[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 49 (Monday, March 16, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 11128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5548]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N0349; 91200-1231-5BBC-K3]


Availability of Birds of Conservation Concern 2008

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: We announce the availability of Birds of Conservation Concern 
2008. This publication identifies species, subspecies, and populations 
of migratory and nonmigratory birds in need of additional conservation 
actions. We hope to stimulate coordinated and collaborative proactive 
conservation actions among Federal, State, tribal, and private 
partners.

DATES: Individuals wishing to comment on the process used in developing 
Birds of Conservation Concern 2008, especially to provide 
recommendations for improving future versions of the document, may 
direct their written comments to the Chief, Division of Migratory Bird 
Management (listed below under ADDRESSES ). All comments received will 
be filed for use in developing the next version of the list. Comments 
will be accepted until the time that work begins on the next edition of 
this report (approximately 5 years).

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of Birds of Conservation Concern 2008 may be 
obtained by writing to the Chief, Branch of Bird Conservation, Division 
of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 
North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 4107, Arlington, VA 22203-1610, ATTN: 
BCC 2008. This document is also available for downloading on the 
Division of Migratory Bird Management's World Wide Web page at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marcia Maslonek, Chief, Branch of Bird 
Conservation, Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Mail Stop 4107, Arlington, 
VA 22203-1610; phone: (703) 358-2021; fax: (703) 358-2272.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 1988 amendment to the Fish and Wildlife 
Conservation Act (FWCA) of 1980 (Pub.L. 100-653, Title VIII) requires 
the Secretary of the Interior, through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, to ``identify species, subspecies, and populations of all 
migratory nongame birds that, without additional conservation actions, 
are likely to become candidates for listing under the Endangered 
Species Act [ESA] of 1973.'' Birds of Conservation Concern 2008 
fulfills that mandate and supersedes Birds of Conservation Concern 
2002. The species that appear in Birds of Conservation Concern 2008 are 
deemed to be the highest priority for conservation actions. We 
anticipate that the document will be consulted by Federal agencies and 
their partners prior to undertaking cooperative research, monitoring, 
and management actions that might directly or indirectly affect 
migratory birds. Our goal in publishing this document is to stimulate 
coordinated and collaborative proactive conservation actions among 
Federal, State, tribal, and private partners.
    To serve as a broad early-warning system in the context of the 
FWCA, this document includes all of the species that we have some basis 
to consider to be of conservation concern. Our objective in publishing 
this list is to focus conservation attention on bird species of concern 
well in advance of a possible or plausible need to consider them for 
listing under the ESA. Inclusion on this list does not constitute a 
finding that listing under the ESA is warranted, or that substantial 
information exists to indicate that listing under the ESA may be 
warranted. Many of the species on this list will probably never have to 
be considered for ESA listing, even if no additional conservation 
actions are taken.

    Authority: The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); the Fish and Wildlife Act 
of 1956; as amended (16 U.S.C. 742a et seq.); and 16 U.S.C. 701.

    Dated: February 27, 2009.
Rowan W. Gould,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E9-5548 Filed 3-13-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P