Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Threatened Status for Helianthus Eggertii (Eggert's Sunflower) in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AC63

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period on Proposed Threatened Status for Helianthus Eggertii

(Eggert's Sunflower) in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service provides notice that the comment

period is reopened on a proposal to list Helianthus eggertii (Eggert's

sunflower) as threatened, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of

1973 (Act), as amended. The Service is reopening the comment period on

this proposal to allow members of the public to submit comments on this

proposal.

DATES: The comment period on this proposal is extended until September

30, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning the proposal

should be sent to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

160 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, North Carolina, 28801. Comments and

materials received will be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Allen Ratzlaff at the above address

(telephone 704/258-3939, ext. 229, fax 704/258-5330).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On September 9, 1994, the Service proposed to add Eggert's

sunflower to the list of endangered and threatened plants (59 FR 174).

At that time, Eggert's sunflower was known from 24 populations in 13

counties--in Alabama, one population in Blount County; in Kentucky, one

population from the Edmonson/Barren County line, and one additional

population from each of those counties, one population from Grayson

County, and four populations from Hart County; in Tennessee, one

population each in Dickson, Franklin, Lewis, Marion, Maury, and

Williamson Counties, four in Lawrence County, and five in Coffee

County. Since the closing of the comment period on November 8, 1994,

ten additional populations have been discovered--nine within the

counties listed above and one new population in Hardin County,

Kentucky. The current range and distribution of the species is now--in

Alabama, one population in Blount County; in Kentucky, one population

from Grayson and Hardin Counties, two populations from Edmonson and

Barren Counties, and seven populations from Hart County; in Tennessee,

one population each in Dickson, Marion, and Williamson Counties, two in

Franklin (and part of a third) and Maury Counties, three in Lewis

County, four in Lawrence County, and six in Coffee County. Over half of

the known populations are very small (less than 500 square meters) and

many are even smaller (less than 300 square meters).

A moratorium on listing actions (Public Law 104-6) took effect

April 10, 1995, and prevented the Service from making a final decision

on this proposal by the August 1995 administrative deadline. The

moratorium was lifted on April 26, 1996, when the appropriation for the

Department of the Interior for the remainder of fiscal year 1996 was

enacted into law. In a Federal Register document published on May 16,

1996 (61 FR 24722), the Service outlined in detail the history of the

moratorium and indicated the priorities it would follow in eliminating

the listing program backlog resulting from the moratorium. Preparation

of the final rule for this proposed species is considered a Tier 2

priority--processing final decisions on proposed listings. For more

information on the moratorium and the priority for backlogged listing

actions, refer to the May 15, 1996, Federal Register notice.

The Service does not believe that the new distributional

information has changed the status of the species. However, we are

reopening the comment period on the proposed rule to solicit comments

on this new information and request any additional information on

scientific studies conducted since the comment period last closed on

November 8, 1994. The Service hereby announces reopening of the comment

period until September 30, 1996.

Author

The primary author of this notice is J. Allen Ratzlaff, Asheville

Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 160 Zillicoa Street,

Asheville, North Carolina, 28801 (704/258-3939, ext. 229., fax 704/258-

5330).

Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered

Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: August 22, 1996.

Richard A. Ivarie,

Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region, Fish and Wildlife Service

[FR Doc. 96-22139 Filed 8-29-96; 8:45 am]

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