65782 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 241 / Tuesday, December 16, 1997 / Proposed Rules

DATES: Comments must be filed on or

before January 26, 1998, and reply

comments on or before February 10,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications

Commission, Washington, DC 20554. In

addition to filing comments with the

FCC, interested parties should serve the

petitioner, or its counsel or consultant,

as follows: Barry A. Friedman,

Thompson, Hine & Flory LLP, 1920

North Street, NW, Suite 800,

Washington, DC 20036 (Counsel for

petitioner).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam

Blumenthal, Mass Media Bureau, (202)

418–2180.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

synopsis of the Commission’s Notice of

Proposed Rule Making, MM Docket No.

97–235, adopted November 19, 1997,

and released December 5, 1997. The full

text of this Commission decision is

available for inspection and copying

during normal business hours in the

FCC’s Reference Center (Room 239),

1919 M Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The complete text of this decision may

also be purchased from the

Commission’s copy contractor, ITS, Inc.,

(202) 857–3800, 1231 20th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20036.

Provisions of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act of 1980 do not apply to

this proceeding.

Members of the public should note

that from the time a Notice of Proposed

Rule Making is issued until the matter

is no longer subject to Commission

consideration or court review, all ex

parte contacts are prohibited in

Commission proceedings, such as this

one, which involve channel allotments.

See 47 CFR 1.1204(b) for rules

governing permissible ex parte contacts.

For information regarding proper

filing procedures for comments, see 47

CFR 1.415 and 1.420.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

Radio broadcasting.

Federal Communications Commission.

John A. Karousos,

Chief, Allocations Branch, Policy and Rules

Division, Mass Media Bureau.

[FR Doc. 97–32701 Filed 12–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–F

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS

COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MM Docket No. 97–236, RM–9186]

Radio Broadcasting Services; Point

Arena, CA

AGENCY: Federal Communications

Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: This document requests

comments on a petition for rule making

filed on behalf of Point Broadcasting,

one of two mutually exclusive

applicants for Channel 272B1 at Point

Arena, California, proposing the

allotment of Channel 296B1 to Point

Arena to resolve the mutual exclusivity

while providing a second local FM

service to that community. If the

channel is allotted with cut-off

protection, petitioner also seeks to

amend its pending application for

Channel 272B1 at Point Arena to reflect

operation on Channel 296B1.

Coordinates used for Channel 296B1 at

Point Arena are 39–01–22 and 123–31–

17.

DATES: Comments must be filed on or

before January 26, 1998, and reply

comments on or before February 10,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Secretary, Federal

Communications Commission,

Washington, DC 20554. In addition to

filing comments with the FCC,

interested parties should serve the

petitioner’s counsel, as follows: Jerrold

Miller, Esq., Miller & Miller, P.C., P.O.

Box 33003, Washington, DC 20033.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy Joyner, Mass Media Bureau, (202)

418–2180.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a

synopsis of the Commission’s Notice of

Proposed Rule Making, MM Docket No.

97–236, adopted November 19, 1997,

and released December 5, 1997. The full

text of this Commission decision is

available for inspection and copying

during normal business hours in the

FCC’s Reference Center (Room 239),

1919 M Street, NW., Washington, DC.

The complete text of this decision may

also be purchased from the

Commission’s copy contractor,

International Transcription Service,

Inc., 1231 20th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20036, (202) 857–3800.

Provisions of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act of 1980 do not apply to

this proceeding.

Members of the public should note

that from the time a Notice of Proposed

Rule Making is issued until the matter

is no longer subject to Commission

consideration or court review, all ex

parte contacts are prohibited in

Commission proceedings, such as this

one, which involve channel allotments.

See 47 CFR 1.1204(b) for rules

governing permissible ex parte contacts.

For information regarding proper

filing procedures for comments, See 47

CFR 1.415 and 1.420.

List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73

Radio broadcasting.

Federal Communications Commission.

John A. Karousos,

Chief, Allocations Branch, Policy and Rules

Division, Mass Media Bureau.

[FR Doc. 97–32771 Filed 12–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

48 CFR Part 204

[DFARS Case 97–D033]

Defense Federal Acquisition

Regulation Supplement; Uniform

Procurement Instrument Identification

AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed

rulemaking.

SUMMARY: Comments are solicited from

Government and industry personnel on

the contemplated revision of Defense

Federal Acquisition Regulation

Supplement (DFARS) guidance

pertaining to uniform procurement

instrument identification numbers. DoD

has a need to address modifications to

its system for numbering contracts,

modifications, and orders.

DATES: Comments should be submitted

in writing to the address shown below

on or before February 17, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should

submit written comments to: Defense

Acquisition Regulations Council, Attn:

Ms. Melissa Rider, DAR Council, IMD

3D139, PDUSD(A&T)DP/DAR, 3062

Defense Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

20301–3062. Telefax number (703) 602–

0350.

E-mail comments submitted over the

Internet should be addressed to:

dfars@acq.osd.mil.

Please cite DFARS Case 97–D033 in

all correspondence related to this issue.

E-mail comments should cite DFARS

Case 97–D033 in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Melissa Rider, telephone (703) 602–

0131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Defense Acquisition Regulations (DAR)
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 241 / Tuesday, December 16, 1997 / Proposed Rules 65783

Council has opened DFARS Case 97–

D033 to revise DFARS Subpart 204.70,

Uniform Procurement Instrument

Identification Numbers, to address

various issues associated with the use of

Procurement Instrument Identification

Numbers (PIINs) and Supplemental

Procurement Instrument Identification

Numbers (SPIINs).

a. Among the revisions under

consideration is one to increase the

length of SPIINs used to identify call or

order numbers under contracts awarded

by another activity from 4 characters to

13, or possibly 15, characters. This

revision is similar to a revision included

in an earlier proposed rule, DFARS Case

92–D044, that was published in the

Federal Register on August 18, 1994 (59

FR 42566), and that was withdrawn on

December 28, 1994 (59 FR 66884), in

response to public comments addressing

the significant cost impact it would

have on existing automated systems.

The notice withdrawing the proposed

rule stated that ‘‘. . . both industry and

Government should ensure that these

proposed revisions can be

accommodated in any future automated

systems.’’ The DAR Council is

interested in hearing from industry and

Government activities with respect to

their ability to accommodate such a

change at this time. The Council asks

that respondents specifically address

whether assignment of a unique 13 (or

possibly 15) character SPIIN for every

order (i.e., every call or order would

have a completely unique SPIIN, and,

therefore, could be tracked by reference

to its SPIIN only) would improve the

potential benefits of the contemplated

revision.

b. Other issues under consideration

include:

1. To ensure compatibility with

automated systems that use contract

numbers, should there be a uniform

contract numbering system, or an agreed

upon maximum number of characters,

for basic contract numbers assigned to

all contracts subject to the Federal

Acquisition Regulation or, at least, to

any such contracts that may have calls

or orders issued under them by other

agencies?

2. Is there a need to use more than

two digits to designate the fiscal year

within PIINs, and possibly SPIINs, to

avoid potential Year 2000 problems in

automated systems?

Michele P. Peterson,

Executive Edtior, Defense Acquisition

Regulations Council.

[FR Doc. 97–32757 Filed 12–15–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018–AE48

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Proposed Endangered

Status for Catesbaea Melanocarpa

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The Service proposes to

determine Catesbaea melanocarpa (no

common name) to be an endangered

species pursuant to the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).

Catesbaea melanocarpa is known from

Puerto Rico, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin

Islands, Barbuda, Antigua, and

Guadeloupe. In Puerto Rico, it is

currently known from only one location

in Cabo Rojo, and in the U.S. Virgin

Islands, it is known from one location

near Christiansted, St. Croix. Both

populations are located on privately

owned land subject to intense pressure

for development for residential, tourism

and industrial purposes. This proposal,

if made final, would implement the

Federal protection and recovery

provisions afforded by the Act for C.

melanocarpa. The Service seeks data

and comments from the public on this

proposal.

DATES: Comments from all interested

parties must be received by February 17,

1998. Public hearing requests must be

received by January 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials

concerning this proposal should be sent

to the Field Supervisor, Boquero ́n Field

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

P.O. Box 491, Boquero ́n, Puerto Rico

00622. Comments and materials

received will be available for public

inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours at this office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Susan Silander, Botanist, at the

Boquero ́n Field Office (see ADDRESSES

section) (787/851–7297, facsimile 787/

851–7440).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Catesbaea melanocarpa (no common

name) was first discovered in the midnineteenth century on the British island

of Antigua by the German collector

Hienrich Rudolph Wullschlaegel. It was

found in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands,

in about 1881 by the Danish collector

Baron H. F. A. von Eggers and in

Gua ́nica, Puerto Rico, by the German

collector Paul Sintenis in 1886.

Although duplicate specimens are

maintained at other herbariums, the

original collections were in the

herbarium at Berlin-Dahlem and were

destroyed by the bombing during World

War II.

The species has also been reported

from Barbuda and Guadeloupe, islands

of the Lesser Antilles (Howard 1989,

Proctor 1991). While little is known

about the plant’s status on these islands,

the Center for Plant Conservation (1992)

describes it as rare on Antigua. It was

not rediscovered in St. Croix until 1988

and to date, it has not been relocated in

the Gua ́nica, Puerto Rico, area. The St.

Croix population, located near

Christiansted, consists of about 24

individual plants (Breckon and

Kolterman 1993). In 1995, a small

population, consisting of one

individual, was located in Cabo Rojo,

Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Planning Board

1995). One specimen, collected in 1974,

located in the herbarium in San Juan

apparently originated from the Susu ́ a

Commonwealth Forest. However, this

specimen is sterile and in depauperate

condition; therefore, its identification

cannot be confirmed.

Catesbaea melanocarpa, of the family

Rubiaceae, belongs to a genus which

consists of ten or more species of spiny

shrubs. Most are confined to the

Antilles but some may extend into the

Bahamas and the Florida Keys. In

Puerto Rico, two species are known—C.

melanocarpa and C. parviflora. These

two species are differentiated by the size

and color of the fruits, black and larger,

5 to 6 millimeters (mm) (.19 to .23

inches (in)) in diameter, in the former

and white and smaller 2 to 4 mm (.07

to .15 in) in diameter, in the latter

(Breckon and Kolterman 1993, Britton

and Wilson 1925). Some authors note

that C. melanocarpa may be a synonym

or variant of C. parviflora (Howard

1989, Proctor 1991) and recommend

further review. However, Breckon and

Kolterman (1993) and the Center for

Plant Conservation (1992) recommend

its protection due to the extremely small

number of individuals currently known,

the intense pressure for development in

these areas, and the potential for an

appreciable loss of the species’ genetic

diversity.

Catesbaea melanocarpa is a

branching shrub which may reach

approximately 3 meters (9.8 feet) in

height. Spines are borne at every

internode and are from 1 to 2

centimeters (.39 to .78 in) long. Leaves

are small, from 5 to 25 mm (.19 to 1.0

in) long and 2 to 15 mm (.07 to .58 in)

wide, often fascicled (clustered), and the

small stipules are deciduous. The