Proposed Policy on Giant Panda Permits

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Proposed Policy on Giant Panda Permits

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice that the

comment period on the proposed policy for

[[Page 35519]]

issuance of permits for import of giant panda will be reopened to

obtain comments on new information that should be considered in

determining the final policy.

DATES: Public comment received on or before September 29, 1997, will be

considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to the Chief, Office of Management

Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive,

Room 430, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Stansell, Chief, Office

Management Authority, at the above address, or call (703) 358-2093; fax

(703) 358-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service published a proposed policy on

issuance of permits for giant panda imports on March 30, 1995 (60 FR

16487). The comment period was reopened in a notice published June 27,

1995 (123 FR 33224) in response to a request from the American Zoo and

Aquarium Association. Subsequent to the closure of this comment period,

two events took place in which new information was received that should

be considered in finalizing this policy. The events and resulting

information are as follows:

(1) During the 36th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee

Meeting, January 30-February 2, 1996, discussions of giant panda loans

resulted in the CITES Secretariat issuing Notification No. 932 which

recommended conditions under which giant panda loans should occur.

(2) Dr. U.S. Seal, of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group

(CBSG), Species Survival Commission, The World Conservation Union

(IUCN), and others, conducted a Captive Management Planning Workshop in

Chengdu, China, December 10-13, 1996. The workshop was organized by the

Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens and the Ministry of

Construction in collaboration with the CBSG. The Service received a

copy of the report resulting from the workshop.

Copies of the CITES Notification and the report on the Captive

Management Planning Workshop are available from the address listed

above. Interested organizations and the public are invited to comment

on the documents as they relate to the previously published proposed

policy. In addition, comments submitted during the previous comment

periods, including those from the Chinese Ministry of Forestry and the

Ministry of Construction, are also available upon request. The Service

will consider all comments received during the previous two comment

periods and this comment period in drafting a final policy.

Authority: This notice was prepared under the authority of the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S. C. 1531 et

seq.).

Dated: June 23, 1997.

Robert G. Streeter,

Director.

[FR Doc. 97-17135 Filed 6-30-97; 8:45 am]

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