Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 24, 2005 / Notices 49669

plan (64 FR 37148). However, we never 

finalized that draft. The plan we are 

releasing at this time is the second draft 

of the second revised recovery plan for 

Hawaiian waterbirds.

Historically, these four species of 

waterbirds were found on all of the 

main Hawaiian Islands except La

 ̄

na‘i 

and Kaho‘olawe. Currently, Hawaiian 

ducks are found on the islands of 

Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, and 

Hawai‘i; Hawaiian coots and stilts are 

found on all of the main Hawaiian 

Islands except Kaho‘olawe; and 

Hawaiian common moorhens are found 

only on the islands of Kaua‘i and O‘ahu. 

Population estimates indicate the 

numbers of birds fluctuate among years 

and that currently none of these species 

consistently number more than 2,000 

individuals, with the exception of the 

Hawaiian coot, but these estimates are 

reliable only for the coot and the stilt. 

These endangered Hawaiian 

waterbirds are found in a variety of 

wetland habitats including freshwater 

marshes and ponds, coastal estuaries 

and ponds, artificial reservoirs, taro 

(Colocasia esculenta) patches, irrigation 

ditches, sewage treatment ponds, and in 

the case of the Hawaiian duck, montane 

streams and swamplands. The most 

important cause of decline of the four 

species of endangered Hawaiian 

waterbirds is loss of wetland habitat. 

Other factors that have contributed to 

waterbird population declines, and 

which continue to be detrimental, 

include predation by introduced 

animals, altered hydrology, alteration of 

habitat by invasive nonnative plants, 

disease, and possibly environmental 

contaminants. Hunting in the late 1800’s 

and early 1900’s took a heavy toll on 

Hawaiian duck populations, and to a 

lesser extent on populations of the other 

three endemic waterbirds. Currently, 

predation by introduced animals may be 

the greatest threat to the coot, moorhen, 

and stilt, and hybridization with feral 

mallards is the most serious threat to the 

Hawaiian duck. 

The recovery of the endangered 

waterbirds focuses on the following 

objectives: (1) Increasing population 

numbers to be consistently stable or 

increasing with a minimum of 2,000 

birds for each species; (2) establishing 

multiple, self-sustaining breeding 

populations throughout each species’ 

historical range; (3) establishing and 

protecting a network of both core and 

supporting wetlands that are managed 

as habitat suitable for waterbirds, 

including the maintenance of 

appropriate hydrological conditions and 

control of invasive nonnative plants; (4) 

for all four species, eliminating or 

controlling the threats posed by 

introduced predators, avian diseases, 

and contaminants; and (5) for the 

Hawaiian duck, removing the threat of 

hybridization with feral mallards. If the 

recovery criteria presented in the 

second draft revised recovery plan are 

met, downlisting could be initiated in 

2010 and delisting in 2015. 

Public Comments Solicited 

We solicit written comments on the 

second draft revised recovery plan 

described. All comments received by 

the date specified above will be 

considered prior to approval of this 

plan. 

Authority 

The authority for this action is section 

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 

U.S.C. 1533 (f).

Dated: May 11, 2005. 

David J. Wesley, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 05–16833 Filed 8–23–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[ES–960–1910–BJ, ES–053598, Group 22, 

Maine] 

Survey Plat Filing; Maine

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

DOI.

ACTION: Notice of filing of plat of survey; 

Maine. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM) will file the plat of 

survey of the lands described below in 

the BLM-Eastern States, Springfield, 

Virginia, 30 calendar days from the date 

of publication in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bureau of Land Management, 7450 

Boston Boulevard, Springfield, Virginia 

22153. Attn: Cadastral Survey.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

survey was requested by the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs. 

The lands we surveyed are: 

Township 1, Range 6, East of the West 

Line of the State.

The plat of the dependent resurvey 

and survey of the boundaries of the land 

held in trust by the United States, for 

the Penobscot Indian Nation, in 

Township 1, Range 6, West of the East 

Line of the State, (T. 1, R. 6, W.E.L.S.), 

Penobscot County, Maine, was accepted 

August 18, 2005. We will place a copy 

of the plat we described in the open 

files. It will be available to the public as 

a matter of information. 

If BLM receives a protest against this 

survey, as shown on the plat, prior to 

the date of official filing, we will stay 

the filing pending our consideration of 

the protest. 

We will not officially file the plat 

until the day after we have accepted or 

dismissed all protests and they have 

become final, including decisions on 

appeals.

Dated: August 18, 2005. 

Stephen D. Douglas, 

Chief Cadastral Surveyor.

[FR Doc. 05–16815 Filed 8–23–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–GJ–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service 

Request for Comments on the 

Preparation of a New 5-Year Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas 

Leasing Program for 2007–2012; and 

on the Intent To Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

for the Proposed 5-Year Program

SUMMARY: Section 18 of the OCS Lands 

Act (43 U.S.C. 1344) requires the 

Department of the Interior to solicit 

information from interested and affected 

parties during the preparation of a 5-

year OCS oil and gas leasing program. 

The current 5-year program covers the 

period July 2002 to July 2007. The 

Department’s MMS intends to prepare a 

new 5-year program for July 2007 to July 

2012 to succeed the current one. 

Section 18 requires completion of a 

lengthy, multi-step process of public 

consultation and analysis before the 

Secretary of the Interior may approve a 

new 5-year program. The section 18 

process includes the following required 

steps: This initial solicitation of 

comments; development of a draft 

proposed program, a proposed program, 

and a proposed final program; and 

Secretarial approval. The MMS will also 

prepare an EIS that analyzes the 

alternatives considered for the new 5-

year program. This notice announces 

the start of the EIS preparation process. 

The MMS will consider comments 

received in response to this notice in 

developing the draft proposed program 

and in determining the scope of the EIS. 

The public will have additional 

opportunities to comment on the draft 

proposed program, the draft EIS, and the 

proposed program.

DATES: The MMS must receive all 

comments and information by October 

11, 2005.