[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 21 (Wednesday, January 31, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 3369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1829]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD20


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Special 
Rule for the Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl on Non-Federal 
Lands

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Reopening of the comment period for the proposed special rule.

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SUMMARY: On February 17, 1995, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) 
published a proposed special rule in the Federal Register (60 FR 9484, 
February 17, 1995) pursuant to section 4(d) of the Endangered Species 
Act (Act), to replace the blanket prohibitions against incidental take 
of spotted owls with a narrower, more tailor-made set of standards that 
reduce prohibitions applicable to timber harvest and related activities 
on specified non-Federal forest lands in Washington and California. The 
comment period was scheduled to end on January 26, 1996. The intent of 
this document is to reopen the comment period to March 1, 1996.

DATES: The comment period for written comments is reopened until March 
1, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials concerning this proposed rule should 
be sent to Mr. Michael J. Spear, Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-
4181.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Curt Smitch, Assistant Regional 
Director, North Pacific Coast Ecoregion, 3704 Griffin Lane SE, Suite 
102, Olympia, Washington 98501 (360/534-9330); or Mr. Ron Crete, 
Manager, Habitat Protection and Restoration, Office of Technical 
Support-Forest Resources, P.O. Box 3623, Portland, Oregon 97204-3623 
(503/326-6700).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The implementing regulations for threatened wildlife generally 
incorporate the prohibitions of section 9 of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973, as amended (Act), for endangered wildlife, except when a 
``special rule'' promulgated pursuant to section 4(d) of the Act has 
been issued with respect to a particular threatened species. At the 
time the northern spotted owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, was listed 
as a threatened species in 1990, the Service did not promulgate a 
special section 4(d) rule and therefore, all of the section 9 
prohibitions, including the ``take'' prohibitions, became applicable to 
the species. To replace the blanket prohibitions against take of 
spotted owls, the Service published a proposed special rule, 50 CFR 
Part 17, on February 17, 1995, in the Federal Register, pursuant to 
section 4(d) of the Act, which proposes a narrower, more tailor-made 
set of standards that reduce prohibitions applicable to timber harvest 
and related activities on specified non-Federal forest lands in 
Washington and California.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

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

    Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

    Dated: January 25, 1996.
Curt Smitch,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1, 
Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 96-1829 Filed 1-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P