Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 6-Month Extension and Reopening of the Public Comment Period on the Proposed Rule to List Coccoloba Rugosa as a Threatened Species

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AC04

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 6-Month

Extension and Reopening of the Public Comment Period on the Proposed

Rule to List Coccoloba Rugosa as a Threatened Species

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 6-month extension and reopening of comment period on

proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) extends for not

more than 6 months the time to make a decision on its proposal to list

the Coccoloba rugosa (ortegon). On September 24, 1993, the Service

proposed to determine threatened status for Coccoloba rugosa under the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The Act requires the

Service to make final determination on such proposals within 12 months,

but provides for a 6-month extension if there is substantial

disagreement regarding the sufficiency or accuracy of the available

data relevant to that determination. The Service finds that there is

substantial disagreement concerning the sufficiency of the available

population data and, therefore, extends the deadline with respect to

the decision to list Coccoloba rugosa.

DATES: The deadline for final action on the proposal is now March 24,

1995. The public comment period is reopened until January 24, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials should be sent to the Field

Supervisor, Caribbean Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box

491, Boqueron, Puerto Rico 00622.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Susan R. Silander at the Caribbean Field Office (see ADDRESSES

section) (809/851-7297).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Although there are no records available concerning when Coccoloba

rugosa was first discovered, it is known that it was widely cultivated

in European botanical gardens during the nineteenth century (Proctor,

pers. comm.). The species was named in 1815 and described in 1829 by

the French botanist Rene Louiche Desfontaines from a cultivated

specimen at the Botanical Garden of Paris (Little et al. 1974). This

plant was reported from St. Thomas more than a century ago, but it is a

doubtful record (Proctor, pers. comm.).

Coccoloba rugosa is a small evergreen tree 9 meters (30 feet) tall

with a diameter of approximately 12.5 centimeters (5 inches). The bark

is brown or gray and fissured, with faint rings at the nodes. The green

twigs are stout, slightly flattened with longitudinal ridges. The

alternate stalkless leaves are 22-60 centimeters (9-24 inches) wide,

very thick, brittle, and hairless. The leaf surface is rugose, with

veins deeply sunken on the upper side and prominent beneath. At the

base of each leaf is a large sheath (ocrea) measuring 4-6 centimeters

(1.5-2.5 inches) long. Inflorescences are terminal, 30-75 centimeters

(1-2.5 feet) long with numerous small crimson-colored flowers. Male and

female flowers are borne on different trees (dioecious). The red ovoid

fruits are about 1 centimeter (.4 inch) long with one brown, pointed,

3-angled seed that is .5 centimeter (.2 inch) long.

When the proposed rule was published (September 24, 1993; 58 FR

49960), the most recent available information indicated that Coccoloba

rugosa was known from fewer than 1000 individuals at 14 sites in the

subtropical moist forests of northern and eastern Puerto Rico. A

population known from the west of the San Jose lagoon was destroyed

some years ago (Little et al. 1974). The remaining populations are

variously threatened by urban, industrial and tourist development,

forest management practices, and the expansion of existing military

installations.

All comments received in response to the proposed rule published on

September 24, 1993, supported the designation of Coccoloba rugosa as

threatened. Nevertheless, on June 21, 1994, the Service received a

letter from Vinson & Elkins, attorneys for the Palmas del Mar

Properties, Inc., that provided additional information on both the

distribution and abundance of Coccoloba rugosa. The Service is

currently conducting field verification of this new information, which

indicates there are at least 19 additional sites containing at least

4,000 individuals.

Section 4(b)(6) of the Act requires the Service to take one of

three alternative actions within 1 year of a listing proposal: (1)

Publish a final regulation listing the species; (2) Publish a notice

that the listing proposal is being withdrawn, or (3) Publish a notice

that the 1-year time period is being extended under section 4(b)(6).

That section as implemented by regulations at 50 CFR 424.17(a)(1)(iv),

provides that the Service may extend the 1-year period for up to 6

months upon finding that ``there is a substantial disagreement among

scientists knowledgeable about the species concerned'' on whether to

list the species.

The Act provides in section 4(b)(1)(A) that a determination to list

a species shall be made on the best available scientific and commercial

information. The Act's information standard requires that the best

available information must support a conclusion that a species meets

the Act's definition for threatened or endangered status after

consideration of the five factors discussed in Section 4(a)(1). The

Service finds there is substantial disagreement with regard to the

population status of Coccoloba rugosa, and, therefore, extends until

March 31, 1995, the period within which to make a final listing

determination on this species. The Service solicits additional data on

the status of Coccoloba rugosa until January 24, 1995.

References Cited

Little, E.L., R.O. Woodbury, and F.H. Wadsworth. 1974. Trees of Puerto

Rico and the Virgin Islands. Second volume. U.S. Department of

Agriculture Handbook No. 449. Washington, D.C. 1024 pp.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Ms. Susan R. Silande (see

ADDRESSES section), (809/851-7297).

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: September 14, 1994.

Mollie H. Beattie,

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-29070 Filed 11-23-94; 8:45 am]

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