Comment on FR Doc # 2012-07200

The proposed listing is overdue and necessary in our opinion. Data collected by Troy University students over approximately the past decade and other observations indicate significant declines in populations of the species that are proposed for listing. Many of the activities that would be impacted by the designation are already regulated and if they were following existing permit requirements for erosion and sediment control they would likely face no economic impact from the listing (these activities include road building, bridge building and road and bridge maintenance). Other activities that might be impacted would not face any burden from the rule if they were following accepted practices such as maintaining buffers between logging activities and streams. If anything the suggested economic impacts of the designation is probably exaggerated. The designation could even be a stimulus for getting local, state and federal resources agencies to cooperate to address threats such as untreated active gully systems and to continue and expand work to reduce pollutant transport from unpaved roads and associated roadside water conveyances. The designation also provides reason for state and local resource management agencies to begin to consider efforts to improve riparian area management. Michael William Mullen, CPESC Choctawhatchee Riverkeeper