[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 206 (Wednesday, October 26, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26527]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: October 26, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding for
a Petition to List the Say's Spiketail Dragonfly as Endangered
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 90-
day finding for a petition to list the Say's spiketail dragonfly
(Cordulegaster sayi) under the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as
amended. The Service finds that the petition presents substantial
information indicating that listing this species may be warranted.
DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on October 17,
1994. To be considered in the 12-month finding for this petition,
information and comments should be submitted to the Service by December
27, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Comments and information concerning this petition should be
sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6620 Southpoint Drive South,
Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216. The petition, finding, and
supporting data are available for public inspection, by appointment,
during normal business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Michael M. Bentzien, Acting Field Supervisor, at the above address;
telephone (904) 232-2580.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, as amended, requires that the
Service make a finding on whether a petition to list, delist or
reclassify a species presents substantial scientific or commercial
information to demonstrate that the petitioned action may be warranted.
This finding is to be based on all information available to the Service
at the time the finding is made. To the maximum extent practicable, the
finding shall be made within 90 days following receipt of the petition
and promptly published in the Federal Register. The Service must also
commence a timely status review of the petitioned species if its
accompanying information results in a positive finding. Following a
positive 90-day finding, Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act requires the
Service to make a 12-month finding as to whether the petitioned action
is:
(1) Not warranted,
(2) Warranted; or
(3) Warranted but precluded by other higher priority listing
proposals.
On February 15, 1994, the Service received a petition from Ms.
Nancy Fraser Williams on behalf of the Rock Creek Owners' Association,
Gainesville, Florida. The petition requests that Says' spiketail
dragonfly, (Cordulegaster sayi), be listed as an endangered species. It
states that a portion of a forested ravine and its riparian corridor
owned by the Rock Creek residential housing subdivision is essentially
the species' only known breeding grounds. The petitioners contend that
a proposed municipal storm water retention project within the
corridor's floodplain, described as the Possum Branch of Hogtown Creek,
would gravely endanger the existing breeding sites of this extremely
rare dragonfly and virtually wipe out the species.
Westfall (unpublished) provides collection information for Say's
spiketail from seven localities in northern Florida and one specific
site from southeastern Georgia. Five of these sites are located on
public land, with occurrence based on fewer than two dozen specimens.
Rock Creek, named in the petition, is the best studied and most
productive of the known collection sites. Alabama may be added to the
range if identification of an adult female collected in 1994 from
Conecuh National Forest is verified (Mr. Bill Mauffray, International
Odonate Research Institute, pers. comm., 1994).
Say's spiketail was included as a candidate for listing in the
Service's invertebrate notice of review for animals published in the
Federal Register on May 22, 1984 (49 FR 21664) and is comprehensive
animal notices of review published January 6, 1989 (54 FR 554) and
November 21, 1991 (56 FR 58804). The dragonfly was included in the
first notice as a category 1 candidate for listing, but as a category 2
candidate in subsequent notices. A category 1 taxon is one for which
the Service has available enough substantial information on biological
vulnerability and threat(s) to support a proposal to list it as
endangered or threatened. A category 2 taxon is one for which
information in possession of the Service indicates that proposing to
list as endangered or threatened is possibly appropriate, but for which
conclusive data on biological vulnerability and threat are not
currently available to support a proposed rule.
The information presented in the petition supports the Service's
previous decision to consider this species as a category 2 listing
candidate as defined above. At the time the petition was received, the
Service was aware of and investigating the proposed floodwater relief
project and its potential impact on Say's spiketail. The hydrologic
model for the project (Westfall and Mauffray 1994) predicted the
proposed flood control structure would increase depth of inundation for
10-year and 25-year storm events by approximately 2 and 3 feet,
respectively. All but one of nine seepage transects included in the
project's biological assessment would be completely inundated during
any 10-year event. The seep heads and a few feet of their runs in four
of the nine sampled seeps would not be totally inundated by a 10-year
flood under the existing pre-project conditions.
One such 10-year event did occur in March 1993. The only larvae
collected after this flood were found at three completely inundated
seeps (Westfall and Mauffray, 1994). Less than 10 percent of the
previous seasons' adult total was observed during a 3-week period in
1993. During the 1994 flight season, however, 12 adults were observed
in a single day at Rock Creek, indicating recovery from any adverse
effects from flooding. It appears that larvae may not be displayed by
significant flooding and are able to survive these episodes at their
original locations.
A recent review of category 2 insects in the southeast region
(Schweitzer 1989) recommended a very high status survey priority for
Say's spiketail. The Service concurs with this recommendation and plans
to fund a survey within the near future to better determine current
distribution and status. However, the service does not anticipate this
survey will be completed in time for the 12-month finding on this
petition.
Although a status review of Say's spiketail dragonfly is currently
in progress based upon its inclusion as a category 2 species in the
Service's comprehensive notice of review for animal candidates, the
Service hereby announces its formal review of the species' status
pursuant to this 90-day petition finding. Public comments regarding
population trends, biological vulnerability and threats to this species
should be sent to the office specified in the ADDRESSES section.
References Cited
Schweitzer, D.F. 1989. A review of category 2 insects in the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service's Regions 3, 4, and 5. Report to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Newton Corner, MA. Pg. 24-25.
Westfall, M.J. Jr., and F.C. Johnson. Unpublished. Notes on
Cordulegaster sayi Selys, 1854, with a description of the larva,
redescription of the female, and notes on related species.
Westfall, M.J. Jr., and W. Mauffray. 1994. Report of the dragonfly,
Cordulegaster sayi (Selys), a C2 candidate for endangered species
status, in the Possum Branch of the Hogtown drainage system, and the
potential devastation of the largest known breeding area by a
proposed city of Gainesville flood control project. International
Odonate Research Institute. 10 pp.
Author
This document was prepared by Mr. John F. Milio (See ADDRESSES
section).
Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: October 17, 1994.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 94-26527 Filed 10-25-94; 8:45 am]
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