Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 141 /Thursday, July 23, 1998 / Proposed Rules 39553

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 21

RIN 1018–AE46

Migratory Bird Special Canada Goose

Permit

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; re-opening of

comment period.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces the reopening of the comment period for the

Service’s proposed rule on the

establishment of a Canada goose damage

management program. The program is

designed to provide a biologically sound

and more cost-effective and efficient

method for the control of locallybreeding (resident) Canada geese that

pose a threat to health and human safety

and are responsible for damage to

personal and public property.

DATES: The original comment period for

the proposed rule closed June 1, 1998.

The re-opened comment period will end

on September 21, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties should

submit written comments on the

proposal to the Chief, Office of

Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, Department of the

Interior, ms 634–ARLSQ, 1849 C Street,

NW., Washington, DC 20240. The public

may inspect comments during normal

business hours in room 634, ARLSQ

Building, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,

Arlington, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

R. Schmidt, Chief, Office of Migratory

Bird Management, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, (703) 358–1714.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March

31, 1998, the Service published in the

Federal Register (63 FR 15698) a

proposal to amend 50 CFR part 21. The

proposal dealt with the establishment of

a Canada goose damage management

program. This program is designed to

provide a biologically sound and more

cost-effective and efficient method for

the control of locally-breeding (resident)

Canada geese that pose a threat to health

and human safety and are responsible

for damage to personal and public

property. More specifically, the Service

proposed to add a new permit option

available to State conservation agencies

specifically for resident Canada goose

control and damage management. The

special permit would only be available

to a State conservation or wildlife

management agency responsible for

migratory bird management. Under this

permit, States and their designated

agents could initiate resident goose

damage management and control injury

problems within the conditions/

restrictions of the program. Those States

not wishing to obtain this new permit

would continue to operate under the

current permitting process.

The comment period is being reopened to incorporate views from all

parties that have expressed an interest

in reviewing the proposed rule and

environmental assessment. All

previously submitted comments

received after the original June 1, 1998,

closing date will be considered.

In addition, the Service notifies the

public of an administrative error

associated with this proposal. In

compliance with the requirements of

section 102(2)(C) of the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42

U.S.C. 4332(C)), and the Council on

Environmental Quality’s regulation for

implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500–

1508), the Service prepared an

Environmental Assessment (EA) on the

proposed establishment of the program

and options considered in the

‘‘Environmental Assessment: Permits for

the Control and Management of

Injurious Resident Canada Geese.’’ In

conjunction with that EA, the Service

had prepared a draft finding that the

new permit option would not be a major

Federal action that would significantly

affect the quality of the human

environment as an administrative

convenience. In error, the draft finding

was included in the materials

accompanying the final EA and was

mistakenly finalized. The Service is

now rescinding that inadvertent finding

and will be considering the NEPA

requirements if and when it makes a

final decision on the proposed action.

The EA is available to the public at the

location indicated under the ADDRESSES

caption.

Paperwork Reduction Act and

Information Collection

As required by the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.

3507(d)), the Service submitted the

necessary paperwork to the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) for

approval to collect the information

required by the applicant and permittee.

Under the Act, information collections

must be approved by OMB. After

review, the information collection

requirements of the Special Canada

Goose Permit were approved by OMB

and assigned clearance number 1018–

0099. The information collection

requirement will be used to administer

this program and, particularly in the

issuance and monitoring of these special

Canada goose permits. The information

requested will be required to obtain a

special Canada goose permit, and to

determine if the applicant meets all the

permit issuance criteria, and to protect

migratory birds.

Authority: Pub. L. 95–616, 92 Stat. 3112

(16 U.S.C. 712(2)).

Dated: July 17, 1998.

Stephen C. Saunders,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and

Wildlife and Parks.

[FR Doc. 98–19625 Filed 7–22–98; 8:45 am]

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