[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 95 (Friday, May 16, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 26642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12343]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Draft Environmental Assessment on the Proposal To Establish 
Operational/Experimental General Swan Hunting Seasons in the Pacific 
Flyway

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that a Draft Environmental 
Assessment on the Continuation of General Swan Hunting Seasons in 
Portions of the Pacific Flyway is available for public review. Comments 
and suggestions are requested.

DATES: You must submit comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment 
by June 16, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) can be 
obtained by writing to Robert Trost, Pacific Flyway Representative, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Bird Management, 
911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181. The DEA may also be 
viewed via the Fish and Wildlife Service Home Page at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov. Written comments can be sent to the address 
above. All comments received, including names and addresses, will 
become part of the public record. You may inspect comments during 
normal business hours at the same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Trost, Pacific Flyway 
Representative, (503) 231-6162.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEA includes a review of the 5-year 
experimental general swan hunting seasons that took place from 1995 to 
2000, as well as a summary of the results of subsequent 2000-02 hunting 
seasons. Information from the most recent breeding and wintering 
populations surveys is also included in the new DEA. Three alternatives 
are proposed to address the future of operational swan hunting seasons 
in Utah, Nevada, and the Pacific Flyway portion of Montana. The 
issuance of a new DEA fulfills the Service commitment to assess the 
Pacific Flyway swan seasons at the end of the 2002-03 hunting season as 
established in the most recent DEA on the issue, the availability of 
which was announced in the April 25, 2001, Federal Register (66 FR 
20828). The DEA focuses on the issue of whether or not to establish an 
operational approach for swan hunting. Related efforts to address 
population status and distributional concerns regarding the Rocky 
Mountain Population of trumpeter swans are also discussed. Three 
alternatives, including the proposed action, are considered.

    Dated: April 30, 2003.
Matt Hogan,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 03-12343 Filed 5-15-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P