[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63375-63376]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31292]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of Draft Conservation Agreement for the
Wasatch Front and West Desert Populations (Utah) of Spotted Frog (Rana
luteiventris) for Review and Comment
AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability for
public review of a Draft Conservation Agreement for the spotted frog
(Rana luteiventris) in Utah. This species is a candidate for Federal
listing pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The
Conservation Agreement was developed by the Utah Department of Natural
Resources, with participation from the following parties: Bureau of
Land Management; Utah Reclamation, Mitigation and Conservation
Commission; Bureau of Reclamation; Central Utah Water Conservancy
District; the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation; and the
Service. The agreement focuses on eliminating or minimizing threats to
the spotted frog and its habitat to the greatest extent possible and on
restoring and maintaining populations of spotted frog throughout its
historical range in Utah. The Service solicits review and comment from
the public on the draft agreement.
DATES: Comments on the Draft Conservation Agreement must be received on
or before December 29, 1997, to be considered by the Service during
preparation of the final conservation agreement and prior to the
Service's determination whether it will be a signatory party to the
agreement.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the Draft Conservation Agreement
may obtain a copy by contacting the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 145 East 1300 South, Suite 404, Salt Lake City, Utah
84115. Written comments and materials regarding the Draft Conservation
Agreement should also be directed to the same address. Comments and
written materials will be available upon request for public inspection,
by appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Reed E. Harris, Field Supervisor
(see ADDRESSES section) (telephone 801/524-5001).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The spotted frog belongs to the family of true frogs, the Ranidae.
Adult frogs have large, dark spots on their backs and pigmentation on
their abdomens ranging from yellow to red (Turner 1957). Spotted frogs
along the Wasatch Front generally possess a salmon color ventrally,
while West Desert and Sanpete County, Utah populations generally have a
yellow to yellow-orange color ventrally. Spotted frogs in Utah are
reported to have fewer and lighter colored spots (Colburn, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, pers. comm., 1992) than other populations. The
spotted frog is closely associated with water (Dumas 1966, Nussbaum et
al. 1983). Habitat includes the marshy edges of ponds, lakes, slow-
moving cool water streams and springs (Licht 1974; Nussbaum et al.
1983; Morris and Tanner 1969; Hovingh 1987). The present distribution
of the spotted frog includes a main population in southeast Alaska,
Alberta, British Columbia, eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon,
northern and central Idaho, and western Montana and Wyoming. Additional
disjunct populations occur in northeastern California, southern Idaho,
Nevada, Utah, and western Washington and Oregon.
On May 1, 1989, the Service received a petition from the Board of
Directors of the Utah Nature Study Society requesting that the Service
add the spotted frog (Rana pretiosa) to the List of Threatened and
Endangered Species and to specifically consider the status of the
Wasatch, Utah, population. The Service subsequently published a notice
of a 90-day finding in the Federal Register (54 FR 42529) on October
17, 1990 and a notice of the 12-month petition finding in the Federal
Register (58 FR 27260) on May 7, 1993. In the 12-month petition finding
the Service found that listing of the spotted frog as threatened in
some portions of its range was warranted but precluded by other higher
priority listing actions. The Service found, based on geographic and
climatic separation and supported by genetic separation, five distinct
vertebrate populations of spotted frog. Listing of both the populations
occurring in Utah, the Wasatch Front and West Desert populations, was
found to be warranted but precluded and both populations were
transferred from category 2 candidates to category 1. The Wasatch Front
population was assigned a listing priority number of 3 because the
magnitude of the threats were high and imminent, while the West Desert
population was assigned a listing priority of 9 because of moderate to
low threats.
In the 1997 Candidate Notice of Review (62 FR 49398) published on
September 19, 1997, the Service, based on newly published genetic
research (Green 1997), assigned a new scientific name (Rana
luteiventris) and common name (Columbia spotted frog) to several
populations of the spotted frog, including both the Wasatch Front and
West Desert populations. Additionally, the listing priority number for
the West Desert populations was raised from a 9 to a 6.
Shortly after notice of the 12-month petition finding was
published, the Utah Department of Natural Resources initiated a
monitoring program for the
[[Page 63376]]
species in Utah and began development of a Conservation Agreement,
working cooperatively with other agencies, in an effort to reduce the
threats affecting the spotted frog. The Draft Conservation Agreement
focuses on identifying, reducing and eliminating significant threats to
the species that warrant its listing as a threatened species, and on
restoring and maintaining a minimum of nine populations throughout
Utah. This will be accomplished through implementation of the following
conservation actions: (1) Determining baseline spotted frog
distribution and available habitat; (2) determining baseline spotted
frog population, life history and habitat needs; (3) determining and
maintaining genetic composition and integrity: (4) augmenting or
expanding spotted frog populations and distribution through
introduction or reintroduction; (5) enhancing and maintaining habitat;
(6) selectively controlling nonnative species; (7) protecting and
providing habitat for spotted frog; (8) monitoring populations and
habitat; (9) developing mitigation protocols for proposed development
projects and future habitat alteration; and (10) protecting spotted
frog populations through the use of regulatory mechanisms.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service will use information received in its determination on
whether it should be a signatory party to the agreement. Comments or
suggestions from the public, other concerned government agencies, the
scientific community, industry, or any other interested party
concerning this draft document are hereby solicited. All comments and
materials received will be considered prior to the approval of any
final document.
Author: The primary author of this document is Janet A. Mizzi (see
ADDRESSES section) (telephone 801/524-5001).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Fish and Wildlife Act of
1956, the Fish and Wildlife Service Coordination Act of 1964, and the
National Memorandum of Understanding (94 (SMU-058)).
Dated: November 21, 1997.
Ralph O. Morgenweek,
Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 97-31292 Filed 11-26-97; 8:45 am]
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