Deadline for comments now May 27, 2004
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today reopened the comment period for the proposed designation of 13,920 acres as critical habitat for the endangered Santa Barbara County population of the California tiger salamander.
Comments and information from interested parties will be accepted until 5 p.m. on May 27, 2004. A public hearing on the proposed designation will be held Tuesday, May 11, at the Radisson Hotel,3455 Skyway Drivein Santa Maria.The hearing times will be 1-3 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
The Santa Barbara County Distinct Population Segment was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. The Service proposed the critical habitat for the salamander on January 22, 2004. The comment period closed on March 22, 2004. Before the comment period closed, the Service received a request for an extension of the comment period for another 60 days. The Service notified interested parties that the comment period would be reopened and that they can continue to review the proposal and submit comments during the new comment period. When the new comment period closes on May 27, 2004, the opportunity to comment will have been extended 66 days.
Most of the critical habitat is under private ownership. Small amounts of land are owned by Santa Barbara County and the Laguna County Sanitation District. The California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) is a large, stocky, terrestrial salamander with small eyes and a broad, rounded snout. Its habitat includes vernal pools and seasonal ponds, and associated grassland, oak savannah, and coastal scrub plant communities of the Santa Maria, Los Alamos, and Santa Rita valleys in northwestern Santa Barbara County.
More information about the proposal can be found at: http://ventura.fws.gov under
