[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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