Extension request for USFWS 50 CFR 13/14

[David Furth]

*** Resending note of 10/26/94 17:06
To: EXTERNAL--CMSNAMES External Address

From: David Furth
Subject: Extension request for USFWS 50 CFR 13/14

Many of you who deal with the museum community have no doubt been
hearing many bits and pieces about the 14 September 1994 U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Federal Register (50 CFR Parts 13 & 14) which proposes
changes to the rules about Importation, Exportation, and Transportation
of Wildlife. There are apparently a variety of ways of interpreting the
existing rules which include not being able to use the US Mail for
shipment of specimens and shipments of "eight or more similar unused
items" (8 specimens) being interpreted as commercial shipments. Also,
the necessity of attaching Form 3-177 to each outgoing and incoming
international packages poses a significant problem, especially for
entomology departments that typically have many transactions involving
hundreds of thousands of specimens for many of which a specific taxon name
is difficult or impossible to supply within 180 days.

Anyway, we have until 14 November to make comments on the USFWS proposed
rules and changes and hopefully many of you are already involved in
doing so, and encouraging others and societies, etc. to do so as well.
However, there has not really been adequate time to get the word to all
appropriate organizations and to allow them time to proces comments.
Therefore, a number of organizations are making official requests for a
60 day extension of the 14 November 1994 deadline for comments. I would
encourage anyone who has involvement with professional organizations to
encourage them to also request such an extension. Of course, anyone or
any organization who is already in the process of commenting on these proposed
rules and changes, should proceed to do so and not assume that an
extension will be granted. However, if an extension is granted, then
many more organizations can be properly informed of the issues
and respond relative to their interests.

ÿÿ    Extension request for USFWS 50 CFR 13/14                                 N