Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 160 / Tuesday, August 19, 1997 / Notices 44133

62739. It redelegates authority presently

delegated to the Office of Housing

Directors in Category AA (double A)

Offices to the Directors of the Single

Family Housing Division and the

Multifamily Housing Division in those

offices when the position of Housing

Director is vacant in those offices.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 12, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert G. Hunt, Director, Management

Services Division, or Charles E.

Patterson, Chief, Program Analysis

Branch, Management Services Division,

Department of Housing and Urban

Development, 451 Seventh Street SW,

Room 9116, Washington, DC 20410,

(202) 708–0820. Persons with hearing or

speech impairments may call HUD’s

TTY number (202) 708–1455, or the

Federal Information Relay Service at

(800) 877–8339. (With the exception of

the ‘‘800’’ number, these telephone

numbers are not toll-free.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In

November of 1993, the Secretary

announced the reorganization of HUD’s

field structure to improve performance

and provide HUD’s customers—

members of the public and program

beneficiaries—more efficient service

and less bureaucracy by empowering

HUD’s employees to more effectively

serve these customers. As part of the

ongoing process, on December 6, 1994,

at 59 FR 62739, the Department

published a Notice of Revocation and

Redelegation of Authority pertaining to

authority in the field over Office of

Housing programs, which was amended

by the Revocation and Redelegation of

Authority published on June 26, 1996 at

61 FR 33130 and was further amended

by the Redelegation of Authority

published on February 3, 1997 at 62 FR

5029.

HUD continues to streamline its

Housing operations by consolidating

functions. It is essential that the line of

authority to the field officials operating

Housing programs and functions be

maintained. Therefore the authority

held by the Director of Housing in

Category AA offices is being redelegated

to the Directors of the Single Family

Housing Division and the Multifamily

Housing Division, when the position of

Director of Housing is vacant.

Accordingly, the Assistant Secretary

for Housing—Federal Housing

Commissioner redelegates authority as

follows:

Section A. Authority Redelegated

This amendment redelegates authority

previously delegated to Office of

Housing Directors in Category AA

(Double A) offices to the Director of the

Single Family Housing Division and the

Director of the Multifamily Housing

Division, when the position of the

Office of Housing Director is vacant.

Authority: Sec. 7(d) of the Department of

Housing and Urban Development Act (42

U.S.C. 3535(d)).

Dated: August 12, 1997.

Nicolas P. Retsinas,

Assistant Secretary for Housing—Federal

Housing Commissioner.

[FR Doc. 97–21859 Filed 8–18–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–27–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Draft

Recovery Plan for Point Arena

Mountain Beaver (California) for

Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability

and public comment period.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service announces the availability for

public review of a draft recovery plan

for the Point Arena mountain beaver

(Aplodontia rufa nigra (Rafinesque))

listed as an endangered species on

December 12, 1991 (50 FR 64716). The

Point Arena mountain beaver occurs

western Mendocino County, California.

The Service solicits review and

comment from the public on this draft

plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan received by October 20, 1997, will

be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the draft recovery plan may obtain a

copy by contacting the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 3310 El Camino

Avenue, Suite 130, Sacramento,

California 95821. Written comments and

material regarding the plan should be

addressed to the Field Supervisor at the

above address. Comments and materials

received are available on request for

public inspection, by appointment,

during normal business hours at the

above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Please contact Karen Miller, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, at 916/979–2725

(see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or

threatened plant or animal to the point

where it is again a secure, selfsustaining member of its ecosystem is a

primary goal of the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service’s endangered species

program. To help guide the recovery

effort, the Service is working to prepare

recovery plans for most of the listed

species native to the United States.

Recovery plans describe the site specific

management actions considered

necessary for conservation and survival

of the species, establish objectives, and

measurable criteria for the recovery

levels for downlisting or delisting

species, and estimate time and cost for

implementing the recovery measures

needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973

(act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et

seq.) requires the development of

recovery plans for listed species unless

such a plan would not promote the

conservation of a particular species.

Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in

1988, requires the public notice and an

opportunity for public review and

comment be provided during recovery

plan development. The Service, and

other affected Federal agencies will take

these comments into account in the

course of implementing approved

recovery plans.

The Point Arena mountain beaver is

endemic to western Mendocino County,

where 24 separate occurrences are

known. Management issues and

concerns include elimination or

degradation of habitat from land

development, grazing, timber harvest

and invasion by alien plant species.

Direct threats to the species may include

predation by household pets and feral

animals, poisoning, genetic isolation

and drift, and possible sensitivity to

disturbance.

The Point Arena mountain beaver

draft recovery plan was developed by

selected experts on the biology of the

species and has been reviewed by the

appropriate Service staff in Region 1.

The plan will be made final and

approved following incorporation of

comments and material received during

this comment period.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the draft recovery plan described. All

biological comments received by the

date specified above will be considered

prior to the approval of the plan.

Authority: The authority for this action is

section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act,

16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: July 15, 1997

David L. McMullen,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–21883 Filed 8–18–97; 8:45 am]

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