[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 113 (Tuesday, June 12, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31760-31815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14169]



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Part II





Department of the Interior





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Fish and Wildlife Service



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50 CFR Part 17



Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Designation of 
Critical Habitat for the Northern Great Plains Breeding Population of 
the Piping Plover; Proposed Rule

Federal Register / Vol. 66 , No. 113 / Tuesday, June 12, 2001 / 
Proposed Rules

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AH96


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed 
Designation of Critical Habitat for the Northern Great Plains Breeding 
Population of the Piping Plover

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to 
designate critical habitat for the northern Great Plains breeding 
population of the piping plover (Charadrius melodus), pursuant to the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The proposed 
designation includes 16 critical habitat units comprised of 11 areas of 
prairie alkali wetlands, inland and reservoir lakes, totaling 
approximately 196,576.5 acres [79,553.1 hectares] and 5 areas found 
along portions of 4 rivers in the States of Minnesota, Montana, 
Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota totaling approximately 1,338 
river miles (2,153 kilometers).
    Critical habitat would include prairie alkali wetlands and 
surrounding shoreline, including 200 feet (61 meters) of uplands above 
the high water mark; river channels and associated sandbars, and 
islands; reservoirs and their sparsely vegetated shorelines, 
peninsulas, and islands; and inland lakes and their sparsely vegetated 
shorelines and peninsulas. Section 7 of the Act requires Federal 
agencies to ensure that actions they authorize, fund, or carry out are 
not likely to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. Section 4 
of the Act requires that we consider economic and other relevant 
impacts prior to making a final decision on what areas to designate as 
critical habitat; we may exclude areas from the final critical habitat 
determination if we determine that the benefits of excluding these 
areas outweigh the benefits of including them in the final designation. 
As a result, the final designation may differ from this proposal.

DATES: Comments--We will accept comments until the close of business on 
August 13, 2001. Public Meetings--We have scheduled five public 
meetings for this proposal. These informal meetings will start at 6 
p.m. and end at 9 p.m. See ``Public Meetings'' section for meeting 
dates and addresses.

ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments and information to Piping 
Plover Comments, South Dakota Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 420 South Garfield Avenue, Suite 400, 
Pierre, South Dakota 57501 or by facsimile to 605-224-9974. You may 
hand-deliver written comments to our South Dakota Field Office at the 
address given above. You may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) 
to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ffb9a8c9a0af968f969198af9390899a8dbf99888cd1989089"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8dcbdabbd2dde4fde4e3eadde1e2fbe8ffcdebfafea3eae2fb">[email protected]</span></a>. See the ``Public Comments Solicited'' 
section below for file format and other information on electronic 
filing. You may view comments and materials received, as well as 
supporting documentation used in the preparation of this proposed rule, 
by appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nell McPhillips, at the above address 
or telephone 605-224-8693, extension 32.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Description

    The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small [(approximately 
6.7 to 7.1 inches long) (17 to 18 centimeters) and 1.5 to 2.2 ounces 
(43 to 63 grams) in weight (Haig 1992)], migratory member of the 
shorebird family (Charadriidae). It is one of six species of belted 
plovers in North America. During the breeding season adults have single 
black bands across both the forehead and breast, orange legs and bill, 
and pale tan upper parts and are white below. The adults lose the black 
bands and their bill becomes grayish-black during the winter. The 
plumage of juveniles is similar to that of wintering adults.

Geographic Range

    The breeding range of the piping plover extends throughout the 
northern Great Plains, the Great Lakes, and the Atlantic Coast in the 
United States and Canada. Three breeding populations of piping plovers 
have been described--the northern Great Plains population, the Great 
Lakes population, and the Atlantic Coast population.
    Great Lakes piping plovers formerly nested throughout much of the 
Great Lakes region in the north-central United States and south-central 
Canada, but currently nest only in northern Michigan and at one site in 
northern Wisconsin. On the Atlantic Coast, piping plovers nest from 
Newfoundland, southeastern Quebec, and New Brunswick to North Carolina. 
Sixty-eight percent of all Atlantic nesting pairs breed in 
Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia (Service 1999).
    The northern Great Plains population's breeding range includes 
southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba, south 
to eastern Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, southeastern Colorado, 
Iowa, Nebraska, and east to Lake of the Woods in north-central 
Minnesota. The majority of the United States' pairs are in the Dakotas, 
Nebraska, and Montana (Service 1994). Fewer birds nest in Minnesota, 
Iowa, and Colorado, with occasional nesting in Oklahoma and Kansas.
    Historic data on the distribution of northern Great Plains piping 
plovers are somewhat scarce, with regular surveying efforts beginning 
after 1980. Some breeding records do exist for a majority of North 
Dakota counties (Service and North Dakota Game and Fish Department 
1997); Lake of the Woods County, in Minnesota (Service 2000b); counties 
along the Missouri River, as well as Codington, Day, and Miner Counties 
in South Dakota (South Dakota Ornithologists' Union 1991); and counties 
along the Missouri, Loup, Niobrara, Elkhorn, and Platte River in 
Nebraska (Dinan et al. 1993, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 1995). 
Plovers were first reported in Montana in 1967 in Phillips County and 
also were observed in Sheridan and Valley Counties during the 1970s 
(Carlson and Skaar 1976). Nesting was first observed in Colorado in 
1949 and a few reports of non-nesting birds occurred during the 1950s 
and 1960s (Bailey and Niedrich 1965), but there are no reports of 
nesting between 1949 and 1989 (Colorado Department of Natural Resources 
1994). In Iowa, nesting plovers were observed in Pottawattamie and 
Harrison Counties during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s (Stiles 1940, 
Brown 1971). Incidental records exist for Wyoming, as well as Eddy 
County, New Mexico, in 1964 (Bailey and Niedrich 1965).
    The current breeding range of the northern Great Plains population 
is similar to the previous records, with the following exceptions--
piping plovers have not been reported in Wyoming or New Mexico since 
their initial records, and since 1996, Kansas has reported nesting 
activity along the Kansas River due to newly available habitat after 
scouring flows in 1993 (Busby et al. 1997). Additionally, in 1987 and 
1988 piping plovers nested at Optima Reservoir, Oklahoma (these are the 
only known nesting records for Oklahoma) (Boyd 1991). In North Dakota, 
plovers nest at various prairie alkali wetlands in Benson, Burke, 
Burleigh, Divide, Eddy,

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Emmons, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Mountrail, Pierce, 
Renville, Sheridan, Stutsman, Ward, and Williams Counties, as well as 
sandbars and reservoir shorelines along the Missouri River (K. Kreil, 
Service, pers. comm.). South Dakota nesting has generally been limited 
to the Missouri River, primarily below the Gavins Point and Fort 
Randall Dams and on Lake Oahe (C.D. Kruse, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, pers. comm.). Occasionally plovers have nested on Lake 
Sharpe (Missouri River), and have additionally been sighted on Lake 
Francis Case (Missouri River) during the nesting season but nesting has 
not been documented. In Colorado, nesting has been observed on various 
reservoirs of the Arkansas River during the 1990s (Plissner and Haig 
1997, Nelson un publ. report). In Montana, plovers currently nest along 
the Missouri River, on Duck Creek Bay, Bear Creek Bay, Skunk Coulee, 
and the Big Dry Creek Arm of Fort Peck Reservoir, and alkali wetlands 
and reservoirs in Phillips and Sheridan Counties (G. Pavelka, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, pers. comm., H. Pac, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and 
Parks, pers. comm.). In Nebraska, piping plovers can still be found on 
sandbars along the Niobrara, Loup, and Platte Rivers, but habitat has 
been reduced on the Platte River. After upstream dams were built, 
reduced flows allowed the establishment of woody vegetation on most 
islands, due to the lack of scouring, high spring flows (Ziewitz et al. 
1992). Along the central reach of the Platte, this loss of habitat has 
forced most plovers to nest on sand and gravel mining spoil piles 
(Sidle and Kirsch 1993). Most nesting on the Platte River currently 
occurs on the lower Platte, where encroachment is least advanced 
(Ziewitz et al. 1992). Lake McConaughy in Nebraska also supports 
nesting plovers on its sandy beaches (Peyton and Matson 1999). In Iowa, 
Missouri River habitat has been lost due to channelization below Sioux 
City, leaving piping plovers to nest on industrial fly ash ponds in 
Woodbury and Pottawattamie Counties (D. Howell, Iowa Dept. of Natural 
Resources, pers. comm.). Plovers continue to nest in low numbers at 
Lake of the Woods, Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Natural 
Resources, 1999).

Population Status

    Historical piping plover population trend data are generally 
nonexistent. However, Audubon and Wilson described plovers as a common 
resident of the Atlantic coast during the 1800s (Bent 1929). On 
September 21, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition was present in the 
area of present day Lake Sharpe on the Missouri River, where William 
Clark wrote, ``* * * we observed an immense number of plover of 
Different kind Collecting and taking their flight southerly * * *'' 
(Moulton 1987). By 1900, the piping plover had been greatly reduced by 
over-harvesting. With the Federal protection of the Migratory Bird 
Treaty Act, the plover recovered by the 1920s and was reported as 
common (Bent 1929). Since that time, plover populations again declined 
throughout most of their range and have been extirpated from many 
states. Breeding surveys in the early 1980s reported 2,137 to 2,684 
adult plovers in the northern Great Plains/Prairie region, 28 adults in 
the Great Lakes region, and 1,370 to 1,435 adults along the Atlantic 
Coast (Haig and Oring 1985). In 1991 the first International Piping 
Plover Census was carried out, with 2,032 adult piping plovers observed 
in the United States' portion of the northern Great Plains (Haig and 
Plissner 1993). In 1996, during the second International Census, 1,597 
adult piping plovers were observed in the same area (Plissner and Haig 
1997); a reduction of almost 22 percent from 1991. Part of this 
reduction was likely an artifact of increased numbers of piping plovers 
nesting in Canada in 1996, due to high water levels in the United 
States (Plissner and Haig 1997).
    Current estimates of piping plover survival rates are limited. Root 
et al. (1992) estimated a mean annual survival rate of 0.664 for adults 
in the northern Great Plains population from 1984 to 1990 using 
recapture and re-sighting data from plovers in North Dakota. Larson et 
al. (2000) reevaluated survival from this study, including some 
additional years of banding and resights. The new mean local annual 
survival rate was 0.737 for adults (Larson et al. 2000). Most plover 
mortality was thought to occur during migration or on wintering grounds 
(Root et al. 1992); however, a recent study on Padre Island, Texas, 
indicated over-wintering survival can be very high (Drake 1999).
    Ryan et al. (1993) developed a stochastic population growth model 
using empirical, demographic data, which indicated the northern Great 
Plains plover population was declining 7 percent annually. They also 
used the simulation model to predict reproductive and survival rates 
necessary to stabilize and increase the population. Ryan et al. (1993) 
stated that if adult (0.66) and immature (0.60) survival rates were 
held constant, a 31 percent increase, from 0.86 to 1.13 chicks fledged 
per pair, was needed to stabilize the population. Annual population 
increases of 1 and 2 percent required 1.16 and 1.19 chicks per pair, 
respectively. Such growth would result in the northern Great Plains 
population reaching the level needed for recovery and delisting from 
the Act in 53 and 30 years respectively. One- and 5-year delays in the 
initiation of 1 percent population growth caused 13- and 67-year delays 
respectively in reaching recovery. Model (Ryan et al. 1993) results 
indicated that the northern Great Plains population is declining 
substantially. However, using more recent survival estimates (Larson et 
al. (2000)) in the stochastic population growth model have shown that 
the feasibility of recovering the northern Great Plains population is 
more likely than previously determined (Ryan et al. 1993, Plissner and 
Haig 2000).
    A population viability model, developed by Plissner and Haig 
(2000), used the metapopulation viability analysis package, VORTEX. 
Plissner and Haig (2000) found in the northern Great Plains and Great 
Lakes populations, if the adult and immature survival rates were held 
constant, it would require a 36 percent higher mean fecundity, or an 
increase from 1.25 to 1.7 chicks fledged per pair, to reach a 
significant probability of persisting for the next 100 years.

Ecology

    Piping plover breeding habitat consists of open, sparsely vegetated 
areas with alkali or unconsolidated substrates. Piping plovers 
primarily breed in four habitat types in the northern Great Plains--
alkali lakes and wetlands, inland lakes (Lake of the Woods), 
reservoirs, and rivers. Based on the International Piping Plover 
Census, most breeding occurs along alkali lakes and wetlands, and other 
small water bodies, with 59.6 percent and 78 percent observed on those 
sites in 1991 (Haig and Plissner 1993) and 1996 (Plissner and Haig 
1997), respectively. For these areas, nesting sites are generally wide, 
gravelly, salt-encrusted beaches with minimal vegetation (Prindiville 
Gaines and Ryan 1988).
    Piping plovers use barren to sparsely vegetated islands, beaches, 
and peninsulas at inland lake habitats (Nordstrom and Ryan 1996), such 
as Lake of the Woods, Minnesota. Sandbars and reservoir shorelines with 
similar features are the preferred nesting habitats of piping plovers 
along riverine systems (Schwalbach 1988, Kruse 1993). In 1991, 
approximately 38 percent of the population was observed on reservoirs, 
river shores, and sandbars. In 1996, 15.1 percent was observed at those 
areas; this was a high-water year and much of the

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habitat along rivers was inundated, likely forcing birds to nest 
elsewhere. These data suggest that habitat use by piping plovers is 
dynamic and that the habitat necessary to support the northern Great 
Plains population is diverse.
    Although the preference of piping plovers for open areas has been 
repeatedly noted in the literature, quantitative data on habitat 
characteristics, evidence of habitat selection, and information on the 
relative quality of inland habitats remain scarce. A survey of the 
research literature suggests that this lack of quantitative and 
qualitative data is a result of the dynamic nature of the habitat, 
climate, and hydrologic cycles of the northern Great Plains. Several 
studies have suggested that beach width may affect habitat use by 
piping plovers breeding on inland lakes. Whyte (1985) recorded minimum 
nest-to-water distances of 131.2 feet (40 meters) in Saskatchewan and 
suggested that beaches less than 65.6 to 98.4 feet wide (20 to 30 
meters wide) were not likely to be used by piping plovers. However, in 
Alberta, Weseloh and Weseloh (1983) calculated a mean beach width of 
only 38.4 feet (11.7 meters) at nest sites. But they noted that these 
seemed to be the widest beaches available. Prindiville, Gaines, and 
Ryan (1988) reported mean beach width to be larger in occupied 
territories [x = 108.3 feet (33 meters)] than in unoccupied sites [x = 
44.6 feet (13.6 meters)] in North Dakota. The amount and distribution 
of beach vegetation affect piping plover habitat selection and 
reproductive success. Prindiville, Gaines, and Ryan (1988) found no 
difference in vegetative cover between territories (x = 3.4 percent) 
and unoccupied sites (x = 3.8 percent). However, vegetation was more 
clumped in territories than in unoccupied sites. Furthermore, 
territories in which nests were successful had either less vegetation 
or more clumped vegetation than territories with unsuccessful nests 
(Prindiville 1986).
    Substrate composition also may affect habitat selection by piping 
plovers and influence nest success. Cairns (1977) found 31 of 38 nests 
in Nova Scotia on mixed sand and gravel and stated that those nests 
were less conspicuous than those on sand alone. Whyte (1985) reported 
that piping plovers were more likely to establish nests on gravel than 
was expected by chance alone. In North Dakota, gravel was generally 
more evenly distributed and in greater concentration on piping plover 
territories than at unoccupied sites (Prindiville 1986).
    Piping plovers nesting on the Missouri, Platte, Niobrara, Loup and 
other rivers, use reservoir shorelines and large dry, barren sandbars 
in wide, open channel beds. Along these rivers, plovers often nest in 
the vicinity of endangered interior least terns (Sterna antillarum). 
Vegetative cover on nesting islands is usually less than 25 percent 
(Ziewitz et al. 1992). Twenty-eight Platte River sandbars, occupied by 
nesting piping plovers, averaged 938 feet (286 meters) in length and 
180 feet (55 meters) in width (Faanes 1983). Vegetative cover on those 
sandbars averaged 25.4 percent. Armbruster (1986) estimated the optimum 
range for vegetative cover on nesting habitat from 0-10 percent, and 
Schwalbach (1988) found that 89 percent of the plovers nested in areas 
of less than 5 percent vegetative cover. On the Missouri River, 
Schwalbach (1988) found that the average vegetation height ranged from 
2 to 11 inches (6 to 29 centimeters) and the majority of the plovers 
(63 percent) nested in areas where vegetation was less than 4 inches 
(10 centimeters).
    Average elevation of nests (least terns and piping plovers) above 
river level ranges from 7.4 inches (19 centimeters) below Gavins Point 
Dam to 12 inches (30 centimeters) below Garrison Dam (Schwalbach 1988, 
Dirks 1990). Schwalbach (1988) and Ziewitz et al. (1992) suggested that 
birds select a higher nest site, away from the water's edge, when 
available. For nesting, piping plovers evidently seek habitats with 
wide horizontal visibility, protection from terrestrial predators, 
isolation from human disturbance, low likelihood of inundation, and 
nearby feeding habitat.
    Open, wet, sandy areas provide feeding habitat for plovers on river 
systems and throughout most of the species' nesting range. Piping 
plovers feed primarily on exposed substrates by pecking for 
invertebrates at or just below the surface (Cairns 1977, Whyte 1985). 
In Saskatchewan, Whyte (1985) noted that adults concentrated foraging 
efforts within 16.4 feet (5 meters) of the water's edge. He found 
broods also fed most often near the shore, but their use of upland 
beach habitats was greater than that of adults. Cairns (1977) reported 
that chicks tended to feed on firmer sand at greater distances from the 
shoreline than adults. At Lake of the Woods, Minnesota, and on Long 
Island-Chequamegon Point, Wisconsin, adult piping plovers seemed to 
prefer shoreline or beach pool edges (wet sand) over open beach (dry 
sand) as feeding sites (Wiens 1986, S. Matteson, Wisconsin Department 
of Natural Resources, pers. comm.). Studies suggest that forage areas 
include the nesting island itself, as well as adjacent sandbar flats 
(Cairns 1977, Whyte 1985, Corn and Armbruster 1993). Spring/fen areas 
on the peripheries of some alkali lakes also are important feeding 
sites for plover chicks (Rabenberg et al. 1993).
    Upland areas surrounding wetlands, such as the spring/fen areas, 
have also been noted in the scientific literature to be important to 
maximizing the effective period of time wetlands can provide critical 
functions (i.e., water quality, flood control, groundwater recharge, 
nutrient recycling, primary productivity, and wildlife habitat) within 
the agricultural landscape (Gleason and Eulis 1998). This is 
particularly important when considering wetlands within the 
agricultural landscape in the northern Great Plains. In addition 
appropriate upland widths are based on several variables, including--
existing wetland functions, values, and sensitivity to disturbance; 
land-use impacts; and desired upland functions (Castelle et al. 1992). 
Critical functions to consider for piping plovers nesting on wetlands 
in the northern Great Plains include water quality, invertebrate 
abundance, and the lifespan of the wetland. To maintain water quality 
and maximize the effective period of time the wetland maintains 
critical functions, available research suggests upland buffers of 100 
to 300 feet (30.5 to 91.4 meters) (Castelle et al. 1992, Lee et al. 
1997, Gleason and Eulis 1998, NRCS 2000).
    Conditions for nesting are highly variable in the Great Plains. 
Therefore, local population estimates may not always give an accurate 
description of the population as a whole, and success may depend on the 
availability of alternative habitat types (Plissner and Haig 1997). In 
addition to primary nesting habitat types, piping plovers also may use 
sand pits and ash ponds, which often mimic natural habitats (Service 
1988, Corn and Ambruster 1993, Lackey 1994). These areas are only 
suitable for a limited period of time after their initial creation, as 
vegetation encroachment generally reduces habitat quality after a few 
years (Sidle and Kirsch 1993).
    Breeding site fidelity (rate at which adults return to the same 
breeding sites in subsequent years) for piping plovers ranged from 4.5 
percent in two studies combined in South Dakota (Schwalbach 1988, Dirks 
1990) to 87.5 percent in Lake of the Woods, Minnesota (Haig and Oring 
1987). Wiens (1986) found return patterns to specific breeding sites 
did not seem to be influenced by previous reproductive success. In 
Manitoba, Haig and Oring (1988) observed two patterns

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of return by adults--(1) those that hatched chicks the year before 
returned to the same breeding site but changed territories, and (2) 
adults that experienced nest failure the year before generally changed 
sites. Adults have been known to use breeding sites as far as 339.1 
miles (546 kilometers) apart in consecutive years (Haig 1987). The 
varying rates of site fidelity reported in these studies suggest that 
piping plovers need a variety of available nest sites. Sites used in 1 
year may not be used in subsequent years; conversely, sites unoccupied 
by piping plovers may be used in the future.
    Similar observations of chick returns further demonstrate the need 
for numerous nest sites in the Great Plains. The percentage of observed 
chicks returning to natal sites has ranged from 4.7 percent in New York 
(Wilcox 1959) to 1.3 to 50 percent in South Dakota (Schwalbach et al. 
1993, Niver 2000) and 70 percent at Lake of the Woods, Minnesota (Haig 
and Oring 1987). Chick dispersal (movement from natal site to first 
breeding site) is difficult to characterize and few banding studies 
have been carried out in the Great Plains. But, long-range dispersal 
distances (3.1 to 169.5 miles (5 to 273 kilometers)) have been 
documented in piping plovers (Haig and Oring 1988) and similar 
distances were observed in two plovers on the Missouri River (R. Niver, 
Service, and C.D. Kruse, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, pers. comm.).
    The nesting season typically begins in late March to early April 
when plovers arrive on the breeding grounds. Breeding activities, 
including courtship flights, nest bowl scraping, territorial 
interactions, egg laying, incubating, and chick rearing, can be 
observed throughout the summer. Nests are shallow scrapes and are often 
lined with shell fragments, pebbles, or small sticks. Typical clutch 
size is 3 to 4 eggs and incubation lasts 27 to 31 days. Chicks can feed 
themselves after hatching (i.e., are precocial), and fledge at 18 to 25 
days of age (Service 1988b). Fledging success varies by site and year. 
For example, between 1986 and 1999 along the Missouri River, there were 
0.06 to 1.61 fledged chicks/pair (USACE unpubl. data). Between 1982 and 
1987 Haig and Oring (1987) reported fledge ratios between 0.3 to 2.1 or 
0.4 to 3.0 fledged chicks/pair, depending on 1987 data, for Lake of the 
Woods, Minnesota. In the United States Alkali Lake Core region, which 
includes parts of northwest North Dakota and northeast Montana, annual 
fledge ratios varied between 0.60 to 1.49 fledged chicks/pair from 1994 
to 2000 (J. Knetter, University of Wisconsin-Madison, pers. comm.).
    Nest and chick predation, weather, human disturbance, and 
hydrologic cycles influence fledging success. If nest loss occurs early 
in the season, piping plovers will often renest. After later nest loss, 
chick loss, or fledging chicks, plovers begin their southerly migration 
from mid-July through early September. Piping plovers that breed in the 
Great Plains generally winter along the Gulf Coast from Mexico to 
Florida, but some occasionally winter along the southern Atlantic Coast 
from North Carolina to Florida (Haig and Plissner 1993).

Previous Federal Actions

    On December 30, 1982, we published a notice of review in the 
Federal Register (47 FR 58454) identifying native vertebrate taxa being 
considered for addition to the List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife. We included the piping plover in that review list as a 
category two species, indicating that we believed the species might 
warrant listing as threatened or endangered, but that we had 
insufficient data to support a proposal to list at that time. 
Subsequent review of additional data indicated that the piping plover 
warranted listing, and in November 1984 we published a proposal in the 
Federal Register (49 FR 44712) to list the piping plover as endangered 
in the Great Lakes watershed and as threatened along the Atlantic 
Coast, the northern Great Plains, and elsewhere in their ranges. The 
proposed listing was based on the decline of the species and existing 
threats, including habitat destruction, disturbance by humans and pets, 
high levels of predation, and contaminants.
    After a review of the best scientific data available and all 
comments received in response to the proposed rule, we published the 
final rule (50 FR 50726) on December 11, 1985, designating the Great 
Lakes population (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, 
New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ontario) as endangered; 
and listing piping plovers along the Atlantic coast (Quebec, New 
Foundland, Maritime Provinces, and States from Maine to Florida), and 
in the northern Great Plains (Iowa, northwestern Minnesota, Montana, 
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Alberta, Manitoba, and 
Saskatchewan) as threatened. All piping plovers on migratory routes 
outside of the Great Lakes watershed or on their wintering grounds are 
considered threatened. The Service did not designate critical habitat 
for the species at that time.
    After 1986, we formed two recovery teams, the Great Lakes/Northern 
Great Plains Piping Plover Recovery Team and the Atlantic Coast Piping 
Plover Recovery Team. In 1988 the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains 
(Service 1988b) and Atlantic Coast (Service 1988a) Recovery Plans were 
published. In 1994 the Great Lakes/Northern Great Plains Recovery Team 
began to revise the Recovery plan for the Great Lakes/Northern Great 
Plains populations (Service 1994). The 1994 draft included updated 
information on the species and was distributed for public comment. 
Subsequently, we decided that the recovery of these two inland 
populations would benefit from separate recovery plans. Separate 
recovery plans for the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains 
populations are presently under development.
    The final listing rule for the piping plover indicated that 
designation of critical habitat was not determinable. Thus, designation 
was deferred. No further action was taken to designate critical habitat 
for piping plovers. On December 4, 1996, Defenders of Wildlife 
(Defenders) filed a suit (Defenders of Wildlife and Piping Plover v. 
Babbitt, Case No. 96CV02965) against the Department of the Interior and 
the Service over the lack of designation of critical habitat for the 
Great Lakes population of the piping plover. Defenders filed a similar 
suit (Defenders of Wildlife and Piping Plover v. Babbitt, Case No. 
97CV000777) for the northern Great Plains piping plover population in 
1997. During November and December 1999 and January 2000, we began 
negotiating with Defenders on a schedule for piping plover critical 
habitat designation. On February 7, 2000, before the settlement 
negotiations were concluded, the United States District Court for the 
District of Columbia issued an order directing us to publish a proposed 
critical habitat designation for nesting and wintering areas of the 
Great Lakes breeding population of the piping plover by June 30, 2000, 
and for nesting and wintering areas of the northern Great Plains 
population of the piping plover by May 31, 2001. A subsequent order, 
after we requested the court to reconsider its original order relating 
to final critical habitat designation, directed us to finalize the 
critical habitat designations for the Great Lakes population by April 
30, 2001, and for the northern Great Plains population by March 15, 
2002. For biological and practical reasons, we chose to propose 
critical habitat for the Great Lakes breeding birds and for all 
wintering birds in two separate documents; the Great Lakes breeding 
birds final critical habitat was published

[[Page 31764]]

on May 7, 2001 (66 FR 22983), and we intend to publish the wintering 
birds final critical habitat by June 29, 2001.

Critical Habitat

    Critical habitat is defined in section 3 of the Act as (i) the 
specific areas within the geographic area occupied by a species, at the 
time it is listed in accordance with the Act, on which are found those 
physical or biological features (I) essential to conserve the species 
and (II) that may require special management considerations or 
protection; and (ii) specific areas outside the geographic area 
occupied by a species at the time it is listed, upon determination that 
such areas are essential to conserve the species. ``Conservation'' 
means the use of all methods and procedures that are necessary to bring 
an endangered or threatened species to the point at which listing under 
the Act is no longer necessary. Critical habitat receives protection 
under section 7 of the Act through the prohibition against destruction 
or adverse modification of critical habitat with regard to actions 
carried out, funded, or authorized by a Federal agency. Section 7 also 
requires conferences with the Service on Federal actions that are 
likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of proposed 
critical habitat. In our regulations at 50 CFR 402.02, we define 
destruction or adverse modification as ``* * * a direct or indirect 
alteration that appreciably diminishes the value of critical habitat 
for both the survival and recovery of a listed species. Such 
alterations include, but are not limited to, alterations adversely 
modifying any of those physical or biological features that were the 
basis for determining the habitat to be critical.'' Aside from the 
added protection that may be provided under section 7, the Act does not 
provide other forms of protection to lands designated as critical 
habitat. Because consultation under section 7 of the Act does not apply 
to activities on private or other non-Federal lands that do not involve 
a Federal nexus, critical habitat designation would not afford any 
additional protections under the Act against such activities.
    To be included in a critical habitat designation, the habitat must 
first be ``essential to the conservation of the species.'' Critical 
habitat designations identify, to the extent known using the best 
scientific and commercial data available, habitat areas that provide 
essential life cycle needs of the species (i.e., areas on which are 
found the primary constituent elements, as defined at 50 CFR 
424.12(b)).
    Section 4 requires that we designate critical habitat at the time 
of listing and based on what we know at the time of designation. When 
we designate critical habitat at the time of listing or under short 
court-ordered deadlines, we will often not have sufficient information 
to identify all areas of critical habitat. We are required, 
nevertheless, to make a decision and thus must base our designations on 
what, at the time of designation, we know to be critical habitat.
    Within the geographic area occupied by the species (or, in this 
case, a breeding population), we designate only areas currently known 
to be essential. Essential areas should already have the features and 
habitat characteristics that are necessary to conserve the species. We 
will not speculate about what areas might be found to be essential if 
better information became available, or what areas may become essential 
over time. If the information available at the time of designation does 
not show that an area provides essential life cycle needs of the 
species, then the area should not be included in the critical habitat 
designation. Within the geographic area occupied by the species, we 
will not designate areas that do not now have the primary constituent 
elements, as defined at 50 CFR 424.12(b), that provide essential life 
cycle needs of the species.
    Our regulations state, ``The Secretary shall designate as critical 
habitat areas outside the geographical area presently occupied by a 
species only when a designation limited to its present range would be 
inadequate to ensure the conservation of the species,'' 
(50CFR424.12(e)). Accordingly, we do not designate critical habitat in 
areas outside the geographic area occupied by the species unless the 
best scientific and commercial data demonstrate that the unoccupied 
areas are essential for the conservation needs of the species.
    Our Policy on Information Standards Under the Endangered Species 
Act, published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34271), 
provides criteria, procedures, and guidance to ensure decisions made by 
the Service represent the best scientific and commercial data 
available. It requires Service biologists, to the extent consistent 
with the Act and with the use of the best scientific and commercial 
data available, to use primary and original sources of information as 
the basis for recommendations to designate critical habitat. When 
determining which areas are critical habitat, a primary source of 
information should be the listing package for the species. Additional 
information may be obtained from a recovery plan, articles in peer-
reviewed journals, conservation plans developed by States, Tribes, and 
counties, scientific status surveys and studies, and biological 
assessments or other unpublished materials, and expert opinion or 
personal knowledge.
    Habitat is often dynamic, and species may move from one area to 
another over time. Furthermore, we recognize designation of critical 
habitat may not include all habitat eventually determined as necessary 
to recover the species. For these reasons, all should understand that 
critical habitat designations do not signal that habitat outside the 
designation is unimportant or may not be required for recovery. Areas 
outside the critical habitat designation will continue to be subject to 
conservation actions that may be implemented under section 7(a)(1), and 
the regulatory protections afforded by the section 7 (a)(2) jeopardy 
standard and the section 9 take prohibition, as determined on the basis 
of the best available information at the time of the action. Federally 
funded or assisted projects affecting listed species outside their 
designated critical habitat areas may still result in likely-to-
jeopardize findings in some cases. Similarly, critical habitat 
designations made on the basis of the best available information at the 
time of designation will not control the direction and substance of 
future recovery plans, habitat conservation plans, or other species 
conservation planning efforts if new information available to these 
planning efforts calls for a different outcome.

Methods

    In determining areas essential to conserve the northern Great 
Plains breeding population of piping plovers, we used the best 
scientific and commercial data available. We have reviewed the overall 
approach to the conservation of the northern Great Plains breeding 
population of piping plovers undertaken by the local, State, Tribal, 
and Federal agencies operating within the species' range since its 
listing in 1986, and the identified steps necessary for recovery 
outlined in the Great Lakes and Northern Great Plains Piping Plover 
Recovery Plan (Service 1988b).
    We also have reviewed available information that pertains to the 
habitat requirements of this species, including material received since 
completion of the recovery plan. The material included data in reports 
submitted during section 7 consultations and by biologists holding 
section 10(a)(1)(A) recovery permits; the 1994 Technical/Agency Review 
Draft Revised Recovery

[[Page 31765]]

Plan for Piping Plovers Breeding on the Great Lakes and Northern Great 
Plains (Service 1994); research published in peer-reviewed articles and 
presented in academic theses and agency reports; annual survey reports; 
regional Geographic Information System (GIS) coverages; and personal 
communications with knowledgeable biologists.

Primary Constituent Elements

    In accordance with section 3(5)(A)(i) of the Act and regulations at 
50 CFR 424.12, in determining which areas to propose as critical 
habitat, we are required to base critical habitat determinations on the 
best scientific and commercial data available and to consider physical 
and biological features (primary constituent elements) that are 
essential to conservation of the species, and that may require special 
management considerations and protection. These include, but are not 
limited to--(1) space for individual and population growth, and for 
normal behavior; (2) food, water, air, light, minerals, or other 
nutritional or physiological requirements; (3) cover or shelter; (4) 
sites for breeding, reproduction, rearing (or development) of 
offspring; and (5) habitats protected from disturbance or that are 
representative of the historic geographical and ecological 
distributions of a species.
    Primary constituent elements for the northern Great Plains 
population of piping plovers are those habitat components essential for 
the biological needs of courtship, nesting, sheltering, brood-rearing, 
foraging, roosting, intraspecific communication, and migration. 
Proposed critical habitat for the northern Great Plains breeding 
population of piping plovers includes areas that--(1) are currently or 
recently used for breeding, or (2) were documented to have been 
occupied historically and still have most or all of the primary 
constituent elements, (3) are not specifically documented to have been 
occupied, but are deemed potential breeding habitat since these areas 
are part of a riverine system with documented nesting, and are within 
the historic geographic range and have recently developed primary 
constituent elements, or (4) include habitat complexes, including 
wetland and adjacent upland areas, essential to the conservation of 
this species (50 CFR 424.13(d)). Critical habitat is effective year-
round. Therefore, an area that contains one or more of the primary 
constituent elements is considered to be critical habitat even if these 
elements are temporarily obscured by snow, ice, or other temporary 
features.
    Primary constituent elements are categorized by breeding habitat 
types found in the northern Great Plains, including mixosaline to 
hypersaline wetlands (Cowardin et al. 1979), rivers, reservoirs, and 
inland lakes. The habitat types and primary constituent elements 
necessary to sustain the northern Great Plains breeding population of 
piping plovers are described as follows:
    On prairie alkali lakes and wetlands, the primary constituent 
elements include--(1) shallow, seasonally to permanently flooded, 
mixosaline to hypersaline wetlands with sandy to gravelly, sparsely 
vegetated beaches, salt-encrusted mud flats, and/or gravelly salt 
flats; (2) springs and fens along edges of alkali lakes and wetlands; 
and (3) adjacent uplands 200 feet (61 meters) above the high water mark 
of the alkali lake or wetland.
    On rivers the primary constituent elements include--sparsely 
vegetated channel sandbars, sand and gravel beaches on islands, 
temporary pools on sandbars and islands, and the interface with the 
river.
    On reservoirs the primary constituent elements include--sparsely 
vegetated shoreline beaches, peninsulas, islands composed of sand, 
gravel, or shale, and their interface with the water bodies.
    On inland lakes (Lake of the Woods) the primary constituent 
elements include--sparsely vegetated and windswept sandy to gravelly 
islands, beaches, and peninsulas, and their interface with the water 
body.
    The dynamic ecological processes that create and maintain piping 
plover habitat also are important primary constituent elements. These 
processes develop a mosaic of habitats on the landscape that provide 
the essential combination of prey, forage, nesting, brooding and chick-
rearing areas. The annual, seasonal, daily, and even hourly 
availability of the habitat patches is dependent on local weather, 
hydrological conditions and cycles, and geological processes.
    For example, periodic disturbance of alkali lakes and wetlands and 
adjacent upland vegetation is important to minimize vegetation 
encroachment on beaches and are ecological processes with which the 
piping plover evolved. Historically, bison (Bison bison) grazed 
vegetation and fire burned off vegetation and plant litter on and 
around alkali lake beaches. Today both fire and livestock grazing are 
used to manage for periodic disturbance. Lack of such disturbances 
degrades the attractiveness of beaches to piping plovers and, 
potentially, the security of these habitats for breeding adults and 
chicks.
    Furthermore, suitability of beaches, sandbars, shoreline, and flats 
on the above-mentioned habitat types also is based on a dynamic 
hydrological system of wet-to-dry cycles. Habitat area, abundance and 
availability of insect foods, brood and nesting cover, and prevalence 
of vegetation are linked to these water cycles. On rivers, one site 
becomes flooded and erodes away as another is created. This dynamic 
nature of rivers, as well as flow-management of rivers like the 
Missouri River, is important to habitat creation and maintenance for 
piping plovers. On alkali lakes, the complex of different wetland types 
is especially important for providing areas for plovers in all years, 
as site availability cannot be predicted or selected at a given time, 
due to varying water cycles. Although not well documented by specific 
scientific research, biologists have noted a relationship appears to 
exist between availability of breeding habitat and wet-to-dry cycles. 
During droughts, lack of water reduces habitat for breeding pairs on 
alkali lakes and wetlands, while reduced river flows tend to produce 
more available habitat on rivers and associated reservoirs. 
Additionally, if smaller tributaries or wetlands are flooded during the 
early part of the breeding season, piping plovers often move to larger 
rivers to renest.
    Because piping plovers evolved in this dynamic and complex system, 
and because they are dependent on it for their continued survival and 
eventual recovery, our proposed critical habitat boundaries incorporate 
natural processes inherent in the system and include sites that might 
not exhibit all appropriate habitat components in all years but have a 
documented history of such components. For example, in dry years, 
nesting areas lacking water may be unsuitable for piping plovers; 
conversely, in wet years, there may be a lack of exposed shoreline 
habitat for nesting plovers.

Criteria Used To Identify Critical Habitat

    The Recovery Plan for the Great Lakes and Northern Great Plains 
Piping Plover (Service 1988) and the Technical/Agency Review Draft 
Revised Recovery Plan for Piping Plovers Breeding on the Great Lakes 
and Northern Great Plains (1994) identified the specific recovery needs 
of the northern Great Plains breeding population of the piping plover, 
and serve as starting points for identifying areas essential to its 
conservation.

[[Page 31766]]

    Piping plovers are found in a variety of ecologically and 
geographically distinct areas within the northern Great Plains. In 
order to preserve this diversity, all of these areas are represented in 
either of the recovery plans. To recover the northern Great Plains 
breeding population of the piping plover to the point where it can be 
delisted, it is essential to preserve the population's genetic 
diversity as well as the habitat on which it persists. The areas 
identified in the recovery plans as necessary to achieve recovery of 
the population are generally reflected in this proposal.
    However, the recovery plans did not include the most recent 
comprehensive breeding survey data for the northern Great Plains and 
did not identify all possible areas essential to the survival and 
recovery of the species. Thus, we identified additional areas in this 
proposal from surveys conducted in North Dakota from 1987 to 2000, in 
Montana from 1986 to 2000, in Minnesota from 1982 to 2000, on the 
Missouri River from 1986 to 2000, in Nebraska from 1986 to 2000, in 
Kansas from 1996 to 2000, in Colorado from 1990 to 2000, and in Iowa 
from 1986 to 2000; and data from the 1991 and 1996 International Piping 
Plover Censuses. We also removed some of the sites included in the 1994 
draft recovery plan due to existing protection from current management 
practices or plans. Based on the primary constituent elements, we 
divided the habitat types used by the northern Great Plains breeding 
population of piping plovers into alkali lakes and wetlands, rivers, 
reservoirs, and inland lakes. We discuss our inclusions and exclusions 
of habitat below.
    Alkali Lakes and Wetlands--We only mapped alkali lakes and wetlands 
that were observed with breeding pairs in at least 2 out of 10 survey 
years. The 10-year survey period encompassed both wet and dry cycles; 
therefore, the dynamic nature of prairie alkali lakes and wetlands, and 
the resulting shift in use by piping plovers of different habitat 
types, is reflected in the mapping. All alkali lakes and wetlands 
mapped exhibit one or more of the primary constituent elements. We did 
not include many areas that exhibited all of the primary constituent 
elements and periodically contained piping plovers because they did not 
meet the minimum 2 out of 10-year requirement. Our legal descriptions 
include all sections in which alkali lakes and wetlands and associated 
200-foot (61-meter) upland habitat are found.
    Missouri River and Reservoirs--We mapped the Missouri River from 
Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana, to Ponca State Park, Nebraska. We 
identified two riverine reaches (a portion of Fort Peck riverine reach 
and the reach from Ponca State Park, Nebraska, to Plattsmouth, 
Nebraska), one reservoir reach (Lake Sharpe), and a portion of another 
reservoir (Fort Peck) on the Missouri River that we are not proposing 
as critical habitat, because they did not meet the definition of 
critical habitat. See discussion to follow.
    The Fort Peck riverine reach of the Missouri River from the Fort 
Peck Dam to the confluence of the Milk River (RM 1712) is highly 
degraded and contains few sandbars due to sediments trapped behind the 
Fort Peck Dam. Sandbar formation begins further downstream due to 
sediments transported from the Milk River. The upstream section that we 
have not proposed does not contain, and is not likely to develop, the 
primary constituent elements needed for piping plover survival and 
recovery in the near future.
    Although piping plovers have been documented as far south as 
Plattsmouth, Nebraska, on the Missouri River, very limited habitat 
currently exists for piping plovers below Ponca State Park, Nebraska. 
The Missouri River has little sandbar habitat in this reach due to the 
channelization of the river and bank stabilization projects which were 
created to support navigation. We are aware of efforts to restore some 
backwater areas along this reach which will likely create suitable 
habitat for the piping plover. We will continue to monitor these areas 
and may consider proposing them as critical habitat if they obtain the 
primary constituent elements needed for the piping plover in the 
future. Along the Iowa reach of the Missouri River, plovers exist on 
fly ash sites adjacent to the river, but these temporary habitats 
support few birds and, therefore, are not considered essential and do 
not meet the definition of critical habitat.
    Lake Sharpe was not proposed because this reservoir reach has only 
supported a few pairs of birds on one beach since listing and, 
therefore, are not considered essential and do not meet the definition 
of critical habitat.
    In Montana, piping plovers have been found on the Dry Arm, Duck 
Creek Bay, Bear Creek Bay, and Skunk Coulee of Fort Peck Reservoir. We 
are not proposing the entire Fort Peck Reservoir as plovers have never 
been reported on the western arm.
    Including portions of the Missouri River that may not be occupied 
at this time is necessary because of the dynamic nature of the river. 
Sandbar/island habitats migrate up and down the riverine sections of 
the river resulting in shifts in the location of primary constituent 
elements. Mainstem reservoir areas also change depending on water level 
management. Piping plovers opportunistically respond to these shifts 
from year to year. The entire length of mainstem reservoirs was 
included even though small areas of reservoirs may never contain the 
primary constituent elements due to high banks and steep slopes. We did 
not exclude these areas because it would require a minimum of 2 years 
to collect data necessary to map at that detail. However, Federal 
actions limited to these areas that do not contain the primary 
constituent elements would not trigger a section 7 consultation, unless 
they affect the species and/or the primary constituent elements in or 
adjacent to critical habitat.
    In South Dakota, a 107.5-mile (172.9-kilometer) stretch from Big 
Bend Dam to Fort Randall (Lake Francis Case) was included despite the 
fact that nesting piping plovers have not been documented in this reach 
in recent times, as nesting surveys have not been conducted in this 
river since this habitat formed. We are including this area as proposed 
habitat because of the large delta forming at the confluence of the 
White River. This delta area recently (1999-2000) developed piping 
plover nesting habitat characteristics (C.D. Kruse, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, pers. comm.) and primary constituent elements necessary for 
breeding piping plovers. In addition, this river reach, in combination 
with other Missouri River reaches, was identified as essential habitat 
to meet conservation and recovery goals for the northern Great Plains 
piping plover (Service 2000a).
    Inland Lakes (Lake of the Woods)--In Minnesota, piping plovers 
appear to key in on sandy points or spits in large lakes. Although many 
sandy beach/large lakes exist, piping plovers are attracted to the rare 
combination of windswept islands or peninsulas with a lack of adjacent 
tree cover. Incidental observations have never yielded nesting 
observations on large lakes such as Upper and Lower Red Lakes or Lake 
Winnibigoshish. Therefore, we have limited our critical habitat 
proposal in Minnesota to three known sites on Lake of the Woods where 
the species has been observed nesting in more than 1 year. Zippel Bay 
on Lake of the Woods and Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge were not 
included because breeding pairs were only observed 1 year at these 
sites.
    Nebraska Rivers--Portions of the Platte, Niobrara, and Loup Rivers 
were proposed where piping plover nesting

[[Page 31767]]

has been consistently documented since listing.
    Similar to the Missouri River, portions of the Platte River that 
are included in the proposed critical habitat designation may not be 
occupied in a given year, but designation is necessary because of the 
dynamic nature of the river. Sandbar habitats migrate up and down the 
rivers resulting in shifts in the location of primary constituent 
elements.
    The Elkhorn River was considered for this proposal but was not 
included at this time because there is limited documented nesting on 
this river. We do not consider the Elkhorn River to be essential at 
this time to the conservation and recovery of the northern Great Plains 
breeding population of the piping plover.
    The shoreline along Lake McConaughy, Nebraska, has not been 
proposed for critical habitat due to the existence of two, draft 
conservation management plans developed by the Central Nebraska Public 
Power and Irrigation District to satisfy a Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission (FERC) relicensing requirement for Project No. 1417. The 
``Land and Shoreline Management Plan'' and the ``Management Plan for 
Least Terns and Piping Plovers Nesting on the Shore of Lake 
McConaughy'' were developed in coordination and in agreement with the 
Service and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Both plans are 
being implemented on an interim basis while awaiting FERC approval. We 
believe that implementation of these conservation management plans is 
consistent with piping plover recovery. Therefore this area is not in 
need of special management and does not meet the definition of critical 
habitat. If conservation management plans are in place and meet the 
following three criteria, then we may exclude these areas from critical 
habitat. These conservation plans must--(1) provide a benefit to the 
species; (2) include implementation assurances; and (3) include 
features, such as an adaptive management plan, that will assure 
effectiveness. Therefore, despite the presence of nesting piping 
plovers at this site, it is eligible for exclusion from critical 
habitat on the basis of having conservation management plans that 
specifically address the conservation and recovery of the piping 
plover. However, if FERC should ultimately decide not to approve either 
or both of the aforementioned plans as currently drafted, we will need 
to reconsider whether the site should be excluded from the final rule 
for critical habitat designation.
    Colorado and Kansas Nesting Sites--Nesting areas on the Kansas 
River in Kansas were considered for possible inclusion as critical 
habitat but were not included because at the present time these sites 
are not considered essential and, therefore, do not meet the 
requirements of critical habitat. The Kansas River nesting occurred for 
the first time in 1996 and is suspected to have occurred because of 
habitat created by historical flood events (1993 and 1995). We believe 
that a return to more normal flows will eliminate nesting habitat on 
this river. In 4 years of documented nesting on the Kansas River there 
was one pair of plovers the first year and never more than four pairs. 
Additionally, productivity has been very limited. However, the U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Service will be monitoring the 
Kansas River for piping plovers during the nesting season (Service 
2000a). If nesting birds persist on the Kansas River, then we may 
reevaluate this river's contribution to conservation and recovery of 
the northern Great Plains breeding population of piping plovers and the 
need to designate critical habitat in the future.
    Six different reservoirs (Neenoshe, Neegrande, Neeskah, John 
Martin, Adobe Creek, and Verhoeff) in Bent, Otero, and Kiowa Counties, 
Colorado, have been monitored for 10 years (1990-2000) and have not 
been able to sustain a stable population. There was a high of nine 
pairs in 1994 and 1995 and only four pairs in 2000. Predation and water 
level fluctuations appear to be limiting factors affecting reproductive 
success. The Colorado Division of Wildlife is likely to continue 
monitoring the nesting plovers on the reservoir sites. In addition, the 
Colorado Department of Natural Resources approved a recovery plan for 
both the piping plover and interior least tern in 1994. Therefore, we 
are not proposing to include these areas in the critical habitat 
designation because at the present time we do not consider them to be 
essential and, therefore, do not meet the requirements of critical 
habitat.
    To identify and map areas essential to the conservation of the 
species, we used the characteristics of essential habitat described 
above, data on known piping plover locations, and criteria in the 
recovery plans for reclassification of the species. We then evaluated 
areas based on survey and research data and the primary constituent 
elements, including hydrology, influences of ecological processes, and 
topographic features.
    To map areas of critical habitat, we used the Service's National 
Wetland Inventory (NWI) digitized data and U.S. Geological Survey 
public land surveys to develop regional GIS coverages; Environmental 
Systems Research Institute wetland data (where NWI data was 
unavailable); 1984 digital ortho quarter quads for all Nebraska River 
reaches, and Statewide and county maps for Nebraska; Central Public 
Power and Irrigation District Species Protection Zone maps of Lake 
McConaughy; and data from known piping plover breeding locations. We 
also solicited information from knowledgeable biologists and reviewed 
the available information pertaining to habitat requirements of the 
species.
    We could not depend solely on federally owned lands from critical 
habitat designation as these lands are limited in geographic location, 
size, and habitat quality within the current range of the northern 
Great Plains breeding population of the piping plover. In addition to 
the federally owned lands, we are proposing critical habitat on non-
Federal public lands and privately owned lands, including land owned by 
the States of Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South 
Dakota.
    We also are including a portion of the Assiniboine and Sioux of 
Fort Peck Tribe's Reservation because it contains areas of habitat 
within the Missouri River that are essential to the recovery of the 
piping plover. We also coordinated with 11 other Tribes with lands 
adjacent to the proposed critical habitat. We initiated coordination 
with these Tribes on this designation under the guidance of the 
President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, ``Government-to-Government 
Relations with Native American Tribal Governments'' (59 FR 22951), 
Executive Order 13175, and 512 DM 2, which requires us to coordinate 
with federally recognized Tribes on a Government-to-Government basis. 
However, due to the short amount of time allowed under the court order 
for preparation of this proposed rule, our contact with the Tribes has 
been limited to a meeting with the Tribal Chair from the Assiniboine 
and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck, through written correspondence which 
resulted in no comments and informational presentations before the 
Great Plains Inter-Tribal Fish and Wildlife Commission. We plan 
continued consultation with the affected Tribes, before making a final 
critical habitat decision.
    Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires us to consider the economic and 
other relevant impacts of designating areas as critical habitat. We may 
exclude areas from critical habitat upon a determination that the 
benefits of such

[[Page 31768]]

exclusions outweigh the benefits of designating these areas as critical 
habitat. We cannot exclude areas from critical habitat when the 
exclusion will result in the extinction of the species. We will make 
available for public review an economic analysis of this proposal; this 
economic analysis will serve as the basis of our 4(b)(2) analysis and 
any exclusions. However, this economic analysis is not yet completed; 
as a result, we are not able to identify proposed exclusions under 
section 4(b)(2) in this proposed rule. We will complete our economic 
analysis and review public comments before making a final determination 
of critical habitat. This review, combined with our assessment of the 
benefits of designating areas as critical habitat, may identify certain 
proposed areas should be excluded from the final critical habitat 
designation, provided these exclusions will not result in the 
extinction of the species. As a result, the final critical habitat 
determination may differ from this proposal.
    All non-Federal lands designated as critical habitat meet the 
definition of critical habitat under section 3 of the Act in that they 
are within the geographical area occupied by the species, are essential 
to the conservation of the species, and may require special management 
considerations or protection.
    We described critical habitat as Township, Range, and Sections 
(TRS) for the legal descriptions because these are used and recognized 
locally. The maps depict the alkali lakes and wetlands and associated 
uplands, but they do not show the TRS boundaries. Due to time 
constraints and the use of TRS as our minimum mapping unit, in defining 
critical habitat boundaries, we were unable to exclude developed areas 
such as mainstem dam structures, buildings, marinas, boat ramps, bank 
stabilization and breakwater structures, row cropped or plowed 
agricultural areas, mines, roads and other lands (e.g., high bank 
bluffs along Missouri River reservoirs) unlikely to contain primary 
constituent elements essential for northern Great Plains piping plover 
conservation. In addition we included the entire length of mainstem 
reservoirs even though small areas of reservoirs may never contain the 
primary constituent elements due to high banks and steep slopes. We did 
not exclude these areas because it would require a minimum of 2 years 
to collect data necessary to map at that detail. These features will 
not themselves contain one or more of the primary constituent elements. 
Federal actions limited to those features, therefore, would not trigger 
a section 7 consultation, unless they affect species and/or primary 
constituent elements in adjacent critical habitat.

Proposed Critical Habitat Designation

    The proposed critical habitat contained within units discussed 
below constitutes our best evaluation of areas needed to conserve the 
northern Great Plains population of piping plovers. Proposed critical 
habitat may be revised should new information become available prior to 
the final rule, or may be revised through rule-making if new 
information becomes available after the final rule.
    Table 1 provides a summary of land ownership and approximate 
acreage or river miles of proposed critical habitat for each State. 
Critical habitat for the northern Great Plains breeding population of 
the piping plover includes approximately 196,476.5 acres (79,553.1 
hectares) of habitat in Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota, and 
approximately 1,338 miles (2,152.9 kilometers) of river in Montana, 
North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Table 2 provides land 
ownership and approximate acreage or river miles of proposed critical 
habitat for each critical habitat unit. Lands proposed as critical 
habitat are under private, Federal, Tribal, and State ownership. 
Estimates reflect the total area or river miles within critical habitat 
unit boundaries, without regard to the presence of primary constituent 
elements. Therefore, the area proposed for designation is less than 
indicated in Tables 1 and 2.
    Lands proposed as critical habitat are divided into 16 critical 
habitat units containing one or more of the primary constituent 
elements for the northern Great Plains population of piping plovers. A 
brief description of each piping plover critical habitat unit is 
provided below and in Table 2.

Minnesota

    Unit MN-1, Rocky Point, Pine and Curry Island, and Morris Point--
This unit includes approximately 235.2 acres (95.1 hectares) of unique 
habitat, including sparsely vegetated wind-swept islands, peninsulas, 
and sandy points or spits that interface with Lake of the Woods in Lake 
of the Woods County. Although this unit is small in size, there have 
been up to 50 plovers found during the breeding season. Numbers have 
declined since the mid-1980s and there is a continued need for habitat 
and predator management. This unit represents the most eastern portion 
of the northern Great Plains population of breeding piping plovers and 
may be an important link between the Great Lakes and northern Great 
Plains breeding populations. It is the only remaining breeding site for 
piping plovers in Minnesota. Approximately 100.4 acres (40.6 hectares) 
are designated within the 697-acre (282.3-hectare) Rocky Point Wildlife 
Management Area, which is in public ownership, managed by the Minnesota 
Department of Natural Resources. Rocky Point is located just east of 
Arneson on Lake of the Woods. Unit 1 also includes approximately 134.8 
acres (54.5 hectares) within the Pine and Curry Island Scientific and 
Natural Area which is in public ownership, managed by the Minnesota 
Department of Natural Resources. Pine and Curry Island Scientific and 
Natural Area includes approximately 112.6 acres (45.6 hectares) of a 
sandy barrier island (Pine and Curry Island) and 22.2 acres (8.9 
hectares) of an adjacent peninsula (Morris Point) located at the mouth 
of the Rainy River on Lake of the Woods.

Montana

    Unit MT-1, Sheridan County--This unit includes approximately 
19,445.7 acres (7,869.5 hectares) of 21 alkali lakes and wetlands in 
Sheridan County, located in the extreme northeast corner of Montana. 
These alkali lakes and wetlands are characterized as follows: shallow, 
seasonally to permanently flooded; mixosaline to hypersaline chemistry; 
sandy to gravelly, sparsely vegetated beaches, salt-encrusted mud 
flats, and/or gravelly salt flats; 200 feet (61 meters) of uplands 
above the wetlands' high water mark including springs and fens, which 
provide foraging and protective habitat for piping plovers. Sites 
included in this unit are occupied by piping plovers. This unit 
requires special management including increasing reproductive success 
through predator exclusion devices, such as nest cages and electric 
fences, and reducing vegetation encroachment on nesting beaches through 
prescribed burning or grazing. Essential breeding habitat is dispersed 
throughout this unit which represents the largest portion 
(approximately 66 percent) of the plovers surveyed in Montana. This 
unit also links similar habitat in Canada and North Dakota. 
Approximately 5,793.7 acres (2,344.7 hectares) are in private ownership 
and 13,651.9 acres (5,524.8 hectares) are in public ownership. Of the 
lands in public ownership, 13,356.8 acres (5,405.4 hectares) are in 
Federal ownership and 295.1 acres (119.4 hectares) are in State 
ownership. Federal lands designated include piping plover populations 
on Medicine Lake

[[Page 31769]]

National Wildlife Refuge and several Waterfowl Production Areas, both 
owned and managed by the Service. State lands designated include land 
owned and managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and 
Conservation.
    Unit MT-4, Nelson Reservoir and Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge--
This unit encompasses approximately 3,341.7 acres (1,352.4 hectares) on 
Nelson Reservoir and 3,294.5 acres (1,333.3 hectares) on Bowdoin 
National Wildlife Refuge with sparsely vegetated shoreline beaches, 
peninsulas, and islands composed of sand gravel, or shale that 
interface with these water bodies. Both sites are located in east-
central Phillips County, approximately 170.8 miles (275 kilometers) 
west of the North Dakota border and 37.3 miles (60 kilometers) south of 
Canada. This unit represents the western edge of the northern Great 
Plains breeding population of the piping plover and requires special 
management including water level and predator management. Bowdoin 
National Wildlife Refuge is in public ownership (Federal) and managed 
by the Service. Nelson Reservoir, a Bureau of Reclamation project, is 
an 4,559-acre (1,845-hectare) irrigation reservoir approximately 2.5 
miles (4 kilometers) northeast of Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge. 
Lake Bowdoin and Nelson Reservoir are off stream facilities receiving 
water from the Milk River.

Nebraska

    Unit NE-1, Platte, Loup, and Niobrara Rivers--This unit encompasses 
approximately 463 miles (745 kilometers) of river. The river habitat 
includes sparsely vegetated channel sandbars, sand and gravel beaches 
on islands for nesting, temporary pools on sandbars and islands, and 
the interface of sand and river where plovers forage. All three of 
these rivers are occupied by and provide essential habitat for the 
piping plover.
    Niobrara River--The Niobrara River is a tributary of the Missouri 
River, originating in Wyoming and flowing through the northern part of 
the Nebraska Sandhills region. The portion of the Niobrara included in 
the proposed Critical Habitat starts a short distance east of the 
Cherry-Brown County line, and extends downstream approximately 129 
miles (207.6 kilometers) to its confluence with the Missouri River. The 
Niobrara River is one of the most undeveloped rivers in the northern 
Great Plains and represents one of the last rivers with largely 
untouched piping plover habitat. The source of water for this river is 
largely groundwater discharge which helps to provide a year-round base 
flow with few flood events which is essential to successful plover 
nesting. Essential nesting habitat is dispersed throughout this unit 
and this unit represents about 36 percent of Nebraska's plover 
population.
    In 1991, the National Park Service designated 76 miles (122.3 
kilometers) of the Niobrara River as a ``National Scenic River,'' 50 
miles (80.5 kilometers) of which are included in the proposed Critical 
Habitat designation. The National Scenic River reach ends where Highway 
137 crosses the river. The Nature Conservancy owns and manages 9.5 
miles (15.3 kilometers) along the Niobrara River which falls within 
both the National Scenic River reach and the proposed piping plover 
Critical Habitat. Other ownership and interests are principally 
private. The primary land use along the Niobrara River is farming (east 
along the river) and ranching (west along the river).
    Loup River--The Loup River flows 68 miles (109.4 kilometers) to its 
confluence with the Platte River near Columbus. Ownership interests 
within this reach of proposed Critical Habitat are primarily private. 
Habitat on the Loup River proposed designation is part of the larger 
Platte River watershed and provides productive habitat for piping 
plovers. The Loup River is one of the Platte River's principal 
tributaries.
    Platte River--The North and South Platte Rivers each originate in 
the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with snow melt, and flow east into 
Nebraska where they join forming the Platte River near the town of 
North Platte. The reach included in the proposed piping plover Critical 
Habitat begins near the town of Cozad and extends to the Platte's 
confluence with the Missouri River 266 miles (428 kilometers) 
downstream. About one-fourth of this part of the Platte is already 
designated as critical habitat for the whooping crane (Grus americana), 
including a 3-mile wide (4.8-kilometer) north-south buffer starting at 
a western boundary south of Lexington east to south of Shelton. 
Ownership is primarily private, including 28.5 miles (45.9 kilometers) 
which is managed as conservation land by The Nature Conservancy, Platte 
River Whooping Crane Habitat Maintenance Trust, Central Nebraska Public 
Power and Irrigation District, Nebraska Public Power District, and the 
National Audubon Society's Lillian Annette Rowe Sanctuary. The State of 
Nebraska owns 8 miles (12.9 kilometers) along the Platte River, which 
is primarily under the jurisdiction of the Nebraska Game and Parks 
Commission. Essential nesting habitat is dispersed throughout this 
unit.

North Dakota

    Units 1-7 in North Dakota (described below) include prairie alkali 
lakes and wetlands. These alkali lakes and wetlands are characterized 
as follows--shallow; seasonally to permanently flooded; mixosaline to 
hypersaline chemistry; sandy to gravelly, sparsely vegetated beaches, 
salt-encrusted mudflats, and/or gravelly salt flats; 200 feet (61 
meters) of uplands above the wetlands' high water mark, including 
springs and fens which provide foraging and protective habitat for 
piping plovers. Sites included in this unit are occupied (determined to 
have nesting piping plovers 2 out of 10 years) by piping plovers. This 
unit requires special management including increasing reproductive 
success through predator exclusion devices, such as nest cages and 
electric fences, and reducing vegetation encroachment on nesting 
beaches through prescribed burning or grazing.
    These essential breeding habitats in North Dakota can support more 
than 50 percent of the current known population of the northern Great 
Plains Piping Plover. The proximity of Units 1-7 to the Missouri River 
provides an important ecological link that may allow birds extra 
protection from a severe drought that results in dry wetlands basins. 
As birds experience drought in these units biologists believe birds 
move to the river. Conversely, birds may move to these units when 
Missouri River flows are high.
    Unit ND-1--This unit encompasses approximately 7,480.3 acres 
(3,027.2 hectares) of 13 alkali lakes and wetlands in Divide and 
Williams Counties, located in the extreme northwestern corner of North 
Dakota. Approximately 1,765.4 acres (714.4 hectares) are in public 
ownership and 5,715 acres (2,312.8 hectares) are in private ownership. 
Of the lands in public ownership 1,338 acres (541.5 hectares) are in 
Federal ownership (Waterfowl Production Areas managed by the Service) 
and 427.3 acres (172.9 hectares) are in State ownership. State lands 
designated include 3.1 acres (1.3 hectares) of Wildlife Management 
Areas owned and managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department 
and 424.2 acres (171.7 hectares) of school lands owned and managed by 
the North Dakota Land Department.
    Unit ND-2--This unit encompasses approximately 23,147.1 acres 
(9,367.5 hectares) of 24 alkali lakes and wetlands in Burke, Renville, 
Mountrail, and Ward Counties, located in northwestern North

[[Page 31770]]

Dakota. Approximately 14,541.2 acres (5,884.7 hectares) are in public 
ownership and 8,605.9 acres (3,482.8 hectares) are in private 
ownership. Of the lands in public ownership, 13,806.3 acres (5,587.3 
hectares) are in Federal ownership and 734.9 acres (297.4 hectares) are 
in State ownership. Federal lands designated include Lostwood and Upper 
Souris National Wildlife Refuges and Waterfowl Productions Areas, both 
owned and managed by the Service. State lands designated include 320.4 
acres (129.7 hectares) of Wildlife Management Areas owned and managed 
by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and 414.5 acres (167.7 
hectares) of school lands owned and managed by the North Dakota Land 
Department.
    Unit ND-3--This unit encompasses approximately 5,519.6 acres 
(2,233.8 hectares) of nine alkali lakes and wetlands in McLean County 
located in north-central North Dakota. Approximately 1,339.3 acres 
(542.1 hectares) are in public ownership and 4,180.3 acres (1,691.7 
hectares) are in private ownership. Of the lands in public ownership, 
798.8 acres (323.3 hectares) are in Federal ownership (Waterfowl 
Production Areas managed by the Service) and 540.5 acres (218.8 
hectares) are in State ownership. State lands designated include 435.6 
acres (176.3 hectares) of Wildlife Management Areas owned and managed 
by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and 105 acres (42.5 
hectares) of school lands owned and managed by the North Dakota Land 
Department. The John E. Williams Preserve, owned and managed by The 
Nature Conservancy (private), also is included in this unit.
    Unit ND-4--This unit encompasses approximately 12,084.4 acres 
(4,890.4 hectares) of 24 alkali lakes and wetlands in McHenry, Pierce, 
Benson, and Sheridan Counties, located in north-central North Dakota. 
Approximately 1,563.1 acres (632.6 hectares) are in public ownership 
and 10,521.3 acres (4,257.8 hectares) are in private ownership. Of the 
lands in public ownership, 1,098.6 acres (444.6 hectares) are in 
Federal ownership (Waterfowl Production Areas managed by the Service) 
and 464.5 acres (188 hectares) are in State ownership. State lands 
designated include 370.4 acres (149.9 hectares) of Wildlife Management 
Area owned and managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and 
94.1 acres (38.1 hectares) of school lands owned and managed by the 
North Dakota Land Department.
    Unit ND-5--This unit encompasses approximately 1,351.4 acres (546.9 
hectares) of one alkali lake in Eddy County, located in northeastern 
North Dakota. Approximately 202.8 acres (85.1 hectares) are in public 
ownership and 1,148.6 acres (461.8 hectares) are in private ownership. 
Of the lands in public ownership, 196.3 acres (82.5 hectares) are in 
Federal ownership. Camp Grafton, a North Dakota National Guard training 
facility, comprises 189.4 acres (79.7 hectares) of the habitat in 
Federal ownership and 6.9 acres (2.8 hectares) are Waterfowl Production 
Areas managed by the Service. The remaining 6.5 acres (2.6 hectares) of 
Public lands are in State ownership (Wildlife Management Area owned and 
managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department).
    Unit ND-6--This unit encompasses approximately 40,221.1 acres 
(16,277.2 hectares) of 24 alkali lakes and wetlands in Sheridan, 
Burleigh, Kidder, and Stutsman Counties, located in south-central North 
Dakota. Approximately 24,231.4 acres (9,806.3 hectares) are in public 
ownership and 15,989.7 acres (6,470.9 hectares) are in private 
ownership. Of the lands in public ownership, 22,269.2 acres (9,012.2 
hectares) are in Federal ownership and 1,962.2 acres (794.1 hectares) 
are in State ownership. Federal lands designated include Long Lake, 
Chase Lake, and Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuges and Waterfowl 
Production Areas, all owned and managed by the Service. State lands 
designated include 1,297.8 acres (525.2 hectares) of Wildlife 
Management Areas owned and managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish 
Department and 664.4 acres (268.9 hectares) of school lands owned and 
managed by the North Dakota Land Department.
    Unit ND-7--This unit encompasses approximately 3,085.5 acres 
(1,248.7 hectares) of nine alkali lakes and wetlands in Emmons, Logan, 
and McIntosh Counties, located in south-central North Dakota. 
Approximately 786.5 acres (318.3 hectares) are in public ownership and 
2,299 acres (930.4 hectares) are in private ownership. Of the lands in 
public ownership, 536.6 acres (217.2 hectares) are in Federal ownership 
(Waterfowl Production Areas managed by the Service) and 249.9 acres 
(101.1 hectares) are in State ownership. State lands designated include 
234.8 acres (95 hectares) of Wildlife Management Areas owned and 
managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and 15.2 acres 
(6.1 hectares) of school lands owned and managed by the North Dakota 
Land Department.
    Missouri River Units--Missouri River units consist of riverine and 
reservoir (Fort Peck Lake, Lake Sakakawea and Lake Audubon, Lake Oahe, 
Lake Francis Case, and Lewis and Clark Lake) reaches. All reservoirs 
except Lake Audubon are mainstem impoundments, constructed by dams, and 
regulated by the Corps. Lake Audubon is a sub-impoundment of Lake 
Sakakawea and is regulated by the Bureau of Reclamation through 
operation of the Snake Creek Pumping Plant. Overall the Missouri River 
has accounted for up to 31 percent of the northern Great Plains 
population of piping plovers. All of the units are occupied except Lake 
Francis Case. However, Lake Francis Case does contain the primary 
constituent elements.
    Piping plover habitat within reservoir reaches is composed of 
shorelines, peninsulas, and islands, below the top of the maximum 
operating pool and is owned by the Federal government. These reservoir 
habitats include sparsely vegetated shoreline beaches, peninsulas, 
islands composed of sand, grave, or shale, and their interface with the 
water. These reservoir reaches provide habitat for about 42 percent of 
the piping plovers on the Missouri River.
    Piping plover habitat within riverine reaches consists of inter-
channel islands and sandbars including their temporary pools and 
interface with the river. These habitats are sparsely vegetated and 
consist of sand and gravel substrates. Riverine reaches provide habitat 
for about 58 percent of the piping plovers on the Missouri River. 
Ownership of these sites varies by State. In Montana, islands and 
sandbars are recognized as owned by the State except along the 
reservation boundaries of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort 
Peck. The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck own land to the 
mid-channel of the Missouri River adjacent to the Reservation boundary.
    In North Dakota and South Dakota, islands and sandbars are 
recognized as owned by the State. However, the Fort Laramie Treaty of 
1868 recognizes the Missouri River's east bank as the boundary of the 
Great Sioux Reservation. The issues regarding treaties and litigation 
of property rights are beyond the scope of critical habitat designation 
but we recognize as their special importance to American Indian 
populations in the northern Great Plains.
    In Nebraska, islands and sandbars are owned by the adjacent 
landowner. Fort Laramie Treaty issues also apply to tribes in Nebraska 
that were a part of the Great Sioux Nation.

Montana

    Unit MT-2, Fort Peck Reservoir--This unit encompasses approximately 
77,370

[[Page 31771]]

acres (31,311 hectares) of Fort Peck Reservoir, located entirely within 
the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge which is in Federal 
ownership, managed by the Service.
    Unit MT-3--This unit encompasses approximately 125.4 miles (201.8 
kilometers) of the Missouri River from just west of Wolf Point to the 
Montana/North Dakota border. The Missouri River in this unit flows 
through reservation lands of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort 
Peck (81.7 miles (131.5 kilometers)), State, and privately owned land.

North Dakota

    Unit ND-8--This unit encompasses approximately 354.6 miles (570.6 
kilometers) from the Montana/North Dakota border to the North Dakota/
South Dakota border. Lake Sakakawea, Lake Audubon, and Lake Oahe are 
included in this unit, along with a free-flowing stretch of the 
Missouri River from RM 1389 to 1302 (Garrison Reach). The North Dakota 
Game and Fish Department manages the north half of Audubon Reservoir 
and the Service manages the south half of Audubon Reservoir. The 
Missouri River and associated reservoirs in this unit are adjacent to 
reservation lands of the Three Affiliated Tribes of Fort Berthold and 
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, State, and privately owned land.

South Dakota

    Unit SD-1--This unit encompasses approximately 159.7 miles (257 
kilometers) from the North Dakota/South Dakota border to RM 1072.3, 
just north of Oahe Dam (Oahe Reservoir). The Missouri River and 
associated reservoirs in this unit are adjacent to reservation lands of 
the Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, State, and 
privately owned land.
    Unit SD-2--This unit encompasses approximately 235.3 miles (378.5 
kilometers) from RM 987.5, just south of Big Bend Dam to RM 752.2 near 
Ponca, Nebraska. Two mainstem Missouri River reservoirs, Lake Francis 
Case and Lewis and Clark Lake, and two riverine reaches (Fort Randall 
and Gavins Point) are included in this unit. Approximately 120 miles 
(193.1 kilometers) of river border Nebraska; of that approximately 87 
miles (140 kilometers) have shared ownership of sandbars and islands 
with adjacent private landowners in Nebraska (the other 33 miles (53.1 
kilometers) are Lewis and Clark Lake). The Missouri River and 
associated reservoirs in this unit are adjacent to reservation lands of 
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, 
Santee Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe and 
privately owned land.

 Table 1.--Proposed Critical Habitat Units for the Piping Plover in United States Great Plains States Summarized by Federal, State, County, Private, and
                                                                     Other Ownership
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Ownership--linear river miles and acres (percentage within each State)
                                    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             Federal                  State                  Tribal                Private                 Total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Minnesota..........................  0.....................  235.2.................  0....................  0....................  235.2 ac
                                                             (95.2 ha) (100%) ac...                                                (95.2 ha)
                                                                                                                                   (95.2 ha)
Montana............................  97,363.1 ac...........  295.1 ac..............  0....................  5793.7 ac............  103,451.9 ac
                                     (39,402 ha) (94.1%)...  (119.4 ha) (0.3%).....                         (2,344.7 ha) (5.6%)..  (41,866.1 ha)
    --Ft Peck Reservoir (Missouri    77,370 ac.............
     River).                         (31,311 ha)...........
    --All other habitat............  19,993.1 ac...........
                                     (8,091 ha)............
North Dakota.......................  40,043.8 ac...........  4,385.8 ac............  0....................  48,459.8 ac..........  92,889.4 ac
                                     (16,208.5 ha) (43.1%).  (1,774.9 ha) (4.7%)...                         (19,608.4 ha) (52.2%)  (37,591.8 ha)
Missouri \1\.......................  567.7.................  307.3 mi..............  81.7 mi..............  0....................  875 mi
                                     (913.4 km) (64.9%) mi.  (494.5 km) (35.1%)....  131.5 km) (0.09%) \2\                         (1407.9 km)
Nebraska...........................  0.....................  13 mi.................  0....................  450 mi...............  463 mi
                                                             (20.9 km) (2.8%)......                         (724.1 km) (97.2%)...  (745 km)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Missouri River includes portions of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Ownership of these sites varies by State. The Federal
  government owns the reservoir shorelines below the maximum operating pool. In Montana, islands and sandbars are recognized as owned by the State
  except along the reservation boundaries of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck. The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck own land to
  the mid-channel of the Missouri River adjacent to the Reservation boundary. In North Dakota and South Dakota, islands and sandbars are recognized as
  owned by the State. However, the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 recognizes the Missouri River's east bank as the boundary of the Great Sioux Reservation.
  The issues regarding treaties and litigation of property rights are beyond the scope of critical habitat designation, but are recognized as important
  to American Indian populations in the northern Great Plains. In Nebraska, islands and sandbars are owned by the adjacent landowner. Fort Laramie
  Treaty issues also apply to tribes in Nebraska that were a part of the Great Sioux Nation.
\2\ 81.7 mi (131.5 km) of the Missouri River are shared with the State of Montana. Therefore, the percentages do not total 100 and the overall miles of
  river (875) is correct.


   Table 2.--Location, Ownership, and Estimated Length (or Area) of Piping Plover Critical Habitat Areas Mapped Within the United States Great Plains
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Unit                          Location                  County              Land Ownership            Est Length (mi) or area (ac)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MN-1................................  Rocky Point............  Lake of the Woods......  State.................  112.6 ac (45.6 ha)
                                      Morris Point...........  Lake of the Woods......  State.................  22.2 ac (9 ha)
                                      Pine & Curry Island....  Lake of the Woods......  State.................  100.4 ac (40.6 ha)
MT-1................................  Sheridan 1.............  Sheridan...............  State, Private........  734 ac (297 ha)

[[Page 31772]]

 
                                      Sheridan 2.............  .......................  Private...............  270.9 ac (109.6 ha)
                                      Sheridan 3.............  .......................  State, Private........  280.9 ac (113.7 ha)
                                      Sheridan 4.............  .......................  Private...............  452.9 ac (183.3 ha)
                                      Sheridan 5.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  107.1 ac (43.4 ha)
                                      Sheridan 6.............  .......................  State, Private........  507.1 ac (205.2 ha)
                                      Sheridan 7.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  100.1 ac (40.5 ha)
                                      Sheridan 8.............  .......................  State, Private,         500.2 ac (202.4 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Sheridan 9.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  88.1 ac (35.7 ha)
                                      Sheridan 10............  .......................  State, Private,         562.1 ac (227.5 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Sheridan 11............  Sheridan...............  Private...............  222.7 ac (90.1 ha)
                                      Sheridan 12............  .......................  Private...............  431.4 ac (174.6 ha)
                                      Sheridan 13............  .......................  State, Private........  375.8 ac (152.1 ha)
                                      Sheridan 14............  .......................  State, Private,         1327.2 ac (537.1 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Sheridan 15............  .......................  Private, Federal......  482.7 ac (195.4 ha)
                                      Sheridan 16............  .......................  Private...............  362.7 ac (146.8 ha)
                                      Sheridan 17............  .......................  Federal...............  112.1 ac (45.4 ha)
                                      Sheridan 18............  .......................  Private, Federal......  565.7 ac (228.9 ha)
                                      Sheridan 19............  .......................  State, Federal........  388.9 ac (157.4 ha)
                                      Sheridan 20............  .......................  Federal...............  151.9 ac (61.5 ha)
                                      Sheridan 21............  .......................  Private, Federal......  11,421 ac (4,622 ha)
MT-2................................  Missouri River.........  McCone, Richland,        State, Tribal.........  125.4 mi (201.8 km)
                                                                Roosevelt.
MT-3................................  Fort Peck Reservoir....  Garfield, McCone,        Federal...............  77,370 ac (31,311 ha)
                                                                Valley.
MT-4................................  Nelson Reservoir.......  Phillips...............  Federal...............  3341.7 ac (1,352.4 ha)
                                      Bowdoin NWR............  Phillips...............  Federal...............  3294.5 ac (1,333.3 ha)
ND-1................................  Divide.................  Divide.................  Private...............  429.1 ac (174 ha)
                                      Divide 2...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  355 ac (144 ha)
                                      Divide 3...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  485.6 ac (197 ha)
                                      Divide 4...............  .......................  Private...............  526.7 ac (213 ha)
                                      Divide 5...............  .......................  Private...............  421.9 ac (171 ha)
                                      Divide 6...............  Divide.................  Private...............  1278 ac (517 ha)
                                      Divide 7...............  .......................  Private...............  543.1 ac (220 ha)
                                      Divide 8...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  130.1 ac (23 ha)
                                      Divide 9...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  1028.8 ac (416 ha)
                                      Divide 10..............  .......................  Private...............  865.5 ac (350 ha)
                                      Williams 1.............  Williams...............  Private...............  162 ac (66 ha)
                                      Williams 2.............  .......................  State, Private........  586.1 ac (237 ha)
                                      Williams 3.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  668.4 ac (271 ha)
ND-2................................  Burke 1................  Burke..................  Private, Federal......  505.6 ac (205 ha)
                                      Burke 2................  .......................  Private, Federal......  1017.5 ac (412 ha)
                                      Mountrail 1............  Mountrail..............  Private, Federal......  726.2 ac (294 ha)
                                      Mountrail 2............  .......................  State, Private,         1633.9 ac (661 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Mountrail 3............  .......................  Private...............  2829 ac (1145 ha)
                                      Mountrail 4............  .......................  Private, Federal......  227.1 ac (92 ha)
                                      Mountrail 5............  .......................  Private, Federal......  475.4 ac (192 ha)
                                      Mountrail 6............  .......................  State, Private,         1122.9 ac (454 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Mountrail 7............  .......................  State, Private,         457.5 ac (185 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Mountrail 8............  .......................  Private, Federal......  362.8 ac (147 ha)
                                      Mountrail 9............  .......................  Private, Federal......  503 ac (204 ha)
                                      Mountrail 10...........  .......................  Private, Federal......  289.2 ac (117 ha)
                                      Mountrail 11...........  Mountrail..............  Private, Federal......  436.5 ac (177 ha)
                                      Renville...............  Renville...............  Federal...............  10,472.4 ac (4238 ha)
                                      Ward 1.................  Ward...................  Private...............  270.6 ac (110 ha)
                                      Ward 2.................  .......................  Private...............  287.1 ac (116 ha)
                                      Ward 3.................  .......................  Private...............  69.7 ac (28 ha)
                                      Ward 4.................  .......................  Private, Federal......  138.2 ac (56 ha)
                                      Ward 5.................  .......................  State, Private,         135.5 ac (55 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Ward 6.................  .......................  Private...............  446 ac (180 ha)
                                      Ward 7.................  .......................  Private...............  56.9 ac (23 ha)
                                      Ward 8.................  .......................  Private, Federal......  235.1 ac (95 ha)
                                      Ward 9.................  .......................  Private...............  134.7 ac (5 ha)
                                      Ward 10................  .......................  Private, Federal......  314.2 (127 ha)
ND-3................................  McLean 1...............  McClean................  Private, Federal......  368. ac (149 ha)
                                      McLean 2...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  310.9 ac (126 ha)
                                      McLean 3...............  .......................  Private...............  245.2 ac (99.2 ha)
                                      McLean 4...............  .......................  State, Private,         542.5 ac (219.5 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      McLean 5...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  476.7 ac (192.9 ha)
                                      McLean 6...............  .......................  State, Private,         2.705.2 ac (1,094.8 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      McLean 7...............  .......................  State, Private,         620 ac (250.9 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      McLean 8...............  .......................  State, Private........  62.1 ac (25.1 ha)
                                      McLean 9...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  188.3 ac (76.2 ha)
ND-4................................  Benson 1...............  Benson.................  State, Private,         500.4 ac (202.5 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.

[[Page 31773]]

 
                                      Benson 2...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  172 ac (69.6 ha)
                                      Benson 3...............  .......................   Private, Federal.....  282.9 ac (114.5 ha)
                                      Benson 4...............  .......................  State, Private,         474.5 ac (192 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Benson 5...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  92.9 ac (37.6 ha)
                                      Benson 6...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  254.5 ac (103 ha)
                                      Benson 7...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  1,899.6 ac (768.7 ha)
                                      McHenry 1..............  McHenry................  Private...............  1,152.3 ac (466.3 ha)
                                      McHenry 2..............  .......................  Private...............  690.9 ac (279.6 ha)
                                      McHenry 3..............  .......................  Private...............  400 ac (161.9 ha)
                                      McHenry 4..............  .......................  Private...............  149.5 ac (60.5 ha)
                                      McHenry 5..............  .......................  Private...............  238.8 ac (96.6 ha)
                                      Pierce 1...............  Pierce.................  State, Private,         566.6 ac (229.3 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Pierce 2...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  173.1 ac (70 ha)
                                      Pierce 3...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  323.9 ac (131.1 ha)
                                      Pierce 4...............  .......................  Private...............  546.5 ac (221.2 ha)
                                      Pierce 5...............  .......................  Private...............  443.2 ac (179.4 ha)
                                      Pierce 6...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  1,084.9 ac (439.1 ha)
                                      Sheridan 1.............  Sheridan...............  Private...............  488.2 ac (197.6 ha)
                                      Sheridan 2.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  466.6 ac (188.8 ha)
                                      Sheridan 3.............  .......................  State.................  1,119.3 ac (453 ha)
                                      Sheridan 4.............  .......................  State,................  231.5 ac (93.7 ha)
                                      Sheridan 5.............  Sheridan...............  Private...............  214.3 ac (86.7 ha)
                                      Sheridan 6.............  .......................  State.................  118.1 ac (47.8 ha)
ND-5................................  Eddy 1.................  Eddy...................  State, Private,         1351.4 ac (546.9 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
ND-6................................  Burleigh 1.............  Burleigh...............  Private...............  144.8 ac (58.6 ha)
                                      Burleigh 2.............  .......................  Private...............  848.2 ac (343.3 ha)
                                      Burleigh 3.............  .......................  Private...............  39.9 ac (16.2 ha)
                                      Burleigh 4.............  .......................  State, Private,         1,061 ac (429.4 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Burleigh 5.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  285.4 ac (115.5 ha)
                                      Burleigh 6.............  .......................  Private, Federal......  293.9 ac (118.9 ha)
                                      Burleigh 7.............  .......................  State, Private,         2,162.1 ac (875 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Burleigh 8.............  .......................  Private...............  1,136.4 ac (459.9 ha)
                                      Burleigh 9.............  .......................  State, Private State..  10,558.7 ac (4273.1 ha)
                                      Kidder 1...............  Kidder.................  State, Private........  5,375.1 ac (2,175.3 ha)
                                      Kidder 2...............  .......................  State, Private,         629,2 ac (254.6 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Kidder 3...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  1,251 ac (506.3 ha)
                                      Kidder 4...............  .......................  Private...............  265.7 ac (107.5 ha)
                                      Kidder 5...............  .......................  Private,..............  2,36.2 ac (95.6 ha)
                                      Kidder 6...............  .......................  State, Private,         7,658.9 ac (3099.5 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Kidder 7...............  .......................  Private, Federal......  2,542.9 ac (1029.1 ha)
                                      Kidder 8...............  .......................  State, Private,         1164.7 ac (471.3 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Kidder 9...............  Kidder.................  Private...............  181.2 ac (73.4 ha)
                                      Kidder 10..............  .......................  Private, Federal......  2.5 ac (1 ha)
                                      Kidder 11..............  .......................  Private, Federal......  133.2 ac (53.9 ha)
                                      Sheridan 7.............  .......................  Private...............  193.1 ac (78.1 ha)
                                      Stutsman 1.............  Sheridan...............  Federal...............  1,117.6 ac (452.3 ha)
                                      Stutsman 2.............  Stutsman...............  Federal...............  2,370.2 ac (959.2 ha)
                                      Stutsman 3.............  .......................  State, Private,         569 ac (230.3 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
ND-7................................  Emmons 1...............  Emmons.................  State, Private,         427.5 ac (173 ha)
                                                                                         Federal.
                                      Logan 1................  Logan..................  Private...............  295.1 ac (119.4 ha)
                                      Logan 2................  .......................  Private, Federal......  998.6 ac (404.1 ha)
                                      Logan 3................  .......................  Private, Federal......  254.4 ac (103 ha)
                                      Logan 4................  .......................  State, Private........  250.8 ac (101.5 ha)
                                      McIntosh 1.............  McIntosh...............  Private, Federal......  501.9 ac (203.1 ha)
                                      McIntosh 2.............  .......................  Private...............  357.2 ac (144.5 ha)
ND-8................................  Missouri River.........
                                        --Fort Peck Reach....  McKenzie, Williams.....  State.................  18.6 mi (29.9 km)
                                        --Lake Sakakawea &     Dunn, McKenzie, McLean.  Federal...............  179 mi (288 km)
                                         Lake Audubon.
                                        --Garrison Reach.....  Mercer, Mountrial......  State.................  87 mi (140 km)
                                        --Lake Oahe..........  Williams Burleigh,       Federal...............  70 mi (112.6 km)
                                                                Mercer, Morton, Oliver
                                                                Emmons, Morton, Sioux.
NE-1................................  Platte River...........  Buffalo, Butler, Cass,   State, Private........  266 mi (428 km)
                                                                Colfax, Dawson, Dodge,
                                                                Douglas, Gosper, Hall,
                                                                Hamilton, Kearney.
                                      Loup River.............  Merrick, Phelps, Platte  State, Private........  68 mi (109.4 km)

[[Page 31774]]

 
                                      Niobrara River.........  Polk, Sarpy, Saunders    State, Private........  129 mi (207.6 km)
                                                                Howard, Nance, Platte
                                                                Boyd, Brown, Holt,
                                                                Keya Paha, Knox, Rock.
SD-1................................  Missouri River.........
                                        --Lake Oahe..........  Campbell, Corson,        Federal...............  159.7 mi (257 km)
                                                                Dewey, Hughes, Potter,
                                                                Stanley, Sully,
                                                                Walworth.
SD-2 \1\............................  Missouri River.........
                                        --Lake Francis Case..  Brule, Buffalo, Lyman,   Federal...............  107.5 mi (172.9 km)
                                                                Charles Mix, Gregory.
                                        --Fort Randall Reach.  Bon Homme, Charles Mix.  State.................  36 mi (57.9 km)
                                        --Lewis and Clark      Gregory................  Federal...............  32.9 mi (52.9 km)
                                         Lake.
                                        --Gavins Point Reach.  Bon Homme, Yankton       State.................  58.9 mi (94.8 km)
                                                                Clay, Yankton.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Approximately 120 mi (193.1 km) of river border Nebraska; of that approximately 87 mi (140 km) have shared ownership of sandbars and islands with
  adjacent private landowners in Nebraska (the other 33 mi (53.1 km) are Lewis and Clark Lake).

Effect of Critical Habitat Designation

    Designating critical habitat does not, in itself, lead to the 
recovery of a listed species. The designation does not establish a 
reserve, create a management plan, establish numerical population 
goals, prescribe specific management practices (inside or outside of 
critical habitat), or directly affect areas not designated as critical 
habitat. Specific management recommendations for areas designated as 
critical habitat are most appropriately addressed in recovery and 
management plans, and through section 7 consultation and section 10 
permits.
    However, designation of critical habitat can help focus 
conservation activities for listed species by identifying areas 
essential to conserve the species. Designation of critical habitat also 
alerts the public, as well as land-managing agencies, to the importance 
of these areas. As a result of critical habitat designation, Federal 
agencies may be able to prioritize landowner incentive programs such as 
Conservation Reserve Program enrollment, grassland easements, and 
private landowner agreements that benefit piping plovers. Critical 
habitat designation also may assist States and Tribes in prioritizing 
their conservation and land-management programs.

Section 7 Consultation

    Section 7(a)(2) of the Act requires Federal agencies, including the 
Service, to ensure that actions they fund, authorize, or carry out are 
not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a threatened or 
endangered species, or result in the destruction or adverse 
modification of critical habitat to the extent that the action 
appreciably diminishes the value of the critical habitat for the 
survival and recovery of the species. Individuals, organizations, 
States, Tribes, local governments, and other non-Federal entities are 
affected by the designation of critical habitat only if their actions 
occur on Federal lands, require a Federal permit, license, or other 
authorization, or involve Federal funding.
    Section 7(a) of the Act requires Federal agencies, including the 
Service, to evaluate their actions with respect to any species that is 
proposed or listed as endangered or threatened and with respect to its 
critical habitat, if any is designated or proposed. Regulations 
implementing this interagency cooperation provision of the Act are 
codified at 50 CFR part 402. Section 7(a)(4) requires Federal agencies 
to confer with us on any action that is likely to jeopardize the 
continued existence of a proposed species or result in destruction or 
adverse modification of proposed critical habitat. Conference reports 
provide conservation recommendations to assist the agency in 
eliminating conflicts that may be caused by the proposed action. The 
conservation recommendations in a conference report are advisory. We 
may issue a formal conference report, if requested by the Federal 
action agency. Formal conference reports include an opinion that is 
prepared according to 50 CFR 402.14, as if the species was listed or 
critical habitat designated. We may adopt the formal conference report 
as the biological opinion when the species is listed or critical 
habitat designated, if no substantial new information or changes in the 
action alter the content of the opinion (see 50 CFR 402.10(d)). If a 
species is listed or critical habitat is designated, section 7(a)(2) 
requires Federal agencies to ensure that actions they authorize, fund, 
or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of 
such a species or to destroy or adversely modify its critical habitat. 
If a Federal action may affect a listed species or its critical 
habitat, the responsible Federal agency (action agency) must enter into 
consultation with us. Through this consultation, we would ensure that 
the permitted actions do not destroy or adversely modify critical 
habitat
    When we issue a biological opinion concluding that a project is 
likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical 
habitat, we also provide reasonable and prudent alternatives to the 
project, if any are identifiable. ``Reasonable and prudent 
alternatives'' are defined at 50 CFR 402.02 as alternative actions 
identified during consultation that can be implemented in a manner 
consistent with the intended purpose of the action, which are 
consistent with the scope of the Federal agency's legal authority and 
jurisdiction, that are economically and technologically feasible, and 
that the Director believes would avoid resulting in the destruction or 
adverse modification of critical habitat. Reasonable and prudent 
alternatives can vary from slight project modifications to extensive 
redesign or relocation of the project. Costs associated with 
implementing a reasonable and prudent alternative are similarly 
variable.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 402.16 require Federal agencies to reinitiate 
consultation on previously reviewed actions in instances where critical 
habitat is subsequently designated and the Federal agency has retained 
discretionary involvement or control over the action or such 
discretionary involvement or control is authorized by law. 
Consequently, some Federal

[[Page 31775]]

agencies may request reinitiation of consultation or conference with us 
on actions for which formal consultation has been completed, if those 
actions may affect designated critical habitat, or adversely modify or 
destroy proposed critical habitat.
    Activities on Federal lands that may affect the northern Great 
Plains breeding population of piping plovers or its critical habitat 
will require section 7 consultation. Activities that, when carried out, 
funded, or authorized by a Federal agency, may destroy or adversely 
modify critical habitat include, but are not limited to:
    (1) Any activity that results in changes in the hydrology of the 
unit, including activities associated with drainage activities, flowage 
control (e.g., changes in releases) and operations, flooding, 
hydropower, irrigation, sediment transfer changes or removal, 
construction or maintenance of dams, construction of bridges and 
marinas, dredging, and bank stabilization;
    (2) Any activity that results in development or alteration of the 
landscape within or immediately adjacent to a hydrologic component of 
the unit including activities associated with construction for urban 
and industrial development, roads, marinas, bridges, or bank 
stabilization; agricultural activities (e.g., plowing adjacent to 
prairie wetland); off-road vehicle activity; mining; sale, exchange, or 
lease of Federal land that contains suitable habitat that is likely to 
result in the habitat being destroyed or appreciably degraded;
    (3) Any activity that results in introducing significant amounts of 
emergent vegetation into the unit;
    (4) Any activity that significantly and detrimentally alters water 
quality in the unit;
    (5) Any activity that significantly and detrimentally alters the 
inputs of sediment and nutrients necessary for the maintenance of 
geomorphic and biologic processes that insure appropriately configured 
and productive systems; and
    (6) Any activity that may reduce the value of a site by 
significantly and detrimentally disturbing plovers from such activities 
as foraging, brooding, and nesting.
    Federal actions not affecting listed species or critical habitat 
and actions on non-Federal lands that are not federally funded or 
permitted do not require section 7 consultation.
    We may issue a formal conference report on proposed critical 
habitat if requested by a Federal agency. Formal conference reports on 
proposed critical habitat contain an opinion that is prepared according 
to 50 CFR 402.14, as if the proposed critical habitat were designated. 
We may adopt the formal conference report as the biological opinion 
when the critical habitat is designated, if no significant new 
information or changes in the Federal action alter the content of the 
opinion (see 50 CFR 402.10(d)).
    Section 4(b)(8) of the Act requires us to briefly evaluate and 
describe in any proposed or final regulation that designates critical 
habitat those activities involving a Federal action that may adversely 
modify such habitat, or that may be affected by such designation. 
Activities that may destroy or adversely modify critical habitat 
include those that appreciably reduce the value of critical habitat for 
both the survival and recovery of the northern Great Plains piping 
plover. Within critical habitat, this pertains only to those areas 
containing primary constituent elements. We note that such activities 
also may jeopardize the continued existence of the species.
    To properly portray the effects of critical habitat designation, we 
must first compare the section 7 requirements for actions that may 
affect critical habitat with the requirements for actions that may 
affect a listed species. Section 7 prohibits actions funded, 
authorized, or carried out by Federal agencies from likely jeopardizing 
the continued existence of a listed species or destroying or adversely 
modifying the listed species' critical habitat. Actions likely to 
``jeopardize the continued existence'' of a species are those that 
would appreciably reduce the likelihood of the species' recovery. 
Actions likely to ``destroy or adversely modify'' critical habitat are 
those that would appreciably reduce the value of critical habitat for 
the survival and recovery of the listed species.
    Given the similarity of these definitions, actions likely to 
destroy or adversely modify critical habitat would almost always result 
in jeopardy to the species concerned, particularly when the area of the 
proposed action is occupied by the species concerned. In those cases, 
critical habitat provides little additional protection to a species, 
and the ramifications of its designation are few or none. Designation 
of critical habitat in areas occupied by the northern Great Plains 
piping plover is not likely to result in a regulatory burden above that 
already in place due to the presence of the listed species. In 
addition, the Corps requires review of most or all projects requiring 
permits in hydrological systems, whether or not northern Great Plains 
piping plovers are known to be present.
    Federal agencies already consult with us on activities in areas 
currently occupied by the species to ensure that their actions are not 
likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the species. These 
actions include, but are not limited to:
    (1) Regulations of activities affecting waters of the United States 
by the Corps under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and Section 10 
of the Rivers and Harbors Act;
    (2) Road and bridge construction and maintenance, right of way 
designation, and regulation of agricultural activities;
    (3) Activities on Federal lands including but not limited to the 
Corps, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land 
Management;
    (4) Licensing of construction of communication sites by the Federal 
Communications Commission;
    (5) Operations and maintenance of dams by the Corps and Bureau of 
Reclamation;
    (6) Licensing/Relicensing of dams by the Federal Energy and 
Regulatory Commission;
    (7) Funding of activities by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, or any other Federal 
agency; and
    (8) Water development projects by Federal agencies including the 
Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other Federal 
agencies.
    All lands designated as critical habitat are within the geographic 
range of the species. In addition, all but one site (Lake Francis Case) 
are considered occupied by the species and are likely to be used by the 
piping plover whether for foraging, breeding, chick rearing, dispersal, 
migration, genetic exchange, and sheltering. Federal agencies already 
consult with us on activities currently occupied by the species, as 
well as on Lake Francis Case, to ensure that their actions do not 
jeopardize the continued existence of the species. Thus, we do not 
anticipate additional regulatory protection will result from critical 
habitat designation.
    If you have any questions regarding whether specific activities 
will likely constitute destruction or adverse modification of critical 
habitat, contact Pete Gober, Field Supervisor, South Dakota Field 
Office (see ADDRESSES). Requests for copies of regulations on listed 
wildlife and inquiries about prohibitions and permits may be addressed 
to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, P.O. Box 25486, 
DFC, Denver, Colorado 80225-0486 (telephone 303-236-7400; facsimile 
303-236-0027.

[[Page 31776]]

Relationship to Habitat Conservation Plans

    Section 10(a) of the Act authorizes us to issue permits for private 
actions which result in the taking of listed species incidental to 
otherwise lawful activities. Incidental take permit applications must 
be supported by a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that identifies 
conservation measures that the permittee agrees to implement for the 
species to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the requested 
incidental take. Currently, no approved HCPs cover the northern Great 
Plains piping plover or its habitat. In the event that HCPs covering 
the northern Great Plains piping plover are developed in the future 
within the proposed critical habitat, we will work with applicants to 
ensure the HCPs provide for protection and management of habitat areas 
essential for the conservation of the piping plover, while directing 
development and habitat modification to nonessential areas of lower 
habitat value. The HCP development process provides an opportunity for 
more intensive data collection and analysis regarding the use of 
particular habitat areas by the piping plover. The process also enables 
us to conduct detailed evaluations of the importance of such lands to 
the long-term survival of the species.

Economic Analysis

    Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires us to designate critical 
habitat on the basis of the best scientific and commercial information 
available, and to consider the economic and other relevant impacts of 
designating these areas as critical habitat. We may exclude areas from 
critical habitat upon a determination that the benefits of such 
exclusions outweigh the benefits of designating these areas as critical 
habitat. We cannot exclude areas from critical habitat when the 
exclusion will result in the extinction of the species. We will conduct 
an analysis of the economic impacts of designating these areas as 
critical habitat prior to a final determination. When completed, we 
will announce the availability of the draft economic analysis with a 
notice in the Federal Register, and, if necessary, reopen the comment 
period at the time to accept comments on the economic analysis or 
further comments on the proposed rule. The economic analysis will be 
available at http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/pipingplover/ch . This 
economic analysis will serve as the basis of our analysis under section 
4(b)(2), and of any exclusions. As this economic analysis is not yet 
completed, we are not yet able to identify proposed exclusions under 
section 4(b)(2) in this proposed rule. We will review this analysis, 
public comments on the analysis and this proposed rule, and the 
benefits of designating areas as critical habitat; we may identify 
certain proposed areas that should be excluded from the final critical 
habitat designation, provided these exclusions will not result in the 
extinction of the species. As a result, the final critical habitat 
determination may differ from this proposal.

Public Comments Solicited

    We intend that any final action resulting from this proposal to be 
as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, we solicit 
comments or suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental 
agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other interested 
party concerning this proposed rule. We particularly seek comments 
concerning:
    (1) Reasons why any habitat should or should not be determined to 
be critical habitat as provided by section 4 of the Act, including 
whether the benefits of designation will outweigh any threats to the 
species due to designation;
    (2) Specific information on the amount and distribution of piping 
plover (northern Great Plains region) habitat, and what habitat is 
essential to the conservation of the species and why;
    (3) Land use practices and current or planned activities in the 
subject areas and their possible impacts on proposed critical habitat;
    (4) Any foreseeable economic or other impacts resulting from the 
proposed designation of critical habitat, in particular, any impacts on 
small entities or families; and,
    (5) Economic and other values associated with designating critical 
habitat for piping plover in the northern Great Plains region, such as 
those derived from non-consumptive uses (e.g., hiking, camping, 
birdwatching, enhanced watershed protection, improved air quality, 
increased soil retention, ``existence values,'' and reductions in 
administrative costs).
    (6) Whether our approach to critical habitat designation could be 
improved or modified in any way to provide for greater public 
participation and understanding, or to assist us in accommodating 
public concern and comments.
    If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments and materials 
concerning this proposal by any one of several methods (see ADDRESSES). 
If you would like to submit comments by electronic format, please 
submit them in ASCII file format and avoid the use of special 
characters and encryption. Please include your name and return e-mail 
address in your e-mail message. Please note that the e-mail address 
will be closed out at the termination of the public comment period. If 
you do not receive confirmation from the system that we have received 
your message, contact us directly by calling our South Dakota Field 
Office at (605) 224-8693.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. 
If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state 
this request prominently at the beginning of your comments. To the 
extent consistent with applicable law, we will make all submissions 
from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Comments 
and materials received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

Peer Review

    In accordance with our policy published on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 
34270), we will seek the expert opinions of at least three appropriate 
and independent specialists regarding this proposed rule. The purpose 
of such review is to ensure decisions are based on scientifically sound 
data, assumptions, and analyses. We will send these peer reviewers 
copies of this proposed rule immediately following publication in the 
Federal Register. We will invite these peer reviewers to comment, 
during the public comment period, on the specific assumptions and 
conclusions regarding the proposed designation of critical habitat.
    We will consider all comments and data received during the 60-day 
comment period on this proposed rule during preparation of a final rule 
making. Accordingly, the final decision may differ from this proposal.

Clarity of the Rule

    Executive Order 12866 requires each agency to write regulations/
notices that are easy to understand. We invite your comments on how to 
make this proposed rule easier to understand including answers to 
questions such as the following--(1) Are the requirements in the 
proposed rule clearly stated? (2) Does the proposed rule contain

[[Page 31777]]

technical language or jargon that interferes with the clarity? (3) Does 
the format of the proposed rule (grouping and order of sections, use of 
headings, paragraphing, etc.) aid or reduce its clarity? (4) Is the 
description of the proposed rule in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of the preamble helpful in understanding the proposal? What 
else could we do to make the proposed rule easier to understand?
    Send a copy of any comments that concern how we could make this 
proposed rule easier to understand to Pete Gober, Field Supervisor, 
South Dakota Ecological Services Field Office, 420 S. Garfield, Suite 
400, Pierre, South Dakota 57501.

Public Meetings

    We have scheduled five informal public meetings at the following 
addresses on the dates indicated. Public meetings will run from 6-9 
p.m., except for Yankton which will run from 5:30-8:30 p.m.
    1. Cottonwood Inn Convention Center, U.S. Highway 2E, Glasgow, 
Montana, July 10, 2001.
    2. Doublewood Inn, I-94 and Exit 159, Bismarck, North Dakota, July 
12, 2001.
    3. Pierre Chamber of Commerce, Community Room, 800 W. Dakota 
Avenue, Pierre, South Dakota, July 16, 2001.
    4. Summit Activities Center, 1801 Summit Street, Yankton, South 
Dakota, July 17, 2001.
    5. Central Community College, Main Building, Room 210, 3134 W. 
Highway 34, Grand Island, Nebraska, July 18, 2001.

Required Determinations

Regulatory Planning and Review
    In accordance with Executive Order 12866, this document is a 
significant rule and has been reviewed by the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB), under Executive Order 12866. We are preparing a draft 
analysis of this proposed action, which will be available for public 
comment, to determine the economic consequences of designating the 
specific areas as critical habitat. The availability of the draft 
economic analysis will be announced in the Federal Register and in 
local newspapers so that it is available for public review and 
comments.
    (a) This rule is not expected to have an annual economic effect of 
$100 million or more or adversely affect an economic sector, 
productivity, jobs, the environment, or other units of government.
    The northern Great Plains breeding population of piping plover was 
listed as a threatened species in 1986. In Fiscal Years 1992 through 
2000, we conducted 90 formal section 7 consultations with other Federal 
agencies (88 of these included minor water depletion work done in 
Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming which involved the Platte River) to 
ensure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued 
existence of the piping plover. Approximately 107.5 miles (172.9 
kilometers) (Lake Francis Case) of the areas encompassing proposed 
critical habitat for the northern Great Plains breeding population of 
piping plovers are presently unoccupied by nesting piping plovers. The 
remaining 1,230.5 miles (1,980 kilometers) and 196,576.5 acres 
(79,553.1 hectares) of the total designated critical habitat area are 
currently occupied by piping plovers.
    Under the Act, critical habitat may not be adversely modified or 
destroyed by a Federal agency action; the Act does not impose any 
restrictions through critical habitat designations on non-Federal 
persons unless they are conducting activities funded or otherwise 
sponsored or permitted by a Federal agency (see Table 3 below). Section 
7 requires Federal agencies to ensure that they are not likely to 
jeopardize the continued existence of the species. Based upon our 
experience with the northern Great Plains breeding population of the 
piping plover, we concluded that any Federal action or authorized 
action that could potentially cause adverse modification of the 
proposed critical habitat would almost always be considered as 
``jeopardy'' under the Act (see Table 2).

 Table 3.--Activities Potentially Impacted by Piping Plover Listing and
                      Critical Habitat Designation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Additional
                                                           activities
   Categories of      Activities potentially affected     potentially
     activities         by species listing only \1\       affected by
                                                        critical habitat
                                                        designation \2\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Activities   Direct take and activities such   None in occupied
 Potentially          as removing or destroying         habitat. In
 Affected. \3\        piping plover breeding habitat,   unoccupied
                      whether by mechanical,            habitat, no
                      chemical, or other means (e.g.,   additional types
                      construction, wetland drainage    of activities
                      (subsurface or surface) road      will be affected
                      building, boat launch, and        but consultation
                      marina construction or            will be required
                      maintenance, dam construction     on these
                      and management, bank              activities in
                      stabilization); regulation of     additional
                      water flows, damming,             areas.
                      diversion, and channelization;
                      recreational activities that
                      significantly deter the use of
                      suitable habitat areas by
                      piping plovers or alter habitat
                      through associated maintenance
                      activities (e.g, recreational
                      vehicle access, walking paths);
                      any activity that results in
                      changing the hydrology of
                      habitat areas (e.g., dam
                      construction, changes in
                      releases and dam operations,
                      dredging, draining); sale,
                      exchange, or lease of Federal
                      land that contains suitable
                      habitat that may result in the
                      habitat being destroyed or
                      appreciably degraded (e.g.,
                      shoreline development, building
                      of recreational facilities,
                      road building); activities that
                      may result in increased human
                      activity and disturbance).
Private and other    Direct take and activities such   None in occupied
 non-Federal          as removing or destroying         habitat. In
 Activities           piping plover habitat, whether    unoccupied
 Potentially          by mechanical, chemical or        habitat, no
 Affected. \4\        other means (e.g.,                additional types
                      construction, wetland drainage    of activities
                      (subsurface and surface) road     will be affected
                      building, boat launch and         but consultation
                      marina construction or            will be required
                      maintenance, dam construction     on these
                      and management, bank              activities in
                      stabilization); any activity      additional
                      that results in changing the      areas.
                      hydrology of habitat areas
                      (e.g., dam construction,
                      changes in releases and dam
                      operations, dredging, draining)
                      regulation of water flows,
                      damming, diversion, and
                      channelization; recreational
                      activities that significantly
                      deter the use of suitable
                      habitat areas by piping plovers
                      and appreciably decreasing
                      habitat value or quality (e.g.
                      increased predation, invasion
                      of exotic species, increased
                      human presence or disturbance)
                      that require a Federal action
                      (permit, authorization, or
                      funding).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ This column represents impacts of the final rule listing the piping
  plover (December 11, 1985) (50 FR 50726) under the Endangered Species
  Act.

[[Page 31778]]

 
\2\ This column represents impact of the critical habitat designation
  above and beyond those impacts resulting from listing the species.
\3\ Activities initiated by a Federal agency.
\4\ Activities initiated by a private entity that may need Federal
  authorization or funding.

    Accordingly, the designation of currently occupied areas as 
critical habitat are not anticipated to have any incremental impacts on 
what actions may or may not be conducted by Federal agencies or non-
Federal persons that receive Federal authorization or funding. Non-
Federal persons who do not have a Federal connection to their actions 
are not restricted by the designation of critical habitat; however, 
they continue to be bound by the provisions of the Act concerning 
``take'' of the species. Designation of unoccupied areas as critical 
habitat may have impacts on what actions may or may not be conducted by 
Federal agencies or non-Federal persons that receive Federal 
authorization or funding, but we expect little additional impact from 
designating these areas as critical habitat. The unoccupied areas exist 
on the Missouri River (Lake Francis Case) and all Federal activities on 
the Missouri River within the range of the northern Great Plains 
population of piping plovers are evaluated for potential impacts to the 
piping plovers. We will evaluate any potential impact through our 
economic analysis (see Economic Analysis section of this rule).
    (b) This rule is not expected to create inconsistencies with other 
agencies' actions. As discussed above, Federal agencies have been 
required to ensure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the 
continued existence of piping plovers since the listing in 1985. The 
prohibition against adverse modification of critical habitat is not 
expected to impose any restriction in addition to those that currently 
exist in occupied areas of proposed critical habitat. Additional 
restrictions may be imposed in unoccupied areas proposed as critical 
habitat. However the unoccupied areas exist on the Missouri River and 
all Federal activities on the Missouri River within the range of the 
northern Great Plains population of the piping plover are evaluated for 
potential impacts to the piping plovers. We will evaluate any 
possibility of additional restrictions through our economic analysis. 
Because of the potential for impacts on other Federal agency 
activities, we will continue to review this proposed action for any 
inconsistencies with other Federal agency actions.
    (c) This rule is not expected to materially affect entitlements, 
grants, user fees, loan programs, or the rights and obligations of 
their recipients. Federal agencies are currently required to ensure 
that their activities are not likely to jeopardize the continued 
existence of the species, and, as discussed above, we do not anticipate 
that the adverse modification prohibition (resulting from critical 
habitat designation) will have any additional effects in areas of 
occupied habitat. The critical habitat designation may have some 
additional effects in the unoccupied areas of proposed critical 
habitat. We will review the effects of this proposed action on Federal 
agencies or non-Federal persons that receive Federal authorization or 
funding in the area of critical habitat with unknown occupancy.
    (d) OMB has determined that this rule may raise novel legal or 
policy issues and, as a result, this rule has undergone OMB review.

Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)

    In the economic analysis, we will determine whether designation of 
critical habitat will have a significant effect on a substantial number 
of small entities. As discussed under Regulatory Planning and Review 
above, this rule is expected to result in few, if any, restrictions in 
addition to those currently in existence. As indicated on Table 1 (see 
``Critical Habitat Designation''), we designated property owned by 
Federal, State, and Tribal governments, and private entities.
    Within these areas, the types of Federal actions or authorized 
activities that we have identified as potential concerns are:
    (1) Regulation of activities affecting waters of the United States 
by Corps under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and Section 10 of 
the Rivers and Harbors Act;
    (2) Regulation of water flows, water delivery, and diversion by 
Federal agencies;
    (3) Sale, exchange, or lease of lands owned by a Federal agency;
    (4) Road construction and maintenance and right-of-way designation;
    (5) Funding of low-interest loans to facilitate the construction of 
low-income housing by the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
    (6) Hazard mitigation and post-disaster repairs funded by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency;
    (7) Promulgation of air and water quality standards under the Clean 
Air Act and the Clean Water Act and the cleanup of toxic waste and 
superfund sites under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and 
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability 
Act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;
    (8) Issuance of Endangered Species Act section 10(a)(1)(B) permits 
by the Fish and Wildlife Service; and
    (9) Activities funded, carried out, or authorized by any Federal 
agency.
    Many of these activities sponsored by Federal agencies within the 
proposed critical habitat areas are carried out by small entities (as 
defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act) through contract, grant, 
permit, or other Federal authorization. As discussed above, these 
actions are currently required to comply with the listing protections 
of the Act, and the designation of critical habitat is not anticipated 
to have any additional effects on these activities in areas of critical 
habitat occupied by the species. We expect little additional effect for 
the unoccupied areas of proposed critical habitat. In the economic 
analysis, we will evaluate whether designation of critical habitat in 
the unoccupied areas will have an effect on activities carried out by 
small entities.
    For actions on non-Federal property that do not have a Federal 
connection (such as funding or authorization), the current restrictions 
concerning take of the species remain in effect, and this rule will 
have no additional restrictions.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (5 U.S.C. 804(2))

    In the economic analysis, we will determine whether designation of 
critical habitat will cause--(a) any effect on the economy of $100 
million or more, (b) any increases in costs or prices for consumers, 
individual industries, Federal, State, Tribal, or local government 
agencies, or geographic regions, or (c) any significant adverse effects 
on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or 
the ability of United States-based enterprises to compete with foreign-
based enterprises.

Executive Order 13211

    On May 18, 2001, the President issued an Executive Order (EO 13211) 
on regulations that significantly affect energy supply, distribution, 
and use. Executive Order 13211 requires agencies to prepare Statements 
of Energy Effects when undertaking certain actions. As this proposed 
rule is not expected to

[[Page 31779]]

significantly affect energy supplies, distribution, or use, this action 
is not a significant energy action and no Statement of Energy Effects 
is required.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.)

    In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1501 
et seq.):
    (a) This rule, as proposed, will not ``significantly or uniquely'' 
affect small governments. A Small Government Agency Plan is not 
required. Small governments will be affected only to the extent that 
any of their actions involving Federal funding or authorization must 
not destroy or adversely modify the critical habitat. However, as 
discussed above, these actions are currently subject to equivalent 
restrictions through the listing protections of the species, and no 
further restrictions are anticipated.
    (b) This rule, as proposed, will not produce a Federal mandate of 
$100 million or greater in any year, that is, it is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The 
designation of critical habitat for the piping plover imposes no 
obligations on State or local governments.

Takings

    In accordance with Executive Order 12630, this rule does not have 
significant takings implications, and a takings implication assessment 
is not required. This determination will not ``take'' private property 
and will not alter the long-term value of private property. As 
discussed above, the designation of critical habitat affects only 
Federal agency actions. The rule will not increase or decrease the 
current restrictions on private property concerning take of piping 
plovers as defined in section 9 of the Act and its implementing 
regulations (50 FR 17.31). Due to current public knowledge of the 
species' protection, the prohibition against take of piping plovers 
both within and outside of the proposed areas, and the fact that 
critical habitat provides no incremental restrictions, we do not 
anticipate that property values will be affected by the critical 
habitat designation. While real estate market values may temporarily 
decline following designation, due to the perception that critical 
habitat designation may impose additional regulatory burdens on land 
use, we expect any such impacts to be short term. Additionally, 
critical habitat designation does not preclude development of habitat 
conservation plans and issuance of incidental take permits. Landowners 
in areas that are included in the designated critical habitat will 
continue to utilize their property in ways consistent with the 
conservation of the piping plover.

Federalism

    In accordance with Executive Order 13132, the rule does not have 
significant Federalism effects. A Federalism assessment is not 
required. In keeping with Department of the Interior and Department of 
Commerce policy, the Service requested information from and coordinated 
development of this critical habitat proposal with appropriate State 
resource agencies in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado as well as during the listing 
process. We will continue to coordinate any future designation of 
critical habitat for the northern Great Plains piping plover with the 
appropriate State agencies. The designation of critical habitat for the 
piping plover imposes few additional restrictions to those currently in 
place and, therefore, has little incremental impact on State and local 
governments and their activities. The designation may have some benefit 
to these governments in that the areas essential to the conservation of 
the species are more clearly defined and the primary constituent 
elements of the habitat necessary to the conservation of the species 
are specifically identified. While making this definition and 
identification does not alter where and what federally sponsored 
activities may occur, doing so may assist these local governments in 
long-range planning (rather than waiting for case-by-case section 7 
consultations to occur).

Civil Justice Reform

    In accordance with Executive Order 12988, the Office of the 
Solicitor has determined that the rule does not unduly burden the 
judicial system and meets the requirements of sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) 
of the Order. We are proposing to designate critical habitat in 
accordance with the provisions of the Act and plan public meetings on 
the proposed designation during the comment period. The rule uses 
standard property descriptions and identifies the primary constituent 
elements within the designated areas to assist the public in 
understanding the habitat needs of the northern Great Plains breeding 
population of piping plover.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)

    This rule does not contain any information collection requirements 
for which Office of Management and Budget approval under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act is required. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless 
it displays a valid OMB control number.

National Environmental Policy Act

    Our position is that, outside the Tenth Circuit, we do not need to 
prepare environmental analyses as defined by the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) in connection with designating critical habitat under 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We published a notice 
outlining our reasons for this determination in the Federal Register on 
October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244). This assertion was upheld in the courts 
of the Ninth Circuit (Douglas County v. Babbitt, 48 F .3d 1495 (9th 
Cir. Ore. 1995), cert. denied 116 S. Ct. 698 (1996)). However, when the 
range of the species includes States within the Tenth Circuit, pursuant 
to the Tenth Circuit ruling in Catron County Board of Commissioners v. 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 75 F .3d 1429 (10th Cir. 1996), we will 
complete a NEPA analysis with an Environmental Assessment. The range of 
the northern Great Plains breeding population of the piping plover 
includes States within the Tenth Circuit, therefore, we are completing 
an Environmental Assessment and will announce its availability in the 
Federal Register.

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

    In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, 
``Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal 
Governments'' (59 FR 22951), Executive Order 13175, and 512 DM 2, we 
readily acknowledge our responsibility to communicate meaningfully with 
recognized Federal Tribes on a government-to-government basis. We are 
required to assess the effects of critical habitat designation on 
tribal lands and tribal trust resources. We believe certain Tribal 
trust resources may be essential for the conservation of the piping 
plover. In Montana, plovers have nested on alkali wetlands within the 
Blackfeet Reservation. However, nesting on the Blackfeet Reservation is 
rare and none of this habitat was proposed for critical habitat.
    Many Native American people live adjacent to the Missouri River and 
are dependent on the natural resources of the Missouri River Basin. 
However, proposed critical habitat on the Missouri River includes 
reservoir beaches below the top of the maximum operating pool and on 
sandbars and

[[Page 31780]]

islands in river reaches below dams. Land below the top of the maximum 
operating pool on the Missouri River reservoirs is in federal ownership 
and managed by the Corps. Therefore, no Tribal lands have been proposed 
as critical habitat on Missouri River reservoirs.
    On the riverine reaches of the Missouri River, sandbars and islands 
in the river below the dams are claimed by the states of Montana, North 
Dakota, South Dakota and private landowners in Nebraska. However, the 
state of Montana recognizes that the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of 
Ft. Peck have ownership of sandbars and islands of the Missouri River 
from the north shoreline of the Missouri River to the mid-channel of 
the river where their Reservation borders the river. The Reservation 
borders the Missouri River for 81.7 miles (131.5 kilometers) in 
Missouri River Unit MT-3. Piping plovers nest on sandbars and islands 
of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Ft. Peck. We believe that these 
Tribal lands are essential for the conservation of the piping plover 
and we have proposed designating critical habitat for the piping plover 
on these lands of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Ft. Peck. 
Therefore, the only Tribe with lands within the proposed critical 
habitat designation for the northern Great Plains piping plover 
population are the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Ft. Peck in Montana.
    Other tribes recognizing the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868 or 
presently living adjacent to the Missouri River and proposed critical 
habitat designation include the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Ft. 
Peck in Montana; the Three Affiliated Tribes and the Standing Rock 
Tribe in North Dakota, the Standing Rock Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux 
Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge 
Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe in South 
Dakota and the Santee Sioux Tribe in Nebraska. The Tribes in the 
Missouri River Basin are involved with natural resource management and 
several are already involved with the management of federally listed 
species. Tribes have participated in both the Missouri River Basin 
Association and the Missouri River Natural Resource Committee and many 
are actively involved with the Mni Sose Coalition.
    Additionally, in 1999, the ``Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Lower 
Brule Sioux Tribe, State of South Dakota Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat 
Restoration'' was passed into law under Title VI of the Water Resources 
Development Act. This Act will transfer much of the Federal land and 
recreation areas in South Dakota managed by the Corps to the State and 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs (for the Cheyenne River and Lower Brule 
Sioux Tribes). Although land to be transferred in fee title is above 
the top of the maximum operating pool on Missouri River reservoirs, and 
not likely to have the primary constituent elements for piping plover 
critical habitat, under this legislation the Bureau of Indian Affairs 
will obtain, via easement, the management authority to the water's 
edge, an area which is likely to contain the primary constituent 
elements. This transfer of lands is proposed to occur by 2002. Only a 
small portion of land adjacent to the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe 
Reservation is proposed for critical habitat designation. This includes 
approximately a stretch of the Missouri River on Lake Francis Case from 
Big Bend Dam to about 10 miles downstream. Land adjacent to the 
Cheyenne River Sioux and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes above the top of the 
maximum operating pool will be transferred to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs.
    We may exclude areas from critical habitat upon a determination 
that the benefits of such exclusions outweigh the benefits of 
specifying such areas as critical habitat according to section 4(b)(2) 
of the Act. However, we cannot exclude such areas from critical habitat 
if doing so will result in the extinction of the species. Due to the 
short amount of time allowed under the court order for preparation of 
this proposed rule, our contact with the Tribes has only been through 
written correspondence which resulted in no comments and informational 
presentations before the Great Plains Inter-Tribal Fish and Wildlife 
Commission. We plan continued consultation with the affected Tribes, 
before making a final critical habitat decision.

Relationship to Canada

    In the 1988 Recovery Plan, one of our criteria for recovery and 
delisting of the piping plover is that the Canadian Recovery Objective 
must be met for the prairie region. Because of this, we have some joint 
conservation projects ongoing with Canada. However, according to CFR 
402.12(h), ``Critical habitat shall not be designated with foreign 
countries or in other areas outside of the United States 
jurisdiction.'' Since the areas of joint conservation do not fall 
within the United States jurisdiction, they are not included in this 
critical habitat proposal.

References Cited

    A complete list of all references cited in this final rule is 
available upon request from the South Dakota Fish and Wildlife Service 
Field Office (see ``ADDRESSES'').

Authors

    The primary author of this proposed rule is Nell McPhillips, 
Biologist, of the South Dakota Fish and Wildlife Service Field Office 
(see ``ADDRESSES'').

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
record keeping requirements, Transportation.

Proposed Regulation Promulgation

    Accordingly, we propose to amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter 
I, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations as set forth below:

PART 17--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 
4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise noted.

    2. In Sec. 17.11(h), revise the entry for ``piping plover'' under 
``BIRDS'' to read as follows:


Sec. 17.11  Endangered and threatened wildlife.

* * * * *
    (h) * * *

[[Page 31781]]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Species                                                 Vertebrate
------------------------------------------------------                      population where                                                   Special
                                                         Historic range       endangered or        Status     When listed  Critical habitat     rules
           Common name              Scientific name                            threatened
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
                *                   *                   *                   *                   *                   *                  *
              Birds
 
                *                   *                   *                   *                   *                   *                  *
Plover, piping..................  Charadrius melodus.  U.S.A. (Great       Great Lakes,        E                      211  17.95(b)                   NA
                                                        Lakes, northern     watershed in
                                                        Great Plains,       States of IL, IN,
                                                        Atlantic and Gulf   MI, MN, NY, OH,
                                                        Coasts, PR, VI)     PA, and WI and
                                                        Canada, Mexico,     Canada (Ont.).
                                                        Bahamas, West
                                                        Indies.
Plover, piping..................  Charadrius melodus.  U.S.A. (Great       Northern Great      T                      211  17.95(b)                   NA
                                                        Lakes, northern     Plains in States
                                                        Great Plains,       of MN, MT, ND,
                                                        Atlantic and Gulf   NE, and SD.
                                                        Coasts, PR, VI)
                                                        Canada, Mexico,
                                                        Bahamas, West
                                                        Indies.
    Do..........................  Charadrius melodus.  ......do..........  Entire, except      T                      211  NA                         NA
                                                                            those areas where
                                                                            listed as
                                                                            endangered above..
 
                *                   *                   *                   *                   *                   *                  *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Amend Sec. 17.95(b) by adding critical habitat for the northern 
Great Plains piping plover (Charadrius melodus) in the same 
alphabetical order as the species occurs in Sec. 17.11(h) to read as 
follows:


Sec. 17.95  Critical habitat--fish and wildlife.

* * * * *
    (b) Birds.
* * * * *
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)--Northern Great Plains Breeding 
Population
    1. Critical habitat units are depicted for Minnesota, Montana, 
Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Maps and description follow.
    2. The primary constituent elements required to sustain the 
northern Great Plains breeding population of piping plovers are 
categorized by breeding habitat types found in the northern Great 
Plains. The habitat types and primary constituent elements necessary to 
sustain the northern Great Plains breeding population of piping plovers 
are described as follows:
    i. On prairie alkali lakes and wetlands, the primary constituent 
elements include--(1) shallow, seasonally to permanently flooded, 
mixosaline to hypersaline wetlands with sandy to gravelly, sparsely 
vegetated beaches, salt-encrusted mud flats, and/or gravelly salt 
flats; and (2) springs and fens along edges of alkali lakes and 
wetlands; and (3) adjacent uplands within 200 feet (61 meters) of the 
high water mark of the alkali lake or wetland.
    ii. On rivers, the primary constituent elements include--sparsely 
vegetated channel sandbars, sand and gravel beaches on islands, 
temporary pools on sandbars and islands, and the interface with the 
river.
    iii. On reservoirs, the primary constituent elements include--
sparsely vegetated shoreline beaches, peninsulas, islands composed of 
sand, gravel, or shale, and their interface with the water bodies.
    iv. On inland lakes (Lake of the Woods), the primary constituent 
elements include--sparsely vegetated and windswept sandy to gravelly 
islands, beaches, and peninsulas, and their interface with the water 
body.
    v. The dynamic ecological processes that create and maintain piping 
plover habitat also are important primary constituent elements. Because 
piping plovers evolved in this dynamic and complex system, these 
processes develop a mosaic of habitats on the landscape that provide 
the essential combination of prey, forage, nesting, brooding and chick-
rearing areas for their continued survival and eventual recovery. The 
annual, seasonal, daily, and hourly availability of the habitat patches 
is dependent on local weather, hydrological conditions and cycles, and 
geological processes.
    3. Critical habitat does not include existing developed areas such 
as mainstem dam structures, buildings, marinas, boat ramps, bank 
stabilization and breakwater structures, row cropped or plowed 
agricultural areas, roads and other lands (e.g., high bank bluffs along 
Missouri River) unlikely to contain primary constituent elements 
essential for northern Great Plains piping plover conservation.
Minnesota
Projection: UTM Zone 15, NAD83, GRS 1980
Unit MN-1: Rocky Point, Morris Point, and Pine and Curry Island

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Pine and Curry Islands: T. 162 N., R. 31 W., Sec. 1, T.162 N., R.32 
W., Sec. 6, T.162 N., R.32 W., Sec. 10-12; Morris Point: T. 162 N., R. 
32 W., Sec. 15-16; Rocky Point: T. 163 N., R. 34 W., Sec. 4-5,T.163 N., 
R.34 W., Sec. 9.

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Montana
Projection: UTM Zone 13, NAD27, Clarke 1866
Unit MT-1: Sheridan 1-21

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 31 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 31 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 4-6, T. 31 
N., R. 56 E., Sec. 8-15.
    T. 31 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 23-24, T. 31 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 30, T. 31 
N., R. 57 E., Sec. 4-8.
    T. 31 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 18, T. 32 N., R. 55 E., Sec. 36, T. 32 N., 
R. 56 E., Sec. 25, T. 32 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 31-36, T. 32 N., R. 57 E., 
Sec. 28-34, T. 32 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 4, T. 32 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 8-10, 
T. 32 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 16-18, T. 32 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 30, T. 33 N., 
R. 58 E., Sec. 4-5, T. 33 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 22, T. 33 N., R. 58 E., 
Sec. 24-27, T. 33, N., R. 58 E., Sec. 34-35, T. 34 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 
2, T. 34 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 11, T. 34 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 30, T. 34 N., 
R. 58 E., Sec. 32-33, T. 35 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 35 N., R. 58 E., 
Sec. 11-14, T. 35 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 35, T. 36 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 10, 
T. 36 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 15, T. 36 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 22, T. 36 N., R. 
58 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 36 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 12-13, T. 36 N., R. 58 E., 
Sec. 22-27, T. 36 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 30, T. 36 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 36, 
T. 37 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 1-3, T. 37 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 12, T. 37 N., R. 
57 E., Sec. 7-8, T. 37 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 17-18, T. 37 N., R. 57 E., 
Sec. 23, T. 37 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 25-27, T. 37 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 35, 
T. 37 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 15-16, T. 37 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 20-22, T. 37 
N., R. 58 E., Sec. 27-34.

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 4310-55-C

[[Page 31785]]

Unit MT-2: Missouri River

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 26 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 1-6, T. 26 N., R. 59 E., Sec. 3-6, T. 26 
N., R. 59 E., Sec. 9-10, T. 26 N., R. 59 E., Sec. 13-16, T. 26 N., R. 
59 E., Sec. 22-24, T. 27 N., R. 47 E., Sec. 21-24, T. 27 N., R. 47 E., 
Sec. 27-28, T. 27 N., R. 47 E., Sec. 33-34, T. 27 N., R. 48 E., Sec. 
13-16, T. 27 N., R. 48 E., Sec. 19-22, T. 27 N., R. 48 E., Sec. 28-29, 
T. 27 N., R. 49 E., Sec. 13-18, T. 27 N., R. 49 E., Sec. 24, T. 27 N., 
R. 50 E., Sec. 14-21, T. 27 N., R. 50 E., Sec. 23-26, T. 27 N., R. 51 
E., Sec. 7-8, T. 27 N., R. 51 E., Sec. 17-27, T. 27 N., R. 51 E., Sec. 
30, T. 27 N., R. 52 E., Sec. 10-16, T. 27 N., R. 52 E., Sec. 19, T. 27 
N., R. 52 E., Sec. 21-23, T. 27 N., R. 52 E., Sec. 27-32, T. 27 N., R. 
53 E., Sec. 1-3, T. 27 N., R. 53 E., Sec. 6-7, T. 27 N., R. 53 E., Sec. 
18, T. 27 N., R. 54 E., Sec. 1-6, T. 27 N., R. 54 E., Sec. 9-12, T. 27 
N., R. 55 E., Sec. 1-5, T. 27 N., R. 55 E., Sec. 7-11, T. 27 N., R. 56 
E., Sec. 2-6, T. 27 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 8-9, T. 27 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 
11, T. 27 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 13-14, T. 27 N., R. 56 E., Sec. 24, T. 27 
N., R. 57 E., Sec. 18-21, T. 27 N., R. 57 E., Sec. 27-28, T. 27 N., R. 
57 E., Sec. 33-36, T. 27 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 23, T. 27 N., R. 58 E., 
Sec. 25-27, T. 27 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 31-32, T. 27 N., R. 58 E., Sec. 
34-36, T. 27 N., R. 59 E., Sec. 29-32, T. 28 N., R. 53 E., Sec. 27-31, 
T. 28 N., R. 53 E., Sec. 33-34, T. 28 N., R. 54 E., Sec. 31-33, T. 28 
N., R. 55 E., Sec. 33-35.

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[[Page 31787]]

Unit MT-3: Fort Peck Reservoir

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 22 N., R.42E., Sec. 1-3, T. 22 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 10-15, T. 22 
N., R. 42 E., Sec. 24, T. 22 N., R. 43 E., Sec. 6-8, T. 22 N., R. 43 
E., Sec. 18-20, T. 23 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 15, T. 23 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 
10-15, T. 23 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 22-27, T. 23 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 34-36, 
T. 23 N., R. 43 E., Sec. 18-19, T. 23 N., R. 43 E., Sec. 30-31, T. 24 
N., R. 41 E., Sec. 1-3, T. 24 N., R. 41 E., Sec. 10-13, T. 24 N., R. 41 
E., Sec. 24, T. 24 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 5-8, T. 24 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 16-
21, T. 24 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 25-36, T. 25 N., R. 39 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 25 
N., R. 39 E., Sec. 11-12, T. 25 N., R. 40 E., Sec. 1-17, T. 25 N., R. 
40 E., Sec. 20-24, T. 25 N., R. 41 E., Sec. 1-36, T. 25 N., R. 42 E., 
Sec. 5-6, T. 26 N., R. 39 E., Sec. 35-36, T. 26 N., R. 40 E., Sec. 31-
36, T. 26 N., R. 41 E., Sec. 13-17, T. 26 N., R. 41 E., Sec. 19-36, T. 
26 N., R. 41 E., Sec. 20-36, T. 26 N., R. 42 E., Sec. 17-19, T. 26 N., 
R. 42 E., Sec. 29-32.

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Unit MT-4: Nelson Reservoir and Bowdoin NWR

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Bowdoin NWR: T. 30 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 30 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 
4, T. 30 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 9-11, T. 31 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 21-22, T. 31 
N., R. 31 E., Sec. 25-28, T. 31 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 33-36; Nelson 
Reservoir: T. 31 N., R. 32 E. Sec. 3-5, T. 32 N., R. 32 E., Sec. 14-15, 
T. 32 N., R. 32 E., Sec. 22-24, T. 32 N., R. 32 E., Sec. 26-27, T. 32 
N., R. 32 E., Sec. 32-35.

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Nebraska
Projection: UTM Zone 14, NAD83
Unit NE-1: Platte, Loup, and Niobrara Rivers

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T.08 N., R.13 W., Sec. 04; T.08 N., R.13 W., Sec. 05; T.08 N., R.13 
W., Sec. 06; T.08 N., R.13 W., Sec. 07; T.08 N., R.14 W., Sec. 09; T.08 
N., R.14 W., Sec. 10; T.08 N., R.14 W., Sec. 11; T.08 N., R.14 W., Sec. 
12; T.08 N., R.14 W., Sec. 15; T.08 N., R.14 W., Sec. 16; T.08 N., R.14 
W., Sec. 17; T.08 N., R.14 W., Sec. 18; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 13; T.08 
N., R.15 W., Sec. 14; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 15; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 
16; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 17; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 18; T.08 N., R.15 
W., Sec. 19; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 20; T.08 N., R.15 W., Sec. 21; T.08 
N., R.16 W., Sec. 07; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 08; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 
13; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 14; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 15; T.08 N., R.16 
W., Sec. 16; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 17; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 18; T.08 
N., R.16 W., Sec. 23; T.08 N., R.16 W., Sec. 24; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 
07; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 08; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 10; T.08 N., R.17 
W., Sec. 11; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 12; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 13; T.08 
N., R.17 W., Sec. 14; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 15; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 
16; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 17; T.08 N., R.17 W., Sec. 18; T.08 N., R.18 
W., Sec. 02; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 03; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 04; T.08 
N., R.18 W., Sec. 05; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 06; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 
07; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 08; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 09; T.08 N., R.18 
W., Sec. 10; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 11; T.08 N., R.18 W., Sec. 12; T.08 
N., R.19 W., Sec. 01; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 02; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 
03; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 04; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 05; T.08 N., R.19 
W., Sec. 06; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 07; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 08; T.08 
N., R.19 W., Sec. 09; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 10; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 
11; T.08 N., R.19 W., Sec. 12; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec.01; T.08 N., R.20 
W., Sec. 02; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 03; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 04; T.08 
N., R.20 W., Sec. 05; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 06; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 
07; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 08; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 09; T.08 N., R.20 
W., Sec. 10; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 11; T.08 N., R.20 W., Sec. 12; T.08 
N., R.21 W., Sec. 01; T.08 N., R.21 W., Sec. 02; T.08 N., R.21 W., Sec. 
12; T.09 N., R.10 W., Sec. 03; T.09 N., R.10 W., Sec. 04; T.09 N., R.10 
W., Sec. 05; T.09 N., R.10 W., Sec. 06; T.09 N., R.10 W., Sec. 07; T.09 
N., R.11 W., Sec. 01; T.09 N., R.11 W., Sec. 11; T.09 N., R.11 W., Sec. 
12; T.09 N., R.11 W., Sec. 14; T.09 N., R.11 W., Sec. 15; T.09 N., R.11 
W., Sec. 16; T.09 N., R.11 W., Sec. 17; T.09 N., R.11 W., Sec. 18; T.09 
N., R.11 W., Sec. 19; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 13; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 
22; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 23; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 24; T.09 N., R.12 
W., Sec. 26; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 27; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 28; T.09 
N., R.12 W., Sec. 29; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 30; T.09 N., R.12 W., Sec. 
31; T.09 N., R.13 W., Sec. 25; T.09 N., R.13 W., Sec. 26; T.09 N., R.13 
W., Sec. 27; T.09 N., R.13 W., Sec. 33; T.09 N., R.13 W., Sec. 34; T.09 
N., R.13 W., Sec. 35; T.09 N., R.13 W., Sec. 36; T.09 N., R.20 W., Sec. 
31; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 19; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 20; T.09 N., R.21 
W., Sec. 21; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 27; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 28; T.09 
N., R.21 W., Sec. 29; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 34; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 
35; T.09 N., R.21 W., Sec. 36; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 04; T.09 N., R.22 
W., Sec. 05; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 06; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 08; T.09 
N., R.22 W., Sec. 09; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 10; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 
14; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 15; T.09 N., R.22 W., Sec. 23; T.09 N., R.22 
W., Sec. 24; T.10 N., R.08 W., Sec. 06; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 01; T.10 
N., R.09 W., Sec. 11; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 12; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 
14; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 15; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 21; T.10 N., R.09 
W., Sec. 22; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 28; T.10 N., R.09 W., Sec. 29; T.10 
N., R.10 W., Sec. 25; T.10 N., R.10 W., Sec. 33; T.10 N., R.10 W., Sec. 
34; T.10 N., R.10 W., Sec. 35; T.10 N., R.10 W., Sec. 36; T.10 N., R.22 
W., Sec. 31; T.10 N., R.23 W., Sec. 20; T.10 N., R.23 W., Sec. 21; T.10 
N., R.23 W., Sec. 22; T.10 N., R.23 W., Sec. 25; T.10 N., R.23 W., Sec. 
26; T.10 N., R.23 W., Sec. 27; T.10 N., R.23 W., Sec. 28; T.10 N., R.23 
W., Sec. 36; T.11 N., R.07 W., Sec. 06; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 01; T.11 
N., R.08 W., Sec. 02; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 10; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 
11; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 15; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 16; T.11 N., R.08 
W., Sec. 20; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 21; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 29; T.11 
N., R.08 W., Sec. 30; T.11 N., R.08 W., Sec. 31; T.11 N., R.09 W., 
Sec.36; T.12 N., R.06 W., Sec. 06; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 01; T.12 N., 
R.07 W., Sec. 02; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 10; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 11; 
T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 12; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 14; T.12 N., R.07 W., 
Sec. 15; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 16; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 20; T.12 N., 
R.07 W., Sec. 21; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 22; T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 29; 
T.12 N., R.07 W., Sec. 30; T.12 N., R.07 W., sec. 31; T.12 N., R.08 W., 
Sec. 36; T.13 N., R.05 W., Sec. 05; T.13 N., R.05 W., Sec. 06; T.13 N., 
R.05 W., Sec. 07; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 12; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 13; 
T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 14; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 15; T.13 N., R.06 W., 
Sec. 21; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 22; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 23; T.13 N., 
R.06 W., Sec. 28; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 29; T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 31; 
T.13 N., R.06 W., Sec. 32; T.14 N., R.04 W., Sec. 04; T.14 N., R.04 W., 
Sec. 05; T.14 N., R.04 W., Sec. 07; T.14 N., R.04 W., Sec. 08; T.14 N., 
R.04 W., Sec. 09; T.14 N., R.04 W., Sec. 18; T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 13; 
T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 14; T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 22; T.14 N., R.05 W., 
Sec. 23; T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 24; T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 27; T.14 N., 
R.05 W., Sec. 28; T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 32; T.14 N., R.05 W., Sec. 33; 
T.14 N., R.39 W., Sec. 02; T.14 N., R.39 W., Sec. 03; T.14 N., R.39 W., 
Sec. 04; T.14 N., R.39 W., Sec. 05; T.14 N., R.39 W., Sec. 11; T.15 N., 
R.03 W., Sec. 03; T.15 N., R.03 W., Sec. 04; T.15 N., R.03 W., Sec. 05; 
T.15 N., R.03 W., Sec. 07; T.15 N., R.03 W., Sec. 08; T.15 N., R.03 W., 
Sec. 09; T.15 N., R.03 W., Sec. 17; T.15 N., R.03 W., Sec. 18; T.15 N., 
R.03 W., Sec. 19; T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 12; T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 13; 
T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 14; T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 23; T.15 N., R.04 W., 
Sec. 24; T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 26; T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 27; T.15 N., 
R.04 W., Sec. 33; T.15 N., R.04 W., Sec. 34; T.15 N., R.06 W., Sec. 06; 
T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 01; T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 02; T.15 N., R.07 W., 
Sec. 03; T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 04; T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 05; T.15 N., 
R.07 W., Sec. 07; T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 08; T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 09; 
T.15 N., R.07 W., Sec. 10; T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 07; T.15 N., R.08 W., 
Sec. 08; T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 12; T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 13; T.15 N., 
R.08 W., Sec. 14; T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 15; T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 16; 
T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 17; T.15 N., R.08 W., Sec. 18; T.15 N., R.09 W., 
Sec. 07; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 08; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 09; T.15 N., 
R.09 W., Sec. 10; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 11; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 12; 
T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 13; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 14; T.15 N., R.09 W., 
Sec. 15; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 16; T.15 N., R.09 W., Sec. 17; T.15 N., 
R.09 W., Sec. 18; T.15 N., R.38 W., Sec. 19; T.15 N., R.38 W., Sec. 20; 
T.15 N., R.38 W., Sec. 21; T.15 N., R.38 W., Sec. 28; T.15 N., R.38 W., 
Sec. 29; T.15 N., R.38 W., Sec. 30; T.15 N., R.38 W., Sec. 33; T.15 N., 
R.39 W., Sec. 24; T.15 N., R.39 W., Sec. 25; T.15 N., R.39 W., Sec. 30; 
T.15 N., R.39 W., Sec. 31; T.15 N., R.39 W., Sec. 32; T.15 N., R.39 W., 
Sec. 33; T.15 N., R.39 W., Sec. 34; T.15 N., R.40 W., Sec. 10; T.15 N., 
R.40 W., Sec. 23; T.15 N., R.40 W., Sec. 24; T.15 N., R.40 W., Sec. 25; 
T.15 N., R.40 W., Sec. 26; T.15 N., R.40 W., Sec. 36; T.16 N., R.01 W., 
Sec. 01; T.16 N., R.01 W., Sec. 02; T.16 N., R.01 W., Sec. 03; T.16 N., 
R.01 W., Sec. 04; T.16 N., R.01 W., Sec. 07; T.16 N., R.01 W., Sec. 08; 
T.16 N., R.01 W., Sec. 09; T.16 N., R.01 W., Sec. 10; T.16 N., R.01 W., 
Sec. 17; T.16 N., R.01 W.,

[[Page 31792]]

Sec. 18; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 10; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 11; T.16 N., 
R.02 W., Sec. 12; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 13; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 14; 
T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 15; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 16; T.16 N., R.02 W., 
Sec. 19; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 20; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 21; T.16 N., 
R.02 W., Sec. 29; T.16 N., R.02 W., Sec. 30; T.16 N., R.03 W., Sec. 25; 
T.16 N., R.03 W., Sec. 26; T.16 N., R.03 W., Sec. 33; T.16 N., R.03 W., 
Sec. 34; T.16 N., R.03 W., Sec. 35; T.16 N., R.03 W., Sec. 36; T.16 N., 
R.04 W., Sec. 05; T.16 N., R.04 W., Sec. 06; T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 01; 
T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 02; T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 03; T.16 N., R.05 W., 
Sec. 04; T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 05; T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 07; T.16 N., 
R.05 W., Sec. 08; T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 09; T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 10; 
T.16 N., R.05 W., Sec. 18; T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 13; T.16 N., R.06 W., 
Sec. 14; T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 22; T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 23; T.16 N., 
R.06 W., Sec. 24; T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 27; T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 28; 
T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 29; T.16 N., R.06 W., Sec. 31; T.16 N., R.06 W., 
Sec. 32; T.16 N., R.07 W., Sec. 36; T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 16; T.17 N., 
R.01 W., Sec. 17; T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 18; T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 21; 
T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 22; T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 23; T.17 N., R.01 W., 
Sec. 25; T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 26; T.17 N., R.01 W., Sec. 36; T.17 N., 
R.02 W., Sec. 03; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 04; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 07; 
T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 08; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 09; T.17 N., R.02 W., 
Sec. 10; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 13; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 14; T.17 N., 
R.02 W., Sec. 15; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 22; T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 23; 
T.17 N., R.02 W., Sec. 24; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 10; T.17 N., R.03 W., 
Sec. 11; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 12; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 13; T.17 N., 
R.03 W., Sec. 14; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 15; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 16; 
T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 17; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 18; T.17 N., R.03 W., 
Sec. 19; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 20; T.17 N., R.03 W., Sec. 21; T.17 N., 
R.03 W., Sec. 30; T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 24; T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 25; 
T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 26; T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 27; T.17 N., R.04 W., 
Sec. 28; T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 32; T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 33; T.17 N., 
R.04 W., Sec. 34; T.17 N., R.04 W., Sec. 35; T.17 N., R.05 W., Sec. 35; 
T.17 N., R.05 W., Sec. 36; T.31 N., R.06 W., Sec. 06; T.31 N., R.07 W., 
Sec. 01; T.31 N., R.07 W., Sec. 02; T.31 N., R.07 W., Sec. 03; T.31 N., 
R.07 W., Sec. 04; T.32 N., R.06 W., Sec. 17; T.32 N., R.06 W., Sec. 18; 
T.32 N., R.06 W., Sec. 19; T.32 N., R.06 W., Sec. 20; T.32 N., R.06 W., 
Sec. 29; T.32 N., R.06 W., Sec. 30; T.32 N., R.06 W., Sec. 31; T.32 N., 
R.07 W., Sec. 29; T.32 N., R.07 W., Sec. 30; T.32 N., R.07 W., Sec. 31; 
T.32 N., R.07 W., Sec. 32; T.32 N., R.07 W., Sec. 33; T.32 N., R.07 W., 
Sec. 34; T.32 N., R.07 W., Sec. 36; T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 07; T.32 N., 
R.08 W., Sec. 08; T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 15; T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 16; 
T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 17; T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 22; T.32 N., R.08 W., 
Sec. 23; T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 24; T.32 N., R.08 W., Sec. 25; T.32 N., 
R.09 W., Sec. 02; T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 03; T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 04; 
T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 05; T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 06; T.32 N., R.09 W., 
Sec. 08; T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 09; T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 10; T.32 N., 
R.09 W., Sec. 11; T.32 N., R.09 W., Sec. 12; T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 01; 
T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 02; T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 03; T.32 N., R.10 W., 
Sec. 04; T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 05; T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 06; T.32 N., 
R.10 W., Sec. 09; T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 10; T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 11; 
T.32 N., R.10 W., Sec. 12; T.32 N., R.11 W., Sec. 01; T.32 N., R.11 W., 
Sec. 02; T.32 N., R.11 W., Sec. 03; T.32 N., R.17 W., Sec. 05; T.32 N., 
R.17 W., Sec. 06; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 01; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 02; 
T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 03; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 04; T.32 N., R.18 W., 
Sec. 08; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 09; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 10; T.32 N., 
R.18 W., Sec. 16; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 17; T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 18; 
T.32 N., R.18 W., Sec. 19; T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 19; T.32 N., R.19 W., 
Sec. 20; T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 22; T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 23; T.32 N., 
R.19 W., Sec. 24; T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 26; T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 27; 
T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 28; T.32 N., R.19 W., Sec. 29; T.32 N., R.19 W., 
Sec. 30; T.32 N., R.20 W., Sec. 19; T.32 N., R.20 W., Sec. 20; T.32 N., 
R.20 W., Sec. 21; T.32 N., R.20 W., Sec. 22; T.32 N., R.20 W., Sec. 23; 
T.32 N., R.20 W., Sec. 24; T.32 N., R.20 W., Sec. 25; T.32 N., R.20 W., 
Sec. 26; T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec. 07; T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec. 16; T.32 N., 
R.21 W., Sec. 17; T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec. 18; T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec. 20; 
T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec. 21; T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec.22; T.32 N., R.21 W., 
Sec. 23; T.32 N., R.21 W., Sec. 24; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 02; T.32 N., 
R.22 W., Sec. 03; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 04; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 05; 
T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 06;T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 08; T.32 N., R.22 W., 
Sec. 09; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 10; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 11; T.32 N., 
R.22 W., Sec. 12; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 13; T.32 N., R.22 W., Sec. 14; 
T.32 N., R.23 W., Sec. 01; T.32 N., R.23 W., Sec. 02; T.33 N., R.11 W., 
Sec. 29; T.33 N., R.11 W., Sec. 30;T.33 N., R.11 W., Sec. 32; T.33 N., 
R.11 W., Sec. 33; T.33 N., R.11 W., Sec. 34; T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 17; 
T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 18; T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 19; T.33 N., R.12 W., 
Sec. 20; T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 21; T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 25; T.33 N., 
R.12 W., Sec. 26; T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 27; T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 28; 
T.33 N., R.12 W., Sec. 36; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 07; T.33 N., R.13 W., 
Sec. 08; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 09; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 10; T.33 N., 
R.13 W., Sec. 14; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 15; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 16; 
T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 17; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 18; T.33 N., R.13 W., 
Sec. 23; T.33 N., R.13 W., Sec. 24; T.33 N., R.14 W., Sec. 01; T.33 N., 
R.14 W., Sec. 02; T.33 N., R.14 W., Sec. 12; T.33 N., R.15 W., Sec. 02; 
T.33 N., R.15 W., Sec. 03; T.33 N., R.15 W., Sec. 04; T.33 N., R.15 W., 
Sec. 05; T.33 N., R.15 W., Sec. 07; T.33 N., R.15 W., Sec. 08; T.33 N., 
R.15 W., Sec. 09; T.33 N., R.15 W., Sec. 18; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 11; 
T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 12; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 13; T.33 N., R.16 W., 
Sec. 14; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 15; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 16; T.33 N., 
R.16 W., Sec. 19; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 20; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 21; 
T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 22; T.33 N., R.16 W., Sec. 29; T.33 N., R.16 W., 
Sec. 30; T.33 N., R.17 W., Sec. 25; T.33 N., R.17 W., Sec. 26; T.33 N., 
R.17 W., Sec. 27; T.33 N., R.17 W., Sec. 31; T.33 N., R.17 W., Sec. 33; 
T.33 N., R.17 W., Sec. 34; T.33 N., R.17 W., Sec. 35; T.33 N., R.17 W., 
Sec. 36; T.33 N., R.18 W., Sec. 36; T.33 N., R.23 W., Sec. 31; T.33 N., 
R.23 W., Sec. 32; T.33 N., R.23 W., Sec. 33; T.33 N., R.23 W., Sec. 34; 
T.33 N., R.23 W., Sec. 35; T.33 N., R.24 W., Sec. 16; T.33 N., R.24 W., 
Sec. 17; T.33 N., R.24 W., Sec. 21; T.33 N., R.24 W., Sec. 22; T.33 N., 
R.24 W., Sec. 25; T.33 N., R.24 W., Sec. 26; T.33 N., R.24 W., Sec. 27; 
T.33 N., R.24 W., Sec. 36; T.34 N., R.14 W., Sec. 26; T.34 N., R.14 W., 
Sec. 27; T.34 N., R.14 W., Sec. 28; T.34 N., R.14 W., Sec. 29; T.34 N., 
R.14 W., Sec. 30; T.34 N., R.14 W., Sec. 31; T.34 N., R.14 W., Sec. 34; 
T.34 N., R.14 W., Sec. 35; T.34 N., R.15 W., Sec. 25; T.34 N., R.15 W., 
Sec. 35; T.34 N., R.15 W., Sec. 36; T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 03; T.12 N., 
R.10 E., Sec. 04; T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 05; T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 09; 
T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 10; T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 11; T.12 N., R.10 E., 
Sec. 12; T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 13; T.12 N., R.10 E., Sec. 24; T.12 N., 
R.11 E., Sec. 01; T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 11; T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 12; 
T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 14; T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 15; T.12 N., R.11 E., 
Sec. 16; T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 18; T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 19; T.12 N., 
R.11 E., Sec. 20; T.12 N., R.11 E., Sec. 21; T.12 N., R.12 E., Sec. 06; 
T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 04; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 05; T.13 N., R.10 E., 
Sec. 07; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 08; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 09; T.13 N., 
R.10 E., Sec. 17; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 18; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 19; 
T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 29; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 30; T.13 N., R.10 E., 
Sec. 32; T.13 N., R.10 E., Sec. 33; T.13 N., R.12 E.,

[[Page 31793]]

Sec. 25; T.13 N., R.12 E., Sec. 26; T.13 N., R.12 E., Sec. 27; T.13 N., 
R.12 E., Sec. 28; T.13 N., R.12 E., Sec. 31; T.13 N., R.12 E., Sec. 32; 
T.13 N., R.12 E., Sec. 33; T.13 N., R.12 E., Sec. 34; T.13 N., R.12 E., 
Sec. 36; T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 25; T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 26; T.13 N., 
R.13 E., Sec. 30; T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 31; T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 32; 
T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 33; T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 34; T.13 N., R.13 E., 
Sec. 35; T.13 N., R.13 E., Sec. 36; T.14 N., R.09 E., Sec. 01; T.14 N., 
R.09 E., Sec. 12; T.14 N., R.10 E., Sec. 06; T.14 N., R.10 E., Sec. 07; 
T.14 N., R.10 E., Sec. 08; T.14 N., R.10 E., Sec. 17; T.14 N., R.10 E., 
Sec. 18; T.14 N., R.10 E., Sec. 20; T.14 N., R.10 E., Sec. 29; T.14 N., 
R.10 E., Sec. 32; T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 01; T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 02; 
T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 03; T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 11; T.15 N., R.09 E., 
Sec. 12; T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 13; T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 24; T.15 N., 
R.09 E., Sec. 25; T.15 N., R.09 E., Sec. 36; T.15 N., R.10 E., Sec. 19; 
T.16 N., R.01 E., Sec. 01; T.16 N., R.01 E., Sec. 02; T.16 N., R.01 E., 
Sec. 04; T.16 N., R.01 E., Sec. 05; T.16 N., R.01 E., Sec. 06; T.16 N., 
R.01 E., Sec. 12; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 01; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 02; 
T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 03; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 04; T.16 N., R.02 E., 
Sec. 05; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 06; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 07; T.16 N., 
R.02 E., Sec. 08; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 09; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 10; 
T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 11; T.16 N., R.02 E., Sec. 12; T.16 N., R.03 E., 
Sec. 04; T.16 N., R.03 E., Sec. 05; T.16 N., R.03 E., Sec. 06; T.16 N., 
R.08 E., Sec. 01; T.16 N., R.08 E., Sec. 02; T.16 N., R.08 E., Sec. 12; 
T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 06; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec.07; T.16 N., R.09 E., 
Sec. 08; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 09; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 16; T.16 N., 
R.09 E., Sec. 17; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 21; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 22; 
T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 27; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 28; T.16 N., R.09 E., 
Sec. 33; T.16 N., R.09 E., Sec. 34; T.17 N., R.01 E., Sec. 29; T.17 N., 
R.01 E., Sec. 30; T.17 N., R.01 E., Sec. 31; T.17 N., R.01 E., Sec. 32; 
T.17 N., R.01 E., Sec. 33; T.17 N., R.01 E., Sec. 34; T.17 N., R.01 E., 
Sec. 35; T.17 N., R.01 E., Sec. 36; T.17 N., R.03 E., Sec. 25; T.17 N., 
R.03 E., Sec. 26; T.17 N., R.03 E., Sec. 27; T.17 N., R.03 E., Sec. 31; 
T.17 N., R.03 E., Sec. 32; T.17 N., R.03 E., Sec. 33; T.17 N., R.03 E., 
Sec. 34; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 09; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 10; T.17 N., 
R.04 E., Sec. 11; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 12; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 14; 
T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 15; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 16; T.17 N., R.04 E., 
Sec. 17; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 20; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 21; T.17 N., 
R.04 E., Sec. 29; T.17 N., R.04 E., Sec. 30; T.17 N., R.05 E., Sec. 07; 
T.17 N., R.05 E., Sec. 08; T.17 N., R.05 E., Sec. 09; T.17 N., R.05 E., 
Sec. 10; T.17 N., R.05 E., Sec. 13; T.17 N., R.05 E., Sec. 14; T.17 N., 
R.05 E., Sec. 15; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 07; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 08; 
T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 09; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 14; T.17 N., R.06 E., 
Sec. 15; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 16; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 17; T.17 N., 
R.06 E., Sec. 18; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 22; T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 23; 
T.17 N., R.06 E., Sec. 24; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 13; T.17 N., R.07 E., 
Sec. 14; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 15; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 16; T.17 N., 
R.07 E., Sec. 17; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 18; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 19; 
T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 20; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 21; T.17 N., R.07 E., 
Sec. 22; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 23; T.17 N., R.07 E., Sec. 24; T.17 N., 
R.08 E., Sec. 20; T.17 N., R.08 E., Sec. 21; T.17 N., R.08 E., Sec. 27; 
T.17 N., R.08 E., Sec. 28; T.17 N., R.08 E., Sec. 29; T.17 N., R.08 E., 
Sec. 34; T.17 N., R.08 E., Sec. 35; T.17 N., R.08 E., Sec. 36.

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North Dakota
Projection: UTM Zone 14, NAD27, Clarke 1866
Unit ND-1: Divide 1-10, Williams 1-3

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Divide 1 T. 163 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 11, 13, 14, 23, 24; Divide 2 T. 
163 N., R. 101 W., Sec. 19, T. 163 N., R. 102 W., Sec. 13, 14, 23, 24; 
Divide 3 T. 162 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 2, 3, 10, T. 163 N., R. 103 W., 
Sec. 34, 35; Divide 4 T. 162 N., R. 102 W., Sec. 5, 7, 8, 17; Divide 5 
T. 162 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 11, 13-15, 22-24; Divide 6 T. 162 N., R. 102 
W., Sec. 19-21, 28-30; Divide 7 T. 161 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 13, 14, 23-
26; Divide 8 T. 161 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 22, 27; Divide 9 T. 160 N., R. 
103 W., Sec. 10, 15-17, 20, 21, 28; Divide 10 T. 160 N., R. 103 W., 
Sec. 28, 29, 32-34; Williams 1 T. 159 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 4; Williams 2 
T. 159 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 8, 9, 16, 17; Williams 3 T. 159 N., R. 100 
W., Sec. 14, 15, 21-23, 27.

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Unit ND-2: Burke 1-2, Mountrail 1-10, Renville 1, Ward 1-10

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Burke 1 T. 160 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 23, 25-27, 34, 35; Burke 2 T. 159 
N., R. 91 W., Sec. 16, 21, 27, 28, 33, 34; Mountrail 1 T. 158 N., R. 91 
W., Sec. 4, 5, 8, 17, T. 159 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 33; Mountrail 2 T. 157 
N., R. 92 W., Sec. 5-9, 16, 17; Mountrail 3 T. 156 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 
5, 6, T. 157 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 19, 20, 27-35, T. 157 N., R. 92 W., 
Sec. 25; Mountrail 4 T. 156 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 13; Mountrail 5 T. 156 
N., R. 90 W., Sec. 4, 8-10, 16, 17; Mountrail 6 T. 157 N., R. 89 W., 
Sec. 8, 9, 16, 17, 20, 21, 28, 29, 32, 33; Mountrail 7 T. 157 N., R. 89 
W., Sec. 15, 16, 21, 22, 27, 28; Mountrail 8 T. 156 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 
19-21, 29; Mountrail 9 T. 156 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 6, 7, 18, T. 156 N., 
R. 90 W., Sec. 1, 12, 13; Mountrail 10 T. 156 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 4, 5, 
8, 9; Mountrail 11 T. 155 N., R. 87 W., Sec. 19, 30, T. 155 N., R. 88 
W., Sec. 24-26, 35, 36; Renville 1 T. 157 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 6, T. 157 
N., R. 85 W., Sec. 1, T. 158 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 5-9, 16, 17, 20, 21, 
28-32, T. 158 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 1, 36, T. 159 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 30, 
31, T. 159 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 2-4, 10, 11, 14, 15, 24-26, 36, T. 160 
N., R. 85 W., Sec. 18-20, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, T. 160 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 
1, 2, 11-13, 24, T. 161 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 31, 32; Ward 1 T. 153 N., R. 
86 W., Sec. 6, 7; Ward 2 T. 153 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 4, 5, T. 154 N., R. 
86 W., Sec. 33; Ward 3 T. 153 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 3; Ward 4 T. 153 N., 
R. 87 W., Sec. 22; Ward 5 T. 153 N., R. 87 W., Sec. 26, 27, 35; Ward 6 
T. 152 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 5, 6, T. 152 N., R. 87 W., Sec. 1, T. 153 N., 
R. 86 W., Sec. 34; Ward 7 T. 152 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 5, 8; Ward 8 T. 152 
N., R. 87 W., Sec. 4, 5, 8, 9; Ward 9 T. 151 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 17-20; 
Ward 10 T. 151 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 15, 21, 22.

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Unit ND-3: McLean 1-9

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    McLean 1 T. 150 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 21, 22, 27; McLean 2 T. 150 N., 
R. 84 W., Sec. 26, 27, 34; McLean 3 T. 149 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 12, 13; 
McLean 4 T. 148 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 20, 21, 28, 29; McLean 5 T. 147 N., 
R. 81 W., Sec. 23-26, 36; McLean 6 T. 147 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 19-21, 28-
30, 32, 33, T. 147 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 22-27, 34, 36; McLean 7 T. 147 
N., R. 79 W., Sec. 16, 17, 20, 21; McLean 8 T. 146 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 
1, 2, 35, 36; McLean 9 T. 145 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 1, 12.

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Unit ND-4: Benson 1-7, McHenry 1-5, Pierce 1-6, Sheridan 1-6
    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Benson 1 T. 156 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 16, 17, 20, 21; Benson 2 T. 156 
N., R. 71 W., Sec. 20, 29; Benson 3 T. 155 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 5,T. 156 
N., R. 71 W., Sec. 32; Benson 4 T. 155 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 4, 9, 10, 15, 
16; Benson 5 T. 155 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 17, 18; Benson 6 T. 154 N., R. 
71 W., Sec. 9, 10, 15, 16; Benson 7 T. 154 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 14, 15, 
21-23, 26-28, 34; McHenry 1 T. 154 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 11-14; McHenry 2 
T. 153 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 7, 8, 17, 18, 20; McHenry 3 T. 153 N., R. 75 
W., Sec. 20, 21, 28; McHenry 4 T. 153 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 31, T. 153 N., 
R. 76 W., Sec. 36; McHenry 5 T. 151 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 13, 14, 23, 24; 
Pierce 1 T. 156 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 24-26, 35, 36; Pierce 2 T. 154 N., 
R. 74 W., Sec. 7, 18; Pierce 3 T. 153 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 3, 4, T. 154 
N., R. 72 W., Sec. 33, 34; Pierce 4 T. 153 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 7, 8; 
Pierce 5 T. 152 N., R. 74 W., Sec. 5-9; Pierce 6 T. 151 N., R. 73 W., 
Sec. 5, 6, T. 152 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 31-33; Sheridan 1 T. 150 N., R. 76 
W., Sec. 7, 18, T. 150 N., R. 77 W., Sec. 12-14; Sheridan 2 T. 150 N., 
R. 77 W., Sec. 17-21, 28; Sheridan 3 T. 149 N., R. 77 W., Sec. 2, 3, 
11, T. 150 N., R. 77 W., Sec. 26, 27, 34, 35; Sheridan 4 T. 149 N., R. 
76 W., Sec. 1; Sheridan 5 T. 149 N., R. 76 W., Sec. 7, 8; Sheridan 6 T. 
149 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 7.

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Unit ND-5: Eddy 1

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 149 N., R. 63 W., Sec. 21, T. 149 N., R. 63 W., Sec. 22-23, T. 
149 N., R. 63 W., Sec. 25-28, T. 149 N., R. 63 W., Sec. 35-36.

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Unit ND-6: Burleigh 1-8, Kidder 1-11, Sheridan 7, Stutsman 1-3

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Burleigh 1 T. 144 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 3, 10; Burleigh 2 T. 144 N., 
R. 76 W., Sec. 2, 3, 10-12; Burleigh 3 T. 144 N., R. 76 W., Sec. 11, 
14; Burleigh 4 T. 143 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 16, 21, 22, 27-29, 33; 
Burleigh 5 T. 142 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 3, 4, T. 143 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 
33, 34, Burleigh 6 T. 142 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 2, 3, T. 143 N., R. 75 W., 
Sec. 35, Burleigh 7 T. 142 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 11-15, 22-24, 26, 27, 
Burleigh 8 T. 139 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 1-3, 10-12, T. 140 N., R. 75 W., 
Sec. 34-36; Burleigh 9 T. 137 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 1-12, 17-20, 30, 31, 
T. 138 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 25-27, 33-36, T. 137 N., R. 76 W., Sec. 9, 
10, 13, 15-17, 21-27, 35, 36; Kidder 1 T. 141 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 2-4, 
9-11, 14-16, 21-24, 26-28, T. 142 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 33, 34; Kidder 2 
T. 140 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 5-7, T. 141 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 33; Kidder 3 
T. 140 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 1, 2, 10-12, 14, 15; Kidder 4 T. 140 N., R. 
71 W., Sec. 25, 35, 36; Kidder 5 T. 139 N., R. 74 W., Sec. 6, 7; Kidder 
6 T. 137 N., R. 74 W., Sec. 5, 6, T. 138 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 16-20, T. 
138 N., R. 74 W., Sec. 13-15, 21-24, 26-35; Kidder 7 T. 138 N., R. 72 
W., Sec. 7, 18, T. 138 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 11-15, 23, 24; Kidder 8 T. 
138 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 21-23, 26-28, 34, 35; Kidder 9 T. 137 N., R. 74 
W., Sec. 27, 28; Kidder 10 T. 137 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 31; Kidder 11 T. 
137 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 33; Sheridan 7 T. 145 N., R. 75 W., Sec. 31, 32; 
Stutsman 1 T. 143 N., R. 64 W., Sec. 18-20, 28-30, 33, 34, T. 143 N., 
R. 65 W., Sec. 24; Stutsman 2 T. 141 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 16, 17, 19-21, 
28-30, 32, 33; Stutsman 3 T. 139 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 5-8.

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Unit ND-7: Emmons 1, Logan 1-5, McIntosh 1-2

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    Emmons 1 T. 136 N., R. 74 W., Sec. 1, 2; Logan 1 T. 136 N., R. 73 
W., Sec. 2; Logan 2 T. 136 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 5, 6; Logan 3 T. 135 N., 
R. 69 W., Sec. 28, 29, 32, 33; Logan 4 T. 134 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 2, 3, 
10, 11, 14, 15; Logan 5 T. 134 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 23, 26, 27; Logan 6 
T. 134 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 34, 35; McIntosh 1 T. 130 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 
2, 3, T. 131 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 34, 35; McIntosh 2 T. 130 N., R. 68 W., 
Sec. 13, 14, 23, 24.

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Unit ND-8: Missouri River

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 129 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 19, T. 129 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 29-32 , T. 
129 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 3-6, T. 129 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 8-11, T. 129 N., 
R. 79 W., Sec. 13-16, T. 129 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 21-27, T. 129 N., R. 79 
W., Sec. 35-36, T. 129 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 1, T. 130 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 
3-9, T. 130 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 17-21, T. 130 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 27-34, 
T. 130 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 130 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 10-14, T. 130 
N., R. 80 W., Sec. 23-26, T. 130 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 36, T. 131 N., R. 
79 W., Sec. 4-9, T. 131 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 17-20, T. 131 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 29-32, T. 131 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 1, T. 131 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 11-
15, T. 131 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 22-26, T. 131 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 35-36, 
T. 132 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 15-22, T. 132 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 3-5, T. 132 
N., R. 79 W., Sec. 8-10, T. 132 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 13-16, T. 132 N., R. 
79 W., Sec. 21-24, T. 132 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 26-29, T. 132 N., R. 79 
W., Sec. 32-36, T. 133 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 5-8, T. 133 N., R. 78 W., 
Sec. 18-19, T. 133 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 30, T. 133 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 1-
2, T. 133 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 11-13, T. 133 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 23-28, T. 
133 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 134 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 31, T. 134 N., 
R. 79 W., Sec. 2-3, T. 134 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 10-16, T. 134 N., R. 79 
W., Sec. 22-26, T. 134 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 135 N., R. 78 W., 
Sec. 6-7, T. 135 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 135 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 11-
15, T. 135 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 22-24, T. 135 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 26-27, 
T. 135 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 34-35, T. 136 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 18-19, T. 
136 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 30-31, T. 136 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 136 N., 
R. 79 W., Sec. 5-6, T. 136 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 8-16, T. 136 N., R. 79 
W., Sec. 22-27, T. 136 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 137 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 8, T. 137 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 14-23, T. 137 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 26-
36, T. 137 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 3-5, T. 137 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 8-11, T. 
137 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 13-17, T. 137 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 22-26, T. 137 
N., R. 80 W., Sec. 36, T. 138 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 5-7, T. 138 N., R. 80 
W., Sec. 18-19, T. 138 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 28-34, T. 138 N., R. 81 W., 
Sec. 13, T. 138 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 24-25, T. 139 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 30-
31, T. 139 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 3-4, T. 139 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 10-11, T. 
139 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 14, T. 139 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 23-26, T. 140 N., 
R. 81 W., Sec. 5, T. 140 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 8-9, T. 140 N., R. 81 W., 
Sec. 16, T. 140 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 21, T. 140 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 27-28, 
T. 140 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 33, T. 141 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 7, T. 141 N., 
R. 80 W., Sec. 18, T. 141 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 141 N., R. 81 W., 
Sec. 11-13, T. 141 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 24-27, T. 141 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 
33-35, T. 142 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 4-5, T. 142 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 9-10, 
T. 142 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 15-16, T. 142 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 21-22, T. 
142 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 27-28, T. 142 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 34-35, T. 143 
N., R. 81 W., Sec. 5-8, T. 143 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 18-19, T. 143 N., R. 
81 W., Sec. 29-33, T. 144 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 30-32, T. 144 N., R. 82 
W., Sec. 14-18, T. 144 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 23-25, T. 144 N., R. 83 W., 
Sec. 13-14, T. 144 N., R. 83 W., Sec. 21-24, T. 144 N., R. 83 W., Sec. 
27-34, T. 144 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 5-9, T. 144 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 14-17, 
T. 144 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 22-25, T. 145 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 5, T. 145 
N., R. 84 W., Sec. 8-9, T. 145 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 15-16, T. 145 N., R. 
84 W., Sec. 21-22, T. 145 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 27, T. 145 N., R. 84 W., 
Sec. 34-35, T. 146 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 4-7, T. 146 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 
18-20, T. 146 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 29-30, T. 146 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 32, 
T. 146 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 12-13, T. 146 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 24, T. 146 
N., R. 86 W., Sec. 3, T. 146 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 6-7, T. 146 N., R. 87 
W., Sec. 1-10, T. 146 N., R. 87 W., Sec. 18, T. 146 N., R. 88 W., Sec. 
1-14, T. 146 N., R. 88 W., Sec. 16-18, T. 146 N., R. 88 W., Sec. 20-21, 
T. 146 N., R. 88 W., Sec. 24, T. 146 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 146 N., 
R. 89 W., Sec. 10-12, T. 147 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 2-6, T. 147 N., R. 82 
W., Sec. 8-11, T. 147 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 15-18, T. 147 N., R. 83 W., 
Sec. 1-9, T. 147 N., R. 83 W., Sec. 16-20, T. 147, N., R. 84 W., Sec. 
1-24, T. 147 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 26-35, T. 147 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 1-27, 
T. 147 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 29-31, T. 147 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 
147 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 147 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 7, T. 147 N., R. 
86 W., Sec. 9-36, T. 147 N., R. 87 W., Sec. 7-36, T. 147 N., R. 88 W., 
Sec. 6-11, T. 147 N., R. 88 W., Sec. 13-36, T. 147 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 
1-29, T. 147 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 147 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 1-18, 
T. 147 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 20, T. 147 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 23-27, T. 147 
N., R. 91W., Sec. 1-7, T. 147 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 11-12, T. 147 N., R. 
92 W., Sec. 1-9, T. 147 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 12-13, T. 147 N., R. 92 W., 
Sec. 16-20, T. 147 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 29-30, T. 147 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 
32, T. 147 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 147 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 12-13, T. 
148 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 7-8, T. 148 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 17-20, T. 148 N., 
R. 82 W., Sec. 28-34, T. 148 N., R. 83 W., Sec. 11-15, T. 148 N., R. 83 
W., Sec. 19-36, T. 148 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 18-19, T. 148 N., R. 84 W., 
Sec. 22-27, T. 148 N., R. 84 W., Sec. 29-36, T. 148 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 
19-20, T. 148 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 24-25, T. 148 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 27, 
T. 148 N., R. 85 W., Sec. 29-36, T. 148 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 23-28, T. 
148 N., R. 86 W., Sec. 33-36, T. 148 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 30-32, T. 148 
N., R. 90 W., Sec. 6, T. 148 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 19-21, T. 148 N., R. 90 
W., Sec. 25-36, T. 148 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 1-12, T. 148 N., R. 91 W., 
Sec. 14-17, T. 148 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 19-36, T. 148 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 
13, T. 148 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 20-22, T. 148 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 24-36, 
T. 148 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 24-25, T. 148 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 
149 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 7, T. 149 N., R. 89 W., Sec. 18, T. 149 N., R. 
90 W., Sec. 3-24, T. 149 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 27-33, T. 149 N., R. 91 W., 
Sec. 1-4, T. 149 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 6, T. 149 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 9-15, 
T. 149 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 23-26, T. 149 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 
149 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 1-6, T. 149 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 10-12, T. 149 N., 
R. 92 W., Sec. 14-16, T. 149 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 150 N., R. 90 
W., Sec. 18-19, T. 150 N., R. 90 W., Sec. 29-31, T. 150 N., R. 91 W., 
Sec. 1-36, T. 150 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 13-14, T. 150 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 
19-20, T. 150 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 23-36, T. 150 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 6-9, 
T. 150 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 13-36, T. 150 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 150 
N., R. 94 W., Sec. 12-15, T. 150 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 22, T. 150 N., R. 
94 W., Sec. 24, T. 151 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 1-11, T. 151 N., R. 91 W., 
Sec. 14-23, T. 151 N., R. 91 W., Sec. 26-35, T. 151 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 
1-3, T. 151 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 10-14, T. 151 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 23-26, 
T. 151 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 36, T. 151 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 5-8, T. 151 N., 
R. 93 W., Sec. 16-21, T. 151 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 30-31, T. 151 N., R. 94 
W., Sec. 1-3, T. 151 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 10-15, T. 151 N., R. 94 W., 
Sec. 24-26, T. 151 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 152 N., R. 91W., Sec. 
19, T. 152 N., R. 91W., Sec. 22-28, T. 152 N., R. 91W., Sec. 30-35, T. 
152 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 18-19, T. 152 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 21-28, T. 152 
N., R. 92 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 152 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 1-16, T. 152 N., R. 
93 W., Sec. 20-23, T. 152 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 27-34, T. 152 N., R. 94 
W., Sec. 1, T. 152 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 36, T. 152 N., R. 99 W., Sec. 2-
6, T. 152 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 1-12, T. 152 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 14-18, 
T. 152 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 20, T. 152 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 22, T. 152 
N., R. 101 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 152 N., R. 101 W., Sec. 12-13, T. 152 N., 
R. 102 W., Sec. 6-7, T. 152 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 3-4, T. 152 N., R. 103 
W., Sec. 9-16, T. 152 N., R. 103 W., Sec. 20-23, T. 152 N., R. 103 W., 
Sec. 28-30, T. 152 N., R. 104 W., Sec. 7-8, T. 152 N., R. 104 W., Sec. 
13-15, T. 152 N., R. 104 W., Sec. 17-18, T. 152 N., R. 104 W., Sec. 20-
25, T. 152 N., R. 104 W., Sec. 28-29, T. 152 N., R. 104 W., Sec. 32-33, 
T. 153 N., R. 92 W., Sec. 31-33, T. 153 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 5-9, T. 153 
N., R. 93 W., Sec. 15-23, T. 153 N., R.

[[Page 31809]]

93 W., Sec. 26-30, T. 153 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 32-36, T. 153 N., R. 94 
W., Sec. 1-14, T. 153 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 16, T. 153 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 
24, T. 153 N., R. 95 W., Sec. 5-6, T. 153 N., R. 96 W., Sec. 1, T. 153 
N., R. 96 W., Sec. 4-5, T. 153 N., R. 97 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 153 N., R. 97 
W., Sec. 4-7, T. 153 N., R. 97 W., Sec. 11, T. 153 N., R. 98 W., Sec. 
1-3, T. 153 N., R. 98 W., Sec. 11-15, T. 153 N., R. 98 W., Sec. 19-35, 
T. 153 N., R. 99 W., Sec. 22-29, T. 153 N., R. 99 W., Sec. 31-36, T. 
153 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 4-9, T. 153 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 16-21, T. 153 
N., R. 100 W., Sec. 27-30, T. 153 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 32-35, T. 153 N., 
R. 101 W., Sec. 1-11, T. 153 N., R. 101 W., Sec. 15-20, T. 153 N., R. 
101 W., Sec. 30, T. 153 N., R. 102 W., Sec. 1, T. 153 N., R. 102 W., 
Sec. 12-13, T. 153 N., R. 102 W., Sec. 21-28, T. 153 N., R. 102 W., 
Sec. 33-36, T. 154 N., R. 93 W., Sec. 31, T. 154 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 15, 
T. 154 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 19-23, T. 154 N., R. 94 W., Sec. 25-36, T. 
154 N., R. 95 W., Sec. 11, T. 154 N., R. 95 W., Sec. 13-14, T. 154 N., 
R. 95 W., Sec. 17-36, T. 154 N., R. 96 W., Sec. 2-3, T. 154 N., R. 96 
W., Sec. 10-11, T. 154 N., R. 96 W., Sec. 13-16, T. 154 N., R. 96 W., 
Sec. 18-36, T. 154 N., R. 97 W., Sec. 13-16, T. 154 N., R. 97 W., Sec. 
19-36, T. 154 N., R. 98 W., Sec. 25, T. 154 N., R. 98 W., Sec. 35-36, 
T. 154 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 19, T. 154 N., R. 100 W., Sec. 29-33, T. 154 
N., R. 101 W., Sec. 22-29, T. 154 N., R. 101 W., Sec. 31-36.

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

[[Page 31810]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12JN01.013


BILLING CODE 4310-55-C

[[Page 31811]]

South Dakota
Projection: UTM Zone 14, NAD 27, Clarke 1866
Unit SD-1: Missouri River

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 6 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1-6, T. 6 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 8-11, T. 6 N., 
R. 29 E., Sec. 14-16,T. 6 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 21-23, T. 6 N., R. 29 E., 
Sec. 25-27,T. 6 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 35-36, T. 6 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 22-
34,T. 6 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 19, T. 7 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 1,T. 7 N., R. 28 
E., Sec. 12-13, T. 7 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 36,T. 7 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 5-9, 
T. 7 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 15-17,T. 7 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 20-28, T. 7 N., 
R. 29 E., Sec. 31-32, T. 7 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 34-36, T. 7 N., R. 29 E., 
Sec. **,T. 7 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 19-20, T. 7 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 29-32,T. 
8 N., R. 23 E., Sec. 1, T. 8 N., R. 24 E., Sec. 4-6,T. 8 N., R. 26 E., 
Sec. 4, T. 8 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 1,T. 8 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 11-14, T. 8 
N., R. 28 E., Sec. 23-25,T. 8 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 4-9, T. 8 N., R. 29 
E., Sec. 16-20,T. 8 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 29-31, T. 9 N., R. 23 E., Sec. 
36,T. 9 N., R. 24 E., Sec. 12-15, T. 9 N., R. 24 E., Sec. 22-28,T. 9 
N., R. 24 E., Sec. 31-34, T. 9 N., R. 25 E., Sec. 1-2,T. 9 N., R. 25 
E., Sec. 7-18, T. 9 N., R. 25 E., Sec. 20-25,T. 9 N., R. 25 E., Sec. 
27, T. 9 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 1-9,T. 9 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 10-23, T. 9 N., 
R. 26 E., Sec. 26,T. 9 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 28-30, T. 9 N., R. 26 E., 
Sec. 32-33,T. 9 N., R. 27 E., Sec. 1-12, T. 9 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 3-9,T. 
9 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 13-20, T. 9 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 22-26,T. 9 N., R. 
28 E., Sec. 35-36, T. 9 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1-4,T. 9 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 
18-20, T. 9 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 29-32,T. 9 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 6, T. 10 
N., R. 26 E., Sec. 10,T. 10 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 13, T. 10 N., R. 26 E., 
Sec. 15-16,T. 10 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 19-20, T. 10 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 22-
29,T. 10 N., R. 26 E., Sec. 32-36, T. 10 N., R. 27 E., Sec. 9,T. 10 N., 
R. 27 E., Sec. 15-16, T. 10 N., R. 27 E., Sec. 21-36,T. 10 N., R. 28 
E., Sec. 1-6, T. 10 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 8-17,T. 10 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 
19-21, T. 10 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 24,T. 10 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 29-33, T. 
10 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1,T. 10 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 4-9, T. 10 N., R. 29 
E., Sec. 12-13,T. 10 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 16-22, T. 10 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 
24-25,T. 10 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 27-30, T. 10 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 32-36,T. 
10 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 1-12, T. 10 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 14-19,T. 10 N., R. 
30 E., Sec. 20, T. 10 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 29,T. 10 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 
30-31, T. 10 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 6,T. 11 N., R. 27 E., Sec. 36, T. 11 
N., R. 28 E., Sec. 25,T. 11 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 27-36, T. 11 N., R. 29 
E., Sec. 24-26,T. 11 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 31, T. 11 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 
36,T. 11 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 11 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 11-14, T. 11 
N., R. 30 E., Sec. 23-26, T. 11 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 31-33,T. 11 N., R. 
30 E., Sec. 35-36, T. 11 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 30-31,T. 12 N., R. 30 E., 
Sec. 1-4, T. 12 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 10-14,T. 12 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 22-
28, T. 12 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 34-36,T. 12 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 1-7, T. 12 
N., R. 31 E., Sec. 10-12,T. 13 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 1, T. 13 N., R. 30 
E., Sec. 31-34,T. 13 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 36, T. 13 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 3-
10,T. 13 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 16-17, T. 13 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 20-21,T. 13 
N., R. 31 E., Sec. 27-28, T. 13 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 30-35,T. 14 N., R. 
30 E., Sec. 36, T. 14 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 1-5, T. 14 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 
9-11, T. 14 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 14-15,T. 14 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 22-23, T. 
14 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 26-28,T. 14 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 31-35, T. 15 N., 
R. 30 E., Sec. 1, T. 15 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 4-6, T. 15 N., R. 31 E., 
Sec. 10-11,T. 15 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 13-15, T. 15 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 23-
27,T. 15 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 32-33, T. 15 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 35-36, T. 
16 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 13-14, T. 16 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 21-24, T. 16 N., 
R. 28 E., Sec. 26-28, T. 16 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1-3,T. 16 N., R. 29 E., 
Sec. 7-22, T. 16 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 24, T. 16 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 29-30, 
T. 16 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 1-13,T. 16 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 16-18, T. 16 N., 
R. 30 E., Sec. 36, T. 16 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 16 N., R. 31 E., 
Sec. 6-8, T. 16 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 10-11, T. 16 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 14-
19, T. 16 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 20-22, T. 16 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 27-34,T. 
17 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 36, T. 17 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 1, T. 17 N., R. 30 
E., Sec. 28, T. 17 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 31,T. 17 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 33-
34, T. 17 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 6-8, T. 17 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 16-18, T. 17 
N., R. 31 E., Sec. 20-21, T. 17 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 27-28, T. 17 N., R. 
31 E., Sec. 33-34, T. 18 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 18 N., R. 29 E., 
Sec. 12-13, T. 18 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 18-27, T. 18 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 
35-36, T. 18 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 31, T. 19 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 2-6,T. 19 
N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1-18, T. 19 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 20-26, T. 19 N., R. 
29 E., Sec. 34-36, T. 19 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 4, T. 19 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 
7-9, T. 19 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 16-21, T. 19 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 28-32, T. 
20 N., R. 27 E., Sec. 25, T. 20 N., R. 27 E., Sec. 36, T. 20 N., R. 28 
E., Sec. 24-27, T. 20 N., R. 28 E., Sec. 30-36, T. 20 N., R. 29 E., 
Sec. 19, T. 20 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 29-32, T. 20 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 34, 
T. 20 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 22, T. 20 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 24-27, T. 20 N., 
R. 30 E., Sec. 32-34, T. 20 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 36, T. 20 N., R. 31 E., 
Sec. 4-6, T. 20 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 8-9, T. 20 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 16, T. 
20 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 19-21, T. 20 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 28-32, T. 21 N., 
R. 30 E., Sec. 2-4,T. 21 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 10-11, T. 21 N., R. 30 E., 
Sec. 14, T. 21 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 23-26, T. 21 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 36, 
T. 21 N., R. 31 E., Sec. 31, T. 22 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 1-2, T. 22 N., R. 
29 E., Sec. 11-12, T. 22 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 5-8, T. 22 N., R. 30 E., 
Sec. 14-17, T. 22 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 21-23, T. 22 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 
27-28, T. 22 N., R. 30 E., Sec. 33-34, T. 22 N., R. 30 E., Sec. **, T. 
23 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 20-22,T. 23 N., R. 29 E., Sec. 27-28, T. 23 N., 
R. 29 E., Sec. 33-36, T. 23 N., R. 29 E., Sec. **, T. 23 N., R. 30 E., 
Sec. 29-32, T. 107 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 30-32, T. 111 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 
1-3, T. 111 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 6, T. 111 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 1-4, T. 112 
N., R. 79 W., Sec. 31, T. 112 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 4-9, T. 112 N., R. 80 
W., Sec. 17-18, T. 112 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 23,T. 112 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 
25-36, T. 112 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 1, T. 112 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 12-15, T. 
112 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 22-28, T. 112 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 33-36, T. 113 
N., R. 80 W., Sec. 3-4,T. 113 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 9-10, T. 113 N., R. 80 
W., Sec. 16-21, T. 113 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 28-34, T. 113 N., R. 80 W., 
Sec. 4, T. 113 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 9, T. 113 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 5-8, T. 
113 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 13, T. 113 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 15-17, T. 113 N., 
R. 81 W., Sec. 20-29, T. 113 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 114 N., R. 80 
W., Sec. 33-34, T. 114 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 4-5, T. 114 N., R. 81 W., 
Sec. 9-10, T. 114 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 16-17, T. 114 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 
20-21, T. 114 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 27-29, T. 114 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 31-
33, T. 115 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 2-5,T. 115 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 7-10, T. 
115 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 16-20, T. 115 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 6-7, T. 115 N., 
R. 81 W., Sec. 16-21, T. 115 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 25-30, T. 115 N., R. 81 
W., Sec. 32-33, T. 115 N., R. 81 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 115 N., R. 82 W., 
Sec. 1-4, T. 115 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 9-16, T. 115 N., R. 82 W., Sec. 22-
25,T. 116 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 4-9, T. 116 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 17-20, T. 
116 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 24-27, T. 116 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 33-35, T. 116 
N., R. 82 W., Sec. 33-36, T. 117 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 5-8,T. 117 N., R. 
79 W., Sec. 17-18, T. 117 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 20, T. 117 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 29, T. 117 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 32-33, T. 117 N., R. 79 W., Sec. **, 
T. 118 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 3-10, T. 118 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 16-18, T. 118 
N., R. 78 W., Sec. 20-21, T. 118 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 29-30, T. 118 N., 
R. 79 W., Sec. 1, T. 118 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 12, T. 118 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 20-32, T. 119 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 3-5, T. 119 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 7-
9, T. 119 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 17-20, T. 119 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 30-31, T. 
119 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 24-25, T. 119 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 36, T. 120 N., 
R. 78 W., Sec. 2-4, T. 120 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 9-11, T. 120 N., R. 78 
W., Sec. 15-17, T. 120 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 20-22, T. 120 N., R. 78 W., 
Sec. 27-29, T. 120 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 32-34, T. 120 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 
**, T. 121 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 3-11, T. 121 N.,

[[Page 31812]]

R. 78 W., Sec. 15-18, T. 121 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 20-22, T. 121 N., R. 78 
W., Sec. 26-28, T. 121 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 34-35, T. 122 N., R. 78 W., 
Sec. 3-5, T. 122 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 9, T. 122 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 15-16, 
T. 122 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 21-22, T. 122 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 27-28, T. 
122 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 32-34, T. 123 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 6-8, T. 123 N., 
R. 78 W., Sec. 18-20, T. 123 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 29-33, T. 123 N., R. 79 
W., Sec. 1-3, T. 123 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 11-13, T. 123 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 24-25, T. 124 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 31, T. 124 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 5-
7, T. 124 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 18, T. 124 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 29-34, T. 
124 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 12-14, T. 124 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 23-26, T. 124 
N., R. 80 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 125 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 4-5, T. 125 N., R. 
78 W., Sec. 7-8, T. 125 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 9-17, T. 125 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 20-22, T. 125 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 27-29, T. 125 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 
32-33, T. 125 N., R. 79 W., Sec. **, T. 126 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 5-8, T. 
126 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 17-18, T. 126 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 20-21, T. 126 
N., R. 78 W., Sec. 27-29, T. 126 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 32-33, T. 126 N., 
R. 79 W., Sec. 1, T. 126 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 12, T. 127 N., R. 78 W., 
Sec. 31, T. 127 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 127 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 11, 
T. 127 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 14, T. 127 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 23-26, T. 127 
N., R. 79 W., Sec. 36, T. 128 N., R. 78 W., Sec. 16-19, T. 128 N., R. 
78 W., Sec. 29-31, T. 128 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 5-9, T. 128 N., R. 79 W., 
Sec. 13, T. 128 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 16-17, T. 128 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 20-
22, T. 128 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 24-29, T. 128 N., R. 79 W., Sec. 35-36, 
T. 128 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 128 N., R. 80 W., Sec. 10-12.

    ** Undefined. These are ``lands'' which were not surveyed during 
the original Government Land Office survey of South Dakota. They are 
now inundated and appear to fall in what was the described river 
channel at that time.

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

[[Page 31813]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12JN01.014


BILLING CODE 4310-55-C

[[Page 31814]]

Unit SD-2: Missouri River

    This unit consists of the following Township, Range, and Sections:
    T. 90 N., R. 49 W., Sec. 6, T. 90 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 1, T. 90 N., 
R. 50 W., Sec. 11-14, T. 90 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 23-25, T. 91 N., R. 49 
W., Sec. 31, T. 91 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 7, T. 91 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 18-
19, T. 91 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 25-26, T. 91 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 28-30, T. 
91 N., R. 50 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 91 N., R. 50 W., Sec. **, T. 91 N., R. 
51 W., Sec. 3-6, T. 91 N., R. 51 W., Sec. 10-13, T. 91 N., R. 52 W., 
Sec. 1-3, T. 91 N., R. 52 W., Sec. 10-12, T. 92 N., R. 51 W., Sec. 31-
32, T. 92 N., R. 52 W., Sec. 19-21, T. 92 N., R. 52 W., Sec. 26-30, T. 
92 N., R. 52 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 92 N., R. 53 W., Sec. 7-8, T. 92 N., R. 
53 W., Sec. 17-18, T. 92 N., R. 53 W., Sec. 20-24, T. 92 N., R. 54 W., 
Sec. 3, T. 92 N., R. 54 W., Sec. 10-12, T. 92 N., R. 60 W., Sec. 1-2, 
T. 92 N., R. 60 W., Sec. 10-11, T. 92 N., R. 60 W., Sec. 15-17, T. 92 
N., R. 60 W., Sec. 19-21, T. 92 N., R. 61 W., Sec. 6-8, T. 92 N., R. 61 
W., Sec. 15-17, T. 92 N., R. 61 W., Sec. 21-24, T. 92 N., R. 62 W., 
Sec. 1-2, T. 93 N., R. 54 W., Sec. 18-21, T. 93 N., R. 54 W., Sec. 27-
28, T. 93 N., R. 54 W., Sec. 34, T. 93 N., R. 55 W., Sec. 13-14, T. 93 
N., R. 55 W., Sec. 17-19, T. 93 N., R. 55 W., Sec. 23-24, T. 93 N., R. 
56 W., Sec. 13-14, T. 93 N., R. 56 W., Sec. 17-21, T. 93 N., R. 56 W., 
Sec. 23-24, T. 93 N., R. 56 W., Sec. 26-28, T. 93 N., R. 57 W., Sec. 
16-24, T. 93 N., R. 57 W., Sec. 28-29, T. 93 N., R. 58 W., Sec. 17-28, 
T. 93 N., R. 58 W., Sec. 30, T. 93 N., R. 58 W., Sec. 34-35, T. 93 N., 
R. 59 W., Sec. 10-11, T. 93 N., R. 59 W., Sec. 13-19, T. 93 N., R. 59 
W., Sec. 21-27, T. 93 N., R. 60 W., Sec. 24-26, T. 93 N., R. 60 W., 
Sec. 35-36, T. 93 N., R. 62 W., Sec. 19-20, T. 93 N., R. 62 W., Sec. 
26-30, T. 93 N., R. 62 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 93 N., R. 63 W., Sec. 6-10, 
T. 93 N., R. 63 W., Sec. 15, T. 93 N., R. 64 W., Sec. 1, T. 94 N., R. 
64 W., Sec. 19-20, T. 94 N., R. 64 W., Sec. 27-30, T. 94 N., R. 64 W., 
Sec. 34-36, T. 94 N., R. 65 W., Sec. 2, T. 94 N., R. 65 W., Sec. 11-13, 
T. 94 N., R. 65 W., Sec. 24, T. 95 N., R. 65 W., Sec. 15-18, T. 95 N., 
R. 65 W., Sec. 4-9, T. 95 N., R. 65 W., Sec. 21-23, T. 95 N., R. 65 W., 
Sec. 26-27, T. 95 N., R. 65 W., Sec. 34-35, T. 95 N., R. 66 W., Sec. 1-
13, T. 95 N., R. 67 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 95 N., R. 67 W., Sec. 12-13, T. 96 
N., R. 65 W., Sec. 29-31, T. 96 N., R. 66 W., Sec. 26-27, T. 96 N., R. 
66 W., Sec. 31-36, T. 96 N., R. 67 W., Sec. 1-11, T. 96 N., R. 67 W., 
Sec. 13-18, T. 96 N., R. 67 W., Sec. 21-28, T. 96 N., R. 67 W., Sec. 
33-36, T. 96 N., R. 68 W., Sec. 1-4, T. 96 N., R. 68 W., Sec. 10-15, T. 
97 N., R. 67 W., Sec. 32, T. 97 N., R. 68 W., Sec. 3-11, T. 97 N., R. 
68 W., Sec. 14-16, T. 97 N., R. 68 W., Sec. 21-23, T. 97 N., R. 68 W., 
Sec. 26-35, T. 97 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 97 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 12, 
T. 97 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 25, T. 97 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 36, T. 98 N., R. 
68 W., Sec. 31-33, T. 98 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 6-7, T. 98 N., R. 69 W., 
Sec. 9-10, T. 98 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 15-22, T. 98 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 27-
29, T. 98 N., R. 69 W., Sec. 33-36, T. 98 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 98 
N., R. 70 W., Sec. 11-13, T. 98 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 24, T. 99 N., R. 70 
W., Sec. 4-10, T. 99 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 15-17, T. 99 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 
20-23, T. 99 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 25-28, T. 99 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 34-36, 
T. 99 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 1, T. 100 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 30-32, T. 100 N., 
R. 71 W., Sec. 7, T. 100 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 18-20, T. 100 N., R. 71 W., 
Sec. 25-36, T. 100 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 12-14, T. 100 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 
23-26, T. 101 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 19, T. 101 N., R. 70 W., Sec. 30, T. 
101 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 3-5, T. 101 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 8-9, T. 101 N., 
R. 71 W., Sec. 10-11, T. 101 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 13-16, T. 101 N., R. 71 
W., Sec. 22-26, T. 101 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 102 N., R. 71 W., 
Sec. 5-9, T. 102 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 16-18, T. 102 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 
20-22, T. 102 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 28-29, T. 102 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 32-
34, T. 102 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 1-5, T. 102 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 8-12, T. 
102 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 15, T. 103 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 18-19, T. 103 N., 
R. 72 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 103 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 6-9, T. 103 N., R. 72 W., 
Sec. 11-18, T. 103 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 21-29, T. 103 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 
30-34, T. 103 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 1, T. 103 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 12, T. 
103 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 36, T. 104 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 2-4, T. 104 N., R. 
71 W., Sec. 8-10, T. 104 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 15-17, T. 104 N., R. 71 W., 
Sec. 19-21, T. 104 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 29-30, T. 104 N., R. 72W., Sec. 
14, T. 104 N., R. 72W., Sec. 23-27, T. 104 N., R. 72W., Sec. 31-32, T. 
104 N., R. 72W., Sec. 34-36, T. 104 N., R. 73 W., Sec. 36, T. 105 N., 
R. 71 W., Sec. 4-5, T. 105 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 8-9, T. 105 N., R. 71 W., 
Sec. 14-17, T. 105 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 21-26, T. 105 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 
34-36, T. 106 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 3-6, T. 106 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 8-10, 
T. 106 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 14-16, T. 106 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 21-23, T. 
106 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 27-28, T. 106 N., R. 71 W., Sec. 32-34, T. 107 
N., R. 71 W., Sec. 31-33, T. 107 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 22-26, T. 107, R. 
72 W., Sec. 30, T. 107 N., R. 72 W., Sec. 35-36, T. 30 N., R. 6 E., 
Sec. 3, T. 30 N., R. 6 E., Sec. 10-11, T. 31 N., R. 5 E., Sec. 2, T. 31 
N., R. 5 E., Sec. 11-18, T. 31 N., R. 6 E., Sec. 22-23, T. 31 N., R. 6 
E., Sec. 26-27, T. 31 N., R. 6 E., Sec. 34, T. 32 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 1, 
T. 32 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 12, T. 32 N., R. 3 E., Sec. 6-13, T. 32 N., R. 
4 E., Sec. 7-9, T. 32 N., R. 4 E., Sec. 16, T. 32 N., R. 4 W., Sec. 17, 
T. 32 N., R. 4 E., Sec. 18, T. 32 N., R. 4 E., Sec. 21, T. 32 N., R. 4 
E., Sec. 23-28, T. 32 N., R. 5 W., Sec. 4-6, T. 32 N., R. 5 E., Sec. 
19, T. 32 N., R. 5 E., Sec. 28-30, T. 32 N., R. 5 E., Sec. 33-35, T. 32 
N., R. 6 W., Sec. 1, T. 32 N., R. 6 W., Sec. 6, T. 32 N., R. 6 W., Sec. 
8-12, T. 32 N., R. 7 W., Sec. 1, T. 32 N., R. 7 W., Sec. 7, T. 33 N., 
R. 1 W., Sec. 1-3, T. 33 N., R. 1 E., Sec. 3-12, T. 33 N., R. 1 W., 
Sec. 7-10, T. 33 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 12, T. 33 N., R. 1 W., Sec. 16-17, 
T. 33 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 7-8, T. 33 N., R. 2 W., Sec. 7-18, T. 33 N., R. 
2 E., Sec. 17-18, T. 33 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 20, T. 33 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 
26-29, T. 33 N., R. 2 E., Sec. 34-36, T. 33 N., R. 3 W., Sec. 7-8, T. 
33 N., R. 3 W., Sec. 10-13, T. 33 N., R. 3 W., Sec. 16, T. 33 N., R. 3 
W., Sec. 19-20, T. 33 N., R. 3 W., Sec. 22, T. 33 N., R. 4 W., Sec. 5-
9, T. 33 N., R. 4 W., Sec. 11-18, T. 33 N., R. 4 W., Sec. 21, T. 33 N., 
R. 4 W., Sec. 23-24, T. 33 N., R. 5 W., Sec. 1-2, T. 33 N., R. 5 W., 
Sec. 7, T. 33 N., R. 5 W., Sec. 11-15, T. 33 N., R. 5 W., Sec. 22-23, 
T. 33 N., R. 5 W., Sec. 27-28, T. 33 N., R. 5 W., Sec. 32-33, T. 33 N., 
R. 7 W., Sec. 16-17, T. 33 N., R. 7 W., Sec. 22-23, T. 33 N., R. 7 W., 
Sec. 26-27, T. 33 N., R. 7 W., Sec. 34-36, T. 33 N., R. 8 W., Sec. 3-5, 
T. 33 N., R. 8 W., Sec. 10-13, T. 33 N., R. 8 W., Sec. 18, T. 34 N., R. 
8 W., Sec. 31-33, T. 34 N., R. 9 W., Sec. 7, T. 34 N., R. 9 W., Sec. 
16-18, T. 34 N., R. 9 W., Sec. 21-23, T. 34 N., R. 9 W., Sec. 25-26, T. 
34 N., R. 9 W., Sec. 36, T. 34 N., R. 10 W., Sec. 2-3, T. 34 N., R. 10 
W., Sec. 10-14, T. 35 N., R. 10 W., Sec. 20, T. 35 N., R. 10 W., Sec. 
22, T. 35 N., R. 10 W., Sec. 28, T. 35 N., R. 10 W., Sec. 33-34.
    **Undefined. These are ``lands'' which were not surveyed during 
the original Government Land Office survey of South Dakota. They are 
now inundated and appear to fall in what was the described river 
channel at that time.

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

[[Page 31815]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP12JN01.015


* * * * *

    Dated: May 30, 2001.
Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 01-14169 Filed 6-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-C


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