{"abstract":"The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), (jointly referred to as the ``Services'') announce a final Safe Harbor policy under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This policy provides incentives for private and other non-Federal property owners to restore, enhance, or maintain habitats for listed species. Because many endangered and threatened species occur exclusively, or to a large extent, on non-Federally owned property, the involvement of non-Federal property owners in the conservation and recovery of listed species is critical to the eventual success of these efforts. Under the policy, the Services will provide participating property owners with technical assistance to develop Safe Harbor Agreements (Agreements) that manage habitat for listed species, and provide assurances that additional land, water, and/or natural resource use restrictions will not be imposed as a result of their voluntary conservation actions to benefit covered species. When the property owner meets all the terms of the Agreement, the Services will authorize incidental taking of the covered species at a level that enables the property owner ultimately to return the enrolled property back to agreed upon baseline conditions. The Services will closely coordinate with the appropriate State agencies and any affected Native American Tribal governments before entering into Agreements. The Services considered and evaluated all the comments received on the draft policy in developing this final policy. Additionally, the FWS is publishing elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register a final rule that contains the necessary regulatory changes to implement this policy.","action":"Announcement of final policy.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR","name":"Interior Department","id":253,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/interior-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/253","parent_id":null,"slug":"interior-department"},{"raw_name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","id":197,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/fish-and-wildlife-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/197","parent_id":253,"slug":"fish-and-wildlife-service"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","name":"Commerce Department","id":54,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/commerce-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/54","parent_id":null,"slug":"commerce-department"},{"raw_name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","id":361,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/361","parent_id":54,"slug":"national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/1999/06/17/99-15256.html","cfr_references":[],"citation":"64 FR 32717","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"This policy is effective July 19, 1999.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":[],"dockets":[],"document_number":"99-15256","effective_on":"1999-07-19","end_page":32726,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":null,"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1999/06/17/99-15256/announcement-of-final-safe-harbor-policy","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/99-15256?publication_date=1999-06-17","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-1999-06-17/99-15256/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":10,"page_views":{"count":661,"last_updated":"2026-08-26 00:15:02 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1999-06-17/pdf/99-15256.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"1999-06-17","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/1999/06/17/99-15256.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2011-09-21T05:48:02Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":32717,"subtype":null,"title":"Announcement of Final Safe Harbor Policy","toc_doc":null,"toc_subject":null,"topics":[],"type":"Notice","volume":64}