Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, Notice of Third Reopening of Public Comment Period on Proposed Rule to List 10 Plants From the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as Threatened or Endangered

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AC99

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, Notice of Third

Reopening of Public Comment Period on Proposed Rule to List 10 Plants

From the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as Threatened or

Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule, notice of third 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 of

third reopening of the comment period on the proposed endangered status

for Brodiaea pallida (Chinese Camp brodiaea), Calyptridium pulchellum

(Mariposa pussypaws), Lupinus citrinus var. deflexus (Mariposa lupine)

and Mimulus shevockii (Kelso Creek monkeyflower) and proposed

threatened status for Allium tuolumnense (Rawhide Hill onion),

Carpenteria californica (carpenteria), Clarkia springvillensis

(Springville clarkia), Fritillaria striata (striped adobe lily),

Navarretia setiloba (Piute Mountains navarretia), and Verbena

californica (California vervain). On December 29, 1994, the comment

period was reopened and extended until February 13, 1995 (59 FR 67268)

to accommodate the public hearing that was requested. Due to requests

for additional time, the comment period was extended until June 4, 1995

(60 FR 8342). To acquire new and updated information that may have

become available in the last 2 years, the Service reopened the comment

period for a

[[Page 35117]]

second time on February 4, 1997 (62 FR 5199). Because of the need to

acquire additional information from interested parties and complete

final action on these proposed listing actions, the comment period is

reopened again for 60 days. All parties are invited to submit comments

on this proposal.

DATES: The public comment period closes August 29, 1997 to ensure

consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning this proposal

should be sent directly to the Field Supervisor, Sacramento Field

Office, 3310 El Camino Avenue, Suite 130, Sacramento, California 95821-

6340. Comments and materials received will be available for inspection,

by appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Fuller at ADDRESSES section listed

above (telephone 916/979-2710, facsimile 916/979-2723).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On October 4, 1994, the Service published a rule proposing

endangered status for Brodiaea pallida, Calyptridium pulchellum,

Lupinus citrinus var. deflexus and Mimulus shevockii and threatened

status for Allium tuolumnense, Carpenteria californica, Clarkia

springvillensis, Fritillaria striata, Navarretia setiloba, and Verbena

californica. The ten plants are variously known from annual grasslands;

chaparral; and Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, blue oak, and digger pine

woodlands in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada of California. These

plants may be threatened by one or more of the following: agricultural

land conversion, urbanization, logging, highway construction and road

maintenance activities, excessive grazing, off-highway vehicle use,

mining, insect predation, random natural events, and inappropriate fire

management activities.

The original comment period on this proposal closed on December 5,

1994. On December 29, 1994, the comment period was reopened and

extended until February 13, 1995 (59 FR 67268) to accommodate the

public hearing that was requested. Due to requests for additional time,

the comment period was extended until June 4, 1995 (60 FR 8342). The

Service was unable to make a final listing determination on these

species because of a limited budget, other endangered species

assignments driven by court orders, and higher listing priorities. In

addition, a moratorium on listing actions (Public Law 104-6), which

took effect on April 10, 1995, stipulated that no funds could be used

to make final listing determinations or critical habitat

determinations. With the restoration of funding, the Service proceeded

with final determinations for these species. In this regard and to

acquire new and updated information that may have become available in

the last 2 years, the Service reopened the comment period for a second

time on February 4, 1997 (62 FR 5199). Because of the need to acquire

additional information from interested parties and complete final

action on these proposed listing actions, the comment period is

reopened again for 60 days. The Service seeks information concerning:

(1) Biological, commercial, or other relevant data on any threat

(or lack thereof) to any of these ten species, particularly

Calyptridium pulchellum, Fritillaria striata, Lupinus citrinus var.

deflexus and Navarretia setiloba; and

(2) Additional information on the size, number, location, or

distribution of populations.

Written comments may now be submitted until August 29, 1997 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: June 17, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1.

[FR Doc. 97-16987 Filed 6-27-97; 8:45 am]

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