[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 54 (Monday, March 21, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-6427]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: March 21, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB42

 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of 
Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for Argali

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Service gives notice that the comment period on the 
proposed rule to determine endangered status for the argali in 
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan will be reopened for 30 days to 
obtain comments on new data.

DATES: All comments and information received through April 20, 1994 
will be considered in making a final decision on the proposal and will 
be included in the administrative record.

ADDRESSES: Please send correspondence regarding this notice to the 
Chief, Office of Scientific Authority; Mail Stop: Arlington Square, 
room 725; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Washington, DC 20240 (Fax 
number 703-358-2276). Express and messenger-delivered mail should be 
addressed to the Office of Scientific Authority; room 750, 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive; Arlington, Virginia 22203. Comments and other 
information received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the 
Arlington, Virginia address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Charles W. Dane, Chief, Office of Scientific Authority, at the 
above address (phone 703-358-1708).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Federal Register of April 27, 1993 
(58 FR 25595-25600), the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issued a 
proposed rule to determine endangered status for the argali (Ovis 
ammon), a wild sheep, in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan. The 
species currently is classified as threatened in those three countries 
and as endangered throughout the rest of its range. Effective January 
1, 1993, a special rule (50 CFR 17.40(j)) provides for the limited 
importation into the United States of argali trophies taken in 
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan, once the Service has received 
from the governments of those countries properly documented and 
verifiable certification that: (1) Argali populations are sufficiently 
large to sustain sport hunting; (2) regulating authorities have the 
capability to obtain sound data on these populations; (3) regulating 
authorities recognize these populations as a valuable resource and have 
the legal and practical means to manage them as such; (4) the habitat 
of these populations is secure; (5) regulating authorities can ensure 
that the involved trophies have in fact been legally taken from the 
specified populations; and (6) funds derived from the involved sport 
hunting are applied primarily to argali conservation. The original 
comment period on the proposed reclassification and proposed repeal of 
the special rule ended on October 25, 1993.
    The proposal of April 27, 1993, stated that the threatened 
classification and special rule appeared inadequate to provide for the 
protection of the species in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan. In 
addition, no substantive response has been received relative to the 
special rule's requirement for the certification indicated above. The 
Service, however, attempted to collect information that could help meet 
this requirement, through the funding of a survey by Dr. Anna 
Luschekina of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow. A final report 
of this survey was recently submitted to the Service. As this report 
contains information that may be relevant to a final decision regarding 
the proposal of April 27, 1993, the Service now reopens the comment 
period for 30 days and will provide copies of the report upon request.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.

    Dated: February 28, 1994.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 94-6427 Filed 3-18-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M