[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72219-72220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-30700]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International 
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; Results of the 
Twelfth Regular Meeting; Public Meeting

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: With this notice we announce a public meeting to discuss the 
results of the twelfth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties 
(COP12) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

DATES: The public meeting will be held on December 13, 2002, from 9:30 
a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES:

Public Meeting

    The public meeting will be held in the Sidney Yates Auditorium of 
the Department of the Interior, 18th and C Streets, NW., Washington, 
DC.

Available Information

    Information concerning the results of COP12 is available on the web 
site of the CITES Secretariat (http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/index.shtml), or upon request from the Division of Management Authority 
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, below), or via our COP12 web site 
(http://international.fws.gov/cop12/cop12.html).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter O. Thomas, Ph.D., Chief, 
Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
telephone: 703/358-2093, fax: 703/358-2280, e-mail: [email protected]; or 
Robert R. Gabel, Chief, Division of Scientific Authority, telephone: 
703/358-1708, fax: 703/358-2276, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international treaty designed to monitor 
and regulate international trade in certain animal and plant species 
which are, or may become, threatened with extinction, and are listed in 
Appendices to the treaty. Currently 160 countries, including the United 
States, are CITES Parties. CITES calls for biennial meetings of the 
Conference of the

[[Page 72220]]

Parties (COP), which review its implementation, make provisions 
enabling the CITES Secretariat (in Switzerland) to carry out its 
functions, consider amending the list of species in Appendices I and 
II, consider reports presented by the Secretariat, and make 
recommendations for the improved effectiveness of CITES. Any country 
that is a Party to CITES may propose and vote on amendments to 
Appendices I and II, resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for 
consideration by the Conference of the Parties. CITES COP12 was held in 
Santiago, Chile, from November 3 to 15, 2002.
    This is the seventh in a series of Federal Register notices 
concerning U.S. participation in CITES COP12. We published our first 
such Federal Register notice on June 12, 2001 (66 FR 31686), and with 
it we requested information and recommendations on potential species 
amendments for the United States to consider proposing at COP12. 
Information on that Federal Register notice, and on species amendment 
proposals, is available from the Division of Scientific Authority (see 
ADDRESSES, above). We published our second such Federal Register notice 
on July 25, 2001 (66 FR 38739), and with it we requested information 
and recommendations on potential resolutions, decisions, and agenda 
items for the United States to submit for consideration at COP12. You 
may obtain information on that Federal Register notice, and on proposed 
resolutions, proposed decisions, and agenda items, from the Division of 
Management Authority (see ADDRESSES, above). We published our third 
such Federal Register notice on March 27, 2002 (67 FR 14728), and with 
it we announced a public meeting to discuss potential species amendment 
proposals, proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and agenda items 
that the United States was considering submitting for consideration at 
COP12. With that notice, we also provided information on how non-
governmental organizations based in the United States could attend 
COP12 as observers. You may obtain information on that Federal Register 
notice from the Division of Management Authority (see ADDRESSES, 
above). We published our fourth such Federal Register notice on April 
18, 2002 (67 FR 19207), and with it we listed potential proposed 
resolutions, proposed decisions, agenda items, and proposed amendments 
to the CITES Appendices that the United States was considering 
submitting for consideration at COP12, and invited your comments on 
these potential proposals. You may obtain information on that Federal 
Register notice from the Division of Management Authority (for 
information pertaining to proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and 
agenda items) or the Division of Scientific Authority (for information 
pertaining to proposed amendments to the Appendices) (see ADDRESSES, 
above). We published our fifth such Federal Register notice on August 
20, 2002 (67 FR 53962), and with it we announced a public meeting on 
September 10, 2002, to discuss tentative negotiating positions of the 
United States for COP12 proposals and other agenda items. You may 
obtain information on that Federal Register notice from the Division of 
Management Authority (see ADDRESSES, above). We published our sixth 
such Federal Register notice on October 31, 2002 (67 FR 66463), in 
order to provide the agenda for COP12, announce our final tentative 
negotiating positions, and extend the comment period for providing 
information and input to the United States in the development of these 
positions. You may obtain information on that Federal Register notice 
from the Division of Management Authority (see ADDRESSES, above).
    This series of Federal Register notices and public meetings 
provided the public with an opportunity to participate in the 
development of tentative U.S. negotiating positions for COP12.
    On June 6, 2002, the United States submitted to the CITES 
Secretariat, for consideration at COP12, its proposed resolutions, 
proposed decisions, agenda items, and proposed amendments to the CITES 
Appendices. These documents are available from our web site at: http://international.fws.gov/cop12/ussubmission.html. You may locate our 
regulations governing this public process in 50 CFR 23.31 through 
23.39.

Announcement of Public Meeting

    The United States participated in COP12, and by this notice we 
announce a public meeting to discuss the results of that meeting. The 
public meeting will be held on December 13, 2002, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 
noon in the Sidney Yates Auditorium of the Department of the Interior 
at 18th and C Streets, NW., Washington, DC. We recommend that you enter 
the Department of the Interior building via the C Street entrance. 
Directions to the meeting can be obtained by contacting the Division of 
Management Authority (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, above). 
Please note that the auditorium is accessible to the handicapped. 
Persons planning to attend the meeting who require interpretation for 
the hearing impaired should notify the Division of Management Authority 
as soon as possible.
    Author: This notice was prepared by Bruce Weissgold, Division of 
Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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

    Dated: November 27, 2002.
Marshall P. Jones Jr.,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 02-30700 Filed 12-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P