[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51878-51879]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25476]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AD52


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of 
Comment Period on Proposed Threatened Status for the Guajon

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior

ACTION: Proposed rule, reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Service provides notice that the comment period is 
reopening on a proposal to list the guajon (Eleutherodactylus cooki) as 
threatened, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as 
amended. The Service is reopening the comment period to allow members 
of the public to submit comments on this proposal.

DATES: The comment period on this proposal is extended until November 
4, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and materials concerning this proposal 
should be sent to the Field Supervisor, Boqueron Field Office, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 491, Boqueron, Puerto Rico 00622. 
Comments and materials received will be available for public 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at this 
office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan Silander at the Boqueron 
Field Office address (809/851-7297).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On October 2, 1995, the Service proposed to add the guajon 
(Eleutherodactylus cooki) to the list of endangered and threatened 
species. At that time the guajon, a relatively large frog, was reported 
from its historical localities in the municipalities of Yabucoa and San 
Lorenzo. It is endemic to Puerto Rico and restricted in range to the 
southeastern part of the island. Since the closing of the comment 
period, the guajon has been reported from additional municipalities, 
including Humacao and Las Piedras. In addition, information on the 
reproductive biology and population genetics of the species has been 
published and additional research is ongoing.
    A moratorium on listing actions (Public Law 104-6) took effect 
April 10, 1995, and prevented the Service from making a final decision 
on this proposal

[[Page 51879]]

by the October 1996 administrative deadline. The moratorium was lifted 
on April 26, 1996, when the appropriation for the Department of the 
Interior for the remainder of fiscal year 1996 was enacted into law. In 
a Federal Register document published on May 16, 1996 (61 FR 24722), 
the Service outlined in detail the history of the moratorium and 
indicated the priorities it would follow in eliminating the listing 
program backlog resulting from the moratorium. Preparation of the final 
rule for this proposed species is considered a Tier 2 priority--
processing final decisions on proposed listings. For more information 
on the moratorium and the priority for backlogged listing actions, 
refer to the May 16, 1996, Federal Register notice.
    The Service does not believe that the new distributional 
information has changed the status of the species. However, we are 
reopening the comment period on the proposed rule to solicit comments 
on this new information and request any additional information on 
scientific studies conducted since the comment period last closed on 
December 1, 1995. The Service hereby announces reopening of the comment 
period until November 4, 1996.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Susan R. Silander, Boqueron 
Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Box 491, Boqueron, Puerto 
Rico, 00622 (787/851-7297).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: September 27, 1996
Noreen K. Clough,
Regional Director, Southeast Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 96-25476 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
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