[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 203 (Friday, October 21, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61300-61301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21055]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Endangered Species Recovery Permits and Applications

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: The following applicant has applied for a permit to conduct 
certain activities with endangered species pursuant to section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 
This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act.

DATES: Written data or comments must be received November 21, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written data or comments should be submitted to the 
Assistant Regional Director-Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225-
0486.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Permit Application Number--TE-105504. 
Applicant--Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The 
applicant requests a permit to take the gray wolf (Canis lupus) 
throughout locations in northern Montana where the species is listed as 
endangered. The applicant proposes to conduct research and monitoring 
of wolf populations, implement proactive strategies, and conduct, or 
direct, non-lethal and lethal control actions to reduce or resolve 
wolf-livestock and dog conflicts and human safety concerns, as is 
currently conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and 
in accordance with the 1999 Interim Wolf Control Plan. If the permit is 
issued, the applicant would assume responsibility from the Service for 
managing wolves in northwestern Montana. Take for control purposes 
would be consistent with the State Management Plan for wolves and the 
1999 Interim Wolf Control Plan, which provide conditions on when wolf 
control is appropriate, including the following requirements--clear 
evidence that wolves were responsible for the livestock injury or 
death; reason to believe that additional losses would occur if the 
problem wolf or wolves were not controlled; that livestock grazing on 
Federal lands be in compliance with approved management plans and 
annual operating plans for allotments; and, that lethal control be 
authorized in writing prior to its implementation when possible. Non-
lethal control would involve harassing wolves by using rubber bullets, 
projectile bean bags, or other scare tactics. These activities are 
aimed at enhancement of survival for the species in the wild. The 
Service has determined that a practical, responsive management program 
including control is essential to the wolf recovery effort (Service 
1999). If issued, the permit would not affect ongoing wolf management 
in the remainder of the State of Montana conducted in accordance with 
the non-essential experimental population regulations found at 50 CFR 
17.40(n). Additional information about wolf recovery and conservation 
in the northwestern United States, including control of problem wolves, 
can be found in various reports at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov/.
    Availability of Documents: Documents and other information 
submitted with this permit are available for review, subject to the 
requirements of the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), by any party who submits a written 
request for a copy of such documents within 20 days of the date of 
publication of this notice to Kris Olsen, by mail (see ADDRESSES) or by 
telephone at 303-236-4256. A copy of the application is available for 
public

[[Page 61301]]

inspection at the Service's Regional Web site at http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov. All comments received from individuals become 
part of the official public record. Requests for such comments will be 
handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act and the 
Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Protection 
Act regulations [40 CFR 1506.6(f)]. 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 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.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1539(c).

    Dated: September 22, 2005.
Mary G. Henry,
Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 05-21055 Filed 10-20-05; 8:45 am]
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