[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 126 (Tuesday, July 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35518-35519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17135]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Proposed Policy on Giant Panda Permits

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice that the 
comment period on the proposed policy for

[[Page 35519]]

issuance of permits for import of giant panda will be reopened to 
obtain comments on new information that should be considered in 
determining the final policy.

DATES: Public comment received on or before September 29, 1997, will be 
considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted to the Chief, Office of Management 
Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, 
Room 430, Arlington, Virginia 22203.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Stansell, Chief, Office 
Management Authority, at the above address, or call (703) 358-2093; fax 
(703) 358-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Service published a proposed policy on 
issuance of permits for giant panda imports on March 30, 1995 (60 FR 
16487). The comment period was reopened in a notice published June 27, 
1995 (123 FR 33224) in response to a request from the American Zoo and 
Aquarium Association. Subsequent to the closure of this comment period, 
two events took place in which new information was received that should 
be considered in finalizing this policy. The events and resulting 
information are as follows:
    (1) During the 36th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee 
Meeting, January 30-February 2, 1996, discussions of giant panda loans 
resulted in the CITES Secretariat issuing Notification No. 932 which 
recommended conditions under which giant panda loans should occur.
    (2) Dr. U.S. Seal, of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group 
(CBSG), Species Survival Commission, The World Conservation Union 
(IUCN), and others, conducted a Captive Management Planning Workshop in 
Chengdu, China, December 10-13, 1996. The workshop was organized by the 
Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens and the Ministry of 
Construction in collaboration with the CBSG. The Service received a 
copy of the report resulting from the workshop.
    Copies of the CITES Notification and the report on the Captive 
Management Planning Workshop are available from the address listed 
above. Interested organizations and the public are invited to comment 
on the documents as they relate to the previously published proposed 
policy. In addition, comments submitted during the previous comment 
periods, including those from the Chinese Ministry of Forestry and the 
Ministry of Construction, are also available upon request. The Service 
will consider all comments received during the previous two comment 
periods and this comment period in drafting a final policy.

    Authority: This notice was prepared under the authority of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S. C. 1531 et 
seq.).

    Dated: June 23, 1997.
Robert G. Streeter,
Director.
[FR Doc. 97-17135 Filed 6-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P