Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period on the Proposal To List the Northern Copperbelly Water Snake (Nerodia Erythrogaster Neglecta) as a Threatened Species

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB75

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period on the Proposal To List the Northern Copperbelly Water

Snake (Nerodia Erythrogaster Neglecta) as a Threatened Species

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period.

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

the comment period on the proposal is reopened. The northern

copperbelly water snake now persists in isolated populations in

southern Michigan and adjacent Indiana and Ohio, southern Indiana,

southeastern Illinois, and adjacent Kentucky. It occupies lowland

swamps and adjacent wooded and upland areas. The Service has recently

received several reports dealing with northern copperbelly water snake

biology, and these reports are being made available for public review

and comment. The reopened comment period will allow interested parties

to review these studies and submit additional comments on the proposed

rule.

DATES: The comment period on the proposal will close on January 13,

1995.

ADDRESSES: 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 (612/725-3276; fax 612/725-3526).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or copies of

the referenced reports contact either the above office or David Hudak,

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

Office, 620 S. Walker Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47403-2121 (812/334-

4261; fax 812/334-4273).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The northern copperbelly water snake has been proposed for listing

as a threatened species due to evidence that its range and numbers have

declined dramatically, primarily as a result of the destruction of its

habitat, and that the threats to the habitat and to the snakes

themselves are continuing.

The Federal Register notice announcing the proposing of the

northern copperbelly water snake for classification as a threatened

species was published on August 18, 1993 (58 FR 43860). The original

comment period ended on October 18, but was subsequently extended until

November 16, 1993 (58 FR 52740). The comment period was reopened from

March 22 through April 21, 1994 (59 FR 13472), to encompass a requested

public hearing that was held in Indianapolis on April 5, 1994. On July

11, 1994 (59 FR 35307), the Service published a notice indicating that

the final decision on listing the snake as a threatened species would

not be made by August 18, 1994, and extended the decision deadline

until February 18, 1995. That notice also reopened the comment period

until November 1, 1994.

The decision on listing the snake as a threatened species was

delayed to allow additional time to complete a field study in southern

Illinois. The study was designed to address a concern expressed by the

Illinois Department of Conservation regarding interbreeding between the

northern copperbelly water snake (N. e. neglecta) and the more common

yellowbelly water snake (N. e. flavigaster). The Service believed that

determining the extent and location of intergradation between the two

subspecies was sufficiently important to delay the listing decision.

The results of that study (Brandon and Blanford 1994) have now been

submitted to the Service and will be utilized in the listing decision

for the snake. The Service also has received a status survey of the

northern copperbelly water snake in western Kentucky (Bryan 1994) and

an update of an ongoing study on the snake's movement patterns based on

radiotelemetry work (Kingsbury 1994). Information from these studies

will also be considered during the Service's decision whether or not to

list the snake as a threatened species. The Service is notifying the

public of the existence of these studies, and will provide copies of

them to all individuals and organizations that request them. The

Service encourages all parties interested in the northern copperbelly

water snake to review the studies and provide comments to the address

shown above.

References Cited

Brandon, Ronald A. 1994. Research concerning the current

distribution, habitat requirements, and hibernation sites of the

copperbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta) and

intergradation with the yellowbelly water snake (Nerodia

erythrogaster flavigaster)--Preliminary report: Current distribution

and intergradation. Unpublished report, dated October 25, 1994,

submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Building,

Ft. Snelling, MN 55111.

Bryan, Hal D. 1994. A status survey for the copperbelly water snake

Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta in western Kentucky. Unpublished

report, dated November 1994, submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Federal Building, Ft. Snelling, MN 55111.

Kingsbury, Bruce 1994. Letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

dated November 20, 1994.

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.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

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

Dated: December 6, 1994.

Mollie H. Beattie,

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-30772 Filed 12-14-94; 8:45 am]

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