[Federal Register: November 5, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 215)]
[Notices]
[Page 65954-65955]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05no08-118]
[[Page 65954]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R9-MB-2008-N0110; 91200-1231-9BPP-L2]
Migratory Bird Hunting and Permits; Harvest of Light Goose
Populations
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of authorization of regulations managing the harvest of
light goose populations.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that we authorize States in the
Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central Flyways to implement regulations for
managing the harvest of light goose populations. The regulations for
this harvest are published elsewhere in today's Federal Register.
DATES: This notice will go into effect on December 5, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You can obtain a copy of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) for the light goose regulations by writing to the
Division of Migratory Bird Management, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MBSP-
4107, Arlington, VA 22203; by e-mailing us at LightGooseEIS@fws.gov; or
by calling us at (703) 358-1714. The FEIS has been posted on our Web
site at http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/issues/snowgse/tblcont.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Blohm, Chief, Division of
Migratory Bird Management, (703) 358-1714; or James Kelley (612) 713-
5409.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Various populations of light geese (greater and lesser snow geese
and Ross' geese) have undergone rapid growth during the past 30 years
and have become seriously injurious to their habitat, habitat important
to other migratory birds, and agricultural interests. Because we
believe that several of these populations have exceeded the long-term
carrying capacity of their breeding and/or migration habitats and must
be reduced, on October 12, 2001, we proposed regulations for the
management of light goose populations (66 FR 52077). We published a
notice of availability of our final environmental impact statement
(FEIS) on light goose management on July 13, 2007 (72 FR 38576). The
FEIS describes five alternatives for managing light goose populations
and analyzes the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts related to
each alternative. The Record of Decision and final rule associated with
the FEIS and this notice are published elsewhere in this issue of the
Federal Register. In the final rule, we have provided the NEPA and
Endangered Species Act considerations pertaining to this notice.
I have made a determination that the population estimate of
1,019,000 greater snow geese (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007a) has
exceeded the Atlantic Flyway Council and North American Waterfowl
Management Plan goal of 500,000 birds by 103%; that the population
continues to grow at a rate of approximately 8%/year; and that special
conservation actions that continue to be conducted in Canada are
insufficient to reduce the population. The Service estimates that new
regulations for controlling the greater snow goose population will
result in a 41% increase in harvest in the U.S. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 2007b). Approximately 32,700 snow geese were harvested in the
U.S. portion of the Atlantic Flyway in 2006 (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 2007c).
I have also made a determination that the 2007 winter index of 3.09
million midcontinent light geese (lesser snow and Ross's geese,
combined) in the Mississippi and Central Flyways has exceeded our
management goal of 1.6 million birds by 93% (U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 2007a). During 1955-1998 the number of midcontinent light geese
increased at an annual rate of 3.7%. The number of geese declined at a
rate of 2.7% during 1998-2006 when regulations were implemented via the
Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation Act (Pub. L. 106-108) to
reduce the number of light geese (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
2007b). This notice will authorize light goose regulations similar to
those authorized by the Arctic Tundra Habitat Emergency Conservation
Act in an effort to reduce the midcontinent light goose population to
the management goal. During 1999-2005, light goose harvest during the
regular season and conservation orders in the U.S. portion of the
Mississippi and Central Flyways ranged from 1.1 to 1.5 million birds
(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2007c). The Service expects that this
range of harvest will be maintained by authorizing light goose
regulations through this notice. These regulations will complement
special snow goose conservation actions that continue to be conducted
in Canada.
Per 50 CFR 21.60(e) of the final rule, we provide notice that we
authorize the following States to implement regulations for managing
the harvest of light goose populations:
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Atlantic flyway states Mississippi flyway states Central flyway states
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Connecticut Alabama Colorado
Delaware Arkansas Kansas
Florida Illinois Montana
Georgia Indiana Nebraska
Maine Iowa New Mexico
Maryland Kentucky North Dakota
Massachusetts Louisiana Oklahoma
New Hampshire Michigan South Dakota
New Jersey Minnesota Texas
New York Missouri Wyoming
North Carolina Mississippi
Pennsylvania Ohio
Rhode Island Tennessee
South Carolina Wisconsin
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
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Literature Cited
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007a. Waterfowl population status,
2007. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC U.S.A.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007b. Final Environmental Impact
Statement: Light goose management. U.S. Department of the Interior,
Washington, DC U.S.A.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007c. Migratory bird hunting activity
and harvest during the 2005 and 2006 hunting seasons: Preliminary
estimates. U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC U.S.A.
Dated: July 24, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director.
Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the
Federal Register on October 29, 2008.
[FR Doc. E8-26168 Filed 11-4-08; 8:45 am]
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