FWS extends caribou comment period

SANDPOINT — The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is extending the comment period on a proposal to designate critical habitat for woodland caribou in the Panhandle and eastern Washington.

The new deadline to comment on the designation for caribou in the southern Selkirk Mountains is May 21.

“We recognize the public’s interest in this issue and will work together to help citizens fully understand our proposal to designate critical habitat for caribou,” said Brian Kelly, the service’s Idaho supervisor.

“We also seek to gain as much information as possible from all interested parties which we will use to inform our final decision.”

Fish & Wildlife is hosting a information meeting and public hearing on the proposal in Bonners Ferry on Saturday, April 28. The informational meeting goes from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The public hearing starts at 2 p.m., with speaker registration starting at 1 p.m.

The meeting and the hearing are being held at Bonners Ferry High School. A weekend day was chosen to accommodate the public, Fish & Wildlife said.

The comment period extension was requested by Gov. Butch Otter, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and Boundary County commissioners.

The habitat designation proposal and other links can be found on online at www.fws.gov/idaho.

Comments can be submitted electronically by pointing your web browser to www.regulations.gov. In the keyword box, enter Docket No. FWS—R1-ES-2011-0096. In the search panel on the left side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, click on the Proposed Rules link to locate the document. Submit comments by clicking on “Send a Comment or Submission.”

Direct written comments to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS—R1-ES-2011-0096, Division of Policy & Directives Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS-2042—PDM, Arlington, VA. 22203.