U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Initiates Review of the Chimpanzee’s Status

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will initiate a status review
to determine whether reclassifying all captive chimpanzees from threatened
to endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is warranted.

Currently, wild chimpanzees are listed as endangered, and captive
chimpanzees are listed as threatened. Captive chimpanzees within the
United States are covered by a special rule allowing activities otherwise
prohibited by the ESA.

Following an initial review of a petition from The Humane Society of the
United States, the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums,
the Jane Goodall Institute, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Pan
African Sanctuary Alliance, the Fund for Animals, Humane Society
International, and the New England Anti-Vivisection Society requesting all
chimpanzees, whether found in the wild or in captivity, be listed as
endangered, the Service will undertake a more thorough review to determine
if the requested action is warranted.

The petition finding does not mean that the Service has decided it is
appropriate to list all chimpanzees as endangered under the ESA. Rather,
this finding is the first step in a process that triggers a more thorough
review of all the biological information available. The finding will
publish in the Federal Register on September 1, 2011.

To ensure this status review is comprehensive, the Service is soliciting
information from all interested parties regarding the status of this
species in the wild and in captivity, including threats to the species and
its habitat, information on management programs for chimpanzees, and
information relevant to whether any populations of this species may
qualify as distinct population segments.

Written comments and information concerning this proposal can be submitted
by one of the following methods:

Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS–R9–ES–2010–0086];
or
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn:
[FWS–R9–ES–2010–0086]; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS
2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.

Comments must be received within 60 days, on or before October 31, 2011.
The Service will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means the agency will post any personal information provided
through the process. The Service is not able to accept email or faxes.

Following an analysis of the comments and any new information that may
become available during the comment period, the Service will move forward
as appropriate with the development of and publication of the status
review of this species.

The ESA provides a critical safety net for fish, wildlife and plants and
to date has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species, as
well as promoting the recovery of many others. The Service is actively
engaged with conservation partners and the public in the search for
improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To
learn more about the Endangered Species program’s Branch of Foreign
Species, visit:
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/international-activities.html.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others
to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader
and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our
scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources,
dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more
information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws,
follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel
at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page
at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.

Federal Register /Vol. 76, No. 170 /Thursday, September 1, 2011 / Proposed Rules 54423
regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., CY–A257, Washington, DC20554. These documents will also be available via ECFS. Documents will beavailable electronically in ASCII, Microsoft Word, and/or Adobe Acrobat.Accessibility Information. To request information in accessible formats(computer diskettes, large print, audio recording, and Braille), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418–0530 (voice), (202) 418–0432 (TTY). This document can also be downloaded in Word and Portable Document Format (PDF) at: http://www.fcc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Aaron Goldschmidt, WirelessTelecommunications Bureau, (202) 418–7146, or e-mail Aaron.Goldschmidt@fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FCC
has established a Web site, http://www.fcc.gov/pea, which contains
information and downloadable documents relating to the PEA process,
including the Draft PEA. The Web site also allows individuals to contact the
Commission. Audio/video coverage of the September 20 public meeting will be broadcast live with open captioning over the Internet from the FCC’s Web page at http://www.fcc.gov/live. The
FCC’s Web cast is free to the public. Those who watch the live video stream of the event may e-mail event-related questions to PEAquestions@fcc.gov. Depending on the volume of questions
and time constraints, FCC representatives will respond to as many questions as possible during the workshop.
Federal Communications Commission.Matthew Nodine, Chief of Staff, Wireless Telecommunications
Bureau.[FR Doc. 2011–22437 Filed 8–31–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6712–01–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 [Docket No. FWS–R9–ES–2010–0086; MO
92210–1111F113 B6] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding on a
Petition To List All Chimpanzees (Pantroglodytes) as Endangered AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.ACTION: Notice of petition finding and initiation of status review. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce a 90-dayfinding on a petition to list all chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing all chimpanzees as
endangered may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this notice, we are initiating a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the entire species as endangered is warranted. To ensure that this status
review is comprehensive, we are requesting scientific and commercial data and other information regarding this species. Based on the status review, we will issue a 12-month finding on the petition, which will address whether
the petitioned action is warranted, as provided in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act. DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct this review, we request that we receive information on or before October 31, 2011. ADDRESSES: You may submit information by one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://
www.regulations.gov. Search for Docket
No. FWS–R9–ES–2010–0086 and then
follow the instructions for submitting
comments.
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R9–IA–2008–0123; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.We will post all information received on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information you provide us (see the Information Solicited section below for more details).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Janine Van Norman, Chief, Branch of Foreign Species, Endangered Species Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203; telephone 703–358–2171; facsimile
703–358–1735. If you use a telecommunications devicefor the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal Information Relay Service(FIRS) at 800–877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Information Solicited Under the Act, when we make a finding that a petition presents substantial information indicating that listing a species may be warranted, we are required to promptly review the status of the species. To ensure that our status review of the chimpanzee is complete and based on the best available scientific and commercial information, we need certain information. We request scientific and commercial information from the public, concerned governmental
agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other interested parties on the status of the chimpanzee throughout its range, including but not limited to:
(1) Information on taxonomy, distribution, habitat selection, diet, and population abundance and trends of this
species.
(2) Information on the effects of habitat loss and changing land uses on the distribution and abundance of this species and its principal food sources over the short and long term.
(3) Information on whether changing climatic conditions are affecting the species, its habitat, or its prey base.
(4) Information on the effects of other potential threat factors, including live capture and collection, domestic and international trade, predation by other animals, and diseases of this species.
(5) Information on management programs for chimpanzee conservation, including mitigation measures related to conservation programs, and any other private or governmental conservation programs that benefit this species.
(6) Information relevant to whether any populations of this species may qualify as distinct population segments.
(7) Information on captive breeding and domestic trade of this species in the United States.
(8) Genetics and taxonomy.
(9) The factors that are the basis for making a listing determination for a species under section 4(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which are:
(a) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range;
VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:04 Aug 31, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00032 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\01SEP1.SGM 01SEP1 emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with PROPOSALS
54424 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 170 / Thursday, September 1, 2011 / Proposed Rules
(b) Over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes;
(c) Disease or predation;
(d) The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence. Please include sufficient information with your submission (such as scientific journal articles or other publications) to allow us to verify any scientific or
commercial information you include. We will base our status review on the best scientific and commercial information available, including all information we receive during the public comment period. Please note that
comments merely stating support for or opposition to the action under consideration without providing supporting information, although noted,

To see full bill click the on the following link: http://www.faunafoundation.org/files-images/90-dayfindingonchimpanzees(9.1.11).pdf