Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of Public Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for the Pecos Pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) and Notice of Public Hearing

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AE56

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of

Public Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status for the Pecos

Pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) and Notice of Public Hearing

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule, extension of public comment period.

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

the comment period is extended on the proposed rule to list the Pecos

pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis) as an endangered species. The Service

is working with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the New

Mexico State Parks Department, the Texas Department of Parks and

Wildlife, and the Bureau of Land Management to assess potential

conservation actions for the species. The extension of the comment

period will allow these entities and all other interested parties to

continue to work with the Service and to submit comments on the

proposal.

The Eddy County Board of Commissioners, Eddy County, New Mexico,

has requested that a public hearing be held on this proposal. The

Service gives notice that a public hearing will be held on the proposed

rule.

DATES: The comment period for this proposal, originally opened from

January 30 through March 31, 1998, will be extended to November 20,

1998. Comments must be received by the closing date. The public hearing

will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 9, 1998, in Carlsbad, New

Mexico (see ADDRESSES section).

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Pecos River Village

Conference Center, 711 Muscatel, Carlsbad, New Mexico. Written comments

and materials should be sent to the Field Supervisor, New Mexico

Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2105

Osuna NE., Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113. Comments and materials

received will be available for public inspection, by appointment,

during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Fowler-Propst, Field

[[Page 14893]]

Supervisor, at the above address or at telephone 505/761-4525, ext.

106.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The historical range of the Pecos pupfish included the mainstream

Pecos River and various lakes, gypsum sinkholes, saline springs, and

tributaries associated with the river from the vicinity of Roswell,

Chaves County, New Mexico, downstream to the vicinity of Sheffield,

Pecos County, Texas. The Pecos pupfish has been replaced by sheepshead

minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) x Pecos pupfish hybrids throughout more

than two-thirds of its historical range. Pure populations of the Pecos

pupfish are now thought to occur only in a reduced reach of the Pecos

River and small and isolated off-channel habitats within the Pecos

River Basin in New Mexico; in the upper reaches of Salt Creek,

Culberson and Reeves counties, Texas; and in two water-filled gravel

pits in Pecos County, Texas.

On January 30, 1998, the Service published a proposed rule to list

the Pecos pupfish as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of

1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as amended (Act). Section 4(b)(5)(E) of

the Act requires that a public hearing be held if it is requested

within 45 days of the publication of a proposed rule. A public hearing

request was received within the allotted time period from Laurie

Kincaid, Chairman of the Eddy County Board of Commissioners, New

Mexico.

The Service has scheduled this hearing in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on

April 9, 1998, at the Pecos River Village Conference Center, 711

Muscatel, Carlsbad, New Mexico. Anyone wishing to make an oral

statement for the record is encouraged to provide a written copy of the

statement to be presented to the Service at the start of the hearing.

Oral statements may be limited to several minutes if there are many

requests to speak. Oral comments presented at the public hearing are

given the same weight and consideration as written comments. If the

public hearing is of insufficient time to provide for all who wish to

speak, all who are not accommodated will be asked to submit their

comments in writing. There are, however, no limits to the length of

written comments or materials presented at the hearing or mailed to the

Service. The Service must receive all comments by November 20, 1998.

Comments should be submitted to the Service at the office listed in the

ADDRESSES section above. Legal notices announcing the date, time, and

location of the hearing are being published in newspapers concurrently

with this Federal Register notice.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Jennifer Fowler-Propst, at the

above address.

Authority

The authority citation for this action is 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

Dated: March 20, 1998.

Jamie Rappaport Clark,

Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 98-8018 Filed 3-26-98; 8:45 am]

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