Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period for Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of California Condors in Northern Arizona

[[Page 4394]]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD62

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period for Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential

Experimental Population of California Condors in Northern Arizona

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice

that the public comment period is reopened for the proposal to

designate a nonessential experimental population of California condors

(Gymnogyps californianus) in northern Arizona and southern Utah. This

population is proposed to be designated as a nonessential experimental

population in accordance with section 10(j) of the Endangered Species

Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. The reopening of the comment period will

allow all interested parties to submit written comments on the

proposal.

DATES: The comment period which originally closed February 1, 1996, now

closes February 29, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to the Supervisor,

Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321

W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85021. Comments and

materials received will be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business hours, at the above Service

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey A. Humphrey, at the above

address, telephone 602/640-2720; facsimile 620/640-2730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Service, in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish

Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, proposes to

reintroduce California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) into northern

Arizona. This reintroduction will achieve a primary recovery goal for

this endangered species, establishment of a second noncaptive

population, spatially disjunct from the noncaptive population in

southern California. Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of

1973 (Act) enables the Service to designate certain populations of

federally-listed species that are released into the wild as

``experimental.`` This designation can increase the Service's

flexibility to manage a reintroduced population. Section 10(j) allows

an experimental population to be treated as a threatened species

regardless of its designation elsewhere in its range and under section

4(d) of the Act. The Service has greater discretion in developing

management programs for threatened species than it has for endangered

species. Nonessential experimental populations located outside National

Wildlife Refuges or National Park Service lands are treated, for the

purpose of section 7 of the Act, as if they are proposed for listing.

The area proposed for nonessential experimental designation occurs in

northern Arizona, southern Utah and southeastern Nevada.

A proposed rule to designate a nonessential experimental population

of California condors was published in the Federal Register (61 FR 35)

on January 2, 1996.

Pursuant to 50 CFR 424.16(c)(2), the Service may extend or reopen a

comment period upon finding that there is good cause to do so. Full

participation of the affected public in the species listing process,

allowing the Service to consider the best scientific and commercial

data available in making a final determination on the proposed action,

is deemed as sufficient cause.

The previous comment period on this proposal closed on February 1,

1996. With the publication of this notice, the Service reopens the

public comment period. Written comments may now be submitted until

February 29, 1996, to the Service office in the ADDRESSES section.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Jeffrey A. Humphrey (see

ADDRESSES).

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973

(16 U.S.C. 1531-1544).

Dated: January 30, 1996.

Lynn B. Starnes,

Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 96-2471 Filed 2-5-96; 8:45 am]

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