8346 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 30 / Wednesday, February 13, 2008 / Notices 

recovery plan. We will forward 

substantive comments regarding 

recovery plan implementation to 

appropriate Federal and State agencies 

or other entities so they can consider 

these comments during the course of 

implementing recovery actions. We 

developed this recovery plan with input 

from the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep 

Recovery Team, including a science 

team and a stakeholder team. We also 

coordinated with the California 

Department of Fish and Game. 

We listed the Sierra Nevada bighorn 

sheep as an endangered distinct 

population segment (DPS) on January 3, 

2000 (65 FR 20), following initial 

emergency listing on April 20, 1999 (64 

FR 19300). At the time of listing, the 

Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep population 

consisted of about 125 adults, known to 

exist among 5 geographic areas, with 

little probability of interchange among 

those areas. In 2000, on the basis of 

concurrence between genetic and 

morphometric data, Wehausen and 

Ramey (2000) reassigned populations of 

California bighorn outside of the Sierra 

Nevada to other subspecies, leaving 

bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada as 

their own subspecies. By the rules of 

zoological nomenclature, they again 

assume Grinnell’s (1912) subspecies 

name sierrae (Wehausen et al. 2005). 

With that nomenclature change, the 

California bighorn subspecies was 

terminated. Concurrent with the 

proposed designation of critical habitat 

for Sierra Nevada bighorn, on July 25, 

2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

formally proposed a taxonomic revision 

to amend the final listing rule from DPS 

to subspecies, Ovis canadensis sierrae. 

The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is 

threatened primarily by mountain lion 

predation, small population size, and 

the potential for disease transmission 

due to contact with domestic sheep and 

goats. Key elements for immediate 

action are: (1) Predator management; (2) 

augmentation of small herds with sheep 

from larger ones; and (3) elimination of 

the threat of a pneumonia epizootic 

resulting from contact with domestic 

sheep or goats. Actions needed to 

recover the bighorn sheep include: (1) 

Protection, maintenance, and 

enhancement of bighorn sheep habitat; 

(2) enhancing survivorship and 

reproductive output of bighorn sheep in 

order to the increase population; (3) 

increasing the use of low-elevation 

winter ranges; (4) increasing the 

numbers of herds, and thereby the 

number of bighorn sheep; (5) developing 

and implementing a genetic 

management plan to maintain genetic 

diversity; (6) developing sources of 

translocation stock; (7) developing and 

implementing a captive breeding 

program, if necessary; (8) monitoring 

status and trends of bighorn sheep herds 

and their habitat; (9) research; and (10) 

providing information to and working 

with the public. 

Authority: The authority for this action is 

section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 

16 U.S.C. 1533(f). 

Dated: February 6, 2008. 

Ken McDermond, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 8, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2627 Filed 2–12–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Geological Survey 

Office of the Secretary; Notice of 

Renewal of the Advisory Committee on 

Water Information Charter. 

AGENCY: United States Geological 

Survey. 

ACTION: Notice of Renewal of the 

Advisory Committee on Water 

Information Charter 

SUMMARY: Following consultation with 

the General Services Administration, 

notice is hereby given that the Secretary 

of the Interior is renewing the Advisory 

Committee on Water Information 

(ACWI). 

The ACWI has been established under 

the authority of Office of Management 

and Budget Memorandum No. M–92–01 

and the Federal Advisory Committee 

act. The purpose of this Presidential 

Committee is to represent the interests 

of water-information users and 

professionals in advising the Federal 

Government on Federal waterinformation programs and their 

effectiveness in meeting the Nation’s 

water-information needs. Member 

organizations help to foster 

communications between the Federal 

and non-Federal sectors of sharing water 

information. 

Membership represents a wide range 

of water resources interests and 

functions. Representation on the ACWI 

includes all levels of government, 

academia, private industry, and 

professional and technical societies. 

Member organizations designate their 

representatives and alternates. 

Membership is limited to a maximum of 

35 organization. 

The Committee will function solely as 

an advisory body, and in compliance 

with the provisions of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act. The Charter 

will be filed under the Act, 15 days from 

the date of publication of this notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Toni M. Johnson (Executive Secretary), 

Chief, Water Information Coordination 

Program, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 

Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 417, Reston, 

Virginia 20192. Telephone: 703–648–

6810; Fax: 703–648–5644. 

Dated: February 1, 2008. 

Dirk Kempthorne, 

Secretary of the Interior. 

[FR Doc. 08–612 Filed 2–12–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4311–AM–M 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Geological Survey 

Notice of an Open Meeting of the 

Advisory Committee on Water 

Information (ACWI) 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the 

2008 annual meeting of the ACWS. This 

meeting is to discuss broad policy topics 

relating to National water initiatives; 

and the development and dissemination 

of water information, through reports 

from the eight ACWS subgroups. The 

agenda will include an update on the 

three pilot studies of the National Water 

Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. 

Coastal Waters and their Tributaries and 

the first report from the Subcommittee 

on Ground Water on a National Ground 

Water Framework, as well as other 

water initiatives. 

The ACWI has been established under 

the authority of the Office of 

Management and Budget Memorandum 

No. M–92–01 and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act. The purpose of this 

Presidential Committee is to represent 

the interests of water-information users 

and professionals in advising the 

Federal Government on Federal waterinformation programs and their 

effectiveness in meeting the Nation’s 

water-information needs. Member 

organizations help to foster 

communications between the Federal 

and non-government sectors on sharing 

water information. 

Membership represents a wide range 

of water resources interests and 

functions. Representation on the ACWI 

includes all levels of government, 

academia, private industry, and 

professional and technical societies. 

Member organizations designate their 

representatives and alternates. 

Membership is limited to a maximum of 

35 organizations. 

DATES: The formal meeting will convene 

at 8:30 a.m. on February 20, 2008, and 

will adjourn on February 21, 2008 at 

4:30 p.m. 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES