Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for the Barton Springs Salamander

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AC22

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Endangered

Status for the Barton Springs Salamander

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice that a

public hearing will be held on the proposed determination of endangered

status for the Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) and that the

comment period on the proposal is reopened. This salamander is found

only in Barton Springs, Travis County, Texas. All interested parties

are invited to submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: the public hearing will be held in two sessions, from 1 p.m. to

4:30 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., on June 16, 1994, in Austin,

Texas. The comment period, which originally closed on April 18, 1994,

has been reopened and now closes on July 1, 1994. The Service will

accept comments received between April 18, 1994 and July 1, 1994.

ADDRESSES: Both sessions of the public hearing will be held at the

Lyndon Baines Johnson Auditorium, Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

Complex, 2315 Red River Street, University of Texas campus, Austin,

Texas. Written comments and materials should be sent to the Field

Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, 611

East 6th Street, room 407, Austin, Texas 78701. Comments and materials

received will be available for public inspection, by appointment,

during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lisa O'Donnell, Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin

Ecological Services Field Office, at the above address (telephone 512/

482-5436).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Baron Springs salamander is completely aquatic and currently

known only from Barton Springs in Travis County, Texas. The salamander

is threatened by contamination of the waters that feed Barton Springs,

reduced groundwater supplies, and disturbances to its surface habitat

in the pools where it is found (such as use of chemicals and high

pressure hoses for pool cleaning).

On February 17, 1994, the Service published a proposed rule in the

Federal Register (59 FR 7968) to list the Barton Springs salamander as

endangered under the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act requires that a

public hearing be held if requested within 45 days of the proposal's

publication in the Federal Register. The first public hearing request

received within the allotted time period came from Mr. Jon Beall,

President of the Save Barton Creek Association, Austin, Texas. Several

other hearing requests were subsequently received.

The Service has scheduled the requested hearing in two sessions,

from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., on June 16, 1994,

at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Auditorium, Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

Complex, 2315 Red River Street, University of Texas campus, Austin,

Texas. Anyone wishing to make an oral statement for the record is

encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement at the start of

the hearing. So that everyone has the opportunity to make an oral

statement, each person who wishes to do so should make their statement

at only one of the sessions. In the event there is a large attendance,

the time allotted for oral statements may have to be limited. Oral and

written statements receive equal consideration. There are no limits to

the length of written comments presented at this hearing or mailed to

the Service.

The comment period on the proposed rule originally closed on April

18, 1994. The Service finds that good cause exists to reopen the

comment period to accommodate the hearing. Written comments may now be

submitted until July 1, 1994, to the Service office in the ADDRESS

section. The Service will also accept comments received between April

18, 1994, and the publication date of this notice.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Lisa O'Donnell (see

ADDRESSES).

Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered

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

Dated: May 20, 1994.

John Cross,

Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-12846 Filed 5-25-94; 8:45 am]

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