61988 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 207 / Thursday, October 27, 2005 / Notices 

and associated regulatory analyses, 

including economic and environmental 

analyses. 

Once the study is completed, we will 

publish a notice in the Federal Register 

advising that the study’s results are 

available and requesting public 

comment. 

To view documents mentioned in this 

preamble as well as other documents 

being available in the docket, go to 

http://dms.dot.gov at any time, click on 

‘‘Simple Search,’’ enter the last five 

digits of the docket number for this 

notice, and click on ‘‘Search.’’

Dated: October 14, 2005. 

Howard L. Hime, 

Acting Director of Standards, Marine Safety, 

Security and Environmental Protection. 

[FR Doc. 05–21560 Filed 10–26–05; 8:45 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4910–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–4971–N–55] 

Notice of Submission of Proposed 

Information Collection to OMB; 

Inspector Candidate Assessment 

Questionnaire 

AGENCY: Office of the Chief Information 

Officer, HUD. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The proposed information 

collection requirement described below 

has been submitted to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review, as required by the Paperwork 

Reduction Act. The Department is 

soliciting public comments on the 

subject proposal. 

This is a request for approval for a 

new questionnaire to aid HUD in 

determining the qualifications of 

prospective applicants to conduct 

Uniform Physical Condition Standards 

inspections. 

DATES: Comments Due Date: November 

28, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit comments regarding 

this proposal. Comments should refer to 

the proposal by name and/or OMB 

approval Number (2577–Pending) and 

should be sent to: HUD Desk Officer, 

Office of Management and Budget, New 

Executive Office Building, Washington, 

DC 20503; fax: 202–395–6974. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Wayne Eddins, Reports Management 

Officer, AYO, Department of Housing 

and Urban Development, 451 Seventh 

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20410; email Wayne_Eddins@HUD.gov; or 

Lillian Deitzer at 

Lillian_L_Deitzer@HUD.gov or 

telephone (202) 708–2374. This is not a 

toll-free number. Copies of available 

documents submitted to OMB may be 

obtained from Mr. Eddins or Ms Deitzer. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

notice informs the public that the 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development has submitted to OMB a 

request for approval of the information 

collection described below. This notice 

is soliciting comments from members of 

the public and affecting agencies 

concerning the proposed collection of 

information to: (1) Evaluate whether the 

proposed collection of information is 

necessary for the proper performance of 

the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (2) Evaluate the 

accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the 

burden of the proposed collection of 

information; (3) Enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information to 

be collected; and (4) Minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond; including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated collection techniques or 

other forms of information technology, 

e.g., permitting electronic submission of 

responses. 

This notice also lists the following 

information: 

Title of Proposal: Inspector Candidate 

Assessment Questionnaire. 

OMB Approval Number: 2577–

Pending. 

Form Numbers: None. 

Description of the Need for the 

Information and its Proposed Use: 

This questionnaire aids HUD in 

determining the qualifications of 

prospective applicants to conduct 

Uniform Physical Condition Standards 

inspections. 

Frequency Of Submission: On 

occasion. 

Number of 

respondents 

Annual 

responses × Hours per response = Burden hours 

Reporting Burden .............................................................................. 700 1 1 700 

Total Estimated Burden Hours: 700. 

Status: New Collection. 

Authority: Section 3507 of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 35, as 

amended. 

Dated: October 20, 2005. 

Wayne Eddins, 

Departmental Paperwork Reduction Act 

Officer, Office of the Chief Information 

Officer. 

[FR Doc. E5–5958 Filed 10–26–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–72–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Draft Recovery Plan for the ShortTailed Albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) 

AGENCY: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of document availability 

for review and comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, announce the 

availability of the Draft Recovery Plan 

for the Short-tailed Albatross 

(Phoebastria albatrus) for public review 

and comment. 

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery 

plan must be received on or before 

December 27, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery 

plan are available for inspection, by 

appointment, during normal business 

hours at the following location: U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage 

Fish and Wildlife Field Office, 605 W. 

4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501 

(telephone: 907–271–2888). Requests for 

copies of the draft recovery plan should 

be addressed to the Field Supervisor, at 

the above Service address. An electronic 

copy of the draft recovery plan is also 

available at http://endangered.fws.gov/ 

recovery/index.html#plans. 

If you wish to comment, you may 

submit your comments and materials by 

any one of the following methods: 

1. You may submit written comments 

and information by mail to: Short-tailed 

Albatross Draft Recovery Plan 

Comments, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 605 W. 4th Avenue, Anchorage, 

AK 99501. 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 207 / Thursday, October 27, 2005 / Notices 61989 

2. You may hand-deliver written 

comments and information to our 

Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Field 

Office, 605 W. 4th Avenue, Room G–62. 

3. You may fax your comments to 

907–271–2786. 

4. You may send your comments by 

electronic mail (e-mail) to 

STARP_Comments@fws.gov. Please 

include ‘‘Attn: Short-tailed Albatross’’

in the beginning of your message, and 

do not use special characters or any 

form of encryption. Electronic 

attachments in standard formats (such 

as .pdf or .doc) are acceptable, but 

please name the software necessary to 

open any attachments in formats other 

than those given above. Also, please 

include your name and return address 

in your e-mail message (anonymous 

comments will not be considered). If 

you do not receive a confirmation from 

the system that we have received your 

e-mail message, please submit your 

comments in writing using one of the 

alternate methods described above. In 

the event that our internet connection is 

not functional, please submit your 

comments by the alternate methods 

mentioned above. 

All comments and materials received 

will be available for public inspection, 

by appointment, during normal business 

hours at our Anchorage Fish and 

Wildlife Field Office at the above 

address. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Judy 

Jacobs, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Biologist, 

at the above Service address. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Restoring endangered or threatened 

animals and plants to the point where 

they are again secure, self-sustaining 

members of their ecosystems is a 

primary goal of our endangered species 

program. Recovery planning is an 

integral component of endangered 

species conservation. Recovery plans 

describe actions considered necessary 

for the conservation and recovery of the 

species, establish criteria for 

downlisting or delisting them, and 

estimate time and costs for 

implementing the recovery measures 

needed. 

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species 

Act, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires 

that public notice, and an opportunity 

for public review and comment, be 

provided during recovery plan 

development. We will consider all 

information received during the public 

comment period on each new or revised 

recovery plan. Substantive technical 

comments may result in changes to a 

recovery plan. Substantive comments 

regarding recovery plan implementation 

may not necessarily result in changes to 

the recovery plans, but will be 

forwarded to the appropriate Federal 

agency or other entities so that they can 

take these comments into account 

during the course of implementing 

recovery actions. Individual responses 

to comments will not be provided. 

The short-tailed albatross, the largest 

of the three North Pacific albatross 

species, is federally listed as 

endangered. Prior to its exploitation, the 

short-tailed albatross was likely the 

most abundant of the three albatross 

species in the North Pacific. Millions of 

these birds were harvested by feather 

hunters prior to and following the turn 

of the 20th century, resulting in the 

near-extirpation of the species by the 

mid-20th century. Presently, fewer than 

2000 short-tailed albatrosses are known 

to exist. 

The short-tailed albatross is known to 

breed on two remote islands in the 

western Pacific. Torishima, Japan, 

where the majority of short-tailed 

albatrosses breed, is an active volcano. 

The natural colony site on this island is 

also susceptible to mud slides and 

erosion. A smaller colony exists in the 

Senkaku Islands, southwest of 

Torishima, where volcanic eruption is 

not a threat; however, political 

uncertainty and the potential for habitat 

alteration exist. Short-tailed albatrosses 

apparently require remote islands for 

breeding habitat. They nest in open, 

treeless areas with low, or no, 

vegetation. The species also requires 

nutrient-rich areas of ocean upwelling 

for their foraging habitat. 

The major threat of over-exploitation 

that led to the species’ original 

endangered status no longer occurs. The 

Short-tailed Albatross Recovery Team 

considers small population size, limited 

number of breeding sites, and potential 

volcanic eruptions to be the current 

major threats to the species. Other 

threats include incidental catch in 

commercial fisheries, ingestion of 

plastics, contamination by oil and other 

pollutants, the potential for 

competition, predation, or habitat 

alteration associated with non-native 

species, and adverse effects related to 

global climate change. 

The international group of experts 

comprising the Short-tailed Albatross 

Recovery Team has unanimously agreed 

that establishment of additional 

colonies on safe (i.e. not subject to 

volcanic activity and protected) sites 

will be a recovery prerequisite. 

Downlisting to threatened may be 

considered when: (1) The total breeding 

population of short-tailed albatrosses 

reaches a minimum of 750 pairs; and (2) 

the 3-year running average growth rate 

of the population as a whole is ≥6 

percent for ≥7 years; and (3) at least 

three successful breeding colonies (>5 

breeding pairs each) exist, at least two 

of which occupy non-volcanic (or 

extinct volcanic) islands. 

Delisting of the short-tailed albatross 

may be considered when: (1) The total 

breeding population reaches a minimum 

of 1000 pairs; and (2) the 3-year running 

average growth rate of the population as 

a whole is ≥6 percent for ≥7 years; and 

(3) a total of at least 250 breeding pairs 

exist on at least 2 non-volcanic islands; 

and (4) a minimum of 10 percent of 

these (i.e. ≥25 pairs) occur on a site or 

sites other than the Senkaku Islands. In 

addition, a post-delisting monitoring 

plan and agreement to continue postdelisting monitoring must be in place 

and ready for implementation at the 

time of delisting. Monitoring 

populations following delisting will 

verify the ongoing recovery and 

conservation of the species and provide 

a means of assessing the continuing 

effectiveness of management actions. 

Public Comments Solicited 

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 or address, you must state this 

request prominently at the beginning of 

your comments. However, we will not 

consider anonymous 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. 

Authority 

The authority for this action is section 

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 

U.S.C. 1533(f). 

Dated: October 19, 2005. 

Rowan Gould, 

Regional Director, Region 7, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 05–21430 Filed 10–26–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P