Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public Hearing and Reopening of the Public Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for the California Red-legged Frog (Rana Aurora Draytonii)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing and Reopening of the Public Comment Period on Proposed

Endangered Status for the California Red-legged Frog (Rana Aurora

Draytonii)

agency: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

action: Proposed Rule; Notice of Public Hearing and Reopening of Public

Comment Period.

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summary: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), under the

Endangered Species Act (Act), gives notice that a public hearing will

be held on the proposed endangered status for the California red-legged

frog (Rana aurora draytonii). The hearing will allow all interested

parties to submit oral or written comments on the proposal. In

addition, the Service reopens the public comment period from April 8,

1994 to May 27, 1994.

dates: The public hearing will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on

Thursday, May 12, 1994, in Sacramento, California. Comments from all

interested parties must be received by May 27, 1994. Any comments

received after the closing date may not be considered in the final

decision on this proposal.

addresses: The public hearing will be held at the Radisson Hotel, 500

Leisure Lane, Sacramento, California. Written comments and materials

should be sent directly to the Acting Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Sacramento Field Office, 2800 Cottage Way, room R-

1803, Sacramento, California 95825-1846. Comments and materials

received will be available for public inspection during normal business

hours, by appointment, at the above address.

for further information contact: Ms. Karen J. Miller, Sacramento Field

Office, at the above address (telephone (916) 967-4866).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The historical range of the California red-legged frog extended

from the vicinity of Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County,

California, coastally and from the vicinity of Redding, Shasta County,

California, inland southward to northwestern Baja California, Mexico.

Today, the California red-legged frog is found primarily in wetlands

and streams in coastal drainages of central California. It has been

extirpated from 75 percent of its former range. Seventy-seven percent

of remaining subpopulations currently are threatened by one or more

factors, including: (1) Introduction of exotic predators and

competitors, (2) urban encroachment, (3) construction of large and

small reservoirs, water diversions and well development, (4) flood

control maintenance, (5) grazing, and (6) timber harvest. Only 44

drainages, with the majority being in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and San

Luis Obispo Counties, currently provide habitat free from the above

threats. Fragmentation of habitat, however, renders these

subpopulations vulnerable to random extinction (stochastic) events.

Only three areas currently support over 350 adults. A rule proposing to

list the California red-legged frog as an endangered species was

published in the Federal Register (59 FR 4886) on February 2, 1994.

Subsection 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. et seq.),

requires that a public hearing be held if it is requested within 45

days of the publication of a proposed rule. The Service received 6

written requests for a public hearing from various agencies,

organizations, and individuals. As a result, the Service has scheduled

a public hearing for May 12, 1994, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sacramento,

California.

Parties wishing to make statements for the record should bring a

copy of their statements to the hearing. Oral statements may be limited

in length, if the number of parties present at the hearing necessitates

such a limitation. There are, however, no limits to the length of

written comments or materials presented at the hearing or mailed to the

Service. The comment period closes on May 27, 1994. Written comments

should be submitted to the Service in the ADDRESSES section.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Ms. Karen J. Miller,

Sacramento Field Office, at the above address.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act (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 Subject in 50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and threatened species, Exports Imports, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.

Dated: April 4, 1994.

Don Weathers,

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

Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for the

California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii).

[FR Doc. 94-8417 Filed 4-7-94; 8:45 am]

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