[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 244 (Monday, December 21, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 79300-79301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32054]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 23

[Docket No. FWS-HQ-IA-2015-0035; 96300-1671-0000-R4]
RIN 1018-AH89


Wild Bird Conservation Act; Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrots From 
Argentina's Sustainable-Use Management Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; withdrawal.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, or we), 
withdraw a 2003 proposed rule to approve a sustainable-use management 
plan developed by the Management Authority of Argentina for blue-
fronted amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva), under the Wild Bird 
Conservation Act of 1992. We are taking this action because Argentina 
has withdrawn their application. As a result, we will no longer 
consider allowing importation of this species from Argentina under this 
plan.

DATES: This document is withdrawn as of December 21, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Craig Hoover, Chief, Division of 
Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: 
IA; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803; telephone 703-358-
2095; facsimile 703-358-2298. If you use a telecommunications device 
for the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) 
at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild 
Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international treaty designed to regulate 
international trade in certain animal and plant species that are now, 
or may become, threatened with extinction. These species are listed in 
the Appendices to CITES, which are available on the CITES Secretariat's 
Web site at http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php. Currently 180 
countries and the European Union have ratified, accepted, approved, or 
acceded to CITES; these 181 entities are known as Parties. The U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service has been delegated authority to carry out 
U.S. responsibilities under CITES.
    The Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 (WBCA) limits or prohibits 
import into the United States of exotic bird species to ensure that 
their wild populations are not harmed by international trade. It also 
encourages wild bird conservation programs in countries of origin by 
ensuring that all imports of such species are biologically sustainable 
and not detrimental to the survival of the species.

Previous Federal Actions

    On November 16, 1993, we published a final rule in the Federal 
Register (58 FR 60524) that implemented the prohibitions stipulated in 
the WBCA and provided permit requirements and procedures for some 
allowed exemptions. In that rule, we informed the public that imports 
of all CITES-listed birds (as defined in the rule) were prohibited, 
except for (a) species included in an approved list; (b) specimens for 
which an import permit has been issued; (c) species from countries that 
have approved sustainable-use management plans for those species; or 
(d) specimens from approved foreign captive-breeding facilities. 
Criteria for approval of sustainable-use management plans are in title 
50 of the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 15.32.
    Argentina petitioned the Service to allow the import into the 
United States of blue-fronted amazon parrots (Amazona aestiva) removed 
from the wild in Argentina under an approved sustainable-use management 
plan. Consequently, on August 10, 2000, we published a notice of 
receipt of application for approval in the Federal Register (65 FR 
49007) that announced the receipt of a petition from the CITES 
Management Authority of Argentina, Direcci[oacute]n de Fauna and Flora 
Silvestre, for approval of a sustainable-use management plan for the 
blue-fronted amazon parrot in Argentina. On January 8, 2003, we 
published a notice in the Federal Register (68 FR 1066) announcing the 
availability of a draft environmental assessment of the addition of 
blue-fronted amazon parrots from a sustainable-use management plan in 
Argentina to the approved list of non-captive-bred birds under the 
WBCA.
    Later that year, on August 6, 2003, we published a proposed rule in 
the Federal Register (68 FR 46559) to approve a sustainable-use 
management plan developed by the CITES Management Authority of 
Argentina for blue-fronted amazon parrots under the WBCA. The proposed 
rule would add blue-fronted amazon parrots from Argentina's program to 
the approved list of non-captive-bred (wild-caught) species contained 
at 50 CFR 15.33(b).

[[Page 79301]]

The public comment period on the proposed rule was open for 60 days.
    On March 29, 2005, we published a notice in the Federal Register 
(70 FR 15798) reopening the comment period on the proposed rule for 30 
days to enter into the record Dr. Jorge Rabinovich's 2004 study, 
``Modeling the Sustainable Use of the Blue-Fronted Parrot (Amazona 
aestiva) in the Dry Chaco Region of Argentina,'' and to accept comments 
related to the relationship of this study to the proposed addition of 
blue-fronted amazon parrots from Argentina's program to the approved 
list of non-captive-bred (wild-caught) species under the WBCA. On May 
24, 2005, we published a notice in the Federal Register (70 FR 29711) 
reopening the comment period for an additional 45 days.

Reason for Withdrawal of Proposed Rule

    We reviewed the public comments received during the open comment 
periods for the notice and the proposed rule and new information that 
became available after the publication of the proposed rule. We also 
reevaluated information in our files, our proposed rule, and 
Argentina's request, in accordance with our approval criteria in 50 CFR 
15.32. As a result, we determined that it was unlikely that we would be 
able to make a positive finding for the sustainable-use management plan 
developed by Argentina for blue-fronted amazon parrots under the WBCA. 
Subsequently, Argentina determined that the best course of action would 
be to withdraw their application. Argentina withdrew its application by 
letter (undated) from the CITES Management Authority of Argentina 
(Ministry of the Environment of Sustainable Development), therefore, we 
are withdrawing our proposed rule of August 6, 2003 (68 FR 46559).

Author

    The primary author of this document is Clifton A. Horton, Division 
of Management Authority, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (see FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: December 9, 2015.
Stephen Guertin,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-32054 Filed 12-18-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P