[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 66 (Wednesday, April 7, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 16890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8208]
[[Page 16890]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AB88
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of
Public Comment Period, Notice of Public Hearing, and Notice of
Availability of Documents Associated With Proposed Designation of
Critical Habitat for the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period, notice of public
hearing, and notice of availability of draft documents.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service provides notice that the public
comment period on the proposal to designate critical habitat for the
Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus), an endangered species,
is reopened. We anticipate that public interest in the proposal to
designate critical habitat will be high. Thus, we have scheduled a
public hearing to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico (see DATES and
ADDRESSES). The reopening of the comment period will allow all
interested parties to submit comments on the proposal, the draft
Economic Analysis, and the draft Environmental Assessment prepared for
the designation, which are now available (see ADDRESSES). We are
seeking comments or suggestions from the public, other concerned
governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other
interested parties concerning the proposed designation and the draft
documents.
DATES: The comment period for this proposal is now reopened and will
close on May 7, 1999. All comments on the proposal, the draft Economic
Analysis, and draft Environmental Assessment will be accepted through
May 7, 1999. A public hearing on the proposal and the draft documents
is scheduled for April 29, 1999 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials should be sent to the Field
Supervisor, New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 2105 Osuna NE,
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113. Copies of the draft documents are also
available from the Field Office. Comments and materials received will
be available for public inspection during normal business hours, by
appointment, at the above address. The public hearing will be held at
the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th Street NW, Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Fowler-Propst, Field
Supervisor, New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, at the above
address 505-346-2525.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the Rio Grande
silvery minnow as an endangered species with critical habitat on March
1, 1993 (58 FR 11821). The public comment period, originally scheduled
to close on April 30, 1993, was extended until August 25, 1993, (58 FR
19220; April 13, 1993) to conduct public hearings and allow submission
of additional comments. Public hearings were held in Albuquerque and
Socorro, New Mexico, on the evenings of April 27 and 28, 1993,
respectively.
We published the final rule to list the Rio Grande silvery minnow
on July 20, 1994 (59 FR 36988). At that time, we found that critical
habitat was not determinable because there was insufficient information
to perform required analyses of the impacts of the designation. We
contracted an economic analysis of the designation in September 1994;
the draft analysis was provided to us in February, 1996 and we
transmitted it to all interested individuals on April 26, 1996. We
notified the public that, because of the moratorium on final listing
actions and determinations of critical habitat imposed by Public Law
104-6, no work would be conducted on the analysis or on the final
decision concerning critical habitat. However, we solicited comments
from the public and agencies for use when such work resumed.
On February 22, 1999, the United States District Court for the
District of New Mexico, in Forest Guardians and Defenders of Wildlife
v. Bruce Babbitt, CIV 97-0453 JC/DIS, ordered us to publish a final
determination with regard to critical habitat for the Rio Grande
silvery minnow within 30 days of that order. Subsequently, on March 22,
1999, the Court ordered that we would be allowed an additional 90 days
for the final designation. The current deadline is for publication of
the final determination by June 23, 1999.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is using the extension granted by the
Court to seek public input to the process of designating critical
habitat. Comments on the draft Economic Analysis and draft
Environmental Assessment will be considered in our final determination
of critical habitat. Written comments we have already received on the
draft Economic Analysis in 1996 have been retained and will be
considered during this open comment period.
Author: The primary author of this document is Jennifer Fowler-
Propst, New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES
section).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act (16
U.S.C. 1532 et seq.).
Dated: March 30, 1999.
David Yazzie,
Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 99-8208 Filed 4-6-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
