[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 228 (Monday, November 29, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66600-66601]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29821]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AF57
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public
Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period on the Proposed Rule To List
the Scaleshell Mussel as Endangered
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearing and reopening of
comment period.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, pursuant to the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provide notice that we are
holding a public hearing and reopening the comment period on the
proposed rule to list the scaleshell mussel (Leptodea leptodon) as an
endangered species. We invite all interested parties to submit comments
on this proposal. The reopening of the comment period will further
opportunity for all interested parties to submit comments on the
proposal, which is available (see ADDRESSES).
DATES: The public hearing will be held from 7 PM to 10 PM on Wednesday,
December 8, 1999, in Jefferson City, Missouri. The comment period is
reopened on November 29, 1999, and will close on January 7, 2000. In
the final decision on this proposal, we will consider any comments
received by the closing date.
ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Runge Conservation
Nature Center Auditorium located in Jefferson City, Missouri,
approximately 0.5 miles north of Highway 50 on Highway 179. You may
submit written comments and materials concerning the proposal at the
hearing or send them directly to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 608 East Cherry Street, Room 200, Columbia, Missouri
65201-7712.
[[Page 66601]]
Comments and materials received will be available for public
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours, at the above
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andy Roberts (see ADDRESSES section),
573/876/1911, extension 110; facsimile 573/876/1914.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The scaleshell mussel (Leptodea leptodon) historically occurred in
13 states in the eastern United States. Currently, the species is known
from a few scattered populations within the Mississippi River basin in
Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Scaleshell inhabits medium-sized to
large rivers with stable channels and good water quality. The abundance
and distribution of scaleshell has decreased from habitat loss and
adverse effects associated with water quality degradation, reservoir
construction, sedimentation, channelization, and dredging. These
habitat changes have resulted in significant extirpations, restricted
and fragmented distributions, and poor recruitment.
On August 13, 1999, we published a rule proposing endangered status
for the scaleshell mussel in the Federal Register (64 FR 44171).
Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that we
hold a public hearing if it is requested within 45 days of the
publication of the proposed rule. We received numerous requests for a
hearing from the public within the allotted time. Public hearings are
designed to gather relevant information that the public may have that
we must consider in determining the status of and threats to this
species. We invite the public to submit information and comments either
at the hearing on December 8, 1999, or in writing on or before the
close of business January 7, 2000.
The hearing will be at the Runge Conservation Nature Center,
Jefferson City, Missouri on Wednesday, December 8, 1999, from 7:00 PM
to 10:00 PM. An informal open forum will be held prior to the public
hearing from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at the public hearing location. The
purpose of the forum is to answer specific questions regarding the
proposed rule. All interested parties are invited to attend. We
encourage persons wishing to comment at the formal hearing to provide a
written copy of their statement at the start of the hearing. Oral
statements given at the formal hearing may be limited in length, if the
number of parties who wish to comment necessitates such a limitation.
There is no limit on the length of written comments. Persons may also
send written comments to our office (see ADDRESSES section) at any time
during the open comment period. Equal consideration is given to oral
and written comments. We are publishing legal notices announcing the
date, time, and location of the hearing in newspapers, concurrently
with this Federal Register notice. The comment period on the proposal
initially closed on October 13, 1999. To accommodate the hearing, we
are reopening the public comment period upon publication of this
notice. The public comment period will close on January 7, 2000.
Author: The primary author of this notice is Andy Roberts (see
ADDRESSES section).
Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: November 8, 1999.
Charles M. Wooley,
Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services.
[FR Doc. 99-29821 Filed 11-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
