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

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB75

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period for Proposal To List the

Northern Copperbelly Water Snake (Nerodia Erythrogaster Neglecta) as a

Threatened Species

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of public hearing and reopening of comment period.

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

a public hearing will be held on the proposed determination of

threatened status for the northern copperbelly water snake (Nerodia

erythrogaster neglecta) and that the comment period on the proposal is

reopened. This hearing and reopened comment period will allow comments

on this proposal to be submitted from all interested parties.

DATES: The comment period on the proposal is reopened on March 22, 1994

and will close on April 21, 1994. The public hearing will be held from

7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, 1994, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Indiana War Memorial

Auditorium, 431 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the public hearing

contact 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 strong 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 proposing the northern copperbelly

water snake for classification as a threatened species was published on

August 18, 1993. The original comment period ended on October 18, and

the deadline for receipt of public hearing requests was October 4. On

October 12, 1993, a second notice was published reopening the comment

period until November 16, and the hearing request deadline until

November 4, 1993. The deadlines were extended because the Service

believed a number of parties interested in the proposed listing may not

have received notice of the proposal in sufficient time to submit

comments or request a public hearing during the original comment

period.

On October 15, 1993, the Service received a request for a public

hearing on this proposal from Mr. James E. Baker, representing the

Western Kentucky Coal Association, Frankfort, Kentucky. A second

request for a public hearing was received by the Service on November 1

from Ms. Bertha Daubendiek, representing the Michigan Nature

Association, Avoca, Michigan. The Service has scheduled a hearing from

7 to 9 p.m. E.S.T., at the Indiana War Memorial Auditorium,

Indianapolis, Indiana. Those parties wishing to make statements for the

record should have available a copy of their statements to be presented

to the Service at the start of the hearing. Oral statements may be

limited to 5 or 10 minutes if the number of parties present that

evening necessitates some limitation. There are no limits to the length

of written comments presented at this hearing or mailed to the Service.

In order to accommodate the hearing, the Service also reopens the

public comment period. Written comments may now be submitted between

March 21 and April 21, 1994, to the Service office in the Addresses

section or at the public hearing.

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 (phone 612-725-3276; fax 612-

725-3526).

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1543; 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: March 18, 1994.

Jay L. Gerst,

Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 94-6827 Filed 3-21-94; 8:45 am]

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