[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 157 (Monday, August 14, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49530-49531]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20605]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AGO4


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of the 
Comment Period on the Proposed Listing of the Buena Vista Lake Shrew

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), pursuant to 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provide notice of 
the reopening of the comment period for the proposed listing of the 
Buena Vista Lake shrew (Sorex ornatus relictus) as endangered. The 
comment period has been reopened in order to provide all interested 
parties additional opportunity to submit oral or written comments on 
the proposal, and request a public hearing, on the proposed rule. 
Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be 
incorporated into the public records as a part of this reopening and 
will be fully considered in the final rule.

DATES: We will accept comments from all interested parties until 
October 13, 2000. Public hearing requests must be received by Setpember 
28, 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 and information to the Field 
Supervisor, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605, Sacramento, California 95825.
    2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our Sacramento Fish and 
Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room 
W-2605, Sacramento, California 95825.
    3. You may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to 
[email protected]. Please submit comments in ASCII file format and 
avoid the use of special characters and encryption. Please include 
``Attn: RIN 1018-AGO4'' 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 
Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, at telephone 916-414-6600.
    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 Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605, Sacramento, California 
95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dwight Harvey, Sacramento Fish and 
Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES section) (telephone 916/414-6600; 
facsimile 916/414-6710).

[[Page 49531]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  

Background

    The Buena Vista Lake shrew is found in marshes and sloughs within a 
site formerly known as the Kern Lake Preserve, Kern County, California. 
This subspecies may also occur in the Tulare Basin and at Kern National 
Wildlife Refuge, but the status and identity of animals at these other 
sites is unknown. No more than 38 individuals have been observed at 
Kern Lake Preserve since 1986. The only known extant Buena Vista Lake 
shrew population is threatened primarily by agricultural activities and 
potential impacts to local hydrology, uncertainty of water delivery, 
possible toxic effects from selenium poisoning, and random naturally 
occurring events.
    We intend that any final action resulting from this proposal will 
be as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, comments or 
suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, the 
scientific community, industry, or any other interested party 
concerning this proposed rule are sought. Comments are sought 
particularly regarding:
    (1) Biological, commercial, or other relevant data concerning any 
threat (or lack thereof) to the Buena Vista Lake shrew;
    (2) The location of any additional populations of this subspecies 
and habitat association (including specific vegetation and soil type), 
and the reasons why any habitat should or should not be determined to 
be critical habitat as provided by section 4 of the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
    (3) Additional information concerning the range, distribution, and 
population size and genetics of this subspecies;
    (4) Current or planned activities in the subject area and their 
possible impacts on this subspecies; and
    (5) Additional relevant information concerning the life-history, 
habits, and dispersal of this subspecies.
    We published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (65 FR 35033) 
on June 1, 2000 to list the Buena Vista Lake shrew (Sorex ornatus 
relictus) as endangered. The original comment period closed on July 31, 
2000. We are reopening the comment period in order to provide the 
public an additional opportunity to provide written or oral comment on 
the proposal.
    Our practice is to make comments available for public review during 
regular business hours, including names and home addresses of 
respondents. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their 
home address from the rulemaking record, which we will honor to the 
extent allowable by law. In some circumstances, we would withhold from 
the rulemaking record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If 
you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state 
this prominently at the beginning of your comment. However, we will not 
consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.
    Author: The primary author of this notice is Dwight Harvey (see 
ADDRESSES section).

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

    Dated: August 4, 2000.
Elizabeth H. Stevens,
Manager-California/Nevada Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 00-20605 Filed 8-11-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-U