3474 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 14 / Friday, January 21, 2000 / Notices

distinct vertebrate population segment

of bighorn sheep occupying the

Peninsular Ranges of southern

California was endangered pursuant to

the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as

amended. The current population of

bighorn sheep in the United States’

Peninsular Ranges approximates 335

animals distributed in eight known ewe

groups (subpopulations) from the San

Jacinto Mountains south to the Mexican

border.

The Peninsular bighorn sheep is

restricted to the east facing, lower

elevation slopes (below 1,400 meters) of

the Peninsular Ranges in the Sonoran

desert life zone. Bighorn sheep are

wide-ranging animals that require a

variety of habitat characteristics that

relate to topography, visibility, water

availability, and forage quality and

quantity. Steep topography is required

for lambing and rearing habitat and

escape terrain from predators. Open

terrain with good visibility is critical

because bighorn primarily rely on their

sense of sight to detect predators. In

their hot, arid habitat, water availability

in some form is critical, especially

during the summer. A wide range of

forage resources and habitat types are

needed to meet annual and droughtrelated variations in forage availability.

Limiting factors apparently vary with

each ewe group but are not well

understood in all cases. The range of

factors appears to include predation,

urban-related sources of mortality, low

rates of lamb recruitment, disease,

habitat loss, and human-related

disturbance.

A review of pertinent literature

reveals that various prolonged

disturbances to bighorn sheep may

result in abandonment of lambing areas.

Further, the stresses induced by dogs as

exhibited by increases in bighorn sheep

heart rates generally exceed the levels of

stress caused by other factors. Whereas

there is a recognized need to act swiftly

to minimize the potential for

abandonment of lambing areas by

bighorn sheep during the lambing

season, which occurs between January 1

and June 30, a temporary closure to dogs

pending completion of a comprehensive

trails management plan is appropriate.

A year-round rather than a seasonal

closure is instituted to avert associations

by bighorn sheep of this area as

occupied by dogs. Such closure reduces

the potential for abandonment.

The comprehensive trails

management plan is an element of the

Coachella Valley Multiple Species

Habitat Conservation Plan (CVMSHCP).

The CVMSHCP is currently in

development. Those desiring to

participate in the planning process

should contact the individual cited

below.

Any person who fails to comply with

this order may be subject to the

penalties provided in 43 CFR 8360.0–7.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jim Foote, BLM, Palm Springs-South

Coast Field Office, P.O. Box 1260, North

Palm Springs, CA 92258, telephone

760–251–4836.

Dated: January 12, 2000.

James G. Kenna,

Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 00–1447 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM–930–00–1040–DE]

Notice of Extension of Public

Comment Period

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Extension of Public

Comment Period for Thirty (30) Days.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) announces the

extension of the public comment on

four Draft Riparian and Aquatic Habitat

Management Plan Environment Impact

Statements (DEISs) and Possible

Resource Management Plan

Amendments (RMPAs). The four

documents are for the Taos Field Office,

the Farmington Field Office, the

Albuquerque Field Office and the Las

Cruces Field Office.

The 30 day extension of the public

comment period was granted for the

four documents after BLM review of the

reasons for the request for extensions on

two of them. The thirty day extension

starts immediately after the end of the

ninety day (90) public comment period.

The ninety (90) day public comment

period ended January 12, 2000. The

Thirty (30) extension of the public

comment period starts January 13, 2000

and ends February 11, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the

Draft documents should be sent as

follows:

Comment on the Draft Taos Field

Office Riparian and Aquatic Habitat

Management Plan and Possible RMP

Amendment should be sent to: Taos

Field Office, Taos HMP/EIS/RMPA

Team Leader, 226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos,

NM 87571–5983.

Comment on the Draft Farmington

Field Office Riparian and Aquatic

Habitat Management Plan and Possible

RMP Amendment should be sent to:

Farmington Field Office, Farmington

HMP/EIS/RMPA Team Leader, 1235 La

Plata Highway, Farmington, NM 87401–

1808.

Comment on the Draft Albuquerque

Field Office Riparian and Aquatic

Habitat Management Plan and Possible

RMP Amendment should be sent to:

Albuquerque Field Office, Rio Puerco

HMP/EIS/RMPA Team Leader, 435

Montano Road, NE, Albuquerque, NM

87107–4935.

Comment on the Draft Las Cruces

Field Office Riparian and Aquatic

Habitat Management Plan and Possible

RMP Amendment should be sent to: Las

Cruces Office, Mimbres HMP/EIS/

RMPA Team Leader, 1800 Marquess

Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005–3371.

Comments, including names and

street addresses of respondents, will be

available for public review at the above

address during regular business hours

(8:00 am to 4:30 pm) Monday through

Friday, except holidays, and may be

published as part of the EIS and

possible RMPA. Individual respondents

may request confidentiality. If you wish

to withhold your name or street address

from public review or from disclosure

under the Freedom of Information Act,

you must state this prominently at the

beginning of your written comments.

Such requests will be honored to the

extent allowed by law. All submissions

from organizations or businesses, and

from individuals identifying themselves

as representatives or officials of

organizations or businesses, will be

made available for public inspection in

their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

(1) Taos Field Office, Ram Herrera,

505–751–4705.

(2) Farmington Field Office, Bob

Moore, 505–599–6311.

(3) Albuquerque Field Office, Jim

Silva, 505–761–8901.

(4) Las Curces Field Office, Bill

Merhege, 505–525–4369.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The two

Draft Riparian and Aquatic Habitat

Management Plan and Environmental

Impact Statements and Possible RMP

Amendments are being prepared to

provide comprehensive riparian and

aquatic management guidance for

restoring and protecting riparian habitat

under BLM jurisdiction.

Dated: January 14, 2000.

M.J. Cha ́vez,

State Director.

[FR Doc. 00–1503 Filed 1–20–00; 8:45am]

BILLING CODE 4310–FB–M