[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 158 (Tuesday, August 15, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49781-49782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-20646]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AG12


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Extension of 
Public Comment Period and Notice of Availability of Draft Economic 
Analysis for Proposed Critical Habitat Determination for the Arkansas 
River Basin Population of the Arkansas River Shiner

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed Rule; Extension of public comment period and notice of 
availability of draft economic analysis.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the draft economic analysis for the proposed 
designation of critical habitat for the Arkansas River basin population 
of the Arkansas River shiner (Notropis girardi). We also provide notice 
that the public comment period for the proposal is extended to allow 
all interested parties to submit written comments on the proposal and 
the draft economic analysis. Comments previously submitted during the 
comment period need not be resubmitted as they will be incorporated 
into the public record and will be fully considered in the final 
determination on the proposal.

DATES: The original comment period is scheduled to close on August 29, 
2000. The comment period is hereby extended until October 16, 2000. 
Comments from all interested parties must be received by the closing 
date. Any comments that are received after the closing date may not be 
considered in the final decision on this proposal.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft economic analysis are available on the 
Internet at http://ifw2es.fws.gov/oklahoma/ or by writing to the Field 
Supervisor, Ecological Services Field Office, 222 South Houston, Suite 
A, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74127-8909. All written comments should be submitted 
to the Field Supervisor at the above address. Comments and materials 
received will be available for public inspection, by appointment, 
during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken Collins, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above address (telephone 918/581-7458 ext. 230).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:   

Background

    The Arkansas River shiner (ARS) is a small, robust minnow. The ARS 
was historically widespread and abundant in the main channels of wide, 
shallow, sandy-bottomed rivers and larger streams throughout the 
western portion of the Arkansas River basin in Kansas, New Mexico, 
Oklahoma, and Texas. Adults are uncommon in quiet pools or backwaters, 
and almost never occur in tributaries having deep water and bottoms of 
mud or stone. This species has disappeared from over 80 percent of its 
historical range and is now almost entirely restricted to about 820 
kilometers (508 miles) of the Canadian River in Oklahoma, Texas, and 
New Mexico.
    The Arkansas River basin population of the ARS was federally listed 
as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act) in November, 1998, due to modification of the duration 
and timing of stream flows and inundation by impoundments; channel 
desiccation

[[Page 49782]]

by water diversion and groundwater mining; stream channelization; and 
introduction of non-native species (63 FR 64772). On June 30, 2000, we 
proposed in the Federal Register approximately 1,866 kilometers (1,160 
miles) of rivers and 91.4 meters (300 feet) of their adjacent riparian 
zones as critical habitat for the ARS (65 FR 40576). The proposal 
includes portions of the Arkansas River in Kansas, the Cimarron River 
in Kansas and Oklahoma, the Beaver/North Canadian River in Oklahoma, 
and the Canadian/South Canadian River in New Mexico, Texas, and 
Oklahoma.
    Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires that we designate or revise 
critical habitat based upon the best scientific and commercial data 
available and after taking into consideration the economic impact, and 
any other relevant impact, of specifying any particular area as 
critical habitat. We may exclude an area from critical habitat if we 
determine that the benefits of excluding the area outweigh the benefits 
of including the area as critical habitat, provided such exclusion will 
not result in the extinction of the species. Consequently, we have 
prepared a draft economic analysis concerning the proposed critical 
habitat designation, which is available for review and comment at the 
above Internet and mailing addresses.

Public Comments Solicited

    We solicit comments on the draft economic analysis described in 
this notice, as well as any other aspect of the proposed designation of 
critical habitat for the Arkansas River basin population of the 
Arkansas River shiner. Our final determination on the proposed critical 
habitat will take into consideration comments and any additional 
information received by the date specified above. All previous comments 
and information submitted during the comment period need not be 
resubmitted. The comment period is extended to October 16, 2000. 
Written comments may be submitted to the Field Supervisor at the above 
address.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Ken Collins, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (see ADDRESSES).

Authority

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

    Dated: August 3, 2000.
Renne Lohoefener,
Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-20646 Filed 8-14-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P