[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 218 (Thursday, November 9, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 67304-67305]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-28778]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 18

RIN 1018-AF54


Marine Mammals; Incidental Take During Specified Activities; 
Correction

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

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SUMMARY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations to authorize the 
incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar bears and 
Pacific walrus during year-round oil and gas industry exploration, 
development, and production operations in the Beaufort Sea and adjacent 
coast of Alaska expired on December 15, 1998. Subsequent regulations 
that we issued should have been characterized as ``adding'' rather than 
``revising'' these regulations. This correction makes clear that our 
intent was to add the regulations.

DATES: This correction is effective March 30, 2000, and remains 
effective through March 31, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials received in response to our most 
recent final rule action, published in the Federal Register on March 
30, 2000, are available for public inspection during normal working 
hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the Office 
of Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E. 
Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey L. Horwath, Division of Fish 
and

[[Page 67305]]

Wildlife Management Assistance and Habitat Restoration, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Telephone 703-358-1718, or on the Internet at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 15, 1998, our regulations at 50 
CFR Part 18, Subpart J expired. These regulations were effective 
beginning on December 16, 1993 (58 FR 60402, November 16, 1993), and 
authorized the incidental, unintentional take of small numbers of polar 
bears and Pacific walrus during year-round oil and gas industry 
exploration, development, and production operations in the Beaufort Sea 
and adjacent coast of Alaska. We subsequently issued final regulations 
on January 29, 1999 (64 FR 4328) ``revising'' these expired 
regulations. Later regulations appear on February 3, 2000 (65 FR 5275), 
and March 30, 2000 (65 FR 16828). Rather than ``revising'' our 
regulations, we should have stated that we were ``adding'' these 
regulations at 50 CFR Part 18. Therefore, this action corrects this 
technical error by changing the amendatory instructions in our March 
30, 2000, final rule to state that we are ``adding'' those regulations 
to 50 CFR Part 18, Subpart J. Letters of Authorization issued under the 
regulations are not affected by this action.


    Accordingly, make the following correction to FR Doc. 00-7912 
published at 65 FR 16828 on March 30, 2000:

PART 18--[CORRECTED]

    On page 16842, in column one, correct amendatory instruction 2. to 
read as follows:
    2. Add Subpart J to Part 18 to read as follows:

    Dated: November 6, 2000.
Cathleen Short,
Assistant Director, Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-28778 Filed 11-8-00; 8:45 am]
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