ETWP; Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (Bureau), the Colorado Division of Wildlife (Colorado Division), and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Utah Division) proposes to introduce black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) into northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah. The purposes of this reintroduction are to implement the recovery action of the species and to evaluate release techniques. Surplus captive-raised black-footed ferrets will be released in 1997, or later and additional animals will be released annually for several years thereafter or until a self-sustaining population is established. If the northwestern Colorado/northeastern Utah program is successful, a wild population could be established within about 5 years. The northwestern Colorado/northeastern Utah population would be established as a nonessential experimental population in accordance with section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This population would be managed under the provisions of an accompanying special rule.