[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 18 (Thursday, January 28, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4528-4529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1769]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XU02


Endangered and Threatened Species: Notice of Intent to Prepare a 
Recovery Plan for Cook Inlet Beluga Whales

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare recovery plan; request for 
information.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 4529]]

SUMMARY: NMFS is required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), 
as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), to develop plans for the 
conservation and survival of federally listed species, i.e., recovery 
plans. NMFS is announcing its intent to prepare a recovery plan for the 
Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) and requests 
information from the public.

DATES: All information must be received no later than 5 p.m. Alaska 
Time by March 29, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Submit materials by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: The mailbox address for submitting e-mail 
information for recovery planning is [email protected]. Please include 
``Cook Inlet Beluga Recovery Plan Information'' in the subject line of 
the e-mail.
     Mail: Submit written comments and information to National 
Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, ATTN: Ellen 
Sebastian.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: National Marine Fisheries Service, 
709 West 9th Street, Room 420, Juneau, AK 99802. Business hours are 8 
a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
     Fax: (907) 586-7557. Please identify the fax comments as 
``Cook Inlet Beluga Recovery Plan Information.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mandy Migura, Marine Mammal 
Specialist, Anchorage Field Office, (907) 271-1332.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Management responsibility for beluga whales in Alaska lies with the 
Secretary of Commerce and has been delegated to NMFS. As such, NMFS is 
charged with the recovery of Cook Inlet belugas, which are listed as 
endangered under the ESA. The recovery planning process is guided by 
the statutory language of section 4(f) of the ESA and NMFS policies. 
Recovery is the use of all methods and procedures which are necessary 
to bring any endangered species or threatened species to the point at 
which the measures provided pursuant to the ESA are no longer 
necessary. The ESA specifies that recovery plans must include: (1) a 
description of management actions as may be necessary to achieve the 
plan's goals for the conservation and survival of the species; (2) 
objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would result in the 
species being removed from the list; and (3) estimates of time and 
costs required to achieve the plan's goal and the intermediate steps 
towards that goal. In an effort to expedite the recovery plan process, 
NMFS will work towards incorporating relevant portions of the final 
Conservation Plan for the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale into the draft 
Recovery Plan.
    Section 4(f) of the ESA, as amended in 1988, requires that public 
notice--and an opportunity for public review and comment--be provided 
during recovery plan development. NMFS is hereby soliciting relevant 
information on Cook Inlet beluga whales and their habitats. Upon 
completion, the draft Recovery Plan will be available for public review 
and comment through the publication of a Federal Register Notice. NMFS 
requests relevant information from the public during preparation of the 
draft Recovery Plan. Such information should address: (a) criteria for 
removing the Cook Inlet beluga whales from the list of threatened and 
endangered species; (b) factors that are presently limiting, or 
threaten to limit, the survival of the belugas; (c) actions to address 
limiting factors and threats; (d) estimates of time and cost to 
implement recovery actions; and (e) research, monitoring, and 
evaluation needs.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: January 22, 2010.
Therese Conant,
Deputy Chief, Division of Endangered Species, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-1769 Filed 1-27-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S