Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Reopening of Public Comment Period on the Proposed Rule to List the Pallid Manzanita as Threatened

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD35

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of

Reopening of Public Comment Period on the Proposed Rule to List the

Pallid Manzanita as Threatened

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed Rule; notice of reopening of the 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

reopening of the comment period on the proposed threatened status for

Arctostaphylos pallida (pallid manzanita). The comment period has been

reopened to acquire additional information from interested parties, and

to resume the proposed listing actions.

DATES: The public comment period closes March 27, 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 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: Betty Warne (see ADDRESSES section) at

(916) 979-2120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On August 2, 1995, the Service published a rule proposing

threatened status for Arctostaphylos pallida (60 FR 39309-39314). The

original comment period closed on September 25, 1995. No public hearing

was requested.

Pallid manzanita is found only in the northern Diablo Range of

California. It occupies 13 sites in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

The two largest populations are located at Huckleberry Ridge and

Sobrante Ridge. The plants are found in manzanita chaparral habitat

that is frequently surrounded by oak woodlands and coastal scrub. The

plants are threatened by shading and competition from native and non-

native plants, fire suppression, habitat fragmentation, hybridization,

disease, herbicide spraying, unauthorized tree cutting and inadequate

regulatory mechanisms.

The Service was unable to make a final listing determination on

this 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 (Pub. L. 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.

Now that the funding has been restored, the Service is proceeding with

a final determination for this species.

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

last comment period, changing procedural and biological circumstances,

and the need to review the best scientific information available during

the decision-making process, the comment period is being reopened. For

these reasons, the Service particularly seeks information concerning:

(1) The known or potential effects of fire suppression and general

fire management practices on the pallid manzanita and its habitat.

(2) other updated biological, commercial, or other relevant data on

any threats (or lack of thereof) to the species; and

(3) the current size, number, or distribution of populations of the

species.

Written comments may be submitted until March 27, 1997 to the

Service office in the ADDRESSES section.

Author: The primary author of this notice is Betty Warne (see

ADDRESSES section).

[[Page 8418]]

Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered

Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: February 14, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 97-4549 Filed 2-24-97; 8:45 am]

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