[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49531-49532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20501]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Announcement of 
Public Informational Meetings and Public Hearings for the Proposal to 
Reclassify and Remove the Gray Wolf From the List of Endangered and 
Threatened Species and To Establish Special Regulations for Threatened 
Gray Wolves

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Announcement of public informational meetings and public 
hearings.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
locations and times of public informational meetings that have been 
scheduled to provide information on the proposal to reclassify and 
delist the gray wolf and establish special regulations for threatened 
gray wolves. We also are announcing the locations and times of public 
hearings scheduled to receive verbal public comments on the proposal.

DATES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Direct all comments, questions or 
requests for additional information to us by using the Gray Wolf phone 
line: 612-713-7337, facsimile: 612-713-5292, electronic mail: 
[email protected], website: http://midwest.fws.gov/wolf, or write to 
Gray Wolf Questions, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Building, 
1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We will hold public informational meetings 
at the following locations. All meetings will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. 
and from 6 to 8 p.m. and will use an open house format, including a 
slide presentation that will run approximately every half hour.

Denver, Colorado, on August 15, 2000, at the Holiday Inn at Hampden, 
7390 W. Hampden Avenue, (Lakewood).
Grand Junction, Colorado, on August 16, 2000, at the Holiday Inn, 755 
Horizon Drive.
Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 17, 2000, at the Hilton Salt Lake City 
Center, 255 South West Temple.
Helena, Montana, on August 31, 2000, at Cavanaugh's Colonial Hotel-Best 
Western, 2301 Colonial Drive.
Kalispell, Montana, on September 6, 2000, at the West Coast Inn, 20 
North Main Street.
Missoula, Montana, on September 7, 2000, at the Best Western Grant 
Creek Inn, 5280 Grant Creek Road.
Casper, Wyoming, on September 12, 2000, at the Casper Events Center, #1 
Events Drive.
Bozeman, Montana, on September 14, 2000, at the Wingate Inn, 2305 
Catron Street.

    We will hold public hearings at the following locations. All 
hearings will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m.
Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 12, 2000, at the Hilton Salt Lake City 
Center, 255 South West Temple.
Helena, Montana, on October 18, 2000, at Cavanaugh's Colonial Inn--Best 
Western, 2301 Colonial Drive.
Denver, Colorado, on October 26, 2000, at the Holiday Inn at Hampden, 
7390 W. Hampden Avenue, (Lakewood).

Background

    On July 13, 2000, we published a proposed regulation (65 FR 43450) 
to reclassify and remove the gray wolf from the list of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife and Plants. The proposal also includes three 
special regulations for those distinct populations segments of gray 
wolves that would become classified as threatened. This proposal would 
affect all the conterminous 48 States except Minnesota. Due to the 
complexity and

[[Page 49532]]

wide geographic scope of the proposal, we are scheduling public 
informational meetings and public hearings at a number of locations. 
The locations and times of public informational meetings and public 
hearings in the Midwest, Northwest, and Northeast, were published on 
July 26, 2000 (65 FR 45956). We will publicize the locations and times 
of any additional public informational meetings or public hearings in 
subsequent notices.
    The purpose of the public informational meetings is to provide 
additional opportunities for the public to gain information and ask 
questions about the proposal. These informational sessions should 
assist interested parties in preparing substantive comments on the 
proposal.
    The public hearings will be the only method for comments and data 
to be presented verbally for entry into the public record of this 
rulemaking and for our consideration during our final decision. 
Comments and data also can be submitted in writing or electronically, 
as described in the July 13, 2000, proposal and in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section above.

Author

    The author of this notice is Patricia Worthing, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado.

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

    Dated: August 8, 2000.
Susan E. Baker,
Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 00-20501 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P