Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period and Public Hearings on the Proposed Rule To List the Topeka Shiner as Endangered

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period and Public Hearings on the Proposed Rule To List the

Topeka Shiner as Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

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

comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice that four

public hearings will be held on its proposal to list the Topeka shiner

(Notropis topeka) as an endangered species. The Service proposed

endangered status pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973,

as amended, for the Topeka shiner on October 24, 1997 (62 FR 55381).

These hearings will allow additional comments on this proposal to be

submitted from all interested parties.

DATES: The comment period on the proposal is reopened from January 12,

1998 through February 9, 1998. The public hearings will be held from 7

to 9:30 p.m. on each of the following evenings: January 26, 1998, in

Manhattan, Kansas; January 27, 1998, in Bethany, Missouri; January 28,

1998, in Ft. Dodge, Iowa; and January 29, 1998, in Sioux Falls, South

Dakota. An informal open forum will precede each hearing from 5 to 6:30

p.m. each evening.

ADDRESSES: The January 26 hearing will be held at the Kansas State

University Student Union, Main Ballroom, 17th Street and Anderson

Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas; the January 27 hearing will be held at the

Bethany Community Center, 103 N. 25th Street, Bethany, Missouri; the

January 28 hearing will be held at Iowa Central Community College, Vo-

Tech Building, Conference Rooms 1 and 2, 330 Avenue M, Fort Dodge,

Iowa; and the January 29 hearing will be at the University of Sioux

Falls, Chapel Auditorium-Jeschke Fine Arts Center, 1101 West 22nd

Street, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Written comments and materials

should be sent to: Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

315 Houston St., Suite E, Manhattan, Kansas 66502. Comments and

materials received will be available for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vernon Tabor at the above address

(785/539-3474).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act requires that a public hearing be

held on the proposal to list the Topeka shiner as an endangered

species, if requested within 45 days of the proposal's publication in

the Federal Register. Public requests were received in the allotted

time period from parties in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota.

Anyone expecting to make an oral presentation at these hearings is

encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement to the hearing

officer prior to the start of the hearing. In the event there is a

large attendance, the time allotted for oral statements may have to be

limited. Oral and written statements receive equal consideration. There

are no limits to the length of written comments presented at these

hearings or mailed to the Service.

In order to accommodate the scheduled public hearings, the Service

extends the public comment period. Written comments may be submitted

from January 12, 1998 through February 9, 1998, to: Field Supervisor

(see ADDRESSES section).

Author

The primary author of this document is Vernon Tabor (see ADDRESSES

section).

Authority

The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531).

Dated: December 18, 1997.

Ralph O. Morgenweck,

Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 97-33537 Filed 12-23-97; 8:45 am]

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