[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 212 (Wednesday, November 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57190-57192]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-26619]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R9-IA-2009-N176] [96300-1671-0000 FY09R4]


Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International 
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Fifteenth 
Regular Meeting; Provisional Agenda; Announcement of Public Meeting

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The United States, as a Party to the Convention on 
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 
(CITES), will attend the fifteenth regular meeting of the Conference of 
the Parties to CITES (CoP15) in Doha, Qatar, March 13-25, 2010. 
Currently, the United States is developing its negotiating positions on 
proposed resolutions, decisions, and amendments to the CITES Appendices 
(species proposals), as well as other agenda items that have been 
submitted by other Party countries and the CITES Secretariat for 
consideration at CoP15. With this notice we announce the provisional 
agenda for CoP15, solicit your comments on the items on the provisional 
agenda, and announce a public meeting to discuss the items on the 
provisional agenda.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on December 2, 2009, at 1:30 
p.m. In developing the U.S. negotiating positions on proposed 
resolutions, decisions, and species proposals, and other agenda items 
submitted by other Party countries and the CITES Secretariat for 
consideration at CoP15, we will consider written information and 
comments you submit if we receive them by January 4, 2010.

ADDRESSES:

Public Meeting

    The public meeting will be held in the Sidney Yates Auditorium at 
the Department of the Interior at 18th and C Streets, NW, Washington, 
DC. Directions to the building can be obtained by contacting the 
Division of Management Authority (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 
For more information about the meeting, see

[[Page 57191]]

``Announcement of Public Meeting'' under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Comment Submission

    Comments pertaining to proposed resolutions, decisions, and/or 
agenda items should be sent to the Division of Management Authority, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, 
Arlington, VA 22203, or via e-mail at: [email protected]. Comments 
pertaining to species proposals should be sent to the Division of 
Scientific Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive, Room 110, Arlington, VA 22203, or via e-mail at: 
[email protected]. Comments and materials received will be 
available for public inspection, by appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, at either the Division of Management Authority 
or the Division of Scientific Authority.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information pertaining to 
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items contact: Robert R. Gabel, 
Chief, Division of Management Authority (phone, 703-358-2095; e-mail, 
[email protected]). For information pertaining to species proposals 
contact: Dr. Rosemarie Gnam, Chief, Division of Scientific Authority 
(phone, 703-358-1708; e-mail, [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora, hereinafter referred to as CITES or the Convention, is 
an international treaty designed to control and regulate international 
trade in certain animal and plant species that are now or potentially 
may become threatened with extinction. These species are listed in 
Appendices to CITES, which are available on the CITES Secretariat's 
website at http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml. Currently, 
175 countries, including the United States, are Parties to CITES. The 
Convention calls for biennial meetings of the Conference of the Parties 
to review its implementation, make provisions enabling the CITES 
Secretariat in Switzerland to carry out its functions, consider 
amendments to the lists of species in Appendices I and II, consider 
reports presented by the Secretariat, and make recommendations for the 
improved effectiveness of CITES. Any country that is a Party to CITES 
may propose amendments to Appendices I and II, and draft resolutions, 
decisions, and agenda items for consideration by all the Parties.
    This is our third in a series of Federal Register notices that, 
together with an announced public meeting, provide you with an 
opportunity to participate in the development of the U.S. negotiating 
positions for CoP15. We published our first CoP15-related Federal 
Register notice on September 29, 2008 (73 FR 56605), in which we 
requested information and recommendations on species proposals and 
proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for the United States 
to consider submitting for consideration at CoP15. We published our 
second such Federal Register notice on July 13, 2009 (74 FR 33460), in 
which we requested information and recommendations on species 
proposals, proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and other agenda 
items that the United States was considering submitting for 
consideration at CoP15. You may obtain information on the above Federal 
Register notices from the following sources: for information on 
proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items, contact the Division 
of Management Authority at the address provided in ADDRESSES; for 
information on species proposals, contact the Division of Scientific 
Authority at the address provided in ADDRESSES. Our regulations 
governing this public process are found in 50 CFR 23.85-23.87.
    In response to our first Federal Register notice, we received 
comments from WWF and TRAFFIC on transferring polar bear (Ursus 
maritimus) and narwhal (Monodon monoceros) from CITES Appendix II to 
Appendix I, and including walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) in Appendix II. 
Based on the purpose of the notice and the phrasing of the comments, we 
interpreted them as recommendations for the United States to consider 
proposals for these species and stated as much in our second Federal 
Register notice. We subsequently received a letter from WWF and TRAFFIC 
stating that we had misrepresented their comments. In their letter, 
dated August 12, 2009, WWF and TRAFFIC clarified that they have taken 
no position on these three species.
    CoP15 is scheduled to be held in Doha, Qatar, March 13-25, 2010. On 
October 14, 2009, the United States submitted to the CITES Secretariat, 
for consideration at CoP15, its species proposals, proposed 
resolutions, proposed decisions, and other agenda items. These 
documents are available on our website at http://www.fws.gov/international/DMA_DSA/CITES/CITES_CoP15.html.

Announcement of Provisional Agenda for CoP15

    The provisional agenda for CoP15 is currently available on the 
CITES Secretariat's website at http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/index.shtml. The working documents associated with the items on the 
provisional agenda, such as proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, 
and discussion documents, are also available on the Secretariat's 
website. To view the working document associated with a particular 
agenda item, access the provisional agenda at the above website, locate 
the particular agenda item, and click on the document link for that 
agenda item in the column entitled ``Document.'' Finally, the species 
proposals that will be considered at CoP15 are available on the 
Secretariat's website. Proposals for amendment of Appendices I and II 
can be accessed at the web address given above. We look forward to 
receiving your comments on the items on the provisional agenda.

Announcement of Public Meeting

    We will hold a public meeting to discuss with you the items on the 
provisional agenda for CoP15. The public meeting will be held on the 
date specified in DATES at the address specified in ADDRESSES. You can 
obtain directions to the building by contacting the Division of 
Management Authority (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). Please note 
that the Sidney Yates Auditorium is accessible to the handicapped and 
all persons planning to attend the meeting will be required to present 
photo identification when entering the building. Persons who plan to 
attend the meeting and who require interpretation for the hearing 
impaired must notify the Division of Management Authority by November 
18, 2009.

Future Actions

    Through an additional notice and website posting in advance of 
CoP15, we will inform you about tentative U.S. negotiating positions on 
proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, species proposals, and other 
agenda items that were submitted by other Party countries and the CITES 
Secretariat for consideration at CoP15.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Laura Noguchi, Division of 
Management Authority; under the authority of the

[[Page 57192]]

U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.).

Daniel M. Ashe,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
[FR Doc. E9-26619 Filed 11-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-S