Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for Sixteen Plants From the Northern Channel Islands of California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD39

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of

Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for Sixteen

Plants From the Northern Channel Islands of California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

reopening of the comment period for 16 plant species that have been

proposed as endangered--Arabis hoffmannii (Hoffmann's rock-cress),

Arctostaphylos confertiflora (Santa Rosa Island manzanita), Berberis

pinnata ssp. insularis (island barberry), Castilleja mollis (soft-

leaved paintbrush), Dudleya blochmaniae ssp. insularis (Santa Rosa

Island dudleya), Dudleya sp. nov. ``East Point'' (munchkin dudleya),

Dudleya nesiotica (Santa Cruz Island dudleya), Galium buxifolium

(island bedstraw), Gilia tenuiflora ssp. hoffmannii (Hoffmann's

slender-flowered gilia), Helianthemum greenei (island rush-rose),

Heuchera maxima (island alumroot), Malacothamnus fasciculatus ssp.

nesioticus (Santa Cruz Island bushmallow), Malacothrix indecora (Santa

Cruz Island malacothrix), Malacothrix squalida (island malacothrix),

Phacelia insularis ssp. insularis (island phacelia), and Thysanocarpus

conchuliferus (Santa Cruz Island fringepod). The comment period has

been reopened to receive public comments on new information on the

conservation measures proposed by the National Park Service for those

proposed endangered plant species on Santa Rosa Island since the close

of the original comment period on October 9, 1995.

DATES: The public comment period, which originally closed on October 9,

1995, now closes February 21, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning this proposal

should be sent directly to the Field Supervisor, Ventura Field Office,

2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, California 93003. Comments and

materials received will be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Thomas, Botanist, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, at the address listed above; telephone 805-644-1766,

facsimile 805-644-3958.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 25, 1995, the Service published in the Federal Register (60

FR 37993) a proposal to list 16 plants as endangered species pursuant

to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and requested

public comment. The 16 plants are restricted primarily to the northern

Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel) of

California. The Service received comments until the close of the

original comment period on October 9, 1995. Since that time, the

National Park Service has prepared a Resource Management Plan and Draft

Environmental Impact Statement to address the conservation needs for

the proposed endangered plants on Santa Rosa Island, which is within

the boundaries of the Channel Islands National Park.

Since the publication of the proposed rule, new information has

been made available to the Service that may affect the status of one or

more of the proposed species. In 1996, Arabis hoffmannii, last seen on

the Island in the 1930's, was discovered on a small protected ledge in

Lobo Canyon on Santa Rosa Island. A small population of Malacothrix

indecora was discovered on Santa Rosa Island, previously only known

from Santa Cruz and San Miguel Islands. A new population of the

Heuchera maxima has been discovered in Lobo Canyon on Santa Rosa

Island. The editor of Madrono (Journal of the California Botanical

Society) has provisionally accepted the manuscript for the description

of the ``new'' dudleya (munchkin dudleya) species from Santa Rosa

Island to be published as Dudleya gnoma. The National Park Service has

constructed exclosure fencing around the entire population of this

dudleya and a portion of the largest population of Gilia tenuiflora

ssp. hoffmannii. In compliance with the terms and conditions of a

section 7 consultation for the western snowy plover, the park

constructed an electric fence to keep cattle off of the beaches that

include the entire population of Dudleya blochmaniae ssp. insularis. In

spite of active surveys, there have been no observations of

Thysanocarpus conchuliferus for 2 years.

Public Comments Solicited

Due to the changes in resource management plans and the need to

review the best scientific information available during the decision-

making process, the comment period is being reopened. The Service is

requesting comments from the public on the measures presented by the

National Park Service to protect the proposed endangered plant species

on Santa Rosa Island and the new information on distribution and status

of the proposed species. All comments received by the date specified

above will be considered in the Service's final decision.

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of

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

Dated: January 13, 1997.

H. Dale Hall,

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

[FR Doc. 97-1496 Filed 1-21-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P