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; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice 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 comment period, which originally closed on April 18, 1994,

has been reopened and now closes on July 29, 1994. The Service will

accept comments received between April 18, 1994, and July 29, 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 Supervisor,

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, Fish and

Wildlife Service, Ecological Services in Austin at the above address

(telephone 512/482-5436).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Barton 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 comment period on the proposed rule originally closed on April

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

comment period. Written comments may now be submitted until July 29,

1994, to the Service office in the ADDRESSES 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: July 1, 1994.

James A. Young,

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

[FR Doc. 94-16533 Filed 7-7-94; 8:45 am]

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