Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 30-Day Extension and Reopening of Public Comment Period on the Proposed Rule To List 10 Plants From the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains as Threatened or Endangered

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AC99

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 30-Day

Extension and Reopening of Public Comment Period on the 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: Notice of extension and reopening of comment period on proposed

rule.

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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

reopening of the comment period on the proposed endangered status for

Brodiaea pallida (Chinese Camp brodiaea), Calyptridium puchellum

(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). The comment period is reopened to

acquire new and updated information from interested parties on these 10

plants.

DATES: The public comment period closes March 6, 1997. Any comments

received by the closing date will be considered in the final decision

on this proposal.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning this proposal

should be sent 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 of the Sacramento Field

Office (see ADDRESSES section) at (916) 979-2120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

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

endangered status for Brodiaea pallida, Calyptridium puchellum, Lupinus

citrinus var. deflexus and Mimulus shevockii and proposed threatened

status for Allium tuolumnense, Carpenteria californica, Clarkia

springvillensis, Fritillaria striata, Navarretia setiloba, and Verbena

californica. The original comment period 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).

These 10 plants and their habitats are known from annual

grasslands, chaparral, Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, blue oak, and

digger pine woodland communities in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada

Mountains in central California. These plants are threatened by one or

more of the following: agricultural land conversion, urbanization,

logging, highway construction and road maintenance activities,

inappropriate grazing, off-highway vehicle use, mining, insect

predation, inadequate regulatory mechanisms, stochastic extinction from

random natural events, and incompatible fire management activities.

The Service was unable to make a final listing determination on

these species because 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 lifting, on April 26, 1996, of the moratorium

on final listing actions and the restoration of significant funding for

listing through passage of the omnibus budget reconciliation law on,

the Service is proceeding with a final determination for these species.

Due to the length of time that has elapsed since the close of the last

comment period, the comment period is being reopened. Changes in

procedural and biological circumstances, and the need to consider the

best scientific information available in this rulemaking process

necessitate this action. The Service believes that updated threat

information may be available that may significantly affect final

listing determinations. For these reasons, the Service seeks

information made available in the last 2 years concerning:

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

(or lack thereof) to any of these 10 species, but particularly for

Calyptridium puchellum, Fritillaria striata, Lupinus citinus var.

deflexus, and Navarretia setiloba;

(2) Additional information on the size, number or distribution of

populations; and

(3) Specific information concerning the known or potential effects

of fire suppression and general fire management practices on

Carpenteria californica.

Written comments may be submitted through March 6, 1997 to the

Service office in the ADDRESSES section.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Ken Fuller (see ADDRESSES

section).

Authority

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

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

Dated: January 28, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 97-2679 Filed 2-3-97; 8:45 am]

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