Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for the Pacific Pocket Mouse

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for the Pacific Pocket Mouse

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule, notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), under the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended, gives notice that a public hearing

will be held on the proposed action to list the Pacific pocket mouse

(Perognathus longimembris pacificus) as an endangered species. The

Service will allow all interested parties to submit oral or written

comments at the hearing on the proposal.

DATES: A public hearing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday,

March 24, 1994, in San Clemente, California. Comments from all

interested parties must be received by April 4, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The hearing on Thursday, March 24, 1994, will be held at the

Casa Clemente Resort (formerly known as the Ramada Inn), 35 Calle de

Industrias, San Clemente, California.

Written comments and materials may be submitted at the hearing or

may be sent directly to Mr. Gail Kobetich, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Field Office, 2730 Loker Avenue West,

Carlsbad, California 92008. Comments and materials received will be

available for public inspection during normal business hours by

appointment, at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Loren Hays or Fred Roberts, Carlsbad Field Office, (see ADDRESSES

section) or telephone 619/431-9440.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Pacific pocket mouse (Perognathus longimembris pacificus), a

small heteromyid rodent, which historically occurred within about 3

kilometers (2 miles) of the immediate coast at eight locations from

Marina del Rey and El Segundo in Los Angeles County south to the

vicinity of the Mexican border in San Diego County, California. This

species is brownish or grayish in color and attains a total length of

126 millimeters (4.9 inches).

The Pacific pocket mouse occurs on fine-grain, sandy substrates,

and inhabits coastal strand, coastal dunes, river alluvium, and coastal

sage scrub vegetation on marine terraces. The only known extant

population of this species is found on the Dana Point Headlands in Dana

Point, California. On February 3, 1994, the Service listed the Pacific

pocket mouse as an endangered species using the emergency provision of

the Act because it is in imminent danger of extinction due to habitat

loss and fragmentation, and predation by feral and domestic cats (59 FR

5306). A proposed rule to list this species and announcing the

Service's intention to hold a public hearing on this matter was also

published in the Federal Register on that date (59 FR 5311).

Those parties wishing to make a statement for the record should

bring a copy of their statement to present to the Service at the start

of the hearing. Oral statements may be limited in length, if the number

of parties present at the hearing necessitates such a limitation. There

are no limits to the length of written comments or materials presented

at the hearing or mailed to the Service. Written comments will be given

the same weight as oral comments. Written comments may be submitted at

the hearing or mailed to the address given in the ADDRESSES section of

this notice. The comment period closes April 4, 1994.

Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended (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.

(Notice of Public Hearing: Pacific pocket mouse; endangered without

critical habitat)

Dated: February 21, 1994.

Marvin L. Plenert,

Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-4545 Filed 2-28-94; 8:45 am]

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