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 issuance of permits for

import of giant panda will be reopened for 30 days to obtain further

comments.

DATES: Public comments received on or before November 10, 1997 will be

considered by the Service.

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

Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North

Fairfax

[[Page 53018]]

Drive, Room 430, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Stansell, Chief, Office of

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

(703) 358-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service published a notice reopening the

comment period on the proposed policy for issuance of permits for

import of giant panda on July 1, 1997 (62 FR 35518-19). The comment

period ended September 29, 1997. The Service received a request from

the World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C., to extend the comment period

to allow submission of information from two events; the International

Symposium on Environmental Protection and City Development of the 21st

Century (September 23-28) in Chengdu and the Ministry of Forestry/WWF

Workshop on Giant Panda Reintroduction (September 24-28). The results

of these meetings were not available before the close of the previous

comment period but may be important to the policy development.

Interested organizations and the public are invited to comment on the

results from these meetings or on any other issues related to panda

conservation.

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: October 3, 1997.

Jamie Rappaport Clark,

Director.

[FR Doc. 97-26848 Filed 10-9-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P