Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Endangered Status for the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus Hudsonius Preblei)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of

Comment Period and Notice of Public Hearings on Proposed Endangered

Status for the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus Hudsonius Preblei)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearings and extension of

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice that

public hearings will be held on the proposed determination of

endangered status for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus

hudsonius preblei). To accommodate the public hearings, the comment

period on the proposal will be extended. The Preble's meadow jumping

mouse, a small rodent of the family Zapodidae, is known to occur only

in four counties in Colorado and two counties in Wyoming. All

interested parties are invited to submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: Public hearings will be held as follows: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on

Monday, May 19, 1997, in Cheyenne, Wyoming; 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on

Wednesday, May 21, 1997, in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and, 7:00 to

9:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, 1997, in Denver, Colorado. Registration

will begin one hour prior to each hearing. Comments will be accepted

until July 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The public hearings will be held at the following locations:

the Laramie County Library, 2800 Central Avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming; the

3rd Floor Hearing Room, El Paso County Office Building, 27 East

Vermijo, Colorado Springs, Colorado; and, the Hunter Education

Classroom, Colorado Division of Wildlife, 6060 Broadway, Denver,

Colorado. Written comments and materials should be sent to the Colorado

Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 25486,

Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. Comments and materials

received will be available for inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Colorado

Field Office, 755 Parfet Street, Suite 361, Lakewood, Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

LeRoy W. Carlson, Colorado Field Supervisor, telephone 303/275-2370

(see ADDRESSES section).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

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

Zapodidae, is known to occur in only four counties in Colorado and two

counties in Wyoming. Historical surveys document its former presence in

five additional counties in Colorado and three additional counties in

Wyoming. The Preble's meadow jumping mouse lives primarily in heavily

vegetated riparian habitats. Habitat loss and degradation caused by

agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial development

imperil its continued existence. This proposal, if made final, would

extend protection of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16

U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) to the Preble's meadow jumping mouse.

On March 25, 1997, the Service published a proposed rule (62 FR

14093) to list the Preble's meadow jumping mouse as an endangered

species without critical habitat.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service has scheduled hearings on May 19, 21, and 22, 1997,

with registration beginning 1 hour prior to each hearing (see DATES and

ADDRESSES above). Anyone wishing to make an oral statement for the

record is encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement to be

presented to the Service at the start of the hearing. In the event that

there is a large audience, the time allotted for oral statements may

have to be limited.

Oral and written statements concerning the proposed rule will

receive equal consideration by the Service. There are no limits to the

length of written comments presented at the hearing or mailed to the

Service. Comments particularly are sought concerning:

(1) Biological, commercial trade, or other relevant data concerning

any threat (or lack thereof) to the Preble's meadow jumping mouse;

(2) The location of any additional populations of the Preble's

meadow jumping mouse;

[[Page 24388]]

(3) Additional information concerning the range, distribution, and

population size of the species; and

(4) Current or planed activities which may adversely affect known

populations of Preble's.

Legal notices and news releases announcing the date, time, and

location of the hearings are being published in newspapers concurrently

with this Federal Register notice.

The previous comment period on this proposal is scheduled to close

on May 27, 1997. To accommodate these hearings, the Service extends the

comment period. Written comments may now be submitted until July 28,

1997, to the Service office identified in the ADDRESSES section above.

All comments must be received before the close of the comment period to

be considered.

Author: The author of this notice is Peter Plage, Colorado Field

Office (see ADDRESSES above), telephone 303/275-2370.

Authority: Authority for this action is the Endangered Species

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

Dated: April 28, 1997.

Terry T. Terrell,

Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 97-11567 Filed 5-2-97; 8:45 am]

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