[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 237 (Monday, December 10, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63665-63666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30411]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Parts 20 and 21

RIN 1018-AI07


Migratory Bird Hunting and Permits; Regulations for Managing 
Harvest of Light Goose Populations; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is extending the 
comment period on a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on 
October 12, 2001. The rule would implement our preferred alternative 
identified in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on light 
goose management. The rule would authorize new methods of take for 
light goose hunting. In addition, the rule would revise the regulations 
for the management of overabundant light goose populations and modifies 
the conservation order that will increase take of such populations.

DATES: Written comments on the proposed rule must be received on or 
before January 25, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the proposed rule should be mailed to Chief, 
Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Department of the Interior, ms 634--ARLSQ, 1849 C Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20240. Requests for copies of the DEIS should be mailed 
to the above address. Copies of the DEIS can be downloaded from the 
Division of Migratory Bird Management web site at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov/issues/snowgse/tblcont.html. Comments on the 
DEIS should be sent to the above address. Alternatively, comments may 
be submitted electronically to the following address: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon Andrew, Chief, Division of 
Migratory Bird Management, (703) 358-1714.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 28, 2001 (66 FR 49668), and 
October 5, 2001 (66 FR 51274), notices were published in the Federal 
Register announcing the availability of our DEIS on light goose 
management. The DEIS evaluates four management alternatives to address 
habitat destruction and agricultural depredations caused by light geese 
on various breeding, migration, and wintering areas: (1) No Action or a 
continuation to manage light goose populations through existing 
wildlife management policies and practices (Alternative A); (2) modify 
harvest regulation options and refuge management (Alternative B) 
(PREFERRED); (3) implement direct agency control of light goose 
populations on migration and wintering

[[Page 63666]]

areas in the U.S. (Alternative C); (4) seek direct light goose 
population control on breeding grounds in Canada (Alternative D). Our 
preferred alternative (Alternative B) modifies existing light goose 
hunting regulations to expand methods of take during normal hunting 
season frameworks. In addition, we propose to create a conservation 
order to allow take of light geese outside of normal hunting season 
frameworks. On October 12, 2001 (66 FR 52077) we published a proposed 
rule in the Federal Register that would implement our preferred 
alternative. On November 7, 2001 (66 FR 56266) we published a 
correction in the Federal Register that added New Jersey to the list of 
States eligible to implement special light goose regulations. We 
inadvertently omitted New Jersey from the list of States contained in 
the proposed rule.
    We have received a request to extend the comment period on the 
DEIS. The Service invites careful consideration by all parties, and 
welcomes serious scrutiny from those committed to the long-term 
conservation of migratory birds. Therefore, to facilitate substantive 
public review, we are also extending the comment period on the proposed 
rule from December 11, 2001, to January 25, 2002. Extension of the 
comment period on the DEIS is made through a separate notice in this 
issue of the Federal Register.
    In order to be considered, electronic submission of comments must 
include your name and postal mailing address; we will not consider 
anonymous comments. All comments received, including names and 
addresses, will become part of the public record. The public may 
inspect comments during normal business hours in Room 634--Arlington 
Square Building, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia. Requests 
for such comments will be handled in accordance with the Freedom of 
Information Act and the Council on Environmental Quality's National 
Environmental Policy Act regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)]. Our practice 
is to make comments available for public review during regular business 
hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home 
address from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by 
law. If a respondent wishes us to withhold his/her name and/or address, 
this must be stated prominently at the beginning of the comment.

    Dated: November 21, 2001.
Joseph E. Doddridge,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 01-30411 Filed 12-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P