[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 56 (Friday, March 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17708-17709]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06612]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R6-ES-2013-N018; 60120-1113-0000-C2]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised 
Supplement to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability of a draft Revised Supplement to the Grizzly Bear Recovery 
Plan. Specifically, this supplement proposes to revise the demographic 
recovery criteria for the Yellowstone Ecosystem. In the lower 48 
States, Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are federally listed as 
threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 
The Service solicits review and comment from the public on this draft 
revised plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft revised recovery plan must be received on 
or before May 21, 2013.

ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the draft Revised Supplement to the 
Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan is available at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html. Hard copies of the draft 
revised demographic criteria are available by request from the Grizzly 
Bear Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University 
Hall, Room 309, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812; telephone 
406-243-4903. Submit comments on the draft Revised Supplement to the 
Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator at 
this same address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, at 
the above address, or telephone 406-243-4903.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point 
where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is 
a primary goal of the Service's endangered species program. To help 
guide the recovery effort, the Service prepares recovery plans for the 
federally listed species native to the United States where a plan will 
promote the conservation of the species. Recovery plans describe site-
specific actions necessary for the conservation of the species; 
establish objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would result 
in a determination that the species no longer needs the protection of 
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); and provide estimates of the time and 
cost for implementing the needed recovery measures.
    The Act requires recovery plans for listed species unless such a 
plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. The 
original plan for the species was approved in 1982 and revised in 1993. 
In 2007, we formally supplemented the 1993 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan 
with revised demographic criteria for the Greater Yellowstone Area 
population. Since that time, new information relevant to these 
demographic criteria has become available indicating that the current 
criteria no longer represent the best scientific approach to assess 
recovery of the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. Therefore, 
consistent with Task Y11 of the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, the Service 
is proposing additional revisions to the demographic criteria. For 
additional information about the revisions, see the draft Revised 
Supplement to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan available at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html (as described in the 
ADDRESSES section above).
    Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in 1988, requires that public 
notice and opportunity for public review and comment be provided during 
recovery plan development. The Service will consider all information 
received during a public comment period when preparing each new or 
revised recovery plan for approval. The Service and other Federal 
agencies also will take these comments into consideration in the course 
of implementing approved recovery plans. It is our policy to request 
peer review of recovery plans. We will summarize and respond to the 
issues raised by the public and peer reviewers in an appendix to the 
approved recovery plan.

Request for Public Comments

    The Service solicits public comments on a draft Revised Supplement 
to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Specifically, this supplement 
proposes to revise the demographic recovery criteria for the 
Yellowstone Ecosystem. All comments received by the date specified in 
DATES will be considered prior to approval of the final Revised 
Supplement to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan. Written comments and 
materials regarding the plan should be addressed to the Grizzly Bear 
Recovery Coordinator (see ADDRESSES section). Comments and materials 
received will be available, by appointment, for public inspection 
during normal business hours at the above address. If you submit a 
comment that includes personal identifying information, 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.

Authority

    The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered 
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).


[[Page 17709]]


    Dated: February 19, 2013.
Noreen E. Walsh,
Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 2013-06612 Filed 3-21-13; 8:45 am]
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