The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the reopening of a public comment period to seek input on information collected on slickspot peppergrass (Lepidium papilliferum) since it was first proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Slickspot peppergrass is a plant that occurs in Idaho's northern Snake River Plain and Owyhee Plateau. The Service will accept comments from interested parties until November 13, 2006.
On August 19, 2005, the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho reversed the Service's 2004 decision to withdraw its 2002 proposal to list slickspot peppergrass as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The court ordered the agency to reconsider whether the species should be proposed for listing as either threatened or endangered. On October 4, 2006, the court ordered the Service to issue a final listing determination by January 4, 2007.
The Service is notifying the public of the availability of information collected on the species since the agency's July 15, 2002, proposal to list slickspot peppergrass as endangered, and is seeking public comment on the information.
"To ensure that our final action is as accurate as possible we are seeking additional comments and information from the public," said Ren Lohoefener, Director of the Service's Pacific Region.
New information will be accepted by the Service until 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on November 13, 2006. It is not necessary to re-submit comments provided to the Service in previous comment periods. Information may be submitted to the Snake River Fish and Wildlife Office by mail or hand-delivery to 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Boise, Idaho 83709 or by fax to (208) 378-5262. Electronic comments should be e-mailed to fw1srbocomment@fws.gov">. Please include "LEPA RIN1018-AU99" in the subject line for faxes and e-mails. If our Internet connection is disrupted, please submit information by mail or fax.
Information received, developed, and analyzed by the Service since August 19, 2005 is available online at http://idahoes.fws.gov . Materials include the Federal Register Notice announcing the reopening of this comment period and document availability, peer review comments on the Service's 2006 "Draft Best Available Biological Information for Slickspot Peppergrass" (BAI), analysis of conservation efforts, results of the Expert Science Panel, threats matrix and citations, summary of factors affecting the species, and new scientific information received by the Service. People without Internet access can obtain
these materials by calling the Service's Snake River Fish and Wildlife Office in Boise, Idaho
at (208) 378-5243.
-- FWS --
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencie
