Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for Four Plants From Vernal Pools and Mesic Areas in Northern California

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status

for Four Plants From Vernal Pools and Mesic Areas in Northern

California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed Rule; notice of public hearing and reopening of

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), pursuant to the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides notice that

a public hearing will be held on the proposed endangered status for

Lasthenia conjugens (Contra Costa goldfields), Navarretia leucocephala

ssp. pauciflora (few-flowered navarretia), Navarretia leucocephala ssp.

plieantha (many-flowered navarretia), and Parvisedum leiocarpum (Lake

County stonecrop). In addition, the Service has reopened the comment

period. All parties are invited to submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: The public hearing will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on

Thursday, April 6, 1995, in Napa, California. The public comment period

now closes April 28, 1995. Any comments received by the closing date

will be considered in the final decision on this proposal.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will held at the Napa Valley Marriott

Hotel, 3425 Solano Avenue, Napa, California. Written comments and

materials concerning this proposal may be submitted at the hearing or

may be sent directly to Field Supervisor, Sacramento Field Office, 2800

Cottage Way, Room E-1803, Sacramento, California 95825-1846. Comments

and materials received will be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty Warne (see ADDRESSES section) or

at 916/979-2120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Lasthenia conjugens (Contra Costa goldfields), Navarretia

leucocephala ssp. pauciflora (few-flowered navarretia), Navarretia

leucocephala ssp. plieantha (many-flowered navarretia), and Parvisedum

leiocarpum (Lake County stonecrop) grow in vernal pools and mesic

grasslands and are found variously in Lake, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma

Counties. The three remaining populations of Lake County stonecrop

occur on private lands in Lake County. The seven remaining populations

of Contra Costa goldfields occur in Napa and Solano Counties. The five

remaining populations of few-flowered navarretia occur in Napa and Lake

Counties. The seven remaining populations of many-flowered navarretia

occur in Lake and Sonoma counties.

These four vernal pool plants proposed for listing are imperiled by

one or more of the following; commercial, residential, and agricultural

development, hydrological changes in vernal pool and swale habitats,

trampling by livestock, road widening, inadequate regulatory protection

mechanisms, random stochastic events, off- highway vehicle use, feral

pigs, and horseback riding. As a result of the immediate threats

against these plant populations, the Service is proposing to list these

four species as endangered to afford them protection of the Act.

On December 19, 1994, the Service published a proposed rule on

proposed endangered status for Lasthenia conjugens, Navarretia

leucocephala ssp. pauciflora, Navarretia leucocephala ssp. plieantha,

and Parvisedum leiocarpum (59 FR 65311). Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act

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

days of the publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register.

Public hearing requests were received within the allotted time period

from Michael Delbar, Executive Director, Lake County Farm Bureau,

Lakeport, California and from Daniel Macon, Director Industry Affairs,

California Cattlemen's Association, Sacramento, California. As a

result, the Service has scheduled a public hearing on April 6, 1995, at

Napa Valley Marriott Hotel, 3425 Solano Avenue, Napa, California.

Anyone wishing to make statements for the record should bring a

written 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. Oral and written comments receive equal

consideration. The Service places no limits to the length of written

comments or materials presented at the hearing or mailed to the

Service. Legal notices announcing the date, time, and location of the

hearing are being published in newspapers concurrently with this

Federal Register notice.

The comment period on the proposal was to close on February 17,

1995. To accommodate the hearing, the public comment period is reopened

upon publication of this notice. Written comments may now be submitted

until April 28, 1995, to the Service office in the ADDRESSES section.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973

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

Dated: March 9, 1995.

William F. Shake,

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

[FR Doc. 95-6470 Filed 3-15-95; 8:45 am]

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