Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period for Proposal to List the Lake Erie Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) as a Threatened Species

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AC09

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period for Proposal to List the Lake

Erie Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) as a Threatened Species

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearing and reopening of

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice that

two public hearings will be held on the proposed determination of

threatened status for the Lake Erie water snake (Nerodia sipedon

insularum) and that the comment period on the proposal is reopened. The

hearings and reopened comment period will allow comments on this

proposal to be submitted from all interested parties.

DATES: The first public hearing will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on

Tuesday, May 31, 1994, in Put-in-Bay, on South Bass Island, Ohio. The

second public hearing will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June

1, 1994, in Port Clinton, Ohio. The comment period will close on June

16, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The May 31, 1994, public hearing will be held at the Village

Hall, Catawba Avenue, Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The June 1, 1994, public

hearing will be held at Port Clinton High School, 821 S. Jefferson

Street, Port Clinton, Ohio. Written comments and materials should be

sent to the Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bishop

Henry Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal Drive, Ft. Snelling,

Minnesota 55111-4056. Comments and materials received will be available

for public inspection during normal business hours, by appointment, at

the above Regional Office address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:For information on the public hearing

contact Kent Kroonemeyer, Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Ecological Services Field Office, 6950-H Americana Parkway,

Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068-4415 (614/469-6923; fax 614/469-6919).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Lake Erie water snake is found on the islands of western Lake

Erie and the adjacent mainland of Ohio and Ontario, Canada. It has been

proposed for listing as a threatened species due to strong evidence

that its numbers have declined dramatically, primarily as a result of

the destruction of its habitat and human persecution, and that the

threats to the habitat and to the snakes themselves are continuing.

The Federal Register notice announcing the proposing of the Lake

Erie water snake for classification as a threatened species was

published on August 18, 1993 (58 FR 43857). The original comment period

ended on November 16, and the deadline for receipt of public hearing

requests was October 4. On October 12, 1993 (58 FR 52740), a second

notice was published extending the comment period until November 16,

1993.

On October 5, 1993, the Service received a request for a public

hearing on this proposal from Donald J. McTigue, representing

Baycliff's Corporation. A second request for a public hearing was

received by the Service on October 13, 1993, from H. R. Clagg,

President of the Johnson's Island Property Owners' Association. The

Service has scheduled two hearings in the area potentially affected by

the listing proposal. Those parties wishing to make statements for the

record should have available a copy of their statements to be presented

to the Service at the hearing. Oral statements may be limited to 5 or

10 minutes, if the number of parties present necessitates some

limitation. There are no limits to the length of written comments

presented at this hearing or mailed to the Service. Oral and written

comments receive equal consideration.

In order to accommodate the hearing, the Service also reopens the

public comment period. Written comments may now be submitted until June

16, 1994, to the Service office in the ADDRESSES section or at the

public hearing.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Ronald L. Refsnider, Division

of Endangered Species, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal

Drive, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056 (phone 612-725-3276; fax 612-

725-3526).

Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered

Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq.).

Dated: May 9, 1994.

Richard N. Smith,

Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-11660 Filed 5-12-94; 8:45 am]

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