[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 94 (Monday, May 15, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 30918-30919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-12091]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 21


Migratory Bird Permits; Notice of Amendment of Falconry, Raptor 
Propagation, and Certain Scientific Collecting Permits

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of permit amendment.

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SUMMARY: Just prior to removing the American peregrine falcon from the 
U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, we amended all 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) permits that authorized the take of 
wild raptors for falconry and raptor propagation purposes and 
scientific collecting permits that were not species-specific. The 
permit amendment continued the prohibition on removing peregrines from 
the wild until we can issue biological criteria to manage such take. We 
were unable to locate several permit holders. Therefore, this document 
serves as official notice to those holders of Federal falconry or 
raptor propagation permits, or scientific collecting permits that are 
not species-specific, who did not receive our amendment letter. This 
notice amends your permit.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments or questions concerning this notice may be 
addressed to Jon Andrew, Chief, Migratory Bird Management Office, 4401 
North Fairfax Drive, ARLSQ 634, Arlington, Virginia 22203 (703-358-
1714). Questions or information concerning individual permits should be 
addressed to the Regional Migratory Bird Permit Office responsible for 
your State, as follows: (1) Region 1 (CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, Pacific 
Island Territories) 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232-4181 (503/
872-2715); (2) Region 2 (AZ, NM, OK, TX) P.O. Box 709, Albuquerque, NM 
87103 (505/248-7882); (3) Region 3 (IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI) One 
Federal Drive, Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-0045 ((612) 713-5436); (4) Region 
4 (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, PR, VI) P.O. Box 49208, 
Atlanta, GA 30359 (404/679-7070); (5) Region 5 (CT, DE, D.C., ME, MD, 
MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV) P.O. Box 779, Hadley, MA 01035-0779 
(413/253-8641); (6) Region 6 (CO, KS, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, WY) P.O. Box 
25486, DFC(60130), Denver, CO 80225-0486 (303/236-8171); (7) Region 7 
(AK) 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503 (907/786-3693).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Lawrence, National Migratory 
Bird Permit Coordinator, Migratory Bird Management Office, at the 
Arlington, Virginia address above.

Background

    On August 25, 1999, we published a final rule in the Federal 
Register removing the American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus 
anatum) from the U.S. Endangered Species List (64 FR 46542). The rule 
also removed the ``similarity of appearance'' provision for all free-
flying peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus) in the conterminous States. 
The arctic peregrine (F. p. tundrius) was removed from the list in 
1994. As a result of these rules, native peregrine falcons no longer 
receive the protection of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). 
Conservation of native peregrine falcons now falls primarily to the 
MBTA and State regulations.
    The MBTA regulations in 50 CFR part 21 allow for the issuance of 
permits to take migratory birds for certain purposes. Prior to the 
delisting, American peregrine falcons could not be taken from the wild 
under migratory bird permits because of their endangered status under 
the ESA, and no free-flying peregrines of any subspecies in the 48 
contiguous States could be taken from the wild due to the similarity of 
appearance provision under the ESA. Other than the general prohibition 
on taking ESA-listed species, most MBTA falconry and raptor propagation 
permits and some scientific collecting permits were not species-
specific.
    In July and August of 1999, in anticipation of the delisting, we 
sent a letter to all falconry and raptor propagation permit holders and 
all non-species-specific scientific collecting permit holders amending 
their permits to prohibit take of wild peregrines once the ESA 
restrictions no longer apply. Because take of Peales (Falco peregrinus 
pealei) and arctic peregrine subspecies by residents of Alaska was 
legal, and because Alaska currently prohibits take of wild birds by 
nonresidents, permits for Alaska residents were amended to prohibit 
take of only the American peregrine falcon subspecies (F. p. anatum) in 
Alaska and all peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus) in the conterminous 
United States. The amendments do not affect activities with captive-
bred peregrines.
    The general permit regulations in 50 CFR 13.23(b) authorize us to 
amend a permit if we determine that it is necessary to do so. The 
removal of ESA protection for the species and the need to complete 
biological criteria for take of peregrines constitute our finding of 
necessity for modification of these permits. These amendments are 
necessary to protect this newly recovered species from potential 
unregulated take while we reach agreement with other government 
entities on managing take, both of nestlings born in the United States 
as well as migrants, many of which originate outside the United States.
    We were unable to locate several permit holders through the U.S. 
mail. Therefore, this document serves as notice to any holder of a 
Federal falconry permit, Federal raptor propagation permit, or Federal 
scientific collecting permit that is not species-specific for raptors, 
who did not receive our amendment letter. In accordance with 50 CFR 
13.23(b), this notice amends your permit as follows:

    For permittees residing in the conterminous United States:

    You may not take a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) from the 
wild in the United States.

    For Alaska residents:

    You may not take an American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus 
anatum) from the wild anywhere in the United States. You may not 
take any peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) from the wild in the 
conterminous United States.

    Please attach this notice to your current permit. We may amend your 
permit again when management plans for peregrines are complete.
    We attempted to notify all permittees individually of this 
amendment by letter sent to the address listed in existing permits. 
Permittees we were unable to locate by the address listed in their 
permits are identified below. However, this amendment notice applies to 
any holder of a Federal falconry permit, Federal raptor propagation 
permit, or Federal scientific collecting permit that is not species-
specific for raptors, who did not receive our amendment letter.

Region 1

Timothy Jason Walker, Las Vegas, NV (PRT# 005114)

Region 2

Ken Diehl, Boerne, TX (PRT# 003091)
John Manley Griffith, Tyler, TX (PRT# 834718)

[[Page 30919]]

Calvin E. Knock, Prescott, AZ (PRT# 679316)
Kimberly Lykins, Abilene, TX (PRT# 822616)
Kathryn McCallum, Richmond, TX (PRT# 834725)
Pamala J. Nichols, Dallas, TX (PRT# 744189)
Amenda D. Riddle, Seguin, TX (PRT# 797580)
Frank Sickles, Las Cruces, NM (PRT# 712647)
Rockwell Trent Summers, Glenrose, TX (PRT# 837019)
David R. Williamson, Ft. Worth, TX (PRT# 679707)
John A. Yezeguielian, Pryor, OK (PRT# 704425)

Region 4

John Thomas Williams, Clinton, MS (PRT# 784042)
Dennis Lee Hinojos, Alpharetta, GA (PRT3# 752597)

Region 5

Santos Rodriguez, Columbia, MD (PRT# 001157)
Paul R. Getzel, Baltimore, MD (PRT# 801992)

Region 6

Jonathan Albrand, Salt Lake City, UT (PRT# 001157)
Steven Buckner, Lake Point, UT (PRT# 708924)
Brent Grasmick, Torrington, WY (PRT# 005714)
Pat Hnilicka, Cheyenne, WY (PRT# 794982)
Forrest Moore, Casper, WY (PRT# 698983)
Kristine Newbold, Lake Point, UT (PRT# 813936)
Kent Reisdorph, Aberdeen, SD (PRT# 770103)
Rip Ripley, Salt Lake City, UT (PRT# 764383)
Ronald Rollins, Roy, UT (PRT# 792790; 802055)
Weston Winegar, Salt Lake City, UT (PRT# 785325)

    If you are among the permittees named above, or if you are a 
falconry, raptor propagation, or nonspecific scientific collecting 
permit holder not named above but you did not receive our amendment 
letter, you should contact your regional migratory bird permit office 
(see ADDRESSES section) within 10 days of the date of this notice to 
clarify your address. Service regulations require that permittees 
notify the permit issuing office within 10 calendar days of an address 
change (50 CFR 13.23(c)).
    If you have concerns about the amendment that you wish to address 
through the formal administrative process, please refer to the review 
procedures in 50 CFR 13.29, a subsection of the general permit 
regulations, which you received with your permit application.

    Authority: The authority for this action is the Migratory Bird 
Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-711).

    Dated: May 1, 2000.
Jamie Rappaport Clark,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-12091 Filed 5-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U