[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 29711-29713]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-10253]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 15

RIN 1018-AH89


Importation of Exotic Wild Birds into the United States; Notice 
of Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Rule to Add Blue-Fronted 
Amazon Parrots from Argentina's Sustainable-Use Management Plan to the 
Approved List of Non-Captive-Bred Species Under the Wild Bird 
Conservation Act

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

[[Page 29712]]


ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), give notice that 
we are reopening the comment period for the proposed rule to add blue-
fronted amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) from Argentina's sustainable-
use management plan to the approved list of non-captive-bred (wild-
caught) species under the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 (WBCA). We 
are reopening the public comment period to allow all interested parties 
time to comment on Dr. Jorge Rabinovich's study, ``Modeling the 
Sustainable Use of the Blue-Fronted Parrot (Amazona aestiva) in the Dry 
Chaco Region of Argentina.'' The proposed rule was published and the 
public comment period initially opened on August 6, 2003 (68 FR 46559). 
We reopened the public comment period on March 29, 2005 (70 FR 15798) 
in order to accept comments related to Dr. Rabinovich's study, and we 
are now reopening it for an additional 45 days.

DATES: Comments must be submitted directly to the Service (see 
ADDRESSES section) on or before July 8, 2005. Any comments received 
after the closing date may not be considered in the final determination 
on the proposal.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments and 
materials by any one of several methods:
    1. You may submit written comments and information to Dr. Peter O. 
Thomas, Chief, Division of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 700, Arlington, Virginia 22203.
    2. You may hand-deliver written comments and information to the 
Division of Management Authority, at the above address, or fax your 
comments to (703) 358-2298.
    3. You may send your comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to 
[email protected]. Please submit e-mail comments as an ASCII file, 
avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption. 
Please also include ``Attention: [blue-fronted amazon]'' and your name 
and return address in your message. Please note that the e-mail 
address, [email protected], will be closed out at the end of the public 
comment period.
    4. We request that you not submit duplicate comments by multiple 
means. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for comment procedures.
    To obtain a copy of the aforementioned study, you can download or 
print it from http://www.fws.gov/international/ or contact Anne St. 
John at (703) 358-2095 (phone) or (703) 358-2298 (facsimile) to receive 
a faxed or mailed copy.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Peter O. Thomas, Chief, Division 
of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; telephone 
(703) 358-2093; fax (703) 358-2280.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The WBCA limits or prohibits import into the United States of 
exotic bird species to ensure that their wild populations are not 
harmed by international trade. It also encourages wild bird 
conservation programs in countries of origin by ensuring that all 
imports of such species are biologically sustainable and not 
detrimental to the survival of the species. On November 16, 1993, we 
published a final rule in the Federal Register (58 FR 60536) in which 
we informed the public that imports of all CITES-listed birds (as 
defined in the final rule) were prohibited, except for (a) species 
included in an approved list; (b) specimens for which an import permit 
has been issued; (c) species from countries that have approved 
sustainable-use management plans for those species; or (d) specimens 
from approved foreign captive-breeding facilities.
    On August 6, 2003, we published in the Federal Register (68 FR 
46559) a rule proposing to approve a sustainable-use management plan 
developed by the CITES Management Authority of Argentina for blue-
fronted amazon parrots under the WBCA. The rule proposed to add blue-
fronted amazon parrots from Argentina's program to the approved list of 
non-captive-bred (wild-caught) species contained in 50 CFR 15.33(b). 
The public comment period on that proposed rule was open for 60 days, 
and in our final rule, we will address the comments we received. On 
March 29, 2005 (70 FR 15798), we reopened the comment period to enter 
into the record, Dr. Jorge Rabinovich's 2004 study, ``Modeling the 
Sustainable Use of the Blue-Fronted Parrot (Amazona aestiva) in the Dry 
Chaco Region of Argentina,'' and any comments we receive regarding the 
relationship of this study to the proposed addition of blue-fronted 
amazon parrots from Argentina's program to the approved list of non-
captive-bred (wild-caught) species under the WBCA.

Public Comments Solicited

    We request comments or suggestions from the public, other concerned 
governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other 
interested party concerning this study and its relationship to the 
proposed rule. In making a final decision, we will take into 
consideration the comments we received and their relationship to the 
proposed action. Such communications may lead to a final determination 
that differs from the proposed rule.
    The initial comment period on this proposed rule closed on October 
6, 2003. In response to the receipt of Rabinovich's 2004 study, on 
March 29, 2005 (70 FR 15798), we reopened the public comment period on 
our proposed rule for 30 days, until April 28, 2005. To date, we have 
not yet made a final decision regarding the approval of Argentina's 
sustainable-use management plan for blue-fronted amazon parrots. To 
allow all interested parties time to submit their comments on this 
report for the record, we are reopening comment period for an 
additional 45 days.
    Our practice is to make comments, including names and home 
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold 
their home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to 
the extent allowable by law. There also may be circumstances in which 
we would withhold from the rulemaking record a respondent's identity, 
as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or 
address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your 
comment. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make 
all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. 
Comments and materials received will be available for public 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
Division of Management Authority (see ADDRESSES section).

References Cited

    Rabinovich, Jorge. 2004. Unpublished report. Centro de Estudios 
Parasitol[oacute]gicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE), Universidad Nacional de 
La Plata, La Plata, Prov. de Buenos Aires, Argentina. 147 pp. with 
figures.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Anne St. John (see ADDRESSES 
section).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 
1992

[[Page 29713]]

(Pub. L. 102-440, 16 U.S.C. 4901-4916.).

    Dated: May 12, 2005.
Paul Hoffman,
Acting Assistant Secretary--+Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 05-10253 Filed 5-23-05; 8:45 am]
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