Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Special Regulations for the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AF30

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period on Proposed Special Regulations for the Preble's Meadow

Jumping Mouse

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) provides notice that

the comment period on the Service's proposal to establish special

regulations for the conservation of the Preble's meadow jumping mouse

(Zapus hudsonius preblei) (63 FR 66777, December 3, 1998) is reopened

as of March 16, 1999 and will remain open for 45 days through April 30,

1999. The Service notes that revisions of Mouse Protection Areas and

Potential Mouse Protection Areas referenced in the December 3, 1998,

proposed rule are available for review.

DATES: The public comment period is reopened for a period of 45 days

and will close April 30, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials should be sent to the

Colorado Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box

25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. Comments and

materials received will be available for inspection, by appointment,

during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's

Colorado Field Office, 755 Parfet Street, Suite 361, Lakewood,

Colorado.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

LeRoy W. Carlson, Colorado Field Supervisor, telephone 303/275-2370,

facsimile 303/275-2371 (see ADDRESSES section).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse, a small rodent in the family

Zapodidae, is known to occur only in eastern Colorado and southeastern

Wyoming. It lives primarily in heavily vegetated riparian habitats and

immediately adjacent upland habitats. Habitat loss and degradation

caused by agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial

development have resulted in concern over its continued existence.

On May 13, 1998, the Service published a final rule (3 FR 26517) to

list the Preble's meadow jumping mouse as a threatened species under

the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973 (16 U.S.C. sections 1531 to

1544) without critical habitat. At the time the Preble's was listed, a

special rule for the conservation of the Preble's was not promulgated

and therefore virtually all of the restrictions of the Act became

applicable to the species. On December 3, 1998, the Service proposed a

special rule under 4(d) of the Act to establish standards for the

conservation of the Preble's for 18 months.

Some revisions have been made to the geographic locations of Mouse

Protection Areas and Potential Mouse Protection Areas described in the

December 3, 1998 proposed rule. These revisions, based on the best

scientific information that is currently available, are maintained by

the Service at addresses provided below. These geographic locations can

be viewed at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Field Office,

755 Parfet Street, Suite 361, Lakewood, Colorado, telephone 303/275-

2370 or at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Field Office,

4000 Morrie Avenue, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001, telephone 307/772-2374.

Depictions of these geographic locations are also available on our

internet home page (www.r6.fws.gov/preble).

A news release announcing the extension of the comment period is

being published in newspapers concurrently with this Federal Register

notice.

[[Page 12925]]

Written statements concerning the proposed special rule should be

mailed to the Service office identified in the ADDRESSES section above

on or before April 30, 1999.

Author

The author of this notice is Peter Plage, Colorado Field Office

(see ADDRESSES above), telephone 303/275-2370.

Authority

Authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

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

Dated: March 10, 1999.

Ralph O. Morgenweck,

Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.

[FR Doc. 99-6314 Filed 3-15-99; 8:45 am]

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