Extension of Comment Period on Draft Guidance for Candidate Species, Draft Petition Management Guidance, Draft Policy Regarding the Recognition of Distinct Vertebrate Population Segments, Preliminary Draft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

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Extension of Comment Period on Draft Guidance for Candidate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draft guidance and policies published in the Federal Register on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ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft guidance documents or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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