Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Intent to Prepare a Proposed Special Rule Pursuant to Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act for the Bull Trout

摘要

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are considering proposing additional special regulations under the authority of section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended, that would promote the conservation of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). The Act prohibits take of species that are listed as endangered, except where authorized by permit. We have extended the Act's take prohibition to species that are listed as threatened under the authority of the Act. For some threatened species, we have issued special rules that exempt from the take prohibition certain activities that are consistent with conservation of the species. Published elsewhere in today's Federal Register is the final rule listing bull trout within the coterminous United States as threatened. In the final listing rule we have included a special rule that exempts from the take prohibition fishing activities authorized under State, National Park Service, or Native American Tribal laws and regulations and take for educational purposes, scientific purposes, the enhancement of propagation or survival of the species, zoological exhibition, and other conservation purposes consistent with the A