Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: 90-Day Finding for a Petition to List the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse as Threatened or Endangered

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: 90-Day Finding for

a Petition to List the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse as Threatened or

Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 90-

day finding for a petition to list the Preble's meadow jumping mouse

(Zapus hudsonius preblei) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended. The Service finds that there is substantial information to

indicate that listing the species may be warranted.

DATES: The finding announced in this document was approved on February

27, 1994. To be considered in the 12-month finding for this petition,

information and comments should be submitted to the Service by May 15,

1995.

ADDRESSES: Information, questions, or comments concerning this petition

finding may be sent to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 730 Simms Street, Room 290, Golden, Colorado 80401. The

petition, finding, supporting data, and comments are available for

public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the

above office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

LeRoy W. Carlson (see ADDRESSES) (303/231-5280).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service (Service) make a finding on whether a petition to

list, delist, or reclassify a species presents substantial scientific

or commercial information to demonstrate that the petitioned action may

be warranted. To the maximum extent practicable, this finding is to be

made within 90 days of the receipt of the petition, and a notice

regarding the finding is to be published promptly in the Federal

Register. If the finding is that substantial information was presented,

the Service also is required to commence a review of the status of the

involved species if one has not already been initiated by the Service.

The Service initiated a status review for Preble's meadow jumping mouse

(Zapus hudsonius preblei) when it categorized the species as a category

2 candidate species in the 1985 Animal Notice of Review (50 FR 37958).

This notice meets the requirement for the 90-day finding made earlier

on the petition as discussed below.

A petition dated August 9, 1994, was received by the Service from

the Biodiversity Legal Foundation on August 16, 1994. The petition

requests the Service to list Preble's meadow jumping mouse as

endangered or threatened throughout its range and to designate critical

habitat within a [[Page 13951]] reasonable amount of time following the

listing.

The petitioner submitted information that Preble's meadow jumping

mouse populations in Colorado and Wyoming are imperiled by ongoing and

increasing urban, industrial, agricultural, ranching, and recreational

development; wetland and riparian habitat destruction and/or

conversion; and inadequacy or lack of governmental protection for the

subspecies and its habitats.

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse is a small rodent in the family

Zapodidae. The coloration and the skull characteristics of the Preble's

meadow jumping mouse were described by Krutzsch (1954).

Krutzsch (1954), Quimby (1951), and Armstrong (1972) concur that

this species dwells mostly in low undergrowth consisting of grasses,

forbs, or both; in open wet meadows and riparian corridors near forests

(coniferous and deciduous hardwoods); or where tall shrubs and low

trees provide adequate cover. It prefers lowlands with medium to high

moisture over dry uplands. However, current research at Rocky Flats (M.

Bakeman and F. Harrington, pers. comm. 1994) indicates that the dryer

upland habitats are preferred to construct their winter hibernaculums

whereas moist lowlands are utilized during the spring and summer months

when the Preble's meadow jumping mouse is most active and reproducing.

Local mammalogists believe that the Preble's meadow jumping mouse

has never been common, but the apparent extirpation of this species

from previously occupied habitats in Wyoming and Colorado and the

difficulties finding it in apparently adequate habitats may be

indicative of a precipitous decline in populations of the Preble's

meadow jumping mouse (D. Armstrong, University of Colorado, pers. comm.

1992) throughout its range. Current information indicates that Preble's

meadow jumping mouse is restricted to only two known populations in

Colorado and apparently none in Wyoming. It is unclear if two other

populations in Colorado still exist. Known populations in Colorado are

located at the Department of Energy's Rock Flats Plant in northern

Jefferson County and adjacent City of Boulder Open Space land in

southern Boulder County. A specimen tentatively identified as a

Preble's meadow jumping mouse was captured in 1994 at the Air Force

Academy in El Paso County (C. Pague, Colorado Natural Heritage Program,

pers. comm. 1994).

Listing Factors

The following are the five listing criteria as set forth in section

4(a)(1) of the Act and regulations (50 CFR Part 424) promulgated to

implement the listing provisions of the Act and their applicability to

the current status of Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

A. The present or threatened destruction, modification, or

curtailment of its habitat or range. The main cause for Preble's meadow

jumping mouse's decline is directly or indirectly linked to habitat

alteration. The habitat alteration includes widespread destruction and/

or modification of wet meadows and riparian corridors and indirect

hydrological impacts by anthropogenic structures, including--biking/

hiking trails; riprap and other bank stabilization structures and

activities; road and bridge construction; urban, industrial,

commercial, agricultural, and ranching development; and sand and gravel

mining operations. Gravel mining operations continue to expand as

housing and road construction activities increase, and these mines are

located within wetlands, wet meadows, and riparian habitats.

The Front Range region in Colorado has changed from a predominantly

prairie habitat intermixed with wet meadows and intermittent streams

and gulches to a more agricultural and urban setting with its

associated housing, recreational, commercial, and industrial

development. These developments have brought about profound changes in

the hydrology of the streams along the Front Range. With urbanization

has come the expansion of park areas and forestation. With park and

open space development has come the expansion of hiking and biking

trails along and crossing riparian habitats that have caused further

fragmentation of this mouse's habitats.

Grazing has been identified by some researchers as one of the

leading causes for its decline (F. Harrington, pers. comm. 1994), but

there is little scientific information to adequately show a

relationship between moderate grazing and population declines of this

mouse. Reservoir impoundments could also impact this mouse by

inundating individuals and/or its habitats.

B. Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or

educational purposes. Preble's meadow jumping mouse has no known

commercial or recreational value. Scientific and educational collecting

was not widespread over the past century. Overutilization apparently

did not contribute to population declines of this mouse population.

C. Disease or predation. Knowledgeable mammalogists (D. Armstrong,

pers. comm. 1994; F. Harrington, pers. comm. 1994) do not believe that

an epizootic disease caused the demise of the subspecies. Competition

from nonnative rodents (i.e., the Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus; and

house mouse, Mus Musculus) and predation by domestic pets (dogs and

cats) might also be reasons for this mouse's disappearance. Both of

these nonnative rodents have been recently trapped during small mammal

surveys from relatively undisturbed riparian habitats.

D. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms. Since 1990,

the Colorado Division of Wildlife (Division) has classified Preble's

meadow jumping mouse as a ``nongame'' subspecies and a ``species of

special concern''. This designation protects the species by denying

permits for the take of the species (J. Sheppard, Colorado Division of

Wildlife, pers. comm. 1994). In 1992, the Wyoming Game and Fish

Department (Department) classified the species Zapus hudsonius as a

nongame species under the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Chapter LII.

This designation protects the species from take and requires a special

permit for the purposes of scientific collection. However, this

designation does not protect the species from incidental taking or from

actions that may harm the species in order to protect public health.

Furthermore, protection by both States is limited to the mouse, itself,

and measures to protect the habitat are not included.

E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued

existence. The introduction of nonnative grasses associated with the

recent urbanization of Colorado's Front Range may also have contributed

to the demise of Preble's jumping mouse by the replacement of

indigenous grasses which this species is dependent upon. These

introduced grasses have less nutritional food value (F. Harrington,

pers. comm. 1994).

The use of pesticides and herbicides have increased with the

urbanization and agricultural development of the Front Range. These

chemicals could be contaminating this mouse's food sources and could

cause direct poisoning of the species, itself.

Finding

The Service has reviewed the petition and accompanying

documentation on the status of Preble's jumping mouse and information

concerning potential threats to the species. On the basis of the best

scientific and commercial information available, the Service

[[Page 13952]] concludes that substantial information exists to

indicate that the requested action may be warranted. The Service

believes that habitat destruction and modification are the main cause

for the species decline.

The petitioner requested that the critical habitat also be

designated. If the 12-month finding determines that the petitioned

action to list Preble's jumping mouse is warranted, then the Act

requires that designation of critical habitat be addressed in a

subsequent proposed rule.

The Service's 90-day finding contains more detailed information

regarding the above decisions. A copy can be obtained from the

Service's Colorado Field Office (see ADDRESSES above).

References Cited

Armstrong, D.M. 1972. Distribution of mammals in Colorado.

University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History Monograph 3:1-415.

Krutzsch, P.H. 1954. North American jumping mice (genus Zapus).

Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Natural History 7:349-472.

Quimby, D.C. 1951. The life history and ecology of the jumping

mouse, Zapus hudsonius. Ecological Monographs 21:61-95.

Whitaker, J.O. 1972. Zapus hudsonius. Mammalian Species 11:1-7.

Author

The primary author of this document is Jose Bernardo Garza (See

ADDRESSES section).

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and threatened Species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.

Dated: February 27, 1995.

Mollie H. Beattie,

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 95-6332 Filed 3-14-95; 8:45 am]

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