Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 238 / Monday, December 13, 2004 / Notices 72211

will provide other agencies and the 

public with a clear understanding of the 

desired conditions for the refuges and 

how the Service will implement 

management strategies. 

The Service has already solicited 

information from the public via open 

houses, meetings, and written 

comments. Special mailings, newspaper 

articles, and announcements will 

continue to inform people in the general 

area near the refuges of the time and 

place of opportunities for further public 

input to the CCP. 

The Eastern Massachusetts NWR 

Complex is a diverse group of coastal 

and inland refuges. Habitats include 

forest, field, riparian, barrier island 

beach, freshwater marsh, and pond. 

Monomoy NWR contains 7,604 acres in 

a combination of land and open water. 

With the exception of approximately 

300 acres, all of the land area is a 

designated Federal Wilderness Area. 

Nomans Land Island NWR contains 628 

acres. 

Review of this project will be in 

accordance with the requirements of the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.), NEPA regulations (40 CFR 1500–

1508), other appropriate laws and 

regulations, and Service policies and 

procedures for compliance with those 

regulations. Concurrent with the CCP 

process we will conduct a wilderness 

review of Nomans Land Island and the 

non-wilderness portion of South 

Monomoy Island and incorporate a 

summary of the review into the CCP. 

Wilderness review is the process we use 

to determine if we should recommend 

National Wildlife Refuge System lands 

and waters to Congress for wilderness 

designation. 

We estimate that the draft 

environmental documents will be 

available December 2005 for public 

review and comment.

Dated: October 1, 2004. 

Marvin E. Moriarty, 

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, Hadley, Massachusetts.

[FR Doc. 04–27279 Filed 12–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Draft Post-Delisting Monitoring Plan 

for the Tinian Monarch (Monarcha 

takatsukasae)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability 

for review and comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (we) announces the availability 

of the Draft Post-delisting Monitoring 

Plan for the Tinian Monarch (Monarcha 

takatsukasae) (Monitoring Plan). We 

propose to monitor the status of the 

Tinian monarch over a 5-year period 

from 2005 to 2010 through regular field 

surveys of the distribution and 

abundance of the Tinian monarch, 

regular field surveys for brown 

treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on Tinian, 

and tracking of land use and 

development on Tinian. We solicit 

review and comment on this Monitoring 

Plan from local, State and Federal 

agencies, and the public.

DATES: We will accept and consider all 

public comments received on or before 

January 12, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Monitoring 

Plan are available by request from Dr. 

Eric VanderWerf, Hawaiian Bird 

Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish 

and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana 

Blvd., Box 50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 

96850 (telephone: (808) 792–9400; fax: 

(808) 792–9580). This Monitoring Plan 

is also available on the World Wide Web 

at http://pacificislands.fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. 

Eric VanderWerf, Hawaiian Bird 

Recovery Coordinator, at the above 

Honolulu address or at (808) 792–9400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Tinian monarch, or Chuchurican 

Tinian in the Chamorro language, is a 

forest bird endemic to the island of 

Tinian in the Mariana Archipelago in 

the western Pacific Ocean. The Tinian 

monarch inhabits a variety of forest 

types on Tinian, including native 

limestone forest, secondary vegetation 

consisting primarily of non-native 

plants, and nearly pure stands of 

introduced tangantangan (Leucaena 

leucocephala). 

The Tinian monarch was listed as 

endangered on June 2, 1970 (35 FR 

8491), because its population was 

reported to be critically low due to the 

destruction of native forests by preWorld War II (WW II) agricultural 

practices, and by military activities 

during WW II. We conducted forest bird 

surveys on Tinian in 1982, which 

resulted in a population estimate of 

39,338 Tinian monarchs. On November 

1, 1985, we published a proposed rule 

to delist the Tinian monarch (50 FR 

45632). Based on comments received, 

we instead downlisted the Tinian 

monarch, and a final rule reclassifying 

it from endangered to threatened was 

published on April 6, 1987 (52 FR 

10890). There is no recovery plan 

specifying delisting criteria for the 

Tinian monarch. A study of Tinian 

monarch breeding biology in 1994 and 

1995 resulted in a population estimate 

of approximately 52,900 birds. In 1996, 

a replication of the 1982 surveys yielded 

a population estimate of 55,720 birds. 

The 1996 survey also found a significant 

increase in forest density since 1982, 

indicating an improvement in Tinian 

monarch habitat quality. 

On February 22, 1999, we published 

a proposed rule to remove the Tinian 

monarch from the Federal List of 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

(64 FR 8533). That proposal was based 

primarily on information from 

population surveys and demographic 

research, which indicated the Tinian 

monarch has increased in number or is 

stable, and that the primary listing 

factor, loss of habitat, has been 

ameliorated. On September 21, 2004, we 

published a final rule removing the 

Tinian monarch from the Federal List of 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

(69 FR 65367). 

Section 4(g)(1) of the Endangered 

Species Act (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

seq.), requires that we implement a 

system, in cooperation with the States, 

to monitor for no fewer than 5 years the 

status of all species that have recovered 

and been removed from the Federal List 

of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants. The purpose of postdelisting monitoring is to verify that a 

species delisted due to recovery remains 

secure from risk of extinction after it has 

been removed from the protections of 

the Act. 

On December 7, 2002, we mailed 

letters to 18 scientific experts on the 

Tinian monarch and the brown 

treesnake, asking for scientific review of 

the Monitoring Plan. We received nine 

responses to our request. We carefully 

considered the comments of the 

reviewers and used them to improve the 

Monitoring Plan. 

We propose to monitor the status of 

the Tinian monarch over a 5-year period 

from 2005 to 2010 in cooperation with 

the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands Division of Fish and 

Wildlife, the U.S. Geological Survey, the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the 

U.S. Navy through regular field surveys 

of the distribution and abundance of the 

Tinian monarch, regular field surveys 

for brown treesnakes on Tinian, and by 

tracking changes in land use and 

development on Tinian. If data from this 

monitoring effort, or from some other 

source, indicate that the Tinian 

72212 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 238 / Monday, December 13, 2004 / Notices 

monarch is experiencing significant 

declines in abundance or distribution or 

that it requires protective status under 

the Act for some other reason, we can 

initiate listing procedures including, if 

appropriate, emergency listing. 

Public Comments Solicited 

We will accept written comments and 

information during this comment 

period. If you wish to comment, you 

may submit your comments and 

materials concerning this monitoring 

plan by any of these methods: 

1. You may submit written comments 

and information my mail, facsimile, or 

in person to the Hawaiian Bird Recovery 

Coordinator at the above Honolulu 

address (see ADDRESSES). 

2. You may send comments by 

electronic mail (e-mail) to: 

monarch_pdmp@r1.fws.gov. If you 

submit comments by e-mail, please 

submit them as an ASCII file and avoid 

the use of special characters and any 

form of encryption. Please also include 

your name and return address in your 

e-mail message. 

Comments and materials received, as 

well as supporting documentation used 

in preparation of the Monitoring Plan, 

will be available for inspection, by 

appointment, during normal business 

hours at the above Honolulu address 

(see ADDRESSES). 

Author 

The primary author of this document 

is Dr. Eric A. VanderWerf, Hawaiian 

Bird Recovery Coordinator (see

ADDRESSES). 

Authority 

The authority for this action is the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: November 15, 2004. 

David Wesley, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and 

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 04–27022 Filed 12–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Meeting of the California Desert 

District Advisory Council

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in 

accordance with Public Laws 92–463 

and 94–579, that the California Desert 

District Advisory Council to the Bureau 

of Land Management, U.S. Department 

of the Interior, will participate in a field 

tour of the BLM-administered public 

lands on Friday, January 7, 2005, from 

7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and meet in formal 

session on Saturday, January 8, from 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m. The Saturday meeting 

will be held in the Pinnacles Room in 

the Kerr McGee Community Center, 

located at 100 W. California Avenue, 

Ridgecrest, California. 

The Council and interested members 

of the public will depart for a field tour 

at 7:30 a.m. from the parking lot of the 

Heritage Inn Hotel, which is located at 

1050 North Norma in Ridgecrest, 

California. The public is welcome to 

participate in the tour, but should plan 

on providing their own transportation, 

drinks, and lunch. 

Agenda items tentatively scheduled 

for the Saturday Council meeting will 

include reports by Advisory Council 

members, the District Manager and the 

five District field office managers. 

Additional briefings to be scheduled. 

The Advisory Council also confirmed 

meetings on the following dates:

—April 1–2 

—June 24–25 

—September 23–24

Each meeting will include a field tour 

on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 

a public meeting on Saturday from 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m. Once finalized, the 

locations and agenda topics will be 

published in the Federal Register and 

posted on BLM’s California State Web 

page at http://www.ca.blm.gov/news.

Click on Advisory Councils and scroll 

down to the California Desert District 

Advisory Council. 

All Desert District Advisory Council 

meetings are open to the public. Time 

for public comment may be made 

available by the Council Chairman 

during the presentation of various 

agenda items, and is scheduled at the 

end of the meeting for topics not on the 

agenda. 

Written comments may be filed in 

advance of the meeting for the 

California Desert District Advisory 

Council, c/o Bureau of Land 

Management, Public Affairs Office, 

22835 Calle San Juan De Los Lagos, 

Moreno Valley, California 92553. 

Written comments also are accepted at 

the time of the meeting and, if copies 

are provided to the recorder, will be 

incorporated into the minutes.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Doran Sanchez, BLM California Desert 

District Public Affairs Specialist (951) 

697–5220.

Dated: December 6, 2004. 

Alan Stein, 

Assistant District Manager.

[FR Doc. 04–27194 Filed 12–10–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[WY–100–05–1310–DB] 

Notice of Meeting of the Pinedale 

Anticline Working Group’s 

Reclamation Task Group

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and 

cancellation. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act (1976) and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act (1972), the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM) Pinedale 

Anticline Working Group (PAWG) 

Reclamation Task Group 

(subcommittee) will meet in Pinedale, 

Wyoming, for a business meeting. Task 

Group meetings are open to the public.

DATES: The PAWG Reclamation Task 

Group meeting scheduled for December 

8, 2004 at the Pinedale Library is 

cancelled. The PAWG Reclamation Task 

Group will conduct meetings on the 

following dates: January 4, 2005, from 9 

a.m. until 4 p.m.; January 19, 2005, from 

6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and; February 9, 

2005, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: All meetings of the PAWG 

Reclamation Task Group will be held in 

the Lovatt room of the Pinedale Library 

at 155 S. Tyler Ave., Pinedale, WY.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dessa Dale, BLM/Reclamation TG 

Liaison, Bureau of Land Management, 

Pinedale Field Office, 432 E Mills St., 

P.O. Box 768, Pinedale, WY, 82941; 

(307) 367–5321.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Pinedale Anticline Working Group 

(PAWG) was authorized and established 

with release of the Record of Decision 

(ROD) for the Pinedale Anticline Oil 

and Gas Exploration and Development 

Project on July 27, 2000. The PAWG 

advises the BLM on the development 

and implementation of monitoring plans 

and adaptive management decisions as 

development of the Pinedale Anticline 

Natural Gas Field (PAPA) proceeds for 

the life of the field. 

After the ROD was issued, Interior 

determined that a Federal Advisory 

Committees Act (FACA) charter was 

required for this group. The charter was 

signed by Secretary of the Interior, Gale 

Norton, on August 15, 2002, and 

renewed on August 13, 2004. An 

announcement of committee initiation 

and call for nominations was published 

in the Federal Register on February 21, 

2003, (68 FR 8522). PAWG members