Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 241 / Friday, December 14, 2001 / Proposed Rules 64793

Federal Communications Commission.

John A. Karousos,

Chief, Allocations Branch, Policy and Rules

Division, Mass Media Bureau.

[FR Doc. 01–30865 Filed 12–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Parts 222 and 223

[I.D. 062501B]

RIN 0648–AN62

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife;

Sea Turtle Conservation Requirements

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Public hearing notice; extension

of public comment period.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the National Marine Fisheries Service

(NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Department of Commerce, will extend

the public comment period, through

February 15, 2002, for the purpose of

receiving comments on the proposed

rule to amend the regulations protecting

sea turtles to enhance their effectiveness

in reducing sea turtle mortality resulting

from shrimp trawling in the Atlantic

and Gulf Areas of the southeastern

United States, published in the Federal

Register on October 2, 2001.

DATES: Written comments should be

received by February 15, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should

be addressed to the Chief, Endangered

Species Division, Office of Protected

Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West

Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Comments may also be sent via fax to

301–713–0376. Comments will not be

accepted if submitted via e-mail or the

Internet.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robert Hoffman (ph. 727–570–5312, fax

727–570-5517, e-mail

Robert.Hoffman@noaa.gov), or Therese

A. Conant (ph. 301–713–1401, fax 301–

713–0376, e-mail

Therese.Conant@noaa.gov).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Turtle

excluder devices (TEDs) have proven to

be effective at excluding sea turtles from

shrimp trawls; however, NMFS has

determined that modifications to the

design of TEDs need to be made to

exclude leatherbacks and large, sexually

mature loggerhead and green turtles.

Several approved TED designs are also

structurally weak and do not function

properly under normal fishing

conditions. Additionally, modifications

to the trynet and bait shrimp

exemptions to the TED requirements are

necessary to decrease lethal take of sea

turtles. These proposed amendments are

necessary to protect endangered and

threatened sea turtles in the Atlantic

and Gulf Areas.

Dated: December 7, 2001.

Donald R. Knowles,

Director, Office of Protected Resources,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–30929 Filed 12–13–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Parts 223 and 224

[Docket No. 011130289–1289–01; I.D.

111501C]

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

and Plants: 90-Day Finding for a

Petition to List North American Green

Sturgeon as Threatened or

Endangered under the Endangered

Species Act

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of petition finding;

request for information and comments.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces a 90–day

finding for a petition to list the North

American green sturgeon (Acipenser

medirostris) as a threatened or

endangered species and to designate

critical habitat under the Endangered

Species Act (ESA). NMFS finds that the

petition presents substantial scientific

information indicating that the

petitioned action may be warranted.

NMFS will conduct a status review of

the green sturgeon to determine if the

petitioned action is warranted. To

ensure that the review is

comprehensive, NMFS is soliciting

information and comments pertaining to

this species, and seeks suggestions from

the public for peer reviewers for the

agency’s review of the petitioned action.

DATES: Information and comments on

the action must be received by March

14, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies of the

petition, and information and comments

on this action should be submitted to

the Assistant Regional Administrator,

Protected Resources Division, NMFS,

501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long

Beach, CA 90802–4213. The petition is

available for public inspection by

appointment, Monday through Friday,

at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Craig Wingert, NMFS, Southwest

Region, (562) 980–4021 or David

O’Brien, NMFS, Office of Protected

Resources, (301) 713–1401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 4 (b)(3)(A) of the ESA (16

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that NMFS

make a finding as to whether a petition

to list, delist, or reclassify a species

presents substantial scientific or

commercial information to indicate that

the petitioned action may be warranted.

NMFS′ ESA implementing regulations

(50 CFR 424.14) define ‘‘substantial

information’’ as the amount of

information that would lead a

reasonable person to believe that the

measure proposed in the petition may

be warranted. In determining whether

substantial information exists for a

petition to list a species, NMFS takes

into account several factors, including

information submitted with and

referenced in the petition and all other

information readily available in NMFS

files. To the maximum extent

practicable, this finding is to be made

within 90 days of the receipt of the

petition, and the finding is to be

published promptly in the Federal

Register. If NMFS finds that a petition

presents substantial information

indicating that the requested action may

be warranted, section 4 (b)(3)(B) of the

ESA requires the Secretary of Commerce

(Secretary) to conduct a status review of

the species and make a finding as to

whether the petitioned action is

warranted within 1 year of the receipt

of the petition.

Analysis of Petition

On June 12, 2001, NMFS received a

petition from the Environmental

Protection Information Center, Center

for Biological Diversity, and

Waterkeepers Northern California

regarding the North American green

sturgeon. The petition requested that

NMFS list the North American green

sturgeon as either an endangered or

threatened species under the ESA, and

that it designate critical habitat for the

species concurrently with any listing

determination.

The green sturgeon is a large,

anadromous fish. In North America, the

green sturgeon ranges from Alaska to