[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 131 (Monday, July 11, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-16650]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 11, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
50 CFR Part 17

 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day and 12-
Month Findings for a Petition To List 83 Mollusc Species

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of petition findings.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces 90-day 
and 12-month findings on a petition to list 83 mollusc species under 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After careful 
assessment of the best scientific and commercial information available 
regarding the present and future threats facing the petitioned species, 
the Service either finds that the petition did not present substantial 
information indicating that the requested action may be warranted (90-
day finding) or determines that the petitioned action is not warranted 
at this time (12-month finding).

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on June 28, 
1994. Comments and materials related to this petition finding may be 
submitted until further notice to the Assistant Regional Director for 
Ecological Services at the address listed below.

ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning the 
status of the petitioned species described below should be submitted to 
the Assistant Regional Director for Ecological Services, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Regional Office, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, 
Oregon 97232-4181. The petition, findings, supporting data, and 
comments are available for public inspection, by appointment, during 
normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Bartel, Chief, Division of Listing 
and Recovery, at the address above or 503/231-6131.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1533) (Act), requires that the Service make a finding on whether 
a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a species presents 
substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the 
petitioned action may be warranted. The finding is to be based on all 
information available to the Service at the time the finding is made. 
To the maximum extent practicable, this finding is to be made within 90 
days of the receipt of the petition, and the finding is to be published 
promptly in the Federal Register. If the Service finds that a petition 
presents substantial information indicating the requested action may be 
warranted, then the Service initiates a status review on that species. 
Section 4 (b)(3)(b) of the Act requires that for any petition that 
presents substantial scientific and commercial information, a finding 
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.
    The Service has made a negative 90-day finding for 75 noncandidate 
species referenced in a petition to list 83 mollusc species as 
threatened or endangered. The Service has made a positive 90-day 
finding, but not warranted 12-month finding for the eight category 2 
candidate species contained in the petition to list 83 mollusc species 
as threatened or endangered. The Service has been assessing the status 
of these eight species since their designation as category 2 
candidates. Minimal new information was received or available to the 
Service beyond that used to assign these species to category 2. As a 
result, the Service determines that the petitioned action is not 
warranted at this time. These eight species will be retained in 
category 2. This notice also serves to announce a negative 90-day 
finding on a previous petition to list the giant Columbia River limpet 
(short-faced lanx) (Fisherola nuttalli) as threatened or endangered.
    On August 18, 1993, the Service received a petition from the Oregon 
Natural Resources Council (ONRC) to list 83 mollusc species as 
threatened or endangered. The petition was dated August 16, 1993. The 
document used to support the petition was the report ``Mollusc Species 
of Special Concern within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl'' 
(Frest and Johannes 1993) prepared for the President's Proposed Forest 
Plan. On November 6, 1987 the Service received a petition from Dr. 
Peter Bowler of Laguna Beach, California, to list the giant Columbia 
River limpet as endangered. The giant Columbia River limpet, or short-
faced lanx, was one of the species included in the ONRC petition and 
was evaluated along with the other petitioned species.
    The petition involves 36 land snails, 7 slugs, 37 freshwater 
snails, and 3 freshwater clams. The species are found primarily in the 
states of Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. Most of these 
species are associated with late-successional forests or riparian 
areas.
    The Service's finding is based on information in the petition, 
references in the petition, Service files, and consultations with 
malacologists, Service, and other Federal and State personnel. All 
documents are on file in the Service's Regional Office in Portland, 
Oregon.
    Adequate rangewide surveys have not been completed for any of the 
species, except for the Trinity bristlesnail (Monadenia setosa) (a 
category 2 candidate). The Service also lacks evidence of specific 
threats throughout the ranges of any of the petitioned taxa, especially 
any threat associated with a population decline. Many of the species 
covered by this petition may be sensitive to ecological perturbations 
resulting from the impacts of human activities. However, information 
was not presented to show correlations between the species' ecological 
sensitivity and any declines in population numbers. The taxonomic 
distinctiveness or validity of many of the species has not been 
determined.
    The Service encourages all interested parties to investigate the 
population status of and threats to all the species considered in this 
petition. The Service also encourages all interested parties to submit 
information that may provide additional specific information on the 
status of these species or specific threats to their survival.
    The petition has been reviewed by staff at the Regional Office in 
Portland, Oregon. The Service finds that the listing of the eight 
category 2 candidates (Dalles sideband (Monadenia fidelis minor), rocky 
coast sideband (Monadenia fidelis pronotis), Trinity bristlesnail, 
Shasta sideband (Monadenia troglodytes), Karok hesperian (Vespericola 
karokorum), Columbia pebblesnail (Fluminicola columbiana), California 
floater (Anodonta californiensis), montane peaclam (Pisidium 
ultramontanum) is not warranted at this time. The Service finds that 
the petitioner has not presented substantial information indicating 
that listing of the remaining 75 species may be warranted (Hooded 
lancetooth (Ancotrema voyanum), Puget oregonian (Cryptomastix devia), 
Columbia oregonian (Cryptomastix hendersoni), mountain shoulderband 
(Helminthoglypta arrosa monticola), Oregon shoulderband 
(Helminthoglypta hertleini), intermediate shoulderband (Helminthoglypta 
intercessa), Klamath shoulderband (Helminthoglypta talmadgei), 
California megomphix (Megomphix californicus), Oregon megomphix 
(Megomphix hemphilli), Monadenia callipeplus (no common name), short-
crested sideband (Monadenia cristulata), traveling sideband (Monadenia 
fidelis celeuthia), green sideband (Monadenia fidelis flava), Monadenia 
fidelis klamathica (no common name), tawny sideband (Monadenia fidelis 
leonina), yellow-base sideband (Monadenia fidelis ochromphalus), Salmon 
River sideband (Monadenia fidelis salmonensis), Wheel sideband 
(Monadenia rotifer), Scott River sideband (Monadenia scottiana), Chace 
sideband (Monadenia chaceana), Klamath sideband (Monadenia churchi), 
Chelan mountainsnail (Oreohelix n. sp. 1), Crater Lake tightcoil 
(Pristiloma arcticum crateris), crowned tightcoil (Pristiloma 
pilsbryi), Hanna spot (Punctum hannai), Shasta chaparral (Trilobopsis 
roperi), Tehama chaparral (Trilobopsis tehamana), Hoko vertigo (Vertigo 
n. sp. 1), Dalles hesperian (Vespericola depressa), Vespericola 
eritrichius (no common name), large hesperian (Vespericola euthales), 
Marin hesperian (Vespericola marinensis), Pressley hesperian 
(Vespericola pressleyi), Shasta hesperian (Vespericola shasta), 
Sasquatch hesperian (Vespericola n. sp. 1), Reeves Bar hesperian 
(Vespericola n. sp. 2), Klamath hesperian (Vespericola n. sp. 3), 
Siskiyou hesperian (Vespericola sierrana), evening fieldslug (Deroceras 
hesperium), Burrington jumping-slug (Hemphillia burringtoni), warty 
jumping-slug (Hemphillia glandulosa), Malone jumping-slug (Hemphillia 
malonei), panther jumping-slug (Hemphillia pantherina), blue-grey tail-
dropper (Prophysaon coeruleum), shortface lanx (Fisherola nuttalli), 
Klamath pebblesnail (Fluminicola n. sp. 1), tall pebblesnail 
(Fluminicola n. sp. 2), nerite pebblesnail (Fluminicola n. sp. 4) , 
toothed pebblesnail (Fluminicola n. sp. 5), diminutive pebblesnail 
(Fluminicola n. sp. 6), topaz pebblesnail (Fluminicola n. sp. 7), Fall 
Creek pebblesnail (Fluminicola n. sp. 8), lunate pebblesnail 
(Fluminicola n. sp. 9), nugget pebblesnail (Fluminicola seminalis), 
Great Basin rams-horn (Helisoma newberryi), scalloped juga (Juga 
acutifilosa), topaz juga (Juga occata), Dalles juga (Juga hemphilli 
dallesensis) , brown juga (Juga n. sp. 1), Chace juga (Juga chacei), 
Juga n. sp. 1 (no common name), Juga n. sp. 2 (no common name), Juga n. 
sp. 3 (no common name), redwood juga (Juga orickensis), highcap lanx 
(Lanx alta), scale lanx (Lanx klamathensis), kneecap lanx (Lanx 
patelloides), rotund lanx (Lanx subrotundata), Columbia duskysnail 
(Lyogyrus n. sp. 1), Washington duskysnail (Lyogyrus n. sp. 2), canary 
duskysnail (Lyogyrus n. sp. 3), Klamath duskysnail (Lyogyrus n. sp. 4), 
nodose duskysnail (Lyogyrus n. sp. 5), rotund physa (Physella 
(Physella) columbiana), Archimedes pyrg (Pyrgulopsis archimedis), 
Crooked Creek springsnail (Pyrgulopsis intermedia), Klamath rams-horn 
(Vorticifex klamathensis), Sinitsin rams-horn (Vorticifex klamathensis 
sinitsini), knobby rams-horn (Vorticifex n. sp.1), nerite rams-horn 
(Vorticifex neritoides), and the Willamette floater (Anodonta 
wahlametensis). This finding is based on the scientific and commercial 
information contained in the petition, referenced in the petition, and 
otherwise available to the Service at this time. If information becomes 
available indicating that listing as endangered or threatened is 
appropriate, the Service would propose to list any such mollusc.

References Cited

Frest, T. and E. Johannes. 1993. Mollusc species of concern within 
the range of the northern spotted owl. Deixis Consultants. Seattle, 
WA. 98 pp. plus addendum.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Allan Pfister, Division of 
Listing and Recovery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Regional Office, 
911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon, 97232-4181; (503) 231-6131.

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: June 28, 1994.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 94-16650 Filed 7-8-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P