[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 127 (Friday, July 2, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40411-40412]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15073]


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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 (CITES); Thirteenth 
Regular Meeting; Provisional Agenda; Announcement of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States, as a Party to the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES), will attend the thirteenth regular meeting of the Conference 
of the Parties to CITES (COP13) in Bangkok, Thailand, October 2-14, 
2004. Currently, the United States is developing its negotiating 
positions on proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, proposed 
amendments to the CITES Appendices (species proposals), and other 
agenda items that were submitted by other Party countries and the CITES 
Secretariat for consideration at COP13. With this notice we announce 
the provisional agenda for COP13, solicit your comments on the items on 
the provisional agenda, and announce a public meeting to discuss the 
items on the provisional agenda.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on August 12, 2004, at 1:30 p.m. 
In developing the U.S. negotiating positions on proposed resolutions, 
proposed decisions, species proposals, and other agenda items submitted 
by other Party countries and the CITES Secretariat for consideration at 
COP13, we will consider written information and comments you submit if 
we receive them by August 31, 2004.

ADDRESSES:

[[Page 40412]]

Public Meeting

    The public meeting will be held in the Rachel Carson Room, in the 
Department of the Interior at 18th and C Streets, NW., Washington, DC. 
Directions to the building can be obtained by contacting the Division 
of Management Authority (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, below).

Comment Submission

    Comments pertaining to proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, 
and agenda items other than those related to species proposals should 
be sent to the Division of Management Authority; U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service; 4401 North Fairfax Drive; Room 700; Arlington, VA 22203; or 
via E-mail at: [email protected]; or via fax at: 703-358-2298. 
Comments pertaining to species proposals should be sent to the Division 
of Scientific Authority; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive; Room 750; Arlington, VA 22203; or via E-mail at: 
[email protected]; or via fax at: 703-358-2276. Comments and 
materials received will be available for public inspection, by 
appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at either 
the Division of Management Authority or the Division of Scientific 
Authority.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information pertaining to 
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items other than those related to 
species proposals: Peter O. Thomas, Chief, Division of Management 
Authority; phone: 703-358-2095; fax: 703-358-2298; E-mail: 
[email protected]. For information pertaining to species proposals: 
Robert R. Gabel, Chief, Division of Scientific Authority; phone: 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, hereinafter referred to as CITES or the Convention, is 
an international treaty designed to control and regulate international 
trade in certain animal and plant species that are now or potentially 
may be threatened with extinction due to trade. These species are 
listed in Appendices to CITES, which are available on the CITES 
Secretariat's Web site at http://www.cites.org/eng/append/index.shtml. 
Currently, 166 countries, including the United States, are Parties to 
CITES. The Convention calls for biennial meetings of the Conference of 
the Parties, which reviews its implementation, makes provisions 
enabling the CITES Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out its 
functions, considers amendments to the list of species in Appendices I 
and II, considers reports presented by the Secretariat, and makes 
recommendations for the improved effectiveness of CITES. Any country 
that is a Party to CITES may propose amendments to Appendices I and II, 
resolutions, decisions, and/or agenda items for consideration by all 
the Parties.
    This is our third in a series of Federal Register notices that, 
together with announced public meetings, provide you with an 
opportunity to participate in the development of the U.S. negotiating 
positions for the thirteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the 
Parties to CITES (COP13). We published our first such Federal Register 
notice on June 19, 2003 (68 FR 36831), and with it we requested 
information and recommendations on species proposals, proposed 
resolutions, proposed decisions, and other agenda items for the United 
States to consider submitting for consideration at COP13. We published 
our second such Federal Register notice on January 12, 2004 (69 FR 
1757), and with it we requested information and recommendations on 
species proposals, proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and other 
agenda items that the United States was considering submitting for 
consideration at COP13. You may obtain information on the above Federal 
Register notices from the following sources: for information on 
proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and agenda items other than 
those related to species proposals, contact the Division of Management 
Authority at the above address; and for information on species 
proposals, contact the Division of Scientific Authority at the above 
address. On May 5, 2004, the United States submitted to the CITES 
Secretariat, for consideration at COP13, its species proposals, 
proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and other agenda items. These 
documents are available on our Web site at: http://international.fws.gov/cop%2013/cop13.htm. You may locate our 
regulations governing this public process in 50 CFR 23.31-23.39.
    COP13 is scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, October 2-14, 
2004.

Announcement of Provisional Agenda for COP13

    The provisional agenda for COP13 is currently available on the 
CITES Secretariat's Web site at http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/13/docs/index.shtml. The working documents associated with the items on the 
provisional agenda, such as proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, 
and discussion documents, are also available on the Secretariat's Web 
site. To view the working document associated with a particular agenda 
item, access the provisional agenda at the above Web site, locate the 
particular agenda item, and click on the document link for that agenda 
item in the column entitled ``Document.'' Finally, the species 
proposals that will be considered on the agenda are available on the 
Secretariat's Web site at http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/13/props/index.shtml. We look forward to receiving your comments on the items on 
the provisional agenda.

Announcement of Public Meeting

    We announce that we will hold a public meeting to discuss with you 
the items on the provisional agenda for COP13. The public meeting will 
be held on August 12, 2004, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Rachel 
Carson Room of the Department of the Interior at 18th and C Streets, 
NW., Washington, DC. You can obtain directions to the building by 
contacting the Division of Management Authority (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT, above). The Rachel Carson Room 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. All persons planning to 
attend the meeting will be required to present photo identification 
when entering the building, and must enter through the C Street 
entrance.

Future Actions

    Through an additional notice and Website posting in advance of 
COP13, we will inform you about tentative U.S. negotiating positions on 
proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, species proposals, and other 
agenda items that were submitted by other Party countries and the CITES 
Secretariat for consideration at COP13.

    Author: The primary author of this notice is Mark Albert, 
Division of Management Authority; under the authority of the U.S. 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).


    Dated: June 9, 2004.
Marshall P. Jones, Jr.,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 04-15073 Filed 7-1-04; 8:45 am]
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