[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8729-8730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3748]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service
[Docket No. ]

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Extension of Comment Period on Draft Guidance for Candidate 
Species, Draft Petition Management Guidance, Draft Policy Regarding the 
Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments, Preliminary 
Draft Handbook for Habitat Conservation Planning and Incidental Take 
Permit Processing, and Draft Section 7 Endangered Species Consultation 
Handbook

AGENCIES: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National Marine 
Fisheries Service, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment periods.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries 
Service (Services) provide notice that the comment periods on their 
draft guidance and policies published in the Federal Register on 
December 21, 1994 (59 FR 65780-82 and 65884) are extended. All 
interested parties are invited to submit comments.

DATES: The comment periods, which originally were to close on February 
21, 1995, now close on April 7, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft guidance documents or 
policy statements may obtain copies by contacting the nearest Regional 
Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Regional Offices are 
listed below.
    Region 1.--California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Pacific Territories 
of the United States.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastside 
Federal Complex, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181 
(503-231-6241).
    Region 2.--Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 
1306, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103 (505-766-3972).
    Region 3.--Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 
Ohio, and Wisconsin.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal 
Building, Fort Snelling, Twin Cities, Minnesota 55111 (612-725-3276).
    Region 4.--Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, 
Louisiana, [[Page 8730]] Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, 
Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1875 
Century Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 (404-679-7103).
    Region 5.--Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, 
Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 
Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 01035-9589 (413-253-8615).
    Region 6.--Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 
25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225 (303-236-7398).
    Region 7.--Alaska.
    Regional Director (TE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East 
Tudor Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501 (907-786-3605).
    Written comments should be sent to the Division of Endangered 
Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 
452, Arlington, Virginia 22203 (telephone 703/358-2105). Each comment 
should address only a single guidance document or policy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert G. Ruesink, Acting Chief, 
Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at the 
above address (703/358-2171), or Russell Bellmer, Chief, Endangered 
Species Division, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 (301/713-1401).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On December 21, 1994, the Services published in the Federal 
Register (59 FR 65780-82 and 65884) a series of draft guidance 
documents and policy statements under the Endangered Species Act (Act) 
of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq.). A brief description is 
given below of each of these documents and policy statements.
    1. Draft Policy Regarding the Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate 
Population Segments: The authority to list a ``species'' as endangered 
or threatened is not restricted to species recognized in formal 
taxonomic terms, but extends to subspecies, and for vertebrate taxa, to 
distinct population segments. This document proposes to adopt a policy 
to clarify the Services' interpretation of the term ``distinct 
population segments'' for the purposes of listing, delisting, and 
reclassifying vertebrates.
    2. Draft Guidance for Candidate Species: This draft document is 
intended to provide internal guidance for the assessment, monitoring, 
and conservation of species that are candidates for listing under the 
Act.
    3. Draft Petition Management Guidance: The purpose of this document 
is to provide policy and guidance for managing petitions submitted to 
the Services under the Act so as to promote efficiency and nationwide 
consistency.
    4. Draft Section 7 Endangered Species Consultation Handbook: This 
draft handbook provides consistent procedures to the Services' for 
compliance with the affirmative conservation responsibilities of 
section 7(a)(1) of the Act, and for the conduct of section 7(a)(2)-(4) 
consultations and conferences.
    5. Draft Handbook for Habitat Conservation Planning and Incidental 
Take Permit Processing: This draft document provides internal guidance 
for conducting the incidental take permit program under section 
10(a)(1)(B) of the Act so as to promote efficiency and nationwide 
consistency within and between the Services.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

    Dated: January 31, 1995.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
    Dated: February 7, 1995.
Rolland A. Schmitteh,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-3748 Filed 2-14-95; 8:45 am]
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