Notice to Reopen the Public Comment Period for the Draft Recovery Plan for the Giant Garter Snake (Thamnophis gigas)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice to Reopen the Public Comment Period for the Draft Recovery

Plan for the Giant Garter Snake (Thamnophis gigas)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of public comment period.

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

comment period announced in the July 2, 1999 (64 FR 36033), notice of

availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Giant Garter Snake

(Thamnophis gigas) will be reopened for an additional 30 days.

Substantial public interest in the draft plan led the Service to

distribute additional copies and to provide additional opportunities

for the public to comment on the plan. This draft recovery plan

contains recovery criteria and actions for threatened giant garter

snake. Additional species of concern that will benefit from recovery

actions taken for the giant garter snake are also discussed in the

draft plan. The Service reopens the comment period and solicits review

and comment from the public on this draft plan.

DATE: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by October 13, 1999

will be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for

inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the

following location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and

Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, California

(telephone (916) 414-6600); and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Regional Office, Ecological Services, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Eastside

Federal Complex,

[[Page 49498]]

Portland, Oregon 97232-4181 (telephone (503) 231-2071). Requests for

copies of the draft recovery plan and written comments and materials

regarding this plan should be addressed to Wayne S. White, Field

Supervisor, Ecological Services, at the above Sacramento address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Elam, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, at the above Sacramento address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point

where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their

ecosystems is a primary goal of the Service's endangered species

program. To help guide recovery efforts, the Service is working to

prepare recovery plans for most of the listed species native to the

United States. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for

the conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or

delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for implementing

the recovery measures needed. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (Act), requires the development of

recovery plans for listed species unless such a plan would not promote

the conservation of a particular species. Section 4(f) of the Act as

amended in 1988 requires that public notice and an opportunity for

public review and comment be provided during recovery plan development.

The Service will consider all information presented during the public

comment period prior to approval of each new or revised recovery plan.

Substantive technical comments will result in changes to the plan.

Substantive comments regarding recovery plan implementation may not

necessarily result in changes to the recovery plan, but will be

forwarded to appropriate Federal or other entities so that they can

take these comments into account during the course of implementing

recovery actions. Individualized responses to comments will not be

provided.

The giant garter snake is an endemic species of wetlands in the

Central Valley of California. Historically, giant garter snakes were

found in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys from the vicinity of

Butte County southward to Buena Vista Lake, near Bakersfield in Kern

County. Today, populations of the giant garter snake are found in the

Sacramento Valley and isolated portions of the San Joaquin Valley. They

historically inhabited natural wetlands and now occupy a variety of

agricultural, managed, and natural wetlands including their waterways

and adjacent uplands. This species is threatened by historic wetland

habitat loss and resulting habitat fragmentation, and by continuing

urban expansion. The objective of this draft recovery plan is to delist

the giant garter snake through implementation of a variety of recovery

measures including (1) habitat protection; (2) public participation,

outreach and education; (3) habitat management and restoration; (4)

surveying and monitoring; and (5) research.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the draft recovery plan

described. All comments received by the date specified above will be

considered prior to approval of this plan.

Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the

Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: September 3, 1999.

Elizabeth H. Stevens,

Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Sacramento,

California.

[FR Doc. 99-23510 Filed 9-10-99; 8:45 am]

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