Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Threatened Status for the Guajon

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD52

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period on Proposed Threatened Status for the Guajon

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior

ACTION: Proposed rule, reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Service provides notice that the comment period is

reopening on a proposal to list the guajon (Eleutherodactylus cooki) as

threatened, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as

amended. The Service is reopening the comment period to allow members

of the public to submit comments on this proposal.

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

4, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning this proposal

should be sent to the Field Supervisor, Boqueron Field Office, U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 491, Boqueron, Puerto Rico 00622.

Comments and materials received will be available for public

inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at this

office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Silander at the Boqueron

Field Office address (809/851-7297).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On October 2, 1995, the Service proposed to add the guajon

(Eleutherodactylus cooki) to the list of endangered and threatened

species. At that time the guajon, a relatively large frog, was reported

from its historical localities in the municipalities of Yabucoa and San

Lorenzo. It is endemic to Puerto Rico and restricted in range to the

southeastern part of the island. Since the closing of the comment

period, the guajon has been reported from additional municipalities,

including Humacao and Las Piedras. In addition, information on the

reproductive biology and population genetics of the species has been

published and additional research is ongoing.

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

[[Page 51879]]

by the October 1996 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 16, 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

December 1, 1995. The Service hereby announces reopening of the comment

period until November 4, 1996.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Susan R. Silander, Boqueron

Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 491, Boqueron, Puerto

Rico, 00622 (787/851-7297).

Authority

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

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

Dated: September 27, 1996

Noreen K. Clough,

Regional Director, Southeast Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 96-25476 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]

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