Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we), in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will reintroduce black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) into northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah. The purposes of this reintroduction are to implement actions required for the recovery of the species and to evaluate release techniques. We will release surplus captive-raised black-footed ferrets in 1998, if possible, and release additional animals annually for several years thereafter or until we establish a self-sustaining population. If the northwestern Colorado/northeastern Utah program is successful, a wild population could be established within about 5 years. The northwestern Colorado/northeastern Utah population is designated as a nonessential experimental population in accordance with section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We will manage this population under the provisions of section 10(j) through this rule.