Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 94 / Tuesday, May 15, 2001 / Proposed Rules 26827

within 320 kilometers (199 miles) of the

U.S-Mexican border, concurrence of the

Mexican government has been

requested.

The Commission requests comments

on a petition filed by John L. Zolkoske

proposing the allotment of Channel

282A at Pacific City, Oregon as the

community’s first local aural

transmission service. Channel 282A can

be allotted to Pacific City in compliance

with the Commission’s minimum

distance separation requirements at city

reference coordinates. The coordinates

for Channel 282A at Pacific City are 45–

12–09 North Latitude and 123–57–42

West Longitude.

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.

For the reasons discussed in the

preamble, the Federal Communications

Commission proposes to amend 47 CFR

Part 73 as follows:

PART 73—RADIO BROADCAST

SERVICES

1. The authority citation for Part 73

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 303. 334, and

336.

§ 73.202 [Amended]

2. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM

Allotments under Alabama, is amended

by adding Channel 263A at Auburn.

3. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM

Allotments under Georgia, is amended

by adding Plainville, Channel 285A.

4. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM

Allotments under Oregon, is amended

by adding Pacific City, Channel 282A.

5. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM

Allotments under Texas, is amended by

adding Shiner, Channel 232A.

6. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM

Allotments under Wisconsin, is

amended by adding Rosholt, Channel

236A.

Federal Communications Commission.

John A. Karousos,

Chief, Allocations Branch, Policy and Rules

Division, Mass Media Bureau.

[FR Doc. 01–12163 Filed 5–14–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018–AH05

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants; Reopening of Comment

Period for the Proposal To Designate

Critical Habitat for the Wenatchee

Mountains Checker-Mallow, and Notice

of Availability of the Draft Economic

Analysis for Proposed Critical Habitat

for the Wenatchee Mountains CheckerMallow

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of

comment period and notice of

availability of draft economic analysis.

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, announce the

reopening of the comment period for the

proposed designation of critical habitat

for the Wenatchee Mountains checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva),

and the availability of the draft

economic analysis for the plant’s

proposed designation of critical habitat.

We are reopening the comment period

for the proposal to designate critical

habitat for this species to allow all

interested parties to comment

simultaneously on the proposed rule

and the associated draft economic

analysis. Comments previously

submitted need not be resubmitted as

they will be incorporated into the public

record as part of this extended comment

period and will be fully considered in

the final rule.

DATES: We will accept public comments

until June 14, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and

information should be submitted to

Manager, Western Washington Office,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 510

Desmond Drive SE., Suite 102, Lacey,

Washington 98503–1263. For the

electronic mail address, and further

instructions on commenting, refer to

Public Comments Solicited section of

this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

general information, contact Ted

Thomas or James Michaels, at the above

address (telephone 360/753–9440;

facsimile 360/753–9518).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Wenatchee Mountains checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva) is

an herbaceous perennial known from

wetlands of the Wenatchee Mountains

in central Washington. The plant ranges

in height from 20 to 150 centimeters (8

to 60 inches), with pink flower clusters

with one to many stalked flowers

arranged singly along a common stem.

The species occurs at six locations, all

are known from Chelan County,

Washington.

Pursuant to the Endangered Species

Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), Sidalcea oregana

var. calva was listed as an endangered

species on December 22, 1999 (64 FR

71680). Habitat fragmentation and

destruction from alterations of

hydrology, rural residential

development, conversion of native

wetlands to orchards and other

agricultural uses, competition form

nonnative plants, seed and plant

collection, and fire suppression and the

activities associated with fire

suppression threaten Sidalcea oregana

var. calva.

In April 2000, as a result of a suit

from the Southwest Center for

Biological Diversity and the Center for

Biological Diversity, we reached a

settlement agreement on when to

publish a proposed and final critical

habitat designation for Sidalcea oregana

var. calva. We agreed to publish a

proposed critical habitat designation for

this species on or before December 31,

2000, and a final critical habitat

designation on or before August 31,

2001.

On January 18, 2001, we published a

proposed rule in the Federal Register

(66 FR 4783) to designate critical habitat

for Sidalcea oregana var. calva. The

original comment period closed on

March 19, 2001. We intend to reopen

the comment period for an additional 30

days to allow all interested parties to

comment simultaneously on the

proposed rule and the associated draft

economic analysis.

We have proposed to designate

critical habitat in one critical habitat

unit totaling approximately 2,486

hectares (6,137 acres) in Chelan County,

Washington. The area encompasses a

majority of the Camas Creek and

Pendleton Creek watersheds.

Critical habitat receives protection

from destruction or adverse

modification through required

consultation under section 7 of the Act

with regard to actions carried out,

26828 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 94 / Tuesday, May 15, 2001 / Proposed Rules

funded, or authorized by a Federal

agency. Section 4(b)(2) of the Act

requires that we designate or revise

critical habitat based upon the best

scientific and commercial data

available, 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 Sidalcea

oregana var. calva, we have prepared a

draft economic analysis of the proposed

critical habitat designation. The draft

economic analysis is available on the

Internet and from the mailing addresses

in the Public Comments Solicited

section below.

Public Comments Solicited

We will accept written comments and

information during this re-opened

comment period. If you wish to

comment, you may submit your

comments and materials concerning this

proposal by any of several methods:

(1) You may submit written comments

and information to the Manager,

Western Washington Office, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond

Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington

98503–1263.

(2) You may send comments by

electronic mail (e-mail) to:

fw1wwo_checkermallow@r1.fws.gov. If

you submit comments by e-mail, please

submit them as an ASCII file and avoid

the use of special characters and any

form of encryption. Please also include

‘‘Attn: RIN 1018–AH05’’ 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

Western Washington Office at telephone

number 360/753–9440.

(3) You may hand-deliver comments

to our Western Washington Office at the

address given above.

Comments and materials received, as

well as supporting documentation used

in preparation of the proposal to

designate critical habitat, will be

available for inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the address under (1) above.

Copies of the draft economic analysis

are available on the Internet at

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

Manager at the address under (1) above.

Author

The primary author of this notice is

Ted Thomas (see ADDRESSES section).

Authority

The authority for this action is the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16

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

Dated: March 14, 2001.

Rowan W. Gould,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and

Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 01–12173 Filed 5–14–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 216

[Docket No. 990927266–0240–02; I.D.

072699A]

RIN 0648–AM62

Taking and Importing Marine

Mammals; Taking Marine Mammals

Incidental to Navy Operations of

Surveillance Towed Array Sensor

System Low Frequency Active Sonar

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment

deadline.

SUMMARY: Under the Marine Mammal

Protection Act, on March 19, 2001,

NMFS published a proposed rule (66 FR

15375) to authorize the taking of marine

mammals incidental to the world-wide

deployment of the U.S. Navy’s

SURTASS LFA sonar. Please refer to

this document for additional

information on this proposed action. By

this document, NMFS announces an

extension of the comment deadline.

DATES: Comments must be postmarked

no later than May 31, 2001. Comments

will not be accepted if submitted via email or the Internet.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be

addressed to Donna Wieting, Chief,

Marine Mammal Conservation Division,

Office of Protected Resources, National

Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 EastWest Highway, Silver Spring, MD

20910–3226.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kenneth R. Hollingshead, NMFS (301)

713–2055, ext 128.

A copy of the Navy’s application is

available and may be obtained by

writing to this address or by telephoning

the contact listed here (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section

101(a)(5)(A) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C.

1361 et seq.) directs the Secretary of

Commerce (Secretary) to allow, upon

request, the incidental, but not

intentional taking of small numbers of

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who

engage in a specified activity (other than

commercial fishing) within a specified

geographical region if certain findings

are made and regulations are issued.

Under section 101(a)(5)(A) of the

Marine Mammal Protection Act, on

March 19, 2001, NMFS published a

proposed rule (66 FR 15375) to

authorize the taking of marine mammals

incidental to the world-wide

deployment of the U.S. Navy’s

SURTASS LFA sonar. Please refer to

this document for additional

information on this proposed action.

On April 16, 2001 (66 FR 19413),

NMFS announced an extension of the

comment period until May 18, 2001,

and the dates and locations for public

hearings on this matter. By this

document, the comment period for this

proposed action is hereby extended

until May 31, 2001.

Dated: May 9, 2001.

Wanda Cain,

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Protected

Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–12082 Filed 5–14–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[I.D. 050901A]

Groundfish Fisheries of the Bering Sea

and Aleutian Islands Area and the Gulf

of Alaska

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent; scoping

process; request for comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces its intent to

prepare a supplemental environmental

impact statement (SEIS) to modify

certain fishery management measures

governing the Federally managed

groundfish fisheries that are conducted

in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

Area (BSAI) and the Gulf of Alaska

(GOA) to protect the endangered Steller

sea lion population.

The scoping process is occurring in

parallel with meetings of the North

Pacific Fishery Management Council

(Council) and the Council’s Reasonable

and Prudent Alternative Committee. In

addition to collecting scoping

information at these meetings, NMFS is

accepting written comments on the

issues, alternatives, and impacts that

should be considered in this analysis.