Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of Comment Period 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-AE00

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of

Comment Period 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; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service provides notice that the comment

period is being extended on the proposed rule to establish a

nonessential experimental population of grizzly bears in the Bitterroot

Ecosystem. All interested parties that have not done so are invited to

submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until December 1, 1997.

ADDRESSES: 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

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 comment period on this proposal is scheduled to close on

November 1, 1997. To accommodate verbal requests and because of the

extensive interest in the proposal, the Service extends the comment

period. Written comments may now be submitted until December 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 Olin Bray, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, P.O. Box 25486, DFC, Denver, CO 80225-0486; telephone (303)

236-7400, extension 249.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

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

Dated: October 22, 1997.

Ralph O. Morgenweck,

Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 97-28481 Filed 10-27-97; 8:45 am]

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