53772 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Thursday, October 16, 1997 / Proposed Rules

1See Revision of the Commission’s Rules to

Ensure Compatibility with Enhanced 911

Emergency Calling Systems, CC Docket No. 94–102,

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 59 FR 54878

(November 2, 1994); Revision of the Commission’s

Rules to Ensure Compatibility with Enhanced 911

Emergency Calling Systems, CC Docket No. 94–102,

Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking, 61 FR 40348, 40374 (August 2, 1996)

(E911 Report and Order), recon. pending.

2See also PCIA, Request for Extension of Time to

Implement E911/TTY Compatibility Requirement

for Wireless Operators (Aug. 27, 1997); CTIA Ex

Parte Filing (Sept. 23, 1997).

3Following the Joint Letter, CTIA filed another ex

parte letter dated September 26, 1997, concerning

carrier liability with respect to E911 calls. We have

also received certain ex parte filings prior to the

Joint Letter which relate to the issues raised in that

letter. For example, with respect to the proposed

18-month extension of the TTY compliance date,

the National Association of the Deaf and the

Consumer Action Network oppose it as too long and

propose additional obligations. Opposition to

Request for Extension of Eighteen Months to

Implement E911/TTY Compatibility Requirement

for Wireless Operators (Sept. 11, 1997). Nextel

Communications, on the other hand, supports the

requested extension. Motion in Support of Request

for Extension of time to Implement E911/TTY

Compatibility Requirement for Wireless Operators

(Sept. 9, 1997).

hour on signal between 7 a.m. and 7

p.m., April 1 to November 30, except

that on Saturdays, Sundays and Federal

holidays, form June 1 through

September 30, the bridge shall open on

signal on the hour between 7 a.m. and

7 p.m.

(b) If a pleasure vessel is approaching

a drawbridge which is only required to

open on the hour or on the hour and

half hour, and cannot reach the

drawbridge on the hour or on the half

hour, the drawtender may delay the

required opening up to 10 minutes past

the hour or half hour.

Dated: October 1, 1997.

Roger Rufe Jr.,

Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander,

Fifth Coast Guard District.

[FR Doc. 97–27359 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–14–M

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 20

[CC Docket No. 94–102; DA 97–2151]

Compatibility of Wireless Services

With Enhanced 911

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; further request

for comment.

SUMMARY: In the wireless Enhanced 911

(E911) rulemaking proceeding, the

Commission seeks additional comment

on a September 25, 1997, ex parte letter

(Joint Letter) filed by two wireless

industry groups and three public safety

community groups. In the Joint Letter,

the Cellular Telecommunications

Industry Association (CTIA), the

Personal Communications Industry

Association (PCIA), the Association of

Public-Safety Communications

Officials-International, Inc. (APCO), the

National Emergency Number

Association (NENA), and the National

Association of State Nine-One-One

Administrators (NASNA) propose

modifications to terms used in this

proceeding and rules for processing 911

calls and permitting Public Safety

Answering Points (PSAPs) to choose

which 911 calls they will receive. The

letter also supports an extension of the

compliance date for implementation of

911 service over digital wireless services

for TTY users. Additional comment on

these responses is sought to assist the

Commission in determining whether to

revise the Commission’s Rules. The

effect of revising the Commission’s

Rules would be to clarify the

implementation of basic 911 services to

wireless customers, including people

with hearing or speech disabilities.

DATES: Comments must be filed by

October 17,1997, and reply comments

must be filed by October 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications

Commission, Washington, D.C. 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Won

Kim, Policy Division, Wireless

Telecommunications Bureau, (202) 418–

1310.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional Comment Sought in

Wireless Enhanced 911

Reconsideration Proceeding Regarding

Rules and Schedules

1. In the wireless Enhanced 911

(E911) rulemaking proceeding, the

Commission seeks additional comment

on a September 25, 1997, ex parte letter

(Joint Letter) filed by two wireless

industry groups and three public safety

community groups. In the Joint Letter,

the Cellular Telecommunications

Industry Association (CTIA), the

Personal Communications Industry

Association (PCIA), the Association of

Public-Safety Communications

Officials-International, Inc. (APCO), the

National Emergency Number

Association (NENA), and the National

Association of State Nine-One-One

Administrators (NASNA) propose

modifications to the 911 rules and

support an extension of the compliance

date for implementation of TTY

compatibility requirements. The full

text of the Joint Letter is available for

inspection and duplication during

regular business hours in the FCC

Reference Center, Federal

Communications Commission, 1919 M

Street, NW., Room 239, Washington, DC

20554. Copies may also be obtained

from International Transcription

Service, Inc. (ITS), 1231 20th Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20036, (202) 857–

3800.

2. Pursuant to § 1.415(d) of the

Commission’s Rules, 47 CFR 1.415(d),

additional comment is hereby sought in

the wireless E911 reconsideration

proceeding 1 concerning issues raised in

an ex parte presentation filed by several

parties in the proceeding. In the E911

Report and Order, the Commission

established rules requiring wireless

carriers to implement basic 911 and

E911 services.

3. In a September 25, 1997, ex parte

letter (Joint Letter), two wireless

industry groups (the Cellular

Telecommunications Industry

Association (CTIA) and the Personal

Communications Industry Association

(PCIA)) and three public safety

community groups (the Association of

Public-Safety Communications

Officials-International, Inc., the National

Emergency Number Association, and

the National Association of State NineOne-One Administrators) propose

modifications to terms used in the E911

Report and Order and rules for

processing 911 calls and permitting

Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)

to choose which 911 calls they will

receive. The letter also supports an

extension of the compliance date for

implementation of 911 service over

digital wireless services for TTY/TDD

users from October 1, 1997, to April 1,

1999,2 and requests that the

Commission refrain from addressing

certain additional issues until the

industry has had the opportunity to

fully consider such issues in meetings

with the relevant parties.

4. We have also received other ex

parte comments addressing issues

raised in the Joint Letter. In a September

29, 1997, letter, Congresswoman Anna

Eshoo provided the Commission with

her initial assessment of the

recommendations made in the Joint

Letter and reiterated her view that ‘‘it is

in the public’s best interest that all

wireless 911 calls should be passed

through to the public safety authority.’’

On September 30, 1997, the Ad Hoc

Alliance for Public Access to 911 also

filed an ex parte letter opposing the

Joint Letter.3

5. The Wireless Telecommunications

Bureau took note of the pending

petitions for reconsideration and ex

parte filings and on September 30, 1997,
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 200 / Thursday, October 16, 1997 / Proposed Rules 53773

adopted an Order staying the provisions

and effective date of §§ 20.18(a)-(c)

inclusive of the Commission’s Rules, 47

CFR 20.18(a)-(c), which would require

wireless carriers to forward certain 911

calls to PSAPs, including calls from

TTY devices. The stay defers the

effective date of those rules from

October 1, 1997, to November 30, 1997,

in order to permit the Commission to

complete its review.

6. Pursuant to applicable procedures

set forth in §§ 1.145(d) and 1.419 of the

Commission’s Rules, 47 CFR 1.415(d),

1.419, interested parties may file

comments on the issues raised in the

Joint Letter no later than October 17,

1997. Reply comments may be filed no

later than October 27, 1997. All relevant

and timely comments will be

considered by the Commission before

final action is taken in this proceeding.

To file formally in this proceeding,

participants must file an original and

five copies of all comments. If

participants want each Commissioner to

receive a personal copy of their

comments, an original and nine copies

must be filed. All comments should be

filed with the Office of the Secretary,

Federal Communications Commission,

1919 M Street, NW., Room 222,

Washington, DC 20554, referencing CC

Docket No. 94–102.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 20

Communications common carriers.

Federal Communications Commission.

Daniel B. Phythyon,

Chief, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

[FR Doc. 97–27582 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 32

RIN 1018–AE18

1997–98 Refuge-Specific Hunting and

Sport Fishing Regulations

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Reopening of comment period.

SUMMARY: This proposed rule adds

additional national wildlife refuges to

the list of areas open for hunting and/

or sport fishing, along with pertinent

refuge-specific regulations for such

activities; and amends certain

regulations on other refuges that pertain

to migratory game bird hunting, upland

game hunting, big game hunting and

sport fishing. The Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) provides notice of

reopening of the comment period for

only the specific proposal to hunt bison

on the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming.

DATES: The public comment period

closes November 17, 1997 to ensure

consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

materials concerning this proposal

should be sent directly to Assistant

Director, Refuges and Wildlife, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, 1849 C Street,

NW, MS 670 ARLSQ, Washington, DC

20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Stephen R. Vehrs, at the above address;

Telephone (703) 358–2397.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Service had received a second request

from the Fund for Animals to extend the

comment period on the proposal to

permit bison hunting on the National

Elk Refuge. The original comment

period was open for 30 days and then

extended to September 19, 1997 (62 FR

38959 published July 21, 1997 and 62

FR 47372, Sept. 9, 1997) to

accommodate a public review of a

pending interagency bison herd

management plan. Due to the need by

the Service for additional time to

complete their portion of the herd

management plan and review

information and comments from

interested parties on this proposed

action, the comment period is reopened

for an additional 30 days. The herd

management plan was signed on

September 30, 1997. In addition to this

reopening of comments, several other

documents, such as a compatibility

determination and a National Elk Refuge

Hunt Plan Amendment needed to be

finalized before a bison hunt would take

place. Both documents were signed on

October 1, 1997. All parties are invited

to submit comments on the proposed

bison hunt. Copies of the Hunt Plan

Amendment and the compatibility

determination are available from the

Refuge Manager, National Elk Refuge,

Box C, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.

Refuge hunting programs are

reviewed annually to determine

whether additional refuges should be

added or whether individual refuge

regulations governing existing programs

should be modified, deleted or have

additions made to them. Changing

environmental conditions, State and

Federal regulations, and other factors

affecting wildlife populations and

habitat may warrant modifications

ensuring continued compatibility of

hunting with the purposes for which

individual refuges, and the National

Wildlife Refuge System (System) were

established.

Statutory Authority

The National Wildlife Refuge System

Administration Act (NWRSAA) of 1966,

as amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd), and the

Refuge Recreation Act of 1962 (16

U.S.C. 460k) govern the administration

and public use of national wildlife

refuges. Specifically, section 4(d)(1)(A)

of the NWRSAA authorizes the

Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to

permit the use of any area within the

System for any purpose, including but

not limited to, hunting, fishing and

public recreation, accommodations and

access, when he determines that uses

are compatible with the major

purpose(s) for which the area was

established.

The Refuge Recreation Act (RRA)

authorizes the Secretary to administer

areas within the System for public

recreation as an appropriate incidental

or secondary use only to the extent that

it is practicable and not inconsistent

with the primary purpose(s) for which

the areas were established. The

NWRSAA and the RRA also authorize

the Secretary to issue regulations to

carry out the purposes of the Acts and

regulate uses.

Primary Author

Stephen R. Vehrs, Division of Refuges,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Washington, DC 20240, is the primary

author of this rulemaking document.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 32

Fishing, Hunting, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, Wildlife,

Wildlife refuges.

For the reasons set forth in the

preamble, the Service amends Title 50,

Chapter I, subchapter C of the Code of

Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 32—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for part 32

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 16 U.S.C. 460k,

664, 668dd, and 715i.

2. Amend § 32.70 Wyoming by

revising paragraph C. of National Elk

Refuge to read as follows:

§ 32.70 Wyoming.

* * * * *

National Elk Refuge

* * * * *

C. Big Game Hunting. Hunters may hunt

elk and bison on designated areas of the

refuge subject to the following conditions:

* * * * *

Dated: October 3, 1997.

Ralph O. Morgenweck,

Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 97–27398 Filed 10–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M