50 C.F.R. § 17.84
Current through September 30, 2024
Colorado Squawfish
(i) Arizona: Gila County. Salt River from Roosevelt Dam upstream to U.S Highway 60 bridge.
(ii) Arizona: Gila and Yavapai Counties. Verde River from Horseshoe Dam upstream to Perkinsville.
The lower segments of large streams which flow into these two sections of river may, from time to time, be inhabited by Colorado squawfish. Downstream movement of squawfish in these areas will be restricted by dams and upstream movement is limited by lack of suitable habitat.
Woundfin
(i) Arizona: Gila and Yavapai Counties. Verde River from backwaters of Horseshoe Reservoir upstream to Perkinsville.
(ii) Arizona: Graham and Greenlee Counties. Gila River from backwaters of San Carlos Reservoir upstream to Arizona/New Mexico State line.
(iii) Arizona: Greenlee County. San Francisco River from its junction with the Gila River upstream to the Arizona/New Mexico State line.
(iv) Arizona: Gila County. Tonto Creek, from Punkin Center upstream to Gisela.
(v) Arizona: Yavapai County. Hassayampa River, from Red Cliff upstream to Wagoner.
The movement of woundfin beyond these areas will be limited to the lower portion of larger tributaries where suitable habitat exists. Downstream movement is limited by dams, reservoirs, and dry streambed. Upstream movement from these areas is restricted due to the absence of habitat. Upstream areas are too cold and the gradient is too steep to support populations of woundfin.
Active den means a den or a specific site above or below ground that is used by Mexican wolves on a daily basis to bear and raise pups, typically between approximately April 1 and July 31. More than one den site may be used in a single season.
Cross-foster means the removal of offspring from their biological parents and placement with surrogate parents.
Depredation means the confirmed killing or wounding of lawfully present domestic animals by one or more Mexican wolves. The Service, Wildlife Services, or other Service-designated agencies will confirm cases of wolf depredation on lawfully present domestic animals. Cattle trespassing on Federal lands are not considered lawfully present domestic animals.
Designated agency means a Federal, State, or tribal agency designated by the Service to assist in implementing this rule, all or in part, consistent with a Service-approved management plan, special management measure, conference opinion pursuant to section 7(a)(4) of the Act, section 6 of the Act as described in § 17.31 for State game and fish agencies with authority to manage Mexican wolves, or a valid permit issued by the Service through § 17.32 .
Disturbance-causing land-use activity means any activity on Federal lands within a 1-mi (1.6-km) radius around release pens when Mexican wolves are in them, around active dens between April 1 and July 31, and around active Mexican wolf rendezvous sites between June 1 and September 30, which the Service determines could adversely affect reproductive success, natural behavior, or persistence of Mexican wolves. Such activities may include, but are not limited to, timber or wood harvesting, prescribed fire, mining or mine development, camping outside designated campgrounds, livestock husbandry activities (e.g., livestock drives, roundups, branding, vaccinating, etc.), off-road vehicle use, hunting, and any other use or activity with the potential to disturb wolves. The following activities are specifically excluded from this definition:
Domestic animal means livestock as defined in this paragraph (k)(3) and non-feral dogs.
Federal land means land owned and under the administration of Federal agencies including, but not limited to, the Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Energy, or Department of Defense.
Feral dog means any dog (Canis familiaris) or wolf-dog hybrid that, because of absence of physical restraint or conspicuous means of identifying it at a distance as non-feral, is reasonably thought to range freely without discernible, proximate control by any person. Feral dogs do not include domestic dogs that are penned, leashed, or otherwise restrained (e.g., by shock collar) or which are working livestock or being lawfully used to trail or locate wildlife.
Harass means intentional or negligent actions or omissions that create the likelihood of injury to wildlife by annoying it to such an extent as to significantly disrupt normal behavioral patterns, which include, but are not limited to, breeding, feeding, or sheltering.
In the act of biting, killing, or wounding means grasping, biting, wounding, or feeding upon a live domestic animal on non-Federal land or live livestock on Federal land. The term does not include feeding on an animal carcass.
Initial release means the release of Mexican wolves to the wild within Zone 1, as defined in this paragraph (k)(3), or in accordance with tribal or private land agreements in Zone 2, as defined in this paragraph (k)(3), that have never been in the wild, or releasing pups that have never been in the wild and are less than 5 months old within Zones 1 or 2. The initial release of pups less than 5 months old into Zone 2 allows for the cross-fostering of pups from the captive population into the wild, as well as enables translocation-eligible adults to be re-released in Zone 2 with pups born in captivity.
Intentional harassment means deliberate, preplanned harassment of Mexican wolves, including by less-than-lethal means (such as 12-gauge shotgun rubber-bullets and bean-bag shells) designed to cause physical discomfort and temporary physical injury, but not death. Intentional harassment includes situations where the Mexican wolf or wolves may have been unintentionally attracted-or intentionally tracked, waited for, chased, or searched out-and then harassed. Intentional harassment of Mexican wolves is only allowed under a permit issued by the Service or its designated agency.
Livestock means domestic alpacas, bison, burros (donkeys), cattle, goats, horses, llamas, mules, and sheep, or other domestic animals defined as livestock in Service-approved State and tribal Mexican wolf management plans. Poultry is not considered livestock under this rule.
Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) means an area in Arizona and New Mexico including Zones 1, 2, and 3, as defined in this paragraph (k)(3), that lies south of Interstate Highway 40 to the international border with Mexico.
Non-Federal land means any private, State-owned, or tribal trust land.
Occupied Mexican wolf range means an area of confirmed presence of Mexican wolves based on the most recent map of occupied range posted on the Service's Mexican Wolf Recovery Program Web site at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/. Specific to the prohibitions at paragraphs (k)(5)(iii) and (k)(5)(vii)(D) of this section, Zone 3, as defined in this paragraph (k)(3), and tribal trust lands are not considered occupied range.
Opportunistic harassment means scaring any Mexican wolf from the immediate area by taking actions such as discharging firearms or other projectile-launching devices in proximity to, but not in the direction of, the wolf, throwing objects at it, or making loud noise in proximity to it. Such harassment might cause temporary, non-debilitating physical injury, but is not reasonably anticipated to cause permanent physical injury or death. Opportunistic harassment of Mexican wolves can occur without a permit issued by the Service or its designated agency.
Problem wolves mean Mexican wolves that, for purposes of management and control by the Service or its designated agent(s), are:
Rendezvous site means a gathering and activity area regularly used by Mexican wolf pups after they have emerged from the den. Typically, these sites are used for a period ranging from about 1 week to 1 month in the first summer after birth during the period from June 1 to September 30. Several rendezvous sites may be used in succession within a single season.
Service-approved management plan means management plans approved by the Regional Director or Director of the Service through which Federal, State, or tribal agencies may become a designated agency. The management plan must address how Mexican wolves will be managed to achieve conservation goals in compliance with the Act, this experimental population rule, and other Service policies. If a Federal, State, or tribal agency becomes a designated agency through a Service-approved management plan, the Service will help coordinate their activities while retaining authority for program direction, oversight, guidance, and authorization of Mexican wolf removals.
Take means to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct (16 U.S.C. 1532(19) ).
Translocate means the release of Mexican wolves into the wild that have previously been in the wild. In the MWEPA, translocations will occur only in Zones 1 and 2, as defined in this paragraph (k)(3).
Tribal trust land means any lands title to which is either: Held in trust by the United States for the benefit of any Indian tribe or individual; or held by any Indian tribe or individual subject to restrictions by the United States against alienation. For purposes of this rule, tribal trust land does not include land purchased in fee title by a tribe. We consider fee simple land purchased by tribes to be private land.
Unacceptable impact to a wild ungulate herd will be determined by a State game and fish agency based upon ungulate management goals, or a 15 percent decline in an ungulate herd as documented by a State game and fish agency, using their preferred methodology, based on the preponderance of evidence from bull to cow ratios, cow to calf ratios, hunter days, and/or elk population estimates.
Unintentional take means the take of a Mexican wolf by any person if the take is unintentional and occurs while engaging in an otherwise lawful activity, occurs despite the use of due care, is coincidental to an otherwise lawful activity, and is not done on purpose. Taking a Mexican wolf by poisoning or shooting will not be considered unintentional take.
Wild ungulate herd means an assemblage of wild ungulates (bighorn sheep, bison, deer, elk, or pronghorn) living in a given area.
Wildlife Services means the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services.
Wounded means exhibiting scraped or torn hide or flesh, bleeding, or other evidence of physical damage caused by a Mexican wolf bite.
Zone 1 means an area within the MWEPA in Arizona and New Mexico into which Mexican wolves will be allowed to naturally disperse and occupy and where Mexican wolves may be initially released from captivity or translocated. Zone 1 includes all of the Apache, Gila, and Sitgreaves National Forests; the Payson, Pleasant Valley, and Tonto Basin Ranger Districts of the Tonto National Forest; and the Magdalena Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest.
Zone 2 is an area within the MWEPA into which Mexican wolves will be allowed to naturally disperse and occupy, and where Mexican wolves may be translocated.
Zone 3 means an area within the MWEPA into which Mexican wolves will be allowed to disperse and occupy, but neither initial releases nor translocations will occur there.
Table 1 to Paragraph (k)(7)(iv)(C)(1)(i)
| Year | Benchmark |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 | 15 |
| 2027 | 16 |
| 2028 | 18 |
| 2029 | 20 |
| 2030 | 22 |
; or
Table 2 to Paragraph (k)(7)(v)(A)(1)(i)
| Year | Benchmark |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 14 |
| 2026 | 15 |
| 2027 | 16 |
| 2028 | 18 |
| 2029 | 20 |
| 2030 | 22 |
; or
The boundaries of the Experimental Population Area are delineated by U.S. 93 from its junction with the Bitterroot River near Missoula, Montana, to Challis, Idaho; Idaho 75 from Challis to Stanley, Idaho; Idaho 21 from Stanley to Lowman, Idaho; State Highway 17 from Lowman to Banks, Idaho; Idaho 55 from Banks to New Meadows, Idaho; U.S. 95 from New Meadows to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Interstate 90 from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to its junction with the Clark Fork River near St. Regis, Montana; the Clark Fork River from its junction with Interstate 90 near St. Regis to its confluence with the Bitterroot River near Missoula, Montana; and the Bitterroot River from its confluence with the Clark Fork River to its junction with U.S. Highway 93, near Missoula, Montana (See map at the end of this paragraph (l)).
Accommodate means allowing grizzly bears that move outside the Recovery Area onto public land in the Experimental Population Area to remain undisturbed unless they demonstrate a real and imminent threat to human safety or livestock.
Citizen Management Committee (Committee) means that Committee described in paragraph (l)(6) of this section.
Current range means the area inside or within 10 miles of the recovery zone line of currently occupied grizzly bear recovery zones or any area where there is a grizzly bear population, as defined in this paragraph (l)(16).
Exclusion area (Bitterroot Valley) means those private lands in Montana lying within the Bitterroot Experimental Population Area in the Bitterroot Valley outside the Bitterroot National Forest boundary south of U.S. Highway 12 to Lost Trail Pass and west of Highway 93.
Experimental Population Area (Bitterroot Grizzly Bear Experimental Population Area) means that area delineated in paragraph (l)(1) of this section within which management plans developed as part of the Committee described in paragraph (l)(9) of this section will be in effect. This area includes the Recovery Area. The Experimental Population Area is within the historic range of the grizzly bear, but geographically separate from the current range of the grizzly bear.
Geographically separate means separated by more than 10 miles. The term refers to "wholly separate geographically" in section 10(j)(2) of the Act. The Experimental Population Area and the recovery zone boundary of any existing grizzly bear population must be geographically separate.
Grizzly bear population is defined by verified evidence within the previous 6 years which consists of photos within the area, verified tracks, or sightings by reputable scientists or agency personnel of at least two different female grizzly bears with young or one female with different litters in 2 different years in an area geographically separate from other grizzly bear populations. Verifiable evidence of females with young, to be geographically separate, would have to occur greater than 10 miles from the nearest nonexperimental grizzly bear population recovery zone boundary.
Opportunistic, noninjurious harassment means harassment (see definition of "harass" in § 17.3 ) that occurs when the grizzly bear presents itself (for example, the bear travels onto and is observed on private land or near livestock). This paragraph (l) permits only this type of harassment. You cannot track, attract, search out, or chase a grizzly bear and then harass it. Any harassment must not cause bodily injury or death to the grizzly bear. The intent of harassment permitted by this definition is to scare bears away from the immediate area.
Recovery Area (Bitterroot Grizzly Bear Recovery Area) means the area of recovery emphasis within the Experimental Population Area, and is delineated in paragraph (l)(2) of this section. This area consists of the Selway-Bitterroot and Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness areas. The Recovery Area is within the historic range of the species.
Recovery emphasis means grizzly bear management decisions in the Recovery Area will favor bear recovery so that this area can serve as core habitat for survival, reproduction, and dispersal of the recovering population. Reintroduction of grizzly bears is planned to occur within the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness portion of the Recovery Area unless it is later determined that reintroduction in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is appropriate.
Unavoidable and unintentional take means accidental, unintentional take (see definition of take in § 10.12 of this subchapter) that occurs despite reasonable care, is incidental to an otherwise lawful activity, and is not done on purpose. An example would be striking a grizzly bear with an automobile. Taking a grizzly bear by shooting will not be considered unavoidable and unintentional take. Shooters have the responsibility to be sure of their targets.
Designated agent -An employee of a Federal, State, or Tribal agency that is authorized or directed by the Service to conduct gray wolf management consistent with this rule.
Intentional harassment -The deliberate and pre-planned harassment of wolves, including by less-than-lethal munitions that are designed to cause physical discomfort and temporary physical injury but not death.
In the act of attacking -The actual biting, wounding, grasping, or killing of livestock or working dogs or chasing, molesting, or harassing by wolves that would indicate to a reasonable person that such biting, wounding, grasping, or killing of livestock or working dogs is likely to occur at any moment.
Landowner -Any of the following entities:
Livestock -Cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, mules, goats, domestic bison, and herding and guarding animals (alpacas, llamas, donkeys, and certain breeds of dogs commonly used for herding or guarding livestock). Livestock excludes dogs that are not being used for livestock guarding or herding.
Livestock producer -A person who is actively engaged in farming/ranching and receives income from the production of livestock.
Non-injurious -Does not cause either temporary or permanent physical damage or death.
Opportunistic harassment -Harassment without the conduct of prior purposeful actions to attract, track, wait for, or search out the wolf. Opportunistic harassment includes scaring wolves with noise (e.g., yelling or shooting firearms into the air), movement (e.g., running or driving toward the wolf), or objects (e.g., throwing a rock at a wolf or releasing bear pepper spray).
Private land -All land other than that under Federal Government ownership and administration and including Tribal reservations.
Public land -Federal land such as that administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, Department of Defense, or other agencies within the Federal Government.
Public land permittee -A person or that person's employee who has an active, valid Federal land-use permit to use specific Federal lands to graze livestock or operate an outfitter or guiding business that uses livestock and Tribal members who legally graze their livestock on ceded public lands under recognized Tribal treaty rights. This term does not include private individuals or organizations who have Federal permits for other activities on public land such as collecting firewood, mushrooms, antlers, or Christmas trees, logging, mining, oil or gas development, or other uses that do not require livestock.
Relocation -Capture and movement to another location.
Remove -Place in captivity or kill.
Research -Scientific studies resulting in data that will lend to enhancement of the survival of the gray wolf.
Rule -The regulations in this paragraph (n).
Tribal land -Any lands where title is either held in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian Tribe or individual Indian or held by an Indian Tribe or individual Indian subject to restrictions by the United States against alienation (i.e., sale or transfer).
Unacceptable impact -Tribally determined decline in a wild ungulate population or herd where wolf predation is a major cause of the population or herd not meeting established Tribal management goals on Tribal land. The Tribal determination must be peer-reviewed and reviewed and commented on by the public prior to a final, written determination by the Service that an unacceptable impact has occurred and that wolf removal will benefit the affected ungulate herd or population.
Working dogs -Guard or herding dogs typically used in livestock production.
Wounded -Exhibiting scraped or torn hide or flesh, bleeding, or other evidence of physical damage caused by a wolf.
50 C.F.R. §17.84
For FEDERAL REGISTER citations affecting § 17.84, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.