertaining to population Idaho Falls, Idaho. Distinct Population Segment of Grizzly parameters will be made available for FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Bears From the Federal List of public review and comment. It will be Christopher Servheen, Grizzly Bear Endangered and Threatened Wildlife finalized, with public comments Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and incorporated, before this proposed rule Wildlife Service, at our Missoula office AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, is finalized. Finally, the U.S. Forest (see address above) or telephone (406) Interior. Service will finalize their Forest Plan 243–4903. ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public Amendments for Grizzly Bear SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: hearing. Conservation for the Greater Background SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Yellowstone Area National Forests prior Wildlife Service (Service), propose to to the Service finalizing this action. Species Description establish a distinct population segment DATES: We will consider comments on Grizzly bears are generally larger and (DPS) of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos this proposed rule received until the more heavily built than other bears horribilis) for the greater Yellowstone close of business on February 15, 2006. (Craighead and Mitchell 1982; Schwartz Ecosystem and surrounding area. We We will hold one public hearing on this et al. 2003a). Grizzly bears can be also propose to remove the Yellowstone proposed rule scheduled hearing for distinguished from black bears, which DPS from the List of Threatened and November 15, 2005. In addition, we also occur in the lower 48 States, by Endangered Wildlife. The Yellowstone have scheduled four open houses (see longer, curved claws, humped grizzly bear population is no longer an ADDRESSES section for locations). shoulders, and a face that appears to be endangered or threatened population ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, concave (Craighead and Mitchell 1982). pursuant to the Endangered Species Act you may submit your comments and A wide range of coloration from light of 1973, as amended (ESA), based on the materials concerning this proposal by brown to nearly black is common best scientific and commercial any one of several methods: (LeFranc et al. 1987). Spring shedding, information available. Robust 1. You may submit written comments new growth, nutrition, and coat population growth, coupled with State to the Grizzly Bear Recovery condition all affect coloration. Guard and Federal cooperation to manage Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife hairs (long, course outer hair forming a mortality and habitat, widespread Service, University Hall 309, University protective layer over the soft underfur) public support for grizzly bear recovery, of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812. are often pale in color at the tips; hence and the development of adequate 2. You may hand deliver written the name ‘‘grizzly’’ (Craighead and regulatory mechanisms, has brought the comments to our Missoula office at the Mitchell 1982). In the lower 48 States, Yellowstone grizzly bear population to address given above. the average weight of grizzly bears is the point where making a change to its 3. You may send comments by generally 200 to 300 kilograms (kg) (400 status is appropriate. electronic mail (e-mail) to to 600 pounds (lb)) for males and 110 The proposed delisting of the [email protected]. See to 160 kg (250 to 350 lb) for females Yellowstone DPS would not change the the Public Comments Solicited section (Craighead and Mitchell 1982). Grizzly threatened status of the remaining below for file format and other bears are long-lived mammals, generally grizzly bears in the lower 48 States, information about electronic filing. living to be around 25 years old which will remain protected by the Comments and materials received, as (LeFranc et al. 1987). ESA. If this proposed action is finalized, well as supporting documentation used the Service intends to initiate a 5-year in preparation of this proposed action, Taxonomy review of grizzly bear populations in the will be available for inspection, by Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) conterminous States outside of the appointment, during normal business are vertebrates that belong to the Class Yellowstone DPS based on additional hours, at our Missoula office (see Mammalia, Order Carnivora, and scientific information that is currently address above). In addition, certain Family Ursidae. The grizzly bear is a being collected and analyzed. documents such as the Conservation member of the brown bear species (U. Additionally, prior to finalizing the Strategy and information to be arctos) that occurs in North America, proposed action, the Service will—(1) appended to the recovery plan are Europe, and Asia; the subspecies U. a. finalize the Conservation Strategy that available at http://mountain- horribilis is limited to North America will guide post-delisting management of prairie.fws.gov/species/mammals/ (Rausch 1963; Servheen 1999). Early the grizzly bear in the Greater grizzly/yellowstone.htm. taxonomic descriptions of U. arctos Yellowstone Area; (2) append habitat- The public hearing will be held at the based primarily on skull measurements based recovery criteria to the Recovery following location: described more than 90 subspecies Plan; (3) append genetic monitoring • January 10, 2006, from 7 to 9 p.m. (Merriam 1918), but this was later information to the Recovery Plan; and at the Cody Auditorium, 1240 Beck revised to 2 subspecies in North (4) finalize revised methodology for Avenue, Cody Wyoming. America, U. a. middendorfi on the calculating total population size, known The open houses will be held at the islands of the Kodiak archipelago and U. to unknown mortality ratios, and following locations: a. horribilis in the rest of North America VerDate Aug<31>2005 17:48 Nov 16, 2005 Jkt 208001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\17NOP2.SGM 17NOP2 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 221 / Thursday, November 17, 2005 / Proposed Rules 69855 (Rausch 1963). Subsequent analyses population by enabling males to mate in body temperature (Nowak and (Hall 1984) suggested seven North with numerous females (Blanchard and Paradiso 1983). Due to their relatively American subspecies. DNA analyses Knight 1991; Craighead et al. 1995). constant body temperature in the den, provide an additional tool for evaluating Grizzly bear population densities of 1 hibernating grizzly bears can be easily taxonomic classification. Using bear per 20 sq km (8 sq mi) have been aroused and have been known to exit mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of brown reported in Glacier National Park dens when disturbed by seismic or bears across their worldwide range, five (Martinka 1976), but most populations mining activity (Harding and Nagy lineage groups or clades have been in the lower 48 States are much less 1980) or by human activity (Swenson et described: Clade I brown bears from dense (LeFranc et al. 1987). For al. 1997). Both males and females have Scandinavia and southern Europe; example, estimates of grizzly bear a tendency to use the same general area Clade II from Admiralty, Baronoff, and densities in the Yellowstone area range year after year but the same exact den Chichagof islands in Alaska; Clade III from one bear per 50 sq km (20 sq mi) is rarely used twice by an individual from eastern Europe, Asia, and western to one bear per 80 sq km (30 sq mi) (Schoen et al. 1987; Linnell et al. 2000). Alaska; Clade IV from southern Canada (Blanchard and Knight 1980; Craighead Females display stronger area fidelity and the lower 48 United States; and and Mitchell 1982). than males and generally stay in their Clade V from eastern Alaska and Grizzly bears have a promiscuous dens longer, depending on reproductive northern Canada (Cronin et al. 1991; mating system (Hornocker 1962; status (Judd et al. 1986; Schoen et al. Taberlet and Bouvet 1994; Kohn et al. Craighead and Mitchell 1982; Schwartz 1987; Linnell et al. 2000). 1995; Randi et al. 1994; Taberlet et al. et al. 2003a) with genetic studies In preparation for hibernation, bears 1995; Talbot and Shields 1996; Waits et confirming that cubs from the same increase their food intake dramatically al. 1998a; Waits et al. 1999). The two litter can have different fathers during a stage called hyperphagia. North American subspecies approach of (Craighead et al.