[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 111 (Friday, June 10, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14112]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 10, 1994]


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Part V





Department of the Interior





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Fish and Wildlife Service



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50 CFR Part 17




Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Petition 
Finding on the Bull Trout; Final Rule
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Petition 
Finding on the Bull Trout

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of petition finding.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 12-month 
finding on a petition to list the bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) 
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The 
Service finds that listing bull trout throughout its range is not 
warranted at this time due to unavailable or insufficient data 
regarding the threats to and status and population trends of the 
species within Alaska and Canada. Sufficient information is available, 
however, to support a warranted finding to list bull trout within the 
conterminous United States. The Service, therefore, finds that listing 
a distinct vertebrate population segment of bull trout residing in the 
conterminous United States is warranted, but precluded due to other 
higher priority listing actions. The Service continues to seek data and 
comments from the public on the status and threats to this species.

DATES: The finding reported in this document was made on June 6, 1994. 
Comments and information may be submitted until further notice.

ADDRESSES: Comments and materials concerning this petition may be sent 
to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3704 Griffin 
Lane SE, suite 102, Olympia, Washington 98501. The petition, finding, 
supporting data, comments, and materials received will be available for 
public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David C. Frederick, Field Supervisor 
(see ADDRESSES section), at 206/753-9440.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Endangered Species Act, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that for any petition to list a species 
as endangered or threatened that presents substantial scientific or 
commercial information, a finding must be made within 12 months of the 
date of receipt of the petition on whether the petitioned action is (a) 
not warranted, (b) warranted, or (c) warranted but precluded from 
immediate proposal by other pending proposals to list, delist, or 
reclassify species. Such 12-month findings are to be published promptly 
in the Federal Register. If the finding is warranted but precluded, the 
Service will, within 12 months of such finding, reevaluate the issue 
and again make one of the three findings described above with regard to 
the petition.
    The bull trout was designated as a category 2 candidate for listing 
in the conterminous United States in the September 18, 1985, Animal 
Notice of Review (50 FR 37958). Category 2 species are species for 
which the Service has some evidence of vulnerability but for which 
substantial information is not currently available to support a 
proposal to list the species as endangered or threatened.
    On October 30, 1992, the Service received a petition to list the 
bull trout as an endangered species throughout its range from the 
following conservation organizations in Montana: Alliance for the Wild 
Rockies, Inc., Friends of the Wild Swan, and Swan View Coalition. The 
petitioners also requested that critical habitat be designated for the 
bull trout concurrently with the listing. They further requested an 
emergency listing and concurrent critical habitat designation for bull 
trout populations in select aquatic ecosystems where the biological 
information indicates that the species is in imminent threat of 
extinction.
    A 90-day petition finding, published May 17, 1993 (58 FR 28849), 
determined that the petitioners had provided substantial information 
indicating that listing of the species may be warranted. The Service 
initiated a rangewide status review of the species concurrent with 
publication of the 90-day finding. The period of the Service's status 
review was extended due to insufficient staff.
    The Service has carefully assessed the best scientific and 
commercial information available regarding the present and future 
threats facing the bull trout. The species historically was widely 
distributed throughout the major rivers and tributaries of the Pacific 
Northwest, including seven States (Alaska, Montana, Idaho, Washington, 
Oregon, Nevada, and California) and two Canadian Provinces (Alberta and 
British Columbia). The species has been extirpated from most of the 
large mainstem rivers in which it historically occurred. The majority 
of remaining individuals exist within headwater streams. These 
fragmented and isolated populations are subject to local extirpation.
    The species is threatened with extinction within the conterminous 
United States as a result of aquatic habitat degradation due to forest 
management practices, roadbuilding, dams, water diversions, mining, and 
grazing, as well as from isolation, competition and hybridization with 
non-native fishes, and overharvest. Even populations occurring in 
wilderness areas, where land use impacts are minimal, are threatened by 
non-native species and by isolation from other populations such that 
stochastic events might, in time, result in extirpation.
    Different amounts of scientific and commercial data are available 
on the different populations of bull trout throughout its range. There 
is little information available regarding the existence or status of 
bull trout in Alaska. Sufficient monitoring data to document the 
possible declining population trend in Canada is not currently 
available in Service files. As a result of the Service's status review 
for this species, the Service finds that listing bull trout throughout 
its range is not warranted at this time due to unavailable or 
insufficient data regarding the threats to and status and population 
trends of the species within Alaska and Canada.
    Sufficient information on the biological vulnerability and threats 
to the species is, however, available to support a warranted finding to 
list bull trout within the conterminous United States. The Service has 
identified a national interest in preserving species in the 
conterminous United States, even though they also occur in Canada and 
Alaska. Examples of cases where the Service has used an international 
boundary to define a distinct vertebrate population segment include: 
Grizzly bear, bald eagle, marbled murrelet, and woodland caribou.
    On September 21, 1983 (48 FR 43098), the Service published a system 
for prioritizing species for listing. This system results in a listing 
priority number from 1 to 12 (with number 1 as the most threatened). 
Because of limited staff and funding, the Service must give priority to 
the listing of species with a listing priority of 1 through 6. Given 
the moderate, yet imminent threats facing bull trout residing in the 
conterminous United States, the Service assigns the listing priority 
number of 9 to this distinct vertebrate population segment.
    Section 4(b)(3)(B)(iii) of the Act provides that petitioned actions 
may be found to be warranted, but precluded by other listing actions 
when it is found that the Service is making expeditious progress in 
proposing and listing species of plants and animals that are imminently 
and highly threatened.
    For the current fiscal year that began on October 1, 1994, the 
Service is making expeditious progress to propose and list (within the 
six conterminous States where bull trout reside), at least 80 plant and 
animal taxa with listing priority numbers between 2 and 8. The Service, 
therefore, finds that listing the distinct vertebrate population 
segment of bull trout residing in the conterminous United States is 
warranted, but precluded due to other higher priority listing actions. 
Such species are placed in category 1 of the candidate species list.
    More detailed information regarding the above decisions may be 
obtained from the Service's Olympia office (see ADDRESSES above).

References Cited

    A complete list of references used in the preparation of this 
finding is available, upon request, from the Olympia State Office (see 
ADDRESSES section).

Authors

    The primary authors of this notice are Carolyn Scafidi (see 
ADDRESSES section); Ron Rhew, Oregon State Office, 2600 SE 98th 
Avenue, suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97266; Lori Nordstrom, Helena 
Field Office, P.O. Box 10023, Helena, Montana 59626-0023; Wade 
Fredenberg, Creston Fish and Wildlife Center, 780 Hatchery Road, 
Kalispell, Montana 59901; and Bob Hallock, Northern Idaho Office, 
11103 East Montgomery Drive, suite 2, Spokane, Washington 99206.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544).

    Dated: June 6, 1994.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 94-14112 Filed 6-7-94; 2:52 pm]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M