Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public Hearing and Extension of Public Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for Three Insects From the Santa Cruz Mountains of California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB97

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing and Extension of Public Comment Period on Proposed Endangered

Status for Three Insects From the Santa Cruz Mountains of California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), pursuant to the

Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531), as amended (Act),

gives notice that a public hearing will be held on the proposed

endangered status for the Mount Hermon June beetle (Polyphylla

barbata), Zayante band-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantilis),

and Santa Cruz rain beetle (Pleocoma conjugens conjugens), and that the

comment period is extended. The Service will allow all interested

parties to submit oral and written comments on the proposal during the

hearing and comment period. A proposed rule for these species was

published in the Federal Register on May 10, 1994 (59 FR 24112).

DATES: The comment period on the proposal is extended until August 1,

1994. The public hearing will be held from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday,

July 18, 1994, in Santa Cruz, California. Any comments received after

the closing date may not be considered in the final decision on this

proposal.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Santa Cruz County

Government Center, 701 Ocean Street, Board of Supervisors Chambers,

Room 525, Santa Cruz, California. Written comments and materials

concerning this proposal should be sent to the Field Supervisor, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, 2140 Eastman Avenue, Suite 100, Ventura,

California 93003. Comments and materials received will be available for

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

above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Carl Benz at the Ventura Field Office (see ADDRESSES Section),

(telephone 805-644-1766).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Mount Hermon June beetle is a small scarab beetle with a black

head, dark blackish-brown front wings clothed with scattered long hair,

and striped body. The Zayante band-winged grasshopper is a small

grasshopper with a pale gray to light-brown body and forewings, and

with dark crossbands on the forewings. The Santa Cruz rain beetle is a

large beetle, shining reddish-brown to blackish in color, and the

ventral surface of the body is clothed with long hair. Females are

longer and fatter than males, chestnut colored, and lack functional

wings. Historical habitat for these three species occurred in patches

and totalled about 500 acres. With the exception of two sightings, all

known localities for the three species are within a 20-square-mile

range. Recent human activities in the Santa Cruz Mountains have

resulted in the loss, fragmentation, and degradation of over 50 percent

of their habitat. These three insects are threatened by urban

development, recreational use, sand mining, agricultural activities,

and change in the frequency of natural fires.

Subsection 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act requires that a public hearing be

held if it is requested within 45 days of the publication of a proposed

rule. In response to the proposed rule, the Service received one

request for a public hearing from William Hazeltine, Environmental

Consultant, Oroville, California. As a result, the Service has

scheduled a public hearing on Monday, July 18, 1994, from 6:30 to 8:00

p.m., at the Santa Cruz County Government Center, Santa Cruz,

California. Parties wishing to make statements for the record should

bring a copy of their statements to the hearing. Oral statements may be

limited in length, if the number of parties present at the hearing

necessitates such a limitation. However, no limits exist for written

comments or materials presented at the hearing or mailed to the

Service. The comment period closes on August 1, 1994. Written comments

should be submitted to the Service office identified in the ADDRESSES

section.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Carl Benz, Ventura Field

Office (see ADDRESSES section).

Authority

The authority for this section is the Endangered Species Act (16

U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 4201-4245; Pub. L.

99-625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise noted.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.

Dated: June 23, 1994.

David L. McMullen,

Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-15740 Filed 6-28-94; 8:45 am]

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