[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-5114]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 7, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB97

 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of 
Comment Period and Public Hearing on Proposed Designation of Critical 
Habitat for the Louisiana Black Bear

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; public hearing and reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice that a 
public hearing will be held on the proposed designation of critical 
habitat for the Louisiana black bear, Ursus americanus luteolus. The 
Louisiana black bear occupies the Tensas and Atchafalaya River basins 
with possible remnant numbers is the lower Mississippi River Delta and 
the bluffs south of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The proposed critical 
habitat areas are limited to forest within the Tensas and Atchafalaya 
River basin and south of U.S. Highway 90, west from the lower 
Atchafalaya River along the coastline to the Vermillion Parish line, 
north to Highway 14, thence east to U.S. Highway 90. This hearing will 
allow additional comments on this proposal to be submitted from all 
interested parties.

DATES: The comment period on the proposal is reopened through April 4, 
1994. The public hearing will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on March 23, 
1994.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held in the auditorium of the New 
Iberia Senior High School, 1301 E. Admiral Doyle Drive, New Iberia, 
Louisiana. Written comments and materials should be sent to the Field 
Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, 
Suite A, Jackson, Mississippi 39213. Comments and materials received 
will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal 
business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendell A. Neal at the above address 
(601/965-4900).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Endangered Species Act requires the Service to designate 
critical habitat to the maximum extent prudent and determinable 
concurrently with listing a species. Although the Service found that 
designation of critical habitat was not prudent in the proposed rule of 
June 21, 1990 (55 FR 25341) for listing the Louisiana black bear as 
threatened, in the final rule listing the Louisiana black bear as 
threatened, published on January 7, 1992 (57 FR 588), the Service 
changed its earlier finding by determining that designation of critical 
habitat was prudent but not then determinable. A proposal to designate 
three areas as critical habitat was published in the Federal Register 
on December 2, 1993 (58 FR 63560). The actual critical habitat within 
these areas is limited to forestland.
    Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Endangered Species Act requires that a 
public hearing be held on proposed designation of critical habitat if 
requested within 45 days of the proposal's publication in the Federal 
Register. Public hearing requests were received during the allotted 
time period from Robert Lamar Boese, the Honorable Bill Tauzin, Pietro 
L. Pipari, and Henry Stickler.
    Anyone expecting to make an oral presentation at the hearing is 
encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement to the hearing 
officer prior to the start of the hearing. In the event there is a 
large attendance, the time allotted for oral statements may have to be 
limited. Oral and written statements receive equal consideration. There 
are no limits to the length of written comments presented at this 
hearing or mailed to the Service.
    The comment period originally closed on March 2, 1993. In order to 
accommodate the public hearing, the Service reopens the public comment 
period. Written comments may now be submitted through April 4, 1994, to 
the office in the ADDRESSES section.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Wendell A. Neal (see ADDRESSES 
section).

    Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered 
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544).

    Dated: February 25, 1994.
James W. Pulliam, Jr.,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 94-5114 Filed 3-4-94; 8:45 am]
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