[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 152 (Thursday, August 7, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 42473-42474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20672]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding for 
a Petition to List the Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) in 
Eastern North America as Endangered or Threatened

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding and initiation of status 
review.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 90-
day finding for a petition to list the eastern North America population 
of the harlequin duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) as an endangered or 
threatened species throughout its range under the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended. The Service finds that the petition presents 
substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that 
listing the population may be warranted. The Service is initiating a 
status review to determine if listing the population is warranted.

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on July 31, 
1997. To be considered in the 12-month finding for this petition, 
information and comments should be submitted to the Service by October 
6, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Information, comments, or questions concerning this petition 
should be submitted to the Field Supervisor, New England Field Office, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 22 Bridge Street, Concord, New 
Hampshire 03301-4986. The petition finding, supporting data, and 
comments are available for public inspection, by appointment, during 
normal business hours at the above address.


[[Page 42474]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Welch at the Maine Field Office, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1033 South Main Street, Old Town, Maine 
04468 (telephone 207/827-5938).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that the Service make 
a finding on whether a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a 
species presents substantial scientific or commercial information to 
demonstrate that the petitioned action may be warranted. This finding 
is to be based on all information available to the Service at the time 
the finding is made. To the maximum extent practicable, this finding is 
to be made within 90 days of receipt of the petition, and the finding 
is to be published promptly in the Federal Register. If the finding is 
that substantial information was presented, the Service also is 
required to promptly commence a review of the status of the species if 
one has not already been initiated under the Service's internal 
candidate assessment process.
    The Service has made a 90-day finding on a petition to list the 
eastern North America population of the harlequin duck (Histrionicus 
histrionicus) as endangered or threatened. The petition, dated 
September 21, 1995, was submitted by the Northern Rockies Biodiversity 
Project, Whitefish, Montana and by the Biodiversity Legal Foundation, 
Boulder, Colorado and was received by the Service on September 25, 
1995.
    When it received the petition the Service was under a moratorium on 
listing actions as a result of the passage of Public Law 104-6, which, 
along with a series of continuing budget resolutions, eliminated the 
Service's endangered species listing budget through April, 1996. This 
suspension of the listing program prohibited the Service from 
processing the petition to list the eastern North America population of 
the harlequin duck. In addition, the moratorium resulted in a 
substantial backlog of listing actions, which prompted the Service to 
issue guidance instituting a biological priority-based system for 
reducing the listing backlog. This system placed emergency listings and 
finalization of proposed rules to list species ahead of petition 
findings (61 FR 64475). For these reasons, this 90-day finding was made 
well over 90 days after the petition was received.
    The petitioners contend that the eastern North America population 
of the harlequin duck has undergone a precipitous decline, that there 
are a number of threats to the population which will cause further 
declines, and that, therefore, urgent protective measures are 
necessary. Anecdotal historical observations cited in the petition and 
in the more recent published literature suggest that the species may 
have undergone a precipitous decline in the late 1800's and early 
1900's and that a somewhat less precipitous decline has continued 
through the present time. The petitioners described possible threats to 
the population that are present throughout all or a significant portion 
of its range, including, but not limited to, oil pollution and spills, 
land use practices, illegal hunting, and hydropower development. The 
petitioners also discussed the population's vulnerability to 
demographic factors and loss of genetic diversity due to the low 
numbers of individuals.
    The Service has reviewed the petition, the literature cited in the 
petition, information in the Service's files, information submitted by 
State wildlife agencies and other knowledgeable individuals, and all 
other currently available information. On the basis of the best 
scientific and commercial information available, the Service finds that 
the petition presents substantial information that listing this 
population may be warranted.

Listing Factors and Basis for Determination

    A species can be determined to be endangered or threatened due to 
one or more of five factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. 
These five factors are: (1) Present or threatened destruction, 
modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; (2) 
overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or 
educational purposes; (3) disease or predation; (4) inadequacy of 
existing regulatory mechanisms; or (5) other natural or manmade factors 
affecting its continued existence. The Service has found that there is 
substantial information indicating that listing the eastern North 
America population of the harlequin duck as endangered or threatened 
may be warranted due to one or more of these five factors.
    In reviewing the information, the Service found that--(1) There is 
substantial information to show that numbers of the Harlequin ducks in 
the eastern population have declined in the past and a lesser level of 
decline may be continuing; (2) there is substantial information that 
shows that oil spills have occured and could occur in the future 
causing adverse impacts on the population's wintering areas.

Information Solicited

    When it makes a finding that substantial information exists to 
indicate that listing a species may be warranted, the Service is also 
required to promptly commence a review of the status of the species. 
The Service is soliciting additional information concerning the 
following: (1) Whether the eastern North America population of the 
harlequin duck is distinct from the Pacific, Greenland, and Iceland 
populations; (2) the size and distribution of the eastern North America 
population; (3) the status and trends of breeding and wintering groups 
of the eastern North America population; and (4) whether or not the 
eastern North America population is endangered or threatened based on 
the listing criteria described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act.

Author

    The primary author of this document is Debbie Mignogno, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 
01035-9589.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

    Dated: July 31, 1997.
Jay L. Gerst,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 97-20672 Filed 8-6-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P