[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 218 (Friday, November 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67390-67391]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27385]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R9-IA-2011-0087; 96300-1671-0000 FY12 R4]


Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International 
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Sixteenth 
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 sixteenth regular meeting of the Conference of 
the Parties to CITES (CoP16) in Bangkok, Thailand, during March 3 to15, 
2013. 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, the permanent CITES 
committees, and the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP16. With 
this notice we announce the provisional agenda for CoP16, solicit your 
comments on the items on the provisional agenda, and announce a public 
meeting to discuss the items on the provisional agenda.

DATES: Public meeting: The public meeting will be held on December 5, 
2012, at 1:30 p.m. Comment submission: In developing the U.S. 
negotiating positions on proposed resolutions, decisions, and species 
proposals, and other agenda items submitted by other Party countries, 
the permanent CITES committees, and the CITES Secretariat for 
consideration at CoP16, we will consider written information and 
comments you submit if we receive them by January 8, 2013.

ADDRESSES: 

Public Meeting

    The public meeting will be held in the Sidney Yates Auditorium at 
the Main Interior Building 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 ``Announcement of Public Meeting'' 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

Comment Submission

    Comments should be submitted by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R9-
IA-2011-0087.
     U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, 
Attn: FWS-R9-IA-2011-0087; Division of Policy and Directives 
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 
2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
    We will not consider comments sent by email or fax, or to an 
address not listed in the ADDRESSES section. Comments and materials we 
receive in response to this notice will be posted for public inspection 
on http://www.regulations.gov and will be available by appointment, 
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays, 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; telephone 703-358-2095; 
facsimile 703-358-2298. For information pertaining to species 
proposals, contact: Rosemarie Gnam, Chief, Division of Scientific 
Authority; telephone 703-358-1708; fascsimile 703-358-2276.

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 Web 
site at http://www.cites.org/eng/app/index.php. Currently, 176 
countries, including the United States, are Parties to CITES. The 
Convention calls for regular biennial meetings of the Conference of the 
Parties, unless the Conference of the Parties decides otherwise. At 
these meetings, the Parties review the implementation of CITES, 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 
the permanent CITES committees (Standing, Animals, and Plants 
Committees), 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, resolutions, decisions, and agenda items for 
consideration by all the Parties at the meetings.
    This is our fifth 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 the sixteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the 
Parties to CITES (CoP16). We published our first CoP16-related Federal 
Register notice on June 14, 2011 (76 FR 34746), in which we requested 
information and recommendations on species proposals for the United 
States to consider submitting for consideration at CoP16, and described 
our approach in determining which species proposals to consider 
submitting. We published our second such Federal Register notice on 
November 7, 2011 (76 FR 68778), in which we requested information and 
recommendations on proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items 
for the United States to consider submitting for consideration at 
CoP16, described our approach in determining which proposed 
resolutions, decisions, and agenda items to consider submitting, and 
provided preliminary information on how to request approved observer 
status for non-governmental organizations that wish to attend the 
meeting. In our third CoP16-related Federal Register notice, published 
on April 11, 2012 (77 FR 21798), we requested public comments and 
information on species proposals that the United States was considering 
submitting for consideration at CoP16; and in our fourth such notice, 
published on June 21, 2012 (77 FR 37433), we requested public comments 
and information on proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items 
that the United States was considering submitting for consideration at 
CoP16, and provided more information on how to request approved 
observer status for non-governmental organizations that wish to attend 
the meeting. A link to the complete list of those Federal Register 
notices, along with information on U.S. preparations for CoP16, can be 
found at http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/cop16/. You may obtain 
additional information on those Federal Register notices from the 
following sources: For information on proposed resolutions, decisions, 
and agenda items, contact the Division of Management Authority, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N.

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Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, VA 22203; and for information on 
species proposals, contact the Division of Scientific Authority, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 110, Arlington, 
VA 22203. Our regulations governing this public process are found in 50 
CFR 23.87.
    On October 4, 2012, the United States submitted to the CITES 
Secretariat, for consideration at CoP16, its species proposals, 
proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and other agenda items. These 
documents are available on our Web site at http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/cop16/.

Announcement of Provisional Agenda for CoP16

    The provisional agenda for CoP16 is currently available on the 
CITES Secretariat's Web site at http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/16/doc/index.php. The working documents associated with the items on the 
provisional agenda, including proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, 
and discussion documents, are also available on the Secretariat's Web 
site. To view the working document associated with a particular agenda 
item, access the provisional agenda at the above Web site, 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 CoP16 are available on the 
Secretariat's Web site. 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 CoP16. The public meeting will be held on the 
date specified in the DATES section and at the address specified in the 
ADDRESSES section. You can obtain directions to the building by 
contacting the Division of Management Authority (see the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section above). 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 21, 2012. For those who 
cannot attend the public meeting but are interested in watching via 
live stream please go to our Web site http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/cop16/, and look for the link to the live feed.

Future Actions

    Through an additional notice and Web site posting in advance of 
CoP16, we will inform you about tentative U.S. negotiating positions on 
species proposals, proposed resolutions, proposed decisions, and agenda 
items that were submitted by other Party countries, the permanent CITES 
committees, and the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP16.
    Author: The primary author of this notice is Mark Bellis, Division 
of Management Authority; under the authority of the U.S. Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: October 24, 2012.
Rowan W. Gould,
Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-27385 Filed 11-8-12; 8:45 am]
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