Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period for Final Rule To List the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in response to the December 26, 2002, memorandum opinion and order of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, in the case of Defenders of Wildlife v. Norton, Civil Action No. 00-2996 (GK) and pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides this notice opening a comment period on the contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) (lynx). This comment period has been opened to acquire information regarding issues identified by the Court that we need to consider in the above-referenced case. Moreover, we invite comment on specific information that has become available since the listing of the lynx that pertains to the issues we will consider on remand. Upon close of the comment period, the Service will evaluate the status of the lynx in the contiguous United States considering the range of the species.