[Federal Register: April 13, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 71)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 19158-19159]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13ap06-36]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AU49
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed
Threatened Status for Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) With
Critical Habitat
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period and notice of
public hearing.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
reopening of the public comment period on the proposed rule to
determine threatened status and to designate critical habitat for
Penstemon grahamii (Graham's beardtongue) under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 as amended (Act). Reopening the public comment period will
allow an additional opportunity for interested parties to comment on
the proposed rule. Comments previously submitted on the proposed rule
need not be resubmitted as they have already been incorporated into the
public record and will be fully considered in any final decision. We
will also hold a public hearing on the proposed rule.
DATES: Comments: We will accept written comments on the proposed rule
until May 19, 2006. Any comments received after the closing date may
not be considered in the final determination on the proposal. Public
Hearing: The public hearing will be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2006,
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Comments: If you wish to comment, you may submit your
comments and materials by any one of several methods:
1. You may submit written comments and information by mail or hand-
delivery to Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah
Field Office, 2369 West Orton Circle, Suite 50, West Valley City, Utah
84119.
2. You may fax your comments to Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Utah Field Office at 801-975-3331.
3. You may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to
fw6_penstemongrahamii@fws.gov. Please see the Public Comments Solicited
section below for file format and other information about electronic
filing.
All comments and materials received, as well as supporting
documentation used in preparation of the proposed rule, will be
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business
hours at the Utah Field Office.
Public Hearing: The public hearing will be held at the Uintah
County Building, 152 East 100 North, Vernal, Utah.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John L. England, Utah Field Office
(address above), telephone 801-975-3330, extension 138.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Public Comments Solicited
We expect any final rule resulting from the proposal to be as
accurate and effective as possible. Therefore, we are soliciting
comments from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the
scientific community, industry, or any other interested party
concerning the proposed rule. Comments particularly are sought
concerning:
Critical Habitat
We seek specific information on:
(1) Biological, commercial trade, or other relevant data concerning
any threat (or lack thereof) to this species;
(2) Additional information concerning the range, distribution, and
population size of this species, including the locations of any
additional populations of this species;
(3) Current or planned activities in the subject area and their
possible impacts on this species;
(4) Reasons why any habitat should or should not be determined to
be critical habitat for this species pursuant to section 4 of the Act;
and
(5) Any foreseeable economic or other impacts resulting from the
proposed designation of critical habitat.
It is our practice to make all comments, including names and
addresses of respondents who provide that information, available for
public review following the conclusion of the rulemaking process.
Individuals may request that we withhold their name and/or address from
public disclosure. If you wish to do this, you must state this
prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will honor such
requests to the extent allowable by law, but you should be aware that
we may still be required to disclose your name and address pursuant to
the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). We will make all
submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
[[Page 19159]]
organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their
entirety. Comments and materials received will be available for public
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours (see
ADDRESSES).
All previous comments and information submitted during the initial
comment period on the proposed rule need not be resubmitted. Please
submit electronic comments in ASCII file format, and avoid the use of
any special characters or any form of encryption. Also, please include
``Attn: RIN 1018-AU49'' in the subject line, and your name and return
address in your e-mail message.
Background
On January 19, 2006, we published a proposed rule in the Federal
Register (71 FR 3158) to determine Penstemon grahamii (Graham's
beardtongue), a plant species from Colorado and Utah, to be a
threatened species under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). We further
proposed to designate critical habitat for this plant. We accepted
public comments on the proposed rule for 60 days, ending March 20,
2006.
Penstemon grahamii is an herbaceous perennial plant that exists in
a series of small populations that extend in a narrow band from Raven
Ridge west of the town of Rangely in Rio Blanco County, Colorado,
westward to the vicinity of Sand Wash near the point where Carbon,
Duchesne, and Uintah Counties meet in Utah's Uinta Basin. The species'
habitat is a discontinuous series of exposed raw shale knolls and
slopes derived from the Parachute Creek and Evacuation Creek members of
the geologic Green River Formation. Most populations are associated
with the surface exposure of the petroleum bearing oil shale Mahogany
ledge.
Threats to the species may include degradation of the species'
habitat by oil and gas exploration, drilling and field development, and
tar sand and oil shale mining. Off-road vehicle use, overutilization by
domestic and wild grazers, and overutilization for horticultural use
also may affect some populations. These threats, in combination with
small population sizes and limited distribution, could result in
species' vulnerability to natural and human-caused stochastic events.
The proposal, if made final, would determine threatened status for this
plant and implement Federal protection under the Act.
In addition, we proposed to designate 2,102 hectares (3,504 acres)
as critical habitat for P. grahamii in five units in Rio Blanco County,
Colorado, and Duchesne and Uintah Counties, Utah.
Public Hearing
We will conduct a public hearing on the date and at the address
described in the DATES and ADDRESSES sections above.
Anyone wishing to make an oral statement for the record is
encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement and present it
to us at the hearing. In the even there is a large attendance, the time
allotted for oral statements may be limited. Oral and written
statements receive equal consideration. There are no limits on the
length of written comments submitted to us. If you have any questions
concerning the public hearing, please contact the Utah Field Office
(see ADDRESSES).
Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and
participate in the public hearings should contact the Utah Field Office
at 801-975-3330 as soon as possible. In order to allow sufficient time
to process requests, please call no later than one week before the
hearing date.
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: April 7, 2006.
Matt Hogan,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 06-3578 Filed 4-11-06; 10:06 am]
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