Proposed Endangered Status for the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon;12-month petition finding

We (NMFS and USFWS) have determined that naturally spawned and conservation hatchery populations of Atlantic salmon within the range of the Gulf of Maine (GOM) distinct population segment (DPS), including those that were already listed in November 2000, constitute a new GOM DPS and hence a ``species'' for listing as endangered or threatened consideration under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This also constitutes a 12-month finding on a petition to list Atlantic salmon in the Kennebec River as endangered. We will propose to designate critical habitat for the GOM DPS in a subsequent Federal Register notice.