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
67888 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 249 / Tuesday, December 30, 1997 / Notices

listed species. The final permit decision

will be made no sooner than 30 days

from the date of this notice.

Dated: December 22, 1997.

Thomas Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–33848 Filed 12–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability; Addendum #1 to

the Assessment Plan: Lower Fox

River/Green Bay Natural Resource

Damage Assessment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 30-day comment

period.

SUMMARY: Notice is given that the

document entitled: ‘‘Assessment Plan

Addendum: Lower Fox River/Green Bay

NRDA’’ (‘‘The Addendum’’) will be

available for public review and

comment on the date of publication in

the Federal Register.

The assessment, including the

activities addressed in this addendum,

will be conducted in accordance with

guidance of the Natural Resource

Assessment Regulations found at 43

CFR Part 11, to the extent applicable.

The public review to the Addendum

announced by this Notice is provided

for in 43 CFR 11.32(c).

Interested members of the public are

invited to review and comment on the

Addendum. Copies of the Addendum,

and the ‘‘Assessment Plan: Lower Fox

River/Green Bay NRDA’’ (‘‘The Plan’’)

issued on August 23, 1996 (FR Doc. 96–

21520), can be requested from the

address listed below. All written

comments will be considered and

included in the Report of Assessment, at

the conclusion of the assessment

process.

DATES: Written comments on the

Addendum must be submitted on or

before January 29, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

Addendum and/or the Plan may be

made to: Frank Horvath, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Region 3 (ATTN: ES/

EC–NRDA), B.H.W. Federal Building, 1

Federal, Ft. Snelling, MN 55111–4096.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

purpose of this natural resource damage

assessment is to confirm and quantify

the suspected injuries to natural

resources in the Lower Fox River, Green

Bay, and Lake Michigan environment

resulting from exposure to hazardous

substances released by area paper mills

and other potential sources. It is

suspected that this exposure has caused

injury and resultant damages to trustee

resources. The injury and resultant

damages will be assessed under the

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability

Act, as amended, and the Clean Water

Act, as amended. The Addendum

addresses additional data collection

activities that will be undertaken to

provide additional information.

William F. Hartwig,

Regional Director, Region 3 U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 97–33804 Filed 12–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

Technology Transfer Act of 1986

AGENCY: United States Geological

Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed cooperative

research and development agreement

(CRADA) negotiations.

SUMMARY: The United States Geological

Survey (USGS) is contemplating

entering into a Cooperative Research

and Development Agreement (CRADA)

with GEORGIA-PACIFIC

CORPORATION to evaluate potential

reproductive effects of papermill

effluents in largemouth bass.

INQUIRIES: If any other parties are

interested in similar activities with the

USGS, please contact: Timothy S. Gross,

PhD, USGS-BRD Florida Caribbean

Science Center, 7920 NW 71st St,

Gainesville, FL, 32563.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is to meet the USGS requirement

stipulated in the Survey Manual.

Dated: December 17, 1997.

Don W. Minnich,

Acting Chief Biologist.

[FR Doc. 97–33813 Filed 12–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–31–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

U.S. Geological Survey

Technology Transfer Act of 1986

AGENCY: United States Geological

Survey, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of proposed cooperative

research and development agreement

(CRADA) negotiations.

SUMMARY: The United States Geological

Survey (USGS) is contemplating

entering into a Cooperative Research

and Development Agreement (CRADA)

with GEORGIA-PACIFIC

CORPORATION to evaluate potential

endocrine-disrupting effects of

contaminants in largemouth bass from

the lower St. John’s River basin.

INQUIRIES: If any other parties are

interested in similar activities with the

USGS, please contact: Timother S.

Gross, PhD, USGS–BRD Florida

Caribbean Science Center, 7920 NW

71st St. Gainesville, FL 32563.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

notice is to meet the USGS requirement

stipulated in the Survey Manual.

Dated: December 17, 1997.

Don W. Minnich,

Acting Chief Biologist.

[FR Doc. 97–33814 Filed 12–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–31–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR–030–08–1220–00: GP8–0055]

Notice of Meeting of Advisory Board

for the National Historic Oregon Trail

Interpretive Center

AGENCY: National Historic Oregon Trail

Interpretive Center, Vale District,

Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: Notice is given that a meeting

of the Advisory Board for the National

Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive

Center will be held on Thursday,

January 22, 1998 from 8 a.m. to 4:00

p.m. at the Best Western Sunridge Inn,

1 Sunridge Lane, Baker City, Oregon

97814.

At an appropriate time, the Board will

recess for approximately one hour for

lunch. Public comments will be

received from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.,

January 22, 1998. Topics to be discussed

area the Interpretive Center’s budget and

the process in which the Advisory

Board can be involved. Dr. John Hunt,

Chair of the Department of Resource

Recreation and Tourism, University of

Idaho, will give a presentation.

DATES: The meeting will begin at 8:00

a.m. and run to 4:00 p.m., January 22,

1998.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place

at the Best Western Sunridge Inn, One

Sunridge Lane, Baker City, Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David B. Hunsaker, Bureau of Land

Management, National Historic Oregon

Trail, Interpretive Center, PO Box 987,