69896 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 225 / Tuesday, November 21, 2000 / Proposed Rules

200A, 1745 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, VA 22202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Bemben, Office of Cost, Pricing, and

Finance, by telephone at (703) 695–

9764; by FAX at (703) 693–9616; or by

e-mail at bembenrj@acq.osd.mil.

Michele P. Peterson,

Executive Editor, Defense Acquisition

Regulations Council.

[FR Doc. 00–29776 Filed 11–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 5000–04–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018–AG27

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Notice of Availability of

Draft Economic Analysis for Proposed

Critical Habitat Determination for the

Morro Shoulderband Snail

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft

economic analysis.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces the

availability of a draft economic analysis

for the proposed designation of critical

habitat for the Morro shoulderband snail

(Helminthoglypta walkeriana). We are

opening the comment period to allow

all interested parties to submit written

comments on the draft economic

analysis. Comments will be

incorporated into the public record as a

part of this comment period and will be

fully considered in the final rule.

DATES: The comment period is opened

and we will accept comments until

December 6, 2000. Comments must be

received by 5:00 p.m. on the closing

date. Any comments that are received

after the closing date may not be

considered in the final decision on this

proposal.

ADDRESSES: All written comments

should be sent to the Field Supervisor

at the above address. You may also send

comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to

‘‘fw1morrosnail@r1.fws.gov.’’ Please

submit electronic comments in ASCII

file format and avoid the use of special

characters and encryption. Please

include ‘‘Attn: RIN 1018–AG27’’ and

your name and return address in your

e-mail message. If you do not receive a

confirmation from the system that we

have received your e-mail message,

contact us directly by calling our

Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office at

phone number 805–644–1766.

Comments and materials received will

be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above Service address.

Copies of the draft economic analysis

are available on the Internet at

‘‘www.r1.fws.gov’’ or by writing to the

Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Ventura Fish and Wildlife

Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B,

Ventura, California 93003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and

Wildlife Office, at the above address

(telephone 805–644–1766; facsimile

805–644–3958).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Morro shoulderband snail was

first described as Helix walkeriana by

Hemphill based on collection made

‘‘near Morro, California.’’ He also

described a subspecies, based on

sculptural features of the shell, Helix

walkeriana, Helix var. morroensis, that

was collected ‘‘near San Luis Obispo

City.’’ The Morro shoulderband snail is

also commonly known as the banded

dune snail and belongs to the Class

Gastropoda and Family

Helminthoglyptidae.

The shell of the Morro shoulderband

snail has 5–6 whorls. Its dimensions are

18 to 29 millimeters (mm) (0.7 to 1.1

inches (in.)) in diameter and 14 to 25

mm (0.6 to 1.0 in.) in height. The Morro

shoulderband snail can be distinguished

from the Big Sur shoulderband snail

(Helminthoglypta umbilicata), another

native snail in the same area, by its

more globose (globe shaped) shell and

presence of incised (deeply cut) spiral

grooves. The shell of the Big Sur

shoulderband snail tends to be flatter

and shiner. The brown garden snail

(Helix aspersa) also occurs in Los Osos

with the Morro shoulderband snail and

has a marbled pattern on its shell,

whereas the Morro shoulderband snail

has one narrow dark brown spiral band

on the shoulder. The Morro

shoulderband’s spire is low-domed, and

half or more of the umbilicus (the cavity

in the center of the base of a spiral shell

that is surrounded by the whorls) is

covered by the apertural (small opening)

lip.

The Morro shoulderband snail is

found only in western San Luis Obispo

County. At the time of its addition to the

List of Endangered and Threatened

Wildlife on December 15, 1994 (59 FR

64613), the Morro shoulderband snail

was known to be distributed near Morro

Bay. Its currently known range includes

areas south of Morro Bay, west of Los

Osos Creek, and north of Hazard

Canyon. Historically, the species has

also been reported near the city of San

Luis Obispo (type locality for

‘‘morroensis’’) and south of Cayucos.

The Morro shoulderband snail occurs

in coastal dune and scrub communities

and maritime chaparral. Through most

of its range, the dominant shrub

associated with the snail’s habitat is

mock heather (Ericameria reicoides).

Other prominent shrub and succulent

species are buckwheat (Eriogonum

parvifolium), eriastrum (Eriastrum

densifolium), chamisso lupine (Lupinus

chamissonis), dudleya (Dudleya sp.) and

in more inland locations, California

sagebrush (Artemisia californica) and

black sage (Salvia mellifera).

Away from the immediate coast,

immature scrub in earlier successional

stages may offer more favorable shelter

sites than mature stands of coastal dune

scrub. The immature shrubs provide

canopy shelter for the snail, whereas the

lower limbs of larger older shrubs may

be too far off the ground to offer good

shelter. In addition, mature stands

produce twiggy litter that is low in food

value. The Morro shoulderband snail is

not a garden pest and is essentially

harmless to gardens.

The Morro shoulderband snail is

threatened by destruction of its habitat

due to increasing development and by

degradation of its habitat due to

invasion of nonnative plant species

(e.g., veldt grass (Ehrharta calycino)),

structural changes to its habitat due to

maturing of dune vegetation, and

recreational use (e.g., heavy off-highway

vehicle activity). In addition to the

known threats, possible threats to the

snail include competition for resources

with the nonnative brown garden snail

(although no assessment has been made

of possible dietary overlap between the

species); the isolated nature of the

remaining populations; the use of

pesticides (including snail and slug

baits); and the introduction of nonnative

predatory snails.

Pursuant to the Endangered Species

Act of 1973, as amended (Act), the

species was federally listed as

endangered on December 15, 1994 (59

FR 64613). On July 12, 2000, we

published in the Federal Register (65

FR 42962) a determination proposing

critical habitat for the Morro

shoulderband snail. Approximately

1,040 hectares (2,565 acres) fall within

the boundaries of the proposed critical

habitat designation. Proposed critical

habitat is located in the community of

Los Osos, San Luis Obispo County,

California, as described in the proposed

determination.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 225 / Tuesday, November 21, 2000 / Proposed Rules 69897

Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires that

the Secretary shall designate or revise

critical habitat based upon the best

scientific and commercial data available

and after taking into consideration the

economic impact of specifying any

particular area as critical habitat. Based

upon the previously published proposal

to designate critical habitat for the

Morro shoulderband snail and

comments received during the previous

comment period, we have prepared a

draft economic analysis of the proposed

critical habitat designation. The draft

economic analysis is available at the

above Internet and mailing address. We

will accept written comments during

this reopened comment period. The

current comment period on this

proposal closes on December 6, 2000.

Written comments may be submitted to

the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office in

the ADDRESSES section.

Author

The primary author of this notice is

Ron Popowski, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B,

Ventura, California 93003 (see

ADDRESSES section).

Authority: The authority for this action is

the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: November 15, 2000.

Cynthia U. Barry,

Acting Manager, California/Nevada

Operations Office.

[FR Doc. 00–29721 Filed 11–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[I.D. 110900B]

Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions;

General Provisions for Domestic

Fisheries; Applications for Exempted

Fishing Permits (EFPs)

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of a proposal for

EFPs to conduct experimental fishing;

request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the

Administrator Northeast Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator), has made a

preliminary determination to consider

an application for an EFP that would

allow up to four vessels to conduct

fishing operations otherwise restricted

by regulations governing the fisheries of

the Northeastern United States. The

Rutgers University Haskin Shellfish

Research Laboratory has submitted an

application for an EFP that warrants

further consideration. The experimental

fishery to be conducted under the EFP

would investigate selectivity of various

trawl mesh sizes in the Mid-Atlantic

region. The research would target smallmesh species (Atlantic mackerel, Loligo

squid, silver hake (whiting), black sea

bass, and scup), with the goal of

developing fishing gear and/or methods

that would significantly reduce the

discard mortality of scup. This notice is

intended to provide interested parties

the opportunity to comment on the

proposed experimental fishery.

DATES: Comments must be received by

December 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to

Patricia Kurkul, Regional Administrator,

NMFS, Northeast Regional Office, 1

Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.

Mark on the outside of the envelope

‘‘Comments on Proposed Experimental

Fishery.’’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom

Warren, Fishery Management Specialist,

978-281-9347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

regulations that govern exempted

experimental fishing, at 50 CFR 600.745,

allow the Regional Administrator to

authorize for certain purposes the

targeting or incidental harvest of

managed species that would otherwise

be prohibited. An EFP to authorize such

activity may be issued, provided there is

adequate opportunity for the public to

comment on the EFP application, and

the conservation goals and objectives of

the Fishery Management Plan are not

compromised. The Rutgers University Haskin

Shellfish Research Laboratory of Port

Norris, NJ, submitted to NMFS on

October 9, 2000, an application for an

EFP to conduct gear research in the

small-mesh fisheries of the Mid-Atlantic

region; in particular, gear selectivity

experiments that investigate the

retention of scup. The research would

target several small-mesh species

(Atlantic mackerel, Loligo squid,

whiting, black sea bass, and scup), with

the goal of developing fishing gear and/

or methods that would significantly

reduce the discard mortality of sub-legal

and legal-sized scup. Scup are

overfished and discard mortality has

been identified as a problem that needs

to be addressed to allow the stock to

rebuild. The experimental design seeks

to increase the number of observed tows

in the directed scup fishery and to

compare the catch selectivity of codends

with mesh sizes ranging from 1 and 7/

8 to 5.0 inches (47 to 125-mm). A

composite codend constructed of 4.5

and 4.0-inch (113 and 100-mm) codend

mesh may also be tested.

Up to four vessels with the

appropriate Federal permits would be

authorized to target Atlantic mackerel,

Loligo squid, whiting, black sea bass,

scup and to retain other incidental catch

species using trawls with various

codend mesh sizes beginning on or after

January 1, 2001. The experiment would

be authorized through December 31,

2001, but may be completed as soon as

February 28, 2001. Tows would be up

to 1 hour in duration and, when

possible, consistent with procedures

used during the course of normal fishing

activities. Researchers would identify,

count, and measure the target and

incidental species retained by the

trawls; commercial species would be

retained and sold. The applicants

anticipate a total number of 32 trips

would be taken within the duration of

this proposal.

Participating vessels would have

trained observers or researchers on

board, and make tows in Mid-Atlantic

waters east and southeast of New Jersey

in NMFS statistical areas 613, 615, 616,

622, and 623 (approximately between

38° 00’ N. and 42° 00’ N. lat.). Landings

of species other than scup would be

subject to all applicable fishery

regulations, including all applicable

state or Federal limits in effect at the

time of the research. It is anticipated

that incidental species will include, but

not be limited to, summer flounder.

Vessels may be allowed to retain and

land up to 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of scup

per trip in excess of the trip limit in

effect at the time of the experiment. The

increased trip limit would be used to

obtain more sample tows per trip and to

defray costs of the research. All landings

of scup would be counted towards the

period and the annual scup quota and

the fishery will be closed when the

quotas are reached, consistent with the

provisions of § 648.120. Issuance of the

EFPs would not authorize landing of

scup in excess of established quotas.

EFPs would be required to exempt

vessels from certain management

measures of the Summer Flounder,

Scup, and Black Sea Bass Fishery

Management Plan, including gear

restrictions, mesh-size requirements,

possession restrictions on undersized

species for data collection purposes

only, and trip limits. Due to the

distribution of target species, it may be

necessary for the experimental vessels

to fish in gear restricted areas (GRAs). If

GRAs are in effect at the time of, and in

the location of, the experimental fishing,