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