[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47677-47678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23938]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Supplemental Information Regarding the 
Recovery Plan for the Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) for Review 
and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of draft supplemental information to the 
recovery plan for the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). This 
information addresses certain aspects of the recovery plan. Portions of 
the information will be added to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. The 
Service solicits review and comment from the public on this draft 
information.

DATES: Comments on the draft supplemental information must be received 
on or before November 10, 1997 to ensure they receive consideration by 
the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft supplemental information 
may obtain a copy by contacting the Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University Hall, Room 309, University 
of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812. Written comments and materials 
regarding this information should be sent to the Recovery Coordinator 
at the address given above. Comments and materials received are 
available on request for public inspection, by appointment, during 
normal business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Christopher Servheen, Grizzly Bear 
Recovery Coordinator (see ADDRESSES above), at telephone (406) 243-
4903.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plan to the point 
where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is 
a primary goal of the Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) endangered 
species program. To help guide the recovery effort, the Service is 
working to prepare recovery plans for most of the listed species native 
to the United States. Recovery plans describe actions considered 
necessary for conservation of the species, establish criteria for 
recovery levels for downlisting or delisting them, and estimate time 
and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed.
    Under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Service approved the revised 
Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan on September 10, 1993. The Plan approved in 
1993 did not contain a complete chapter on the Bitterroot or North 
Cascade ecosystems because the specific information necessary to 
develop these chapters was not available. The Service approved the 
Bitterroot Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan Chapter and the North 
Cascades Ecosystem Recovery Plan Chapter on September 11, 1996, and 
June 23, 1997, respectively.
    In May 1994 The Fund For Animals, Inc., and 22 other organizations 
and individuals filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District 
of Columbia over the adequacy of the Plan approved in 1993. Later in 
May 1994 the National Audubon Society and 19 other organizations and 
individuals also filed suit in the same court. The two cases were 
eventually consolidated. In September 1995 the court issued an opinion. 
The motions for summary judgment of both the plaintiffs and the 
defendants were granted in part and denied in part. The court ordered 
the Service to reconsider certain portions of the Plan, and to provide 
supplemental information. The information presented in the document 
being made available for review includes supplemental information that 
the Service was to provide and the results of its reconsideration.
    The Service is also in the process of developing habitat based 
recovery criteria to be added to the Plan. Those criteria are not 
included in the information being made available now. The habitat based 
recovery criteria will be made available for public review at a later 
date.
    Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in 1988, requires that public 
notice and an

[[Page 47678]]

opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery 
plan development. The Service will consider all information presented 
during a public comment period prior to approval of each new or revised 
recovery plan. The Service and other Federal agencies also will take 
these comments into account in the course of implementing approved 
recovery plans.
    The grizzly bear was listed under the Act as a threatened species 
in the 48 conterminous States on July 28, 1995 (40 FR 31734). Threats 
to grizzly bear populations come primarily from habitat modification 
caused by human activities and from direct bear/human conflicts 
resulting from recreational and resource use activities, highway and 
railroad corridors, illegal mortality, etc. The grizzly bear population 
in each of the ecosystems included in the Plan can be delisted 
independently once recovery criteria stated in the Plan are met.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the supplemental 
information described above. All comments received by the date 
specified in the DATES section above will be considered prior to 
finalization of the information. Appropriate portions of the 
information will be appended to, and become part of, the Plan.

Authority

    The authority for this section is section 4(f) of the Endangered 
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: September 3, 1997.
Terry T. Terrell,
Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 97-23938 Filed 9-9-97; 8:45 am]
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