[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 234 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Page 68893]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-23642]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Receipt of Application for an Enhancement of Survival Permit 
Associated With the Reintroduction of Black-Footed Ferrets on the 
Northern Cheyenne Tribal Lands in Montana

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
receipt of an application for the reintroduction of black-footed 
ferrets on Northern Cheyenne Tribal lands in Montana pursuant to 
section 10(a)(1)(A) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(Act). The Service requests information, views, and opinions from the 
public via this notice.

DATES: Written comments on this request for a permit must be received 
by January 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written data or comments should be submitted to the 
Assistant Regional Director, Fisheries--Ecological Services, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, 
Colorado 80225-0486; facsimile 303-236-0027. Documents and other 
information submitted with this application 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 
request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of 
publication of this notice to Kris Olsen, by mail or by telephone at 
303-236-4256. All comments received from individuals become part of the 
official public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kris Olsen, Regional Permit 
Coordinator (ADDRESSES above), telephone 303-236-4256, or Pete Gober, 
Project Leader, South Dakota Ecological Services Office, 420 South 
Garfield Avenue, Suite 400, Pierre, South Dakota 57501, telephone 605-
224-8693, extension 24.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following applicant has requested 
issuance of an enhancement of survival permit to conduct certain 
activities with endangered species pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(A) of 
the Act.
    Applicant--Northern Cheyenne Natural Resource Department, Lame 
Deer, Montana, TE-167158.
    The applicant requests a permit to take black-footed ferret in 
conjunction with reintroduction and recovery activities throughout the 
Northern Cheyenne Reservation portion of the species' range for the 
purpose of enhancing its survival and recovery. The black-footed ferret 
is one of the rarest mammals in North America. Formerly co-occurring 
across the ranges of all prairie dog species, its distribution has been 
greatly reduced due to disease (plague), poisoning of prairie dogs, and 
human-related habitat alteration. The only known current populations 
are those in captivity and those started through reintroduction of 
captive-bred individuals. Protection of this species and enhancement of 
its habitat on Tribal land will benefit recovery efforts.
    The primary objectives of the proposed action are to--(a) restore 
the native prairie ecosystem on the Northern Cheyenne, consistent with 
Northern Cheyenne and Native American traditions and values; (b) 
establish a viable, self-sustaining ferret population in South-central 
Montana consistent with the Conservation Plan for Black-tailed and 
White-tailed Prairie Dogs in Montana and the Black-footed Ferret 
Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1988); and (c) further 
test the effectiveness of methods to address the threat of Sylvatic 
plague (Yersinia pestis) on black-footed ferret survival in the wild by 
using vaccination and flea control methods. We have made the 
preliminary determination that the proposed activities will enhance 
survival and recovery of the black-footed ferret. This notice is 
provided pursuant to section 10 of the Act.
    We will evaluate the permit application and the comments submitted 
therein to determine whether the application meets the requirements of 
section 10(a) of the Act. If it is determined that those requirements 
are met, a permit will be issued for the reintroduction of the black-
footed ferret. The final permit decision will be made no sooner than 30 
days after the date of this notice.

    Authority: The authority of this action is the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.).

    Dated: November 1, 2007.
Emily Jo Williams,
Acting Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. E7-23642 Filed 12-5-07; 8:45 am]
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