[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 159 (Tuesday, August 18, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 44229-44231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22159]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 21

RIN 1018-AE65


Migratory Bird Permits; Amended Certification of Compliance and 
Determination That the States of Vermont and West Virginia Meet Federal 
Falconry Standards

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Service proposes to add the States of Vermont and West 
Virginia to the list of States whose falconry laws have been determined 
by the Director to meet or exceed Federal falconry standards. As a 
result, we propose the States of Vermont and West Virginia be 
participants in the cooperative Federal/State permit application 
program and falconry allowed to be practiced in those States. The list 
of States that meet Federal falconry standards, including Vermont and 
West Virginia, is being published in this proposed rule for public 
review as well. The Service wishes to amend the regulations on the 
States' compliance in order to clarify the administrative procedure 
that States follow in order to be in compliance with Federal falconry 
standards.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before September 17, 1998 at the 
location noted below under the heading ADDRESSES.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the environmental assessment (EA), and the State 
falconry rules for Vermont and West Virginia are available by writing 
to the Chief, Office of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 1849 C Street, NW, MS 634 ARLSQ, Washington, DC 
20240. Comments may also be forwarded to this same address. The public 
may inspect comments during normal business hours in room 634, 
Arlington Square Building, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul R. Schmidt, Chief, Office of 
Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, telephone 
703/358-1714.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations in 50 CFR part 21 provide for 
review and approval of State falconry laws by the Service. A list of 
States whose falconry laws are approved by the Service is found in 50 
CFR 21.29(k). Falconry legally occurs in those States. As provided in 
50 CFR 21.29 (a) and (c), the Director has reviewed certified copies of 
the falconry regulations adopted by the States of Vermont and West 
Virginia and has determined that they meet or exceed Federal falconry 
standards. Federal falconry standards contained in 50 CFR 21.29 (d) 
through (i) include permit requirements, classes of permits, 
examination procedures, facilities and equipment standards, raptor 
marking, and raptor taking restrictions. Both Vermont and West Virginia 
regulations also meet or exceed all restrictions or conditions found in 
50 CFR 21.29(j), which include requirements on the number, species, 
acquisition, possession of feathers, and marking of raptors. Therefore, 
the Service is proposing that the States of Vermont and West Virginia 
be listed under part 21.20(k) as States which meet Federal falconry 
standards. The proposed listing would eliminate the current restriction 
that prohibits falconry within the States of Vermont and West Virginia.
    The Service proposes to amend the regulatory language in 50 CFR 
21.29 (a) and (c) to clarify the Service's procedures in approving 
State regulations for compliance with Federal falconry standards. This 
approval is contingent upon the respective State's submission of its 
laws and regulations to the Director for review and a further finding 
that such laws and regulations meet or exceed Federal falconry 
standards.
    The Service is publishing for public review the list of States that 
have met the Federal falconry standards, including the States of 
Vermont and West Virginia. The Service believes that publishing this 
list in its entirety will eliminate any confusion concerning which 
States have approval for falconry and further indicate which States 
participate in a joint Federal/State permit system.
    The Service also is revising the text in 50 CFR 21.29 (j)(2) to be 
gender neutral.

[[Page 44230]]

Need for Rulemaking

    The need for changes to 50 CFR part 21 arose from the expressed 
desire of Vermont and West Virginia to institute a falconry program for 
the benefit of citizens interested in the sport of falconry. 
Accordingly, the States have promulgated regulations that meet or 
exceed Federal requirements protecting migratory birds. The changes to 
50 CFR 21.29 are necessary to further the national interest for a 
Federal falconry standard and to allow, by inclusion within the listing 
of authorized falconry States, the States of Vermont and West Virginia 
to practice falconry.

NEPA Consideration

    In compliance with the requirements of section 102(2)(C) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4332(C)), 
and the Council on Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing 
NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the Service prepared an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) in July 1988 to support establishment of simpler, less 
restrictive regulations governing the use of most raptors. This EA is 
available to the public at the location indicated under the ADDRESSES 
caption. Based on review and evaluation of the proposed rule to amend 
50 CFR 21.29(k) by adding Vermont and West Virginia to the list of 
States whose falconry laws meet or exceed Federal falconry standards, 
the Service has determined that the issuance of the proposed rule would 
not be a major Federal action that would significantly affect the 
quality of the human environment and thereby is categorically excluded 
from NEPA documentation under the Department of the Interior's NEPA 
procedures in 516 DM 2, Appendix 1.10.

Endangered Species Act Considerations

    Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1972, as amended 
(16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.), provides that, ``The Secretary shall review 
other programs administered by him and utilize such programs in 
furtherance of the purposes of this Act'' [and] shall ``insure that any 
action authorized, funded, or carried out * * * is not likely to 
jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered species or 
threatened species or result in the destruction or adverse modification 
of [critical] habitat * * *'' The Service's Section 7 review has 
determined that this action is not likely to adversely affect listed 
raptors. A copy of this determination is available to the public at the 
location indicated under the ADDRESSES caption.

Regulatory Flexibility Act, Executive Order 12866, and the 
Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule was not subject to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) review under Executive Order 12866. The Department of the 
Interior has determined that this rule will not have a significant 
effect on a substantial number of small entities under the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). The economic impacts of 
falconry on small business entities were analyzed in detail and a Small 
Entity Flexibility Analysis (Analysis), under the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.), was issued by the Service in 
1996 (copies available upon request from the Office of Migratory Bird 
Management). The Analysis documented that there is not a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. This rule 
has no potential takings implications for private property as defined 
in Executive Order 12630. The only effect of this rule on the 
constituent community will be to allow falconers in the States of 
Vermont and West Virginia to apply for falconry permits. It is 
estimated that no more than 25 people would apply for falconry permits 
in both Vermont and West Virginia combined. This rule does contain 
information collection requirements that require approval by OMB under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S. 3501 et seq. The information 
collection is covered by an existing OMB approval for licenses/permit 
applications, number 1018-0022. For further permitting approval see 50 
CFR part 21.4.

Unfunded Mandates Act Implications

    The Service has determined and certifies pursuant to the Unfunded 
Mandates Act, 2 U.S.C. 1502 et seq., that this rulemaking will not 
impose a cost of $100 million or more in any given year on local or 
State governments or private entities.

Civil Justice Reform--Executive Order 12988

    The Service, in promulgating this rule, determines that these 
regulations meet the applicable standards provided in sections 3(a) and 
3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988 and that the rule does not unduly 
burden the judicial system and meets the requirements of sections 3(a) 
and 3(b)(2) of the Order.

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

    There are no Federally-recognized Indian tribes in the States of 
Vermont or West Virginia and the proposed revisions to the existing 
regulations are of a purely administrative nature affecting no tribal 
trust resources. The Service, therefore, has determined that there are 
no effects on Federally-recognized Indian tribes in this proposed 
rulemaking.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 21

    Exports, Hunting, Imports, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Transportation, Wildlife.

    Accordingly, the Service proposes to amend Part 21, subchapter B, 
Chapter 29 of Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:

PART 21--MIGRATORY BIRD PERMITS

    1. The authority citation for part 21 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: Pub. L. 95-616, 92 Stat. 3112 (16 U.S.C. 712(2)).

    2. Amend Sec. 21.29 by revising paragraphs (a), (c), (j)(2) and (k) 
as follows:


Sec. 21.29  Federal falconry standards.

    (a) General. No person may take, possess, transport, sell, 
purchase, barter, or offer to sell, purchase, or barter any raptor for 
falconry purposes in any State which does not allow the practice of 
Falconry or in any State which has not submitted a copy of its laws and 
regulations governing the practice of falconry to the Director, who 
determines that the State's laws and regulations meet or exceed Federal 
standards established in this section: Except, a Federal falconry 
permittee may possess and transport for falconry purposes otherwise 
lawfully possessed raptors through States which do not allow the 
practice of falconry or meet Federal falconry standards so long as the 
raptors remain in transit in interstate commerce. The States that are 
in compliance with Federal falconry standards are listed in paragraph 
(k) of this section.
* * * * *
    (c) Certification of compliance. Any State that wishes to allow the 
practice of falconry must submit a copy of its laws and regulations 
governing the practice of falconry to the Director. If the Director 
determines that the State's laws and regulations meet or exceed the 
Federal standards established by this section, the Service will publish 
a notice in the Federal Register and the State will be listed in 
paragraph (k) of this section. The Service will consider any State that 
was listed in paragraph (k) of this section prior to September 14, 
1989, to be in compliance with Federal standards.
* * * * *

[[Page 44231]]

    (j) Other restrictions.
    (2) A person who possesses raptors before the enactment of these 
regulations, in excess of the number allowed under their permit, shall 
be allowed to retain the extra raptors. All such birds shall be 
identified with markers supplied by the Service and no replacement can 
occur, nor may any additional raptor be obtained, until the number in 
possession is at least one less than the total number authorized by the 
class of permit held by the permittee.
* * * * *
    (k) States meeting Federal falconry standards. In accordance with 
this section, the Director has determined that the following States 
meet or exceed the minimum Federal standards for regulating the taking, 
possession, and transportation of raptors for the purpose of falconry 
as set forth herein.

*Alabama
*Alaska
*Arizona
*Arkansas
*California
*Colorado
*Florida
*Georgia
*Idaho
*Illinois
*Indiana
*Iowa
*Kansas
*Kentucky
*Louisiana
*Maine
*Maryland
*Massachusetts
*Michigan
*Minnesota
*Mississippi
*Missouri
*Montana
*Nebraska
*Nevada
*New Hampshire
*New Jersey
*North Dakota
*New York
*New Mexico
*North Carolina
*Ohio
*Oklahoma
*Oregon
*Pennsylvania
*Rhode Island
*South Carolina
*South Dakota
*Tennessee
*Texas
*Utah
*Vermont
*Virginia
*Washington
*West Virginia
*Wisconsin
*Wyoming

    Note: States which are participants in a joint Federal/State 
permit system are designated by an asterisk.

    Dated: August 7, 1998.
Stephen C. Saunders,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 98-22159 Filed 8-17-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P