Refer: Susan Saul, Portland, Oregon - 503/231-6121

Patricia Foulk, Sacramento, California - 916/979-2129

July 8, 1996

At the request of Robert D. Thornton, the hearing requestor, a public hearing originally scheduled for July 19, 1996, in Monterey, California, has been changed to August 20, 1996. It will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, One Golf Course Road, Monterey, California.

The public hearing is on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to list five plants and the black legless lizard from the coast of Monterey County, California, as threatened or endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act.

Four plants -- coastal dunes milk-vetch, Yadon's piperia, Hickman's potentilla, and Monterey clover -- and the black legless lizard have been proposed for endangered designation. The Gowen cypress is proposed for listing as threatened.

These five plants and the lizard occur primarily along the coast of northern Monterey County from Point Lobos State Park north to Elkhorn Slough. The coastal dunes milk-vetch, Yadon's piperia, Hickman's potentilla, and Monterey clover occur primarily on private land on the Monterey Peninsula. Hickman's potentilla also was recently discovered near Devil's Slide in San Mateo County and the Yadon's piperia extends as far south as Palo Colorado Canyon and as far north as Blohm Ranch north of Prunedale. The Gowen cypress is found on private land on the Monterey Peninsula and at Point Lobos State Reserve. The black legless lizard is found between the Salinas and Carmel Rivers, on the Monterey Peninsula, and along Monterey Bay.

The Yadon's piperia and the black legless lizard occur on Federal lands at Fort Ord. During base closure, the Department of the Army, in consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, has ensured that important habitat for the Yadon's piperia and the black legless lizard will be transferred to agencies that will manage it to protect the species.

Some black legless lizards and individuals of Yadon's piperia may occur on parcels to be developed; the Service has coordinated with local agencies during the Fort Ord base closure process to ensure that economic development will not be encumbered by any potential endangered species listings.

The Endangered Species Act directs Federal agencies to protect and promote the recovery of federally listed species; consequently, Federal lands provide the greatest protection for endangered and threatened plants. Where listed plants occur on Federal lands, consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service is required when projects or activities may affect the species. For private and non-Federal landowners, however, consultations come into play only in cases where activities involving plants require Federal funding or permitting or the use of an Environmental Protection Agency-registered pesticide. The Endangered Species Act does not prohibit "take" of listed plants on private lands, but landowners must still comply with state laws protecting imperiled plants.

The five plants and the lizard are threatened by alteration, destruction, and fragmentation of habitat due to urban and recreational development. They also are threatened by competition from non-native species and disruption of natural fire cycles.

The public is invited to present oral testimony and written comments on this proposal. Individuals wishing to present testimony should bring a copy of their statement to the hearing. Oral statements may be limited to 3 to 5 minutes in length. There are not any limits on the length of written comments. Written comments will be given the same weight as oral comments.

Public comments are invited until August 30, 1996. Written comments and materials should be sent to the Field Supervisor, Ventura Field Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, California 93003. Comments and documents received will be available for public inspection at this address.

A complete description of the Service's proposal to list the coastal dunes milk-vetch, Yadon's piperia, Hickman's potentilla, Monterey clover, and black legless lizard as endangered and the Gowen's cypress as threatened was published in the Federal Register on August 2, 1995.

Due to a Congressional moratorium on the Service's activities associated with final listings under the Endangered Species Act between April 1995 and April 1996, scheduling of this hearing was delayed until now.