Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for the Illinois Cave Amphipod

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AE31

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for the Illinois Cave

Amphipod

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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

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

the comment period is reopened on the proposal to list the Illinois

cave amphipod (Gammarus acherondytes) as endangered, pursuant to

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The Service is reopening

the comment period to allow members of the public additional time to

submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: The reopened comment period on the proposal will close on

December 8, 1997. Comments must be received by the Service on or before

that date in order to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials concerning the proposal should be

sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services Field

Office, 4469 48th Avenue Court, Rock Island, Illinois. Comments and

materials received will be available for public inspection by

appointment during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard C. Nelson, Field Supervisor,

Illinois Field Office (see ADDRESSES section) (telephone 309/793-5800;

facsimile 309/793-5804).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 28, 1997, the Service proposed to add the Illinois cave

amphipod (amphipod) to the list of endangered and threatened animals

(62 CFR 40319). The amphipod is historically known from six underground

cave streams in St. Clair and Monroe Counties in southwestern Illinois.

Recent searches for the amphipod indicate that it may exist in only

three cave streams in Monroe County, all within a 10-mile radius of

Waterloo, Illinois. The cause of the amphipod's decline in geographic

range and in the number of populations is believed to be deteriorating

water quality in the cave streams which it

[[Page 52680]]

inhabits. Surface pollutants can readily enter the cave stream systems

by way of sinkholes that directly connect the land surface to the

underground cave systems. Agricultural chemicals and effluent from

improperly installed or maintained residential septic and sewage

systems likely are the primary pollutants affecting subsurface water

quality and the health of the amphipod.

The comment period for the proposal ended on September 26, 1997.

During that comment period the Service received requests for an

extension of the comment period from the Illinois Farm Bureau

Federation, the St. Clair County Farm Bureau Federation, the Growmark

Corporation, and Congressman Jerry F. Costello. The Service recognizes

that seasonal agricultural activities may have made it difficult for

some interested and potentially affected parties to prepare and submit

timely comments on the proposal. Therefore, the Service is reopening

the comment period for another 60 days to provide all interested

parties a reasonable opportunity to submit comments.

Author: The primary author of this notice is Ronald L. Refsnider,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building,

1 Federal Drive, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056 (612/725-3536 ext.

241 or fax 612/725-3526).

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C.

4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise noted.

Dated: October 1, 1997.

John A. Blankenship,

Assistant Regional Director, Region 3, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota.

[FR Doc. 97-26791 Filed 10-8-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P