Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Additional Public Hearing on the Proposal To List the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx as a Threatened Species; and the Captive Population of Canada Lynx Within the Coterminous United States (lower 48 States) as Threatened Due to Similarity of Appearance, With a Special Rule

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AF03

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of

Additional Public Hearing on the Proposal To List the Contiguous United

States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx as a Threatened

Species; and the Captive Population of Canada Lynx Within the

Coterminous United States (lower 48 States) as Threatened Due to

Similarity of Appearance, With a Special Rule

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of additional public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), pursuant to the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides notice of

one additional public hearing on the proposed threatened status of the

contiguous United States population of the Canada lynx.

DATES: The comment period closes on September 30, 1998. There will be

eleven public hearings, including one additional public hearing in

Idaho on September 17, 1998 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m.

until 8 p.m.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning this proposal may

be submitted at the hearings or sent directly to Field Supervisor, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Field Office, 100 N. Park Ave.,

Suite 320, Helena, Montana 59601. Comments and materials received will

be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal

business hours at the above address.

The additional hearing will be held at the Rodeway Inn, 1115 North

Custis Rd., Boise, ID.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kemper McMaster at 406/449-5225; or by

fax at 406/449-5339 (see ADDRESSES section).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public hearings on this proposal will be

held in the following locations:

Western States

Colorado

Wednesday, July 22, 1998 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Ramada Inn,

124 W. 6th St., Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This public hearing will be

preceded by an informational open house from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, July 28, 1998, from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Sheraton Denver

West, 360 Union Boulevard, Lakewood, Colorado. This public hearing will

be preceded by an informational open house from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Idaho

Thursday, September 10, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m.

until 8 p.m. at the Coeur d'Alene Inn and Conference Center, 414 West

Appleway Avenue, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Thursday, September 17, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m.

until 8 p.m. at the Rodeway Inn, 1115 North Curtis Road, Boise, Idaho.

Montana

Tuesday, July 21, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m. until

8 p.m. at the Colonial Inn Best Western, 2301 Colonial Drive, Helena,

Montana.

Wednesday, July 22, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m.

until 8 p.m. at Cavanaugh's at Kalispell Center, 20 North Main,

Kalispell, Montana.

Oregon

Tuesday September 15, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m.

until 8 p.m. at Eastern Oregon University, Hoke University Center, 1410

L Avenue, Rooms 201-203, LaGrande, Oregon.

Washington

Tuesday, September 8, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m.

until 8 p.m. at the Cedars Inn, 1 Appleway, Okanogan, Washington.

Wyoming

Wednesday, August 12, 1998, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and from 6 p.m

until 8 p.m. at the Cody Auditorium, Cody Club Room, 1234 Beck Avenue,

Cody, Wyoming.

Eastern States

Maine

Tuesday, September 15, 1998 from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Old Town

High School, 240 Stillwater Avenue, Old Town, Maine.

Great Lakes States

Wisconsin

Tuesday, September 15, 1998 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Northern Great

Lakes Center on County Road G near Hwy 2, west of Ashland, Wisconsin.

This public hearing will be preceded by an informational open house

from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Background

On July 8, 1998, the Service proposed to list the contiguous United

States population segment of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) as

threatened, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended

(Act) (63 FR 36994). This population segment includes the States of

Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota,

Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York,

Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The contiguous United States population

segment of the Canada lynx is threatened by human alteration of

forests, low numbers as a result of past overexploitation, expansion of

the range of competitors (bobcats (Felix rufus) and coyotes (Canis

latrans)), and elevated levels of human access into lynx habitat. The

proposal lists the captive population of Canada lynx within the

coterminous United States (lower 48 States) as threatened due to

similarity of appearance with a special rule.

Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires

that a public hearing be held if it is requested within 45 days of the

publication of the proposed rule. An additional public hearing was

requested by the Governor of Idaho within the allotted time period. The

Service has scheduled an additional public hearing in Boise, Idaho (See

above Supplemental Information).

[[Page 45446]]

Oral and written comments will be accepted and treated equally.

Parties wishing to make statements for the record should bring a copy

of their statements to the hearings. Oral statements may be limited in

length, if the number of parties present at the hearings necessitates

such a limitation. There are no limits to the length of written

comments or materials presented at the hearings or mailed to the

Service. Written comments carry the same weight as oral comments. Legal

notices announcing the date, time, and location of the hearings are

being published in newspapers concurrently with this Federal Register

notice.

Comments from all interested parties must be received by September

30, 1998.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Jeri Wood, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, #368, Boise, Idaho 83704.

Authority

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

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: August 3, 1998.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98-21120 Filed 8-25-98; 8:45 am]

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