57646 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 193 / Monday, October 6, 2003 / Proposed Rules Public Comments Solicited Author Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 750, Arlington, VA We solicit comments on the draft The primary author of this document is Rob Tawes (see ADDRESSES section). 22203 USA; or by fax, 703–358–2276; or economic analysis referred to in this by e-mail, [email protected]. document, as well as on any other Authority Comments and supporting information aspect of the proposed critical habitat The authority for this action is the will be available for public inspection, designation for the five Tennessee and Endangered Species Act of 1973, as by appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cumberland River Basin mussels. In amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). at the above address. order to accommodate the public To request copies of the regulations Dated: September 29, 2003. hearing and public review of the draft regarding listed wildlife or inquire economic analysis, we are now closing Julie MacDonald, about prohibitions or permits, write to: the comment period for both the Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Division of Management Authority, proposed rule and the draft economic Wildlife and Parks. 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 700, analysis on December 5, 2003. All [FR Doc. 03–25184 Filed 10–3–03; 8:45 am] Arlington, VA 22203 USA. previous comments and information BILLING CODE 4310–55–P Alternatively, you may contact us by submitted during the comment period telephone, 703–358–2104 or toll free at need not be resubmitted. Refer to the 1–800–358–2104; or by fax, 703–358– DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ADDRESSES section for information on 2276; or by e-mail, how to submit written comments and Fish and Wildlife Service [email protected]. information. Our final determination on FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: the proposed critical habitat will take 50 CFR Part 17 Eleanora Babij at the above address; or into consideration comments and any RIN 1018–AF49 by telephone, 703–358–1708; or by fax, additional information received. 703–358–2276; or by e-mail, Please submit electronic comments in Endangered and Threatened Wildlife [email protected]. an ASCII file format and avoid the use and Plants; 12-Month Petition Finding SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: of special characters and encryption. and Proposed Rule To List the Tibetan Please also include ‘‘Attn: RIN 1018– Antelope as Endangered Throughout Background AI76’’ and your name and return Its Range Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered address in your e-mail message. If you Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended do not receive a confirmation from the AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires the system that we have received your e- Interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) mail message, please contact us directly ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of finding. to make a finding on whether a petition by calling our Tennessee Field Office SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and to list, delist, or reclassify a species has (see ADDRESSES section). Wildlife Service (Service), announce the presented substantial information Our practice is to make all comments, 12-month finding that a petition to list indicating that the requested action may including names and home addresses of the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops be warranted. To the maximum extent respondents, available for public review hodgsonii) as endangered throughout its practicable, the finding shall be made during regular business hours. range pursuant to the Endangered within 90 days following receipt of the Individual respondents may request that Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act, petition (this finding is referred to as the we withhold their home addresses from or ESA), is warranted. The best available ‘‘90-day finding’’) and published the rulemaking record, which we will information indicates that the total promptly in the Federal Register. If the honor to the extent allowable by law. In population of Tibetan antelope has 90-day finding is positive (i.e., the some circumstances, we would declined drastically over the past three petition has presented substantial withhold from the rulemaking record a decades. This decline has resulted information indicating that the respondent’s identity, as allowable by primarily from overutilization for requested action may be warranted), law. If you wish for us to withhold your commercial purposes and the Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act requires the name and/or address, you must state inadequacy of existing regulatory Service to commence a status review of this prominently at the beginning of mechanisms. Habitat impacts, especially the species if one has not already been your comments. However, we will not those caused by domestic livestock initiated under the Service’s internal consider anonymous comments. We grazing, appear to be a contributory candidate assessment process. In will make all submissions from factor in the decline, and could have addition, Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act organizations or businesses, and from potentially greater impacts in the near also requires the Service to make a individuals identifying themselves as future. Accordingly, we herein propose finding within 12 months following representatives or officials of to list the Tibetan antelope as receipt of the petition on whether the organizations or businesses, available endangered, pursuant to the Act. This requested action is warranted, not for public inspection in their entirety. proposed rule, if made final, would warranted, or warranted but precluded by higher priority listing actions (this We particularly seek comments extend the Act’s protection to this finding is referred to as the ‘‘12-month concerning: species. The Service seeks data and finding’’). The 12-month finding is also (1) Are there other types of activities, comments from the public on this proposal. to be published promptly in the Federal such as habitat conservation plans, Register. related to this proposed designation of DATES: Comments and information may critical habitat whose costs are not be submitted until January 5, 2004. Natural History reflected in the draft economic analysis? Public hearing requests must be The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops If so, please provide as much received by November 20, 2003. hodgsonii sensu Wilson and Reeder information as possible to enable us to ADDRESSES: Submit comments, 1993) is a medium-sized bovid endemic identify those activities and address information, and questions to the Chief, to the Tibetan Plateau in China (Tibet those costs. Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. Autonomous Region, Xinjiang/Uygur VerDate jul<14>2003 16:19 Oct 03, 2003 Jkt 203001 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\06OCP1.SGM 06OCP1 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 193 / Monday, October 6, 2003 / Proposed Rules 57647 Autonomous Region, and Qinghai by 140 individuals. All comments fully northern one of about 490,000 square Province) and small portions of India supported an endangered listing for the kilometers (km2) and a central one of (Ladakh) and western Nepal (although Tibetan antelope, although only five about 115,000 km2. Distribution there is no evidence that they still occur comments provided any new between the two areas was continuous in Nepal). The Tibetan antelope is also information on the status of or threats to until recent decades, and there may still known by its Tibetan name ‘‘chiru.’’ the species. Particularly important be rare contact near the western end. These two common names will be used among these was the letter from Mr. However, current chiru populations in interchangeably in this document. Zhen Rende, Director General of the the central Chang Tang of the Tibet Adult males are characterized by long, CITES Management Authority of China, Autonomous Region are highly slender, antelope-like black horns. in which he expressed strong support fragmented and occur in small, scattered Although the Tibetan antelope has been for an endangered listing for the Tibetan herds. The range has also contracted in placed in the subfamily Antilopinae, antelope under the ESA. eastern Qinghai Province (Schaller recent morphological and molecular In our 90-day finding, we stated that 1998). research indicates that it is most closely we had used all relevant literature and Changes in Chinese government allied to the goats and other members of information available at that time (April policy have led to increasing human the subfamily Caprinae (Gentry 1992, 2000) on current status of and threats to development and activity on the Tibetan Gatesy et al. 1992, both cited in the Tibetan antelope. Since then, a Plateau, including transportation Ginsberg et al.1999). The species is limited amount of relevant new development (roads and railways), uniquely adapted to the high elevation information has become available as a resource extraction activities (minerals, and cold, dry climate of the Tibetan result of the status review and public oil, and gas), permanent settlement of Plateau (Schaller 1998). The sexes comment period. That information has traditionally nomadic or semi-nomadic segregate almost completely during the been incorporated, as appropriate, in pastoralists, and rangeland use for spring and early summer (May and this 12-month finding. domestic livestock grazing (Ginsberg et June), when adult females and their Summary of Factors Affecting the al. 1999). These activities have already female young migrate north to certain Species adversely modified or destroyed Tibetan calving grounds and return south by late antelope habitat in some areas and July or early August, covering distances Section 4(a)(1) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations threaten to modify or destroy habitat as far as 300 kilometers (km) each way over a large area in the near future. (Schaller 1998). Seasonal migrations promulgated to implement the listing constitute a critical aspect of the chiru’s provisions of the Act (50 CFR part 424) Nomadic and semi-nomadic ecology and help define the ecosystem set forth the procedures for adding pastoralists have grazed a mix of as a whole.