Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Extension of Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Endangered Status for a Distinct Population Segment of Anadromous Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in the Gulf of Maine

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AF80

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 224

[I.D. 102299A]

RIN 0648-XA39

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Extension of Comment Period

and Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Endangered Status for a

Distinct Population Segment of Anadromous Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

in the Gulf of Maine

AGENCIES: Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Interior; National Marine

Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearings and extension of

comment period.

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SUMMARY: NMFS and FWS (the Services) provide notice to cancel a

scheduled public hearing on January 19, 2000, to schedule three new

public hearings that will be held on the proposed determination of

endangered status for a distinct population segment (DPS) of Atlantic

salmon (Salmo salar) in the Gulf of Maine, and to extend the public

comment period on the proposal.

DATES: There will be three public hearings. The first will be held from

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on January 29, 2000; the second will be held

from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on January 31, 2000; and the third will be

held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m on February 1, 2000. The public comment

period originally closed on February 15, 2000. The Services are

extending the public comment period to March 15, 2000.

ADDRESSES: The January 29, 2000, public hearing will be held at the

University of Maine at Machias, 9 O'Brien Avenue, Machias, Maine, in

the Performing Arts Center. The January 31, 2000, public hearing will

be held at Ellsworth Middle School, 20 Forrest Avenue, Ellsworth,

Maine, in the cafeteria. The February 1, 2000, public hearing will be

held at the Rockland District Middle School, 30 Broadway, Rockland,

Maine, in the cafeteria. Written comments and materials regarding the

proposed rule should be

[[Page 1083]]

directed to the Endangered Species Program Coordinator, National Marine

Fisheries Service, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930,

or to the Chief, Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, Massachusetts 01035. The

1999 Status Review may be obtained by contacting either of the above

individuals or downloaded from the following site: http://news.fws.gov/

salmon/asalmon.html. Please note that electronic mail or internet site

comments will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Colligan, NMFS, at the address

above (978-281-9116) or Paul Nickerson, FWS, at the address above (413-

253-8615).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Gulf of Maine DPS includes all naturally reproducing wild

populations of Atlantic salmon having historical, river-specific

characteristics found in a range north of and including tributaries of

the lower Kennebec River to, but not including, the mouth of the St.

Croix River at the US-Canada border. The DPS includes both early and

late run Atlantic salmon. Threats to the species include low marine

survival, disease, the use of non-North American strains of Atlantic

salmon in the U.S. aquaculture industry, aquaculture escapees, water

withdrawal and sedimentation.

On November 17, 1999, the Services published a proposed rule to

list the Gulf of Maine DPS of Atlantic salmon as endangered under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). Section 4(b)(5)(E) of

the ESA requires that a public hearing be held if requested within 45

days of the proposal's publication in the Federal Register. Requests

for public hearings were received within the allotted time period from

Olympia Snowe, United States Senator, Chair, Subcommittee on Oceans and

Fisheries, and Susan Collins, United States Senator, Chair, Permanent

Subcommittee on Investigations, to be held in Machias, Maine; and Trout

Unlimited, to be held in Rockland, Maine. The public hearing scheduled

for January 19, 2000, in Ellsworth, Maine, which was noticed in the

proposed rule (64 FR 62627; November 17, 1999), has been canceled.

Anyone wishing to make an oral statement for the record is

encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement to be presented

to the Services at the start of a hearing. In the event there is a

large attendance, the time allotted for oral statements may have to be

limited. Oral and written statements receive equal consideration. There

are no limits to the length of written comments presented at the

hearings or mailed to the Services. Legal notices announcing the dates,

time, and location of the hearings are being published in newspapers

concurrently with this Federal Register notice.

Dated: January 3, 2000.

Ann Terbush,

Acting Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine

Fisheries Service.

Dated: December 22, 1999.

Ronald E. Lambertson,

Regional Director, Region 5, Fish and Wildlife Service.

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[FR Doc. 00-404 Filed 1-6-00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F