67886 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 30, 1997 / Notices

(202) 962–3277. Grant: $360,000 for

three students each at University of

Maryland, University of the District of

Columbia, Southeastern University,

George Mason University.

Southeast

8. University of Memphis, Professor

David N. Cox, University of Memphis,

Center for Urban Research & Extension,

PO Box 526108, Memphis, TN 38152,

(901) 678–4186. Grant: $118,232 for four

students.

9. Alabama A&M University,

Professor Constance Jordan-Wilson,

Alabama A&M University, Department

of Community Planning & Urban

Studies, P.O. Box 206, Normal, AL

35762, (205) 851–5425. Grant: $118,304

for four students.

10. University of Alabama at

Birmingham, Ms. Rebecca Falkenberry,

University of Alabama at Birmingham,

Center for Urban Affairs, 901 South 15th

Street, Suite 141, Birmingham, AL

35294, (205) 934–3500. Grant: $119,264

for four students.

11. Eastern Kentucky University,

Professor Terry Busson, Eastern

Kentucky University, Department of

Government, McCreary 113, Richmond,

KY 40475, (606) 622–1019. Grant:

$113,040 for four students.

12. University of Tennessee at

Chattanooga, Ms. Diane Miller,

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,

Office of Graduate Studies, 615

McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN

37403, (423) 755–4431. Grant: $120,000

for four students.

Midwest

13. Indiana University, Dr. Leda

McIntyre Hall, Indiana University,

School of Public and Environmental

Affairs, 1700 Mishawaka Avenue, Room

A–240, South Bend, IN 46634–7111,

(219) 237–4803. Grant: $99,380 for four

students.

14. Mankato State University,

Professor Robert A. Barrett, Mankato

State University, Urban & Regional

Studies Institute, Box 25, Mankato, MN

56002, (507) 389–1714. Grant: $116,016

for four students.

15. Michigan State University, Dr.

Herbert P. Norman Jr., Michigan State

University, Urban & Regional Planning

Program, 201 UPLA Building, East

Lansing, MI 48824–1221, (517) 353–

0677. Grant: $120,000 for four students.

16. University of Wisconsin at

Milwaukee, Mr. Stephen Percy,

University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee,

Center for Urban Initiative, P.O. Box

413, Milwaukee, WI 53201, (414) 229–

5916. Grant: $119,400 for four students.

Southwest

17. North Central Texas Council of

Governments, Mr. R. Michael Eastland,

P.O. Box 5888, Arlington, TX 76005–

5888, (817) 695–9101. Grant: $262,464

for three student each at University of

North Texas, University of Texas at

Dallas, University of Texas at Arlington.

Great Plains

18. University of Kansas, Dr. Steven

Maynard-Moody, University of Kansas,

Department of Public Administration,

318 Blake Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045–

2157, (913) 864–3527. Grant: $120,000

for four students.

19. Kansas State University, Professor

Robert E. Burns, Kansas State

University, Department of Landscape

Architecture Regional & Community

Planning, 302 Seaton Hall, Manhattan,

KS 66506, (913) 532–5961. Grant:

$117,100 for four students.

20. Iowa State University, Professor

Riad G. Mahayni, Iowa State University,

Department of Community & Regional

Planning, 126 Design, Ames, IA 50011–

3090, (515) 294–8525. Grant: $116,156

for four students.

Northwest/Alaska

21. University of Washington,

Professor Donald W. Allen, University

of Washington, Department of Urban

and Regional Planning, Box 355754,

Seattle, WA 98105, (206) 543–4043.

Grant: $120,000, for four students.

Pacific/Hawaii

22. University of California at

Berkeley, Dr. Victor Rubin, University of

California at Berkeley, Department of

Urban & Regional Development, 316

Wurster Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, (510)

643–9103. Grant: $120,000 for four

students.

Dated: December 19, 1997.

Paul A. Leonard,

Assistant Secretary for Policy Development

and Research.

[FR Doc. 97–33876 Filed 12–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Revision of Recovery Plan

for the Florida Panther

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to revise

recovery plan.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces its intent to

revise the recovery plan for the

endangered Florida panther, Puma

(Felis) concolor coryi. The Service

established a Recovery Team comprised

of key individuals and scientists

involved in the Florida panther recovery

program to guide the revision process.

Additional opportunities for public

review and comment will be available

when the revised plan is in draft form.

DATES: Comments from all interested

parties must be received by March 2,

1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials

concerning the recovery plan revision

should be sent to Dennis B. Jordan,

Recovery Team Leader, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 110450,

Gainesville, Florida 32611–0450. Copies

of the current recovery plan are

available at the same address.

Comments and materials received will

be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Dennis B. Jordan at the above address,

(telephone 352/846–0546; facsimile

352/846–0841.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened

animals or plants to the point where

they are again secure, self-sustaining

members of their ecosystems is a

primary goal of the 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

actions considered necessary for

conservation of the species, establish

criteria for recognizing the recovery

levels for downlisting or delisting them,

and estimate time and costs for

implementing the recovery measures

needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973,

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

(Act), 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 that a public notice and

an opportunity for public review and

comment be provided during recovery

plan development. The Service will

consider all information presented

during a public comment period prior to

approval of each new or revised

recovery plan. The Service and other

Federal agencies will also take these

comments into account in the course of

implementing approved recovery plans.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 30, 1997 / Notices 67887

The species considered in this

recovery plan revision is the Florida

panther, Puma (Felis) concolor coryi.

Historically ranging throughout most of

the southeast U.S., the Florida panther

has been reduced to a single known

wild population estimated to number 30

to 50 adults. This population utilizes

approximately two million acres of

habitat on public and privately owned

lands in south Florida. Threats to the

panther are generally related to factors

associated with its habitat—availability,

destruction, modification,

fragmentation, contamination and the

types and levels of human activities

taking place within habitat areas; and,

demographic and genetic factors

associated with isolation, population

reductions and inbreeding within the

small population.

Previous Federal Action

This proposed revision represents the

second major revision of the recovery

plan since its initial approval by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on

December 17, 1981. The first major

revision was approved on June 22, 1987.

Additionally, a minor revision to

incorporate a task to address genetic

restoration and management was

approved on March 13, 1995.

Public Comments Solicited

The current Recovery Team elected to

expand involvement in the revision

process to include other entities; those

considered to be potential

‘‘stakeholders’’ in the panther recovery

program. Potential stakeholders may

represent interests of Native Americans,

landowners, conservation organizations,

hunters, agriculture, timber, animal

rights, property rights, public agencies,

education/public outreach,

development/real estate, etc.

The Service solicits written input

regarding suggested recovery actions/

tasks that should be considered in

drafting the revised recovery plan. All

comments received by the date specified

above will be considered prior to

drafting the revised plan. Additional

opportunities for public review and

comment will be available when the

revised plan is in draft form.

Authority

The authority for this action is

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species

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

Dated: December 11, 1997.

David Hankla,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–33811 Filed 12–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of an Environmental

Assessment and Receipt of an

Application for an Endangered Species

Act Incidental Take Permit for the

Meadowlark Estates Project in San

Diego County, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

SUMMARY: SunCal Companies has

applied to the Fish and Wildlife Service

for a permit to incidentally take the

threatened coastal California

gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica

californica) under the authority of

section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended. The

permit would authorize the incidental

take of one pair of gnatcatchers and 12.3

acres of its habitat in the City of San

Marcos, San Diego County, California in

conjunction with urban development.

As part of its permit application, SunCal

Companies has prepared a Habitat

Conservation Plan (Plan). This notice

announces the availability of the Plan

and an Environmental Assessment, and

describes the proposed action and

possible alternatives, solicits written

comments, and identifies the Service

official to whom questions and

comments concerning the Service’s

proposed action to issue the permit may

be directed.

This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(a) of the Endangered Species

Act and National Environmental Policy

Act regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). All

comments received, including names

and addresses, will become part of the

official administrative record and may

be made available to the public.

DATES: Written comments on the Plan

and Environmental Assessment should

be received by the Service on or before

January 29, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments regarding the

permit application or adequacy of the

Environmental Assessment should be

addressed to the Field Supervisor,

Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 2730

Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad, California

92008. Written comments may be sent

by facsimile to telephone (760) 431–

9618.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Julie Vanderwier, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, at the above Carlsbad address;

telephone (760) 431–9440. Individuals

wishing copies of the permit application

or Environmental Assessment for review

should immediately contact the above

office. Documents will also be available

for public inspection by appointment

during normal business hours (8 a.m. to

12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) Monday

through Friday at the above Carlsbad

address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 9

of the Endangered Species Act and

Federal regulation prohibit the ‘‘taking’’

of a species listed as endangered or

threatened. However, the Service, under

limited circumstances, may issue

permits to ‘‘incidentally take’’ listed

species, which is take that is incidental

to, and not the purpose of, otherwise

lawful activities. Regulations governing

permits for threatened species are

promulgated in 50 CFR 17.32;

regulations governing permits for

endangered species are promulgated in

50 CFR 17.22.

The Service has under consideration

the approval of the Plan and issuance of

an Endangered Species Act incidental

take permit for the Meadowlark Estates

project, a 198.1-acre residential

development, in the City of San Marcos,

San Diego County, California. The Plan

was prepared by HELIX Environmental

Planning, Inc., and addresses the loss of

12.3 acres of Diegan coastal sage scrub

habitat for up to one pair of coastal

California gnatcatchers as a result of

constructing 220 single-family estates

and 62 single-family homes on

approximately 125 acres. Mitigation

measures in the Plan include on-site

preservation of Diegan coastal sage

scrub and other native plant

communities, restoration of orchards

and manufactured slopes by

hydroseeding with coastal sage scrub

plant species, and off-site acquisition of

16.35 acres of land in a key location

within a regional open space corridor. A

Negative Declaration, prepared pursuant

to the California Environmental Quality

Act, was certified for this project by the

City of San Marcos City Council on May

14, 1996.

The Plan and Environmental

Assessment consider six alternatives

including the Plan Alternative, a No

Action Alternative and alternatives of

larger and lesser scope, four of which

were selected for detailed analysis.

This notice is provided pursuant to

section 10(a) of the Endangered Species

Act and the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969 regulations (40 CFR

1506.6). The Service will evaluate the

application, associated documents, and

submitted comments to determine

whether the application meets the

requirements of the National

Environmental Policy Act regulations

and section 10(a) of the Endangered

Species Act. If it is determined that the

requirements are met, a permit will be

issued for the incidental take of the