Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Rule and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Grizzly Bear Recovery in the Bitterroot Ecosystem

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AEOO

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of

Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Rule and Draft

Environmental Impact Statement for Grizzly Bear Recovery in the

Bitterroot Ecosystem

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice that

public hearings will be held on the proposed rule to establish a

nonessential experimental population of grizzly bears in the Bitterroot

Ecosystem. Public meetings on the draft EIS for the proposed recovery

action will be held concurrently. To accommodate the public hearings,

the comment period on the proposal is being extended. All interested

parties are invited to submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: Public hearings will be held at the following cities between the

hours of 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 1, 1997, at

Challis, Idaho, and Hamilton, Montana; Thursday, October 2, 1997, at

Missoula, Montana, and Lewiston, Idaho; Friday, October 3, 1997, at

Helena, Montana, and Boise, Idaho; and Wednesday, October 8, 1997, at

Salmon, Idaho. Registration will begin 1 hour prior to each hearing.

Comments will be accepted until November 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:

October 1, 1997--Challis Middle School, 700 Main Street, Challis, Idaho

83226; and City Hall, 223 South 2nd Street, Hamilton, Montana 59840.

October 2, 1997--Grant Creek Inn, 5280 Grant Creek Road, Missoula,

Montana 59802; and Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main Street,

Lewiston, Idaho 83501. October 3, 1997--Colonial Park Hotel, 2301

Colonial Drive, Helena, Montana 59601; and Boise State University,

Student Union Building, 1700 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725.

October 8, 1997--Pioneer Multipurpose Room, Pioneer School, 900 Sharkey

street, Salmon, Idaho 83467. Written comments and materials should be

addressed to Dr. Christopher Servheen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Project Leader, Bitterroot Grizzly Bear EIS, P.O. Box 5127, Missoula,

Montana 59806.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Christopher Servheen, Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator (see

ADDRESSES above), at telephone (406) 243-4903.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to

reintroduce the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), a threatened

species, into east-central Idaho and a portion of western Montana. On

July 2, 1997, the Service published a proposed rule (62 FR 35762) to

establish a nonessential experimental population pursuant to section

10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Grizzly bear

populations have been extirpated from most of the lower 48 United

States. They presently occur in populations in the Cabinet/Yaak

ecosystem in northwestern Montana and north Idaho, the Selkirk

ecosystem in north Idaho and northeastern Washington, the North

Cascades ecosystem in northwestern Washington, the Northern Continental

Divide ecosystem in Montana, and the Yellowstone ecosystem in Montana,

Wyoming, and Idaho. The purpose of this reintroduction is to

reestablish a viable grizzly bear population in the Bitterroot

ecosystem in east-central Idaho and adjacent areas of Montana, one of

six grizzly recovery areas identified in the Grizzly Bear Recovery

Plan. Potential effects of this proposed rule are evaluated in a draft

[[Page 48207]]

Environmental Impact Statement released concurrently with the

publication of the proposed rule. This grizzly bear reintroduction does

not conflict with existing or anticipated Federal agency actions or

traditional public uses of wilderness areas or surrounding lands.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service has scheduled hearings on October 1, 2, and 3, 1997,

with registration beginning 1 hour prior to each hearing (see DATES and

ADDRESSES above). 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 Service at the start of the hearing. In the event that

there is a large audience, the time allotted for oral statements may

have to be limited.

Oral and written statements concerning the proposed rule will

receive equal consideration by the Service. There are no limits to the

length of written comments presented at the hearing or mailed to the

Service. News releases announcing the date, time, and location of the

hearings are being published in newspapers concurrently with this

Federal Register notice.

The previous comment period on this proposal is scheduled to close

on October 9, 1997. To accommodate these hearings, the Service extends

the comment period. Written comments may now be submitted until

November 1, 1997, to the Service office identified in the ADDRESSES

section above. All comments must be received before the close of the

comment period to be considered.

Author

The author of this notice is Chuck Davis, Regional Environmental

Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 6, P.O. Box 25486,

DFC, Denver, CO 80225-0486; telephone 303-236-7400 extension 235.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: September 8, 1997.

Ralph O. Morgenweck,

Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 97-24337 Filed 9-12-97; 8:45 am]

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