Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Special Rule for the Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl on Non-Federal Lands

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD20

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Special

Rule for the Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl on Non-Federal

Lands

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Service issued a Draft Environmental Alternatives Analysis

(EAA) (February 23, 1996, 61 FR 6964) for the proposed special rule for

the conservation of the northern spotted owl on non-Federal lands in

California and Washington, which is currently out for public comment.

The proposed special rule was published in the Federal Register on

February 17, 1995 (60 FR 9484). The comment period for both documents

was scheduled to end on June 3, 1996. The intent of this document is to

extend the comment period to June 27, 1996.

The Service is briefly extending the comment period in order to

accept the comments of The Resources Agency of California, and invites

other interested parties who have not yet submitted comments to do so.

DATES: The comment period for written comments is extended until June

27, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials concerning this Draft Environmental

Alternatives Analysis and the proposed rule should be sent to Mr.

Michael J. Spear, Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181. The complete

file for this proposed rule will be available for public inspection, by

appointment during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Office of Technical Support for Forest Resources, 333 SW. 1st

Avenue, 4th Floor, Portland, Oregon 97204, (503/326-6218).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Curt Smitch, Assistant Regional

Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3704 Griffin Lane

SE., Suite 102, Olympia, Washington 98501, (206/534-9330); or Ron

Crete, Office of Technical Support for Forest Resources, 333 SW. 1st

Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181, (503/326-6218).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service has prepared a draft document

called an Environmental Alternatives Analysis (EAA) that describes and

analyzes the potential environmental effects of the proposed special

rule and six alternatives for the conservation of the northern spotted

owl on non-Federal lands in Washington and California. Each alternative

would revise to varying degrees the Federal prohibitions and exceptions

regarding the incidental take of spotted owls on non-Federal lands in

California and Washington. The proposed rule, analyzed in the Draft EAA

as Alternative 3, was published in the Federal Register on February 17,

1995 (60 FR, No. 33, Page 9484).

The Service's Draft EAA, including all maps, tables, charts, and

graphs, remains available on the Internet's World Wide Web at http://

www.r1.fws.gov/4deaa/welcome.html.

Dated: June 10, 1996.

H. Dale Hall,

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1,

Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 96-15123 Filed 6-14-96; 8:45 am]

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