Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for Devils River Minnow (Dionda diaboli)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AE86

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public

Hearing on Proposed Endangered Status for Devils River Minnow (Dionda

diaboli)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice that

a public hearing will be held on the proposed determination of

endangered status for the Devils River minnow (Dionda diaboli). This

fish is found in

[[Page 26765]]

Val Verde and Kinney counties, Texas, and Coahuila, Mexico. All

interested parties are invited to submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: The public hearing will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May

28, 1998, in Del Rio, Texas. The comment period closes July 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Freshmen School

Cafeteria of the San Felipe-Del Rio Independent School District,

located at 90 Memorial Drive in Del Rio, Texas. Written comments and

materials concerning the proposal should be sent to the Field

Supervisor, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas, 78758.

Comments and materials received will be available for public

inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nathan Allan, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist (see ADDRESSES section) (telephone 512/490-0057; facsimile

512/490-0974).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The current range of the Devils River minnow is limited to three

stream systems in Val Verde and Kinney counties, Texas, and one

drainage in Coahuila, Mexico. The species' range has been significantly

contracted and fragmented. In addition, the numbers of Devils River

minnows collected during fish surveys has declined dramatically over

the past 25 years; the species has declined from one of the most

abundant fish to one of the least abundant. Based on the current

information, the decline of the species in both distribution and

abundance may be attributed in large part to the effects of habitat

loss and modification and the introduction of nonnative fish into

habitats of the Devils River minnow.

On March 27, 1998, the Service published a proposed rule to list

the Devils River minnow as endangered under the Endangered Species Act

(Act) of 1973, as amended. Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act requires that

a public hearing be held if requested within 45 days of the proposal's

publication in the Federal Register. Because of the past public

interest in the listing of this species, the Service opened the public

comment period for 120 days and planned the public hearing in advance

of a request.

The Service has scheduled this hearing for 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on

May 28, 1998, at the Freshmen School Cafeteria of the San Felipe-Del

Rio Independent School District, located at 90 Memorial Drive in Del

Rio, Texas. Anyone wishing to make an oral statement for the record is

encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement to be presented

to the Service at 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 on the length of written comments presented at this

hearing or mailed to the Service. Legal notices announcing the date,

time and location of the hearing are being published in newspapers

concurrently with this Federal Register notice.

The comment period on the proposal will remain open until July 27,

1998. Written comments may be submitted until that date to the Service

office in the ADDRESSES section.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Nathan Allan (see ADDRESSES

section) (telephone 512/490-0057; facsimile 512/490-0974).

Authority

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

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

Dated: May 7, 1998.

Nancy M. Kaufman,

Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 98-12839 Filed 5-13-98; 8:45 am]

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