[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 5, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65954-65955]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26168]



  Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 215 / Wednesday, November 5, 2008 / 
Notices  

[[Page 65954]]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N0110; 91200-1231-9BPP-L2]


Migratory Bird Hunting and Permits; Harvest of Light Goose 
Populations

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of authorization of regulations managing the harvest of 
light goose populations.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that we authorize States in the 
Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways to implement regulations for 
managing the harvest of light goose populations. The regulations for 
this harvest are published elsewhere in today's Federal Register.

DATES: This notice will go into effect on December 5, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You can obtain a copy of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS) for the light goose regulations by writing to the 
Division of Migratory Bird Management, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MBSP-
4107, Arlington, VA 22203; by e-mailing us at [email protected]; or 
by calling us at (703) 358-1714. The FEIS has been posted on our Web 
site at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/snowgse/tblcont.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Blohm, Chief, Division of 
Migratory Bird Management, (703) 358-1714; or James Kelley (612) 713-
5409.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Various populations of light geese (greater and lesser snow geese 
and Ross' geese) have undergone rapid growth during the past 30 years 
and have become seriously injurious to their habitat, habitat important 
to other migratory birds, and agricultural interests. Because we 
believe that several of these populations have exceeded the long-term 
carrying capacity of their breeding and/or migration habitats and must 
be reduced, on October 12, 2001, we proposed regulations for the 
management of light goose populations (66 FR 52077). We published a 
notice of availability of our final environmental impact statement 
(FEIS) on light goose management on July 13, 2007 (72 FR 38576). The 
FEIS describes five alternatives for managing light goose populations 
and analyzes the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts related to 
each alternative. The Record of Decision and final rule associated with 
the FEIS and this notice are published elsewhere in this issue of the 
Federal Register. In the final rule, we have provided the NEPA and 
Endangered Species Act considerations pertaining to this notice.
    I have made a determination that the population estimate of 
1,019,000 greater snow geese (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007a) has 
exceeded the Atlantic Flyway Council and North American Waterfowl 
Management Plan goal of 500,000 birds by 103%; that the population 
continues to grow at a rate of approximately 8%/year; and that special 
conservation actions that continue to be conducted in Canada are 
insufficient to reduce the population. The Service estimates that new 
regulations for controlling the greater snow goose population will 
result in a 41% increase in harvest in the U.S. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service 2007b). Approximately 32,700 snow geese were harvested in the 
U.S. portion of the Atlantic Flyway in 2006 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service 2007c).
    I have also made a determination that the 2007 winter index of 3.09 
million midcontinent light geese (lesser snow and Ross's geese, 
combined) in the Mississippi and Central Flyways has exceeded our 
management goal of 1.6 million birds by 93% (U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service 2007a). During 1955-1998 the number of midcontinent light geese 
increased at an annual rate of 3.7%. The number of geese declined at a 
rate of 2.7% during 1998-2006 when regulations were implemented via the 
Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation Act (Pub. L. 106-108) to 
reduce the number of light geese (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
2007b). This notice will authorize light goose regulations similar to 
those authorized by the Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation 
Act in an effort to reduce the midcontinent light goose population to 
the management goal. During 1999-2005, light goose harvest during the 
regular season and conservation orders in the U.S. portion of the 
Mississippi and Central Flyways ranged from 1.1 to 1.5 million birds 
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007c). The Service expects that this 
range of harvest will be maintained by authorizing light goose 
regulations through this notice. These regulations will complement 
special snow goose conservation actions that continue to be conducted 
in Canada.
    Per 50 CFR 21.60(e) of the final rule, we provide notice that we 
authorize the following States to implement regulations for managing 
the harvest of light goose populations:

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       Atlantic flyway states               Mississippi flyway states               Central flyway states
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Connecticut                           Alabama                               Colorado
Delaware                              Arkansas                              Kansas
Florida                               Illinois                              Montana
Georgia                               Indiana                               Nebraska
Maine                                 Iowa                                  New Mexico
Maryland                              Kentucky                              North Dakota
Massachusetts                         Louisiana                             Oklahoma
New Hampshire                         Michigan                              South Dakota
New Jersey                            Minnesota                             Texas
New York                              Missouri                              Wyoming
North Carolina                        Mississippi
Pennsylvania                          Ohio
Rhode Island                          Tennessee
South Carolina                        Wisconsin
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
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[[Page 65955]]

Literature Cited

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007a. Waterfowl population status, 
2007. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC U.S.A.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007b. Final Environmental Impact 
Statement: Light goose management. U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Washington, DC U.S.A.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007c. Migratory bird hunting activity 
and harvest during the 2005 and 2006 hunting seasons: Preliminary 
estimates. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC U.S.A.

    Dated: July 24, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director.

    Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on October 29, 2008.
 [FR Doc. E8-26168 Filed 11-4-08; 8:45 am]
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