[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7204]
[[Page 15280]]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Finding
on a Petition to Emergency List the Amargosa Toad (Bufo nelsoni) as
Endangered
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding and initiation of status
review.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 90-
day finding on a petition to list the Amargosa toad (Bufo nelsoni)
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The
petition was found to present substantial information indicating the
requested action may be warranted. The Service therefore initiates a
status review and will prepare a 12 month finding at a later date.
DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on March 17,
1995. Comments and information concerning this petition finding must be
submitted within 30 days of the publication of the finding in the
Federal Register to be considered in the 12-month finding for this
petition.
ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning this
finding should be sent to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 4600 Kietzke Lane, Building C Room 125, Reno, Nevada 89502.
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: Sheryl Barrett, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, see ADDRESSES section above or telephone 702-784-5227.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (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. 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. This finding is to be
based on information contained in the petition and otherwise available
to the Service at the time the finding is made. If the finding is that
substantial information was presented, the Service also is required to
review the status of the species involved if one has not already been
initiated under the Service's internal candidate assessment process.
On September 21, 1994, the Service received a petition dated
September 19, 1994, from Mr. D.C. ``Jasper'' Carlton, Director of the
Biodiversity Legal Foundation, to emergency list the Amargosa toad
(Bufo nelsoni) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973,
as amended (Act).
The petitioner states that the Amargosa toad qualifies for
emergency listing as endangered under the Act due to present and
threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or
range; overuse of habitat for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes; other natural or man-made factors affecting its
continued existence; severely restricted range; and inadequacy of
existing regulatory mechanisms. The Amargosa toad is endemic to the
Oasis Valley, Nye County, Nevada, in an approximately 9-mile stretch of
the Amargosa River and nearby springs from Springdale to the Narrows
south of Beatty. The petition noted that Hoff (1994) asserts that off-
road vehicles, water diversions, grazing, and non-native predators have
caused this species to decline from the thousands reported in 1958 to
only 30 adult and juvenile toads observed in 1994 in Oasis Valley.
The Service included the Amargosa toad as a category 2 species in
the August 2, 1977, Animal Notice of Review (42 FR 39121). It was
subsequently categorized as a category 1 species in the December 30,
1982, Notice of Review (47 FR 58454) and again as a category 2 species
in the September 18, 1985, Notice of Review (50 FR 37960). On November
14, 1994, the Service changed its classification back to category 1,
with a listing priority of 2 (59 FR 58982). Assignment of the Amargosa
toad to category 1 means that this is a taxa for which the Service has
on file sufficient information on biological vulnerability and threats
to support a proposal to list the taxa as an endangered or threatened
species.
The Service finds that substantial information has been presented
indicating that listing of the Amargosa toad may be warranted. However,
emergency listing is not warranted at this time because an immediate
threat of extinction does not exist. Several actions (e.g., fencing and
removing introduced crayfish from Lower Indian springs, and removing
catfish from Harlan/Keel Spring, etc.) aimed at conserving this species
are ongoing. This decision is based on scientific and commercial
information contained in the petition, provided as attachments to the
petition, and otherwise available to the Service. The Service requests
any additional data, comments, and suggestions from the public, other
concerned governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, or
any other interested parties concerning the status of the Amargosa
toad. Of particular interest is information on the Amargosa toad
regarding--(1) The existence and status of additional populations, (2)
environmental factors determining its distribution, (3) life history
information, and (4) existing conservation efforts.
References Cited
A complete list of all references cited herein is available upon
request from the Reno Field Office (see ADDRESSES section).
Authors
The primary authors of this document are Dr. Patricia G. Zenone and
Sheryl L. Barrett of the Reno Field Office (see ADDRESSES above).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973 as amended (16 U.S. C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: March 17, 1995.
Mollie H. Beattie,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 95-7204 Filed 3-22-95; 8:45 am]
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