[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 19, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 3110-3111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-1157]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 12 / Wednesday, January 19, 2000 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 3110]]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AF81


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposal To List 
the Santa Barbara County Distinct Population of the California Tiger 
Salamander as Endangered

AGENCY:  Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY:  We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list 
the Santa Barbara County Distinct Vertebrate Population Segment of the 
California tiger salamander, (Ambystoma californiense), as endangered 
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (Act). 
An emergency rule listing the population is published concurrently in 
this issue of the Federal Register. The Santa Barbara County population 
segment of the California tiger salamander is endemic to low elevation 
(typically below 300 meters (1,000 feet)) vernal pools and seasonal 
ponds and the surrounding grasslands, oak woodlands, and coastal scrub 
of Santa Barbara County, California, and is imperiled primarily by 
habitat loss from conversion of natural habitat to intensive 
agriculture and urban development, habitat fragmentation, and 
agricultural contaminants.

DATES:  Comments from all interested parties must be received by March 
20, 2000. Public hearing requests must be received by March 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments and 
materials concerning this proposal by any one of several methods.
    1. You may submit written comments to Field Supervisor, Ventura 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, 
California, 93003
    2. You may send comments by e-mail to [email protected]. 
Please submit these comments as an ASCII file and avoid the use of 
special characters and any form of encryption. Please also include 
``Attn: [RIN number]'' and your name and return address in your e-mail 
message. If you do not receive a confirmation from the system that we 
have received your e-mail message, contact us directly by calling our 
Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office at phone number 805/644-1766.
    3. You may hand-deliver comments to our Ventura Fish and Wildlife 
Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, California, 93003.
    Comments and materials received, as well as supporting 
documentation used in the preparation of this proposed rule, will be 
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business 
hours at the above address. The complete file for this proposed rule is 
available for inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours 
at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and Wildlife 
Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, California, 93003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Grace McLaughlin or Carl Benz, 
Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office at the address listed above 
(telephone: 805/644-1766; facsimile: 805/644-3958).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    For a discussion of biological background information, previous 
Federal actions, factors affecting the species, critical habitat, and 
conservation measures available to listed and proposed species, consult 
the emergency rule for the Santa Barbara County distinct population of 
the California tiger salamander published concurrently in this issue of 
the Federal Register.

Public Comments Solicited

    We intend that any final action resulting from this proposal be as 
accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, we request comments 
or suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, 
the scientific community, industry, or any other interested party 
concerning this proposed rule. Comments particularly are sought 
concerning:
    (1) Biological, commercial trade, or other relevant data concerning 
any threat (or lack thereof) to the Santa Barbara County California 
tiger salamander;
    (2) The location of any additional populations of the Santa Barbara 
County distinct population of California tiger salamanders and the 
vernal pools and associated upland habitats (including specific 
vegetation and soil type) used by such populations, and reasons why any 
habitat should or should not be determined to be critical habitat as 
provided by section 4 of the Act;
    (3) Additional information concerning the range, distribution, and 
population size of this distinct population; and
    (4) Current or planned activities in the subject area and their 
possible impacts on this distinct population.
    Final promulgation of the regulation on the Santa Barbara County 
California tiger salamander will take into consideration the comments 
and any additional information received by us. Such communications may 
lead to a final regulation that differs from this proposal.
    The Act provides for one or more public hearings on this proposal, 
if requested. Requests must be received within 45 days of the date of 
publication of the proposal in the Federal Register. Such requests must 
be made in writing and be addressed to the Field Supervisor, Ventura 
Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES section).

National Environmental Policy Act

    We have determined that environmental assessments as defined under 
the authority of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, need 
not be prepared in connection with regulations adopted pursuant to 
section 4(a) of the Act. We published a notice outlining our reasons 
for this determination in the Federal Register on October 25, 1983 (48 
FR 49244).

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule does not contain any collections of information that 
require Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval under the 
Paperwork Reduction Act, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. An information 
collection related to the rule pertaining to permits for endangered and 
threatened species has OMB approval and is assigned clearance number 
1018-0094. This rule does not alter that information collection 
requirement. For additional information concerning permits and 
associated requirements for endangered wildlife, see 50 CFR 17.22 and 
17.23.

References Cited

    A complete list of all references cited in this document, is 
available upon request from the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office (see 
ADDRESSES section).

Author

    The primary author of this proposed rule is Grace McLaughlin of the 
Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES section).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

Proposed Regulation Promulgation

    For the reasons given in the preamble to the emergency rule listing 
the Santa Barbara County distinct population of the California tiger 
salamander as endangered, published concurrently in

[[Page 3111]]

this issue of the Federal Register, we propose to amend part 17, 
subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 
as set forth below:

PART 17--[AMENDED]

    1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 
4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500, unless otherwise noted.

    2. Amend Sec. 17.11(h) by adding the following, in alphabetical 
order under AMPHIBIANS, to the List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife:


Sec. 17.11  Endangered and threatened wildlife.

    (h) * * *

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                        Species                                                   Vertebrate
-------------------------------------------------------                        population where                                   Critical     Special
                                                           Historic range        endangered or         Status      When listed    habitat       rules
           Common name               Scientific name                              threatened
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           Amphibians
 
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
Salamander, California tiger....  Ambystoma             U.S.A. (CA).........  U.S.A., (CA--Santa  E                ...........           NA           NA
                                   californiense.                              Barbara County).
 
                   *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *                  *
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    December 20, 1999.
Jamie Rappaport Clark,
Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-1157 Filed 1-18-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P