[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 10, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6563-6564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2793]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 92

[FWS-R7-MB-2008-0099; 91200-1231-9BPP L2]
RIN 1018-AW29


Migratory Bird Subsistence Harvest in Alaska; Harvest Regulations 
for Migratory Birds in Alaska During the 2009 Season

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are reopening the 
public comment period on our proposed rule to establish migratory bird 
subsistence harvest regulations in Alaska for the 2009 season. This 
action

[[Page 6564]]

will allow all interested parties an additional opportunity to comment 
on our proposal. The initial public comment period for the proposed 
rule ended on January 20, 2009. If you submitted comments previously, 
or in the interim, then you do not need to resubmit them because we 
have already incorporated them into the public record and we will fully 
consider them in preparation of our final determination.

DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before 
March 12, 2009.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: RIN 1018-AW29, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, 
VA 22203.
    We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on 
http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see the Public Comments section 
below for more information).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Fred Armstrong, (907) 786-3887, or 
Donna Dewhurst, (907) 786-3499, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 E. 
Tudor Road, Mail Stop 201, Anchorage, AK 99503.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, published a proposed rule 
in the Federal Register on December 18, 2008 (73 FR 76994), to propose 
migratory bird subsistence harvest regulations in Alaska for the 2009 
season. The proposed regulations would enable the continuation of 
customary and traditional subsistence uses of migratory birds in Alaska 
and prescribe regional information on when and where the harvesting of 
birds may occur. These proposed regulations were developed under a co-
management process involving the Service, the Alaska Department of Fish 
and Game, and Alaska Native representatives. The rulemaking is 
necessary because the regulations governing the subsistence harvest of 
migratory birds in Alaska are subject to annual review. This rulemaking 
proposes region-specific regulations that would go into effect on April 
2, 2009, and expire on August 31, 2009.
    We are reopening the public comment period on our proposed rule for 
an additional 30 days (see DATES section) in response to written 
requests for additional time to comment that we received during the 
initial public comment period.

Public Comments Solicited

    You may submit your comments and materials concerning this proposed 
rule by one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section. We will not 
accept comments sent by e-mail or fax or to an address not listed in 
the ADDRESSES section. We will not consider hand-delivered comments 
that we do not receive, or mailed comments that are not postmarked, by 
the date specified in the DATES section.
    We will post your entire comment--including your personal 
identifying information--on http://www.regulations.gov. If you provide 
personal identifying information in your comment, you may request at 
the top of your document that we withhold this information from public 
review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation we used in preparing this proposed rule, will be 
available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov, or by 
appointment, during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Office of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-management 
Council, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503 (877) 229-2344.

Author(s)

    The primary authors of this package are the staff members of the 
Office of the Alaska Migratory Bird Co-Management Council.

Authority

    We derive our authority to issue these regulations from the 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, 16 U.S.C. 712(1), which authorizes 
the Secretary of the Interior, in accordance with the treaties with 
Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia, to ``issue such regulations as may 
be necessary to assure that the taking of migratory birds and the 
collection of their eggs, by the indigenous inhabitants of the State of 
Alaska, shall be permitted for their own nutritional and other 
essential needs, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, during 
seasons established so as to provide for the preservation and 
maintenance of stocks of migratory birds.''

    Dated: January 30, 2009.
Jane Lyder,
Assistant Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E9-2793 Filed 2-9-09; 8:45 am]
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