Comment Period Extended Until May 19, 2006
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today reopened the comment period on its proposal to list the Graham's beardtongue, an herbaceous perennial plant found in northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Reopening the comment period will also allow interested parties an additional opportunity to comment on the proposal to designate 3,503 acres as critical habitat in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, and Duchesne and Uintah Counties, Utah.
Interested parties in Duchesne County, Utah requested a public hearing which will be held on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 in the Uintah County Building, 147 East Main, Vernal, Utah. This hearing will provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the two proposals. The hearing will begin at 7:00 pm with a brief presentation followed by formal public testimonies until 9:00 pm. Written comments will also be accepted at the hearing.
Comments and data will be accepted until May 19, 2006 and should be sent to Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah Field Office, 2369 West Orton Circle, Suite 50, West Valley, Utah 84119 or via e-mail to fw6_penstemongrahamii@fws.gov or by faxsimile to 801-975-3331.
The Service is particularly seeking information detailing definitive effects of oil shale operations and any demonstration of oil shale recovery technologies on Bureau of Land Management lands; success of ongoing oil shale or tar sands development projects, particularly in the Green River formation; and available economic and technological analyses. Comments are also being sought regarding the proposed critical habitat designation.
A copy of the proposed rules and other information about the Graham's beardtongue are available on the Internet at:
