[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 244 (Friday, December 19, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66583-66584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33140]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AE36


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Public 
Hearing and Reopening of Comment Period on Proposed Endangered Status 
for Three Aquatic Snails, and Proposed Threatened Status for Three 
Aquatic Snails in the Mobile River Basin of Alabama

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public hearing and reopening of 
comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), pursuant to the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides notice of a 
public hearing on the proposed endangered status for the cylindrical 
lioplax (Lioplax cyclostomaformis), flat pebblesnail (Lepyrium 
showalteri), and plicate rocksnail (Leptoxis plicata); and the proposed 
threatened status for the painted rocksnail (Leptoxis taeniata), round 
rocksnail (Leptoxis ampla), and lacy elimia (Elimia crenatella). The 
Service also announces the reopening of the comment period for these 
actions. The public hearing and the reopening of the comment period 
will allow additional comments on this proposal to be submitted from 
all interested parties.

DATES: The public hearing will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, 
January 13, 1998, in Birmingham, Alabama. The comment period now closes 
on January 23, 1998. Any comments received by the closing date will be 
considered in the final decision on this proposal.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Dwight Beeson Hall 
Auditorium on the campus of Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, 
Birmingham, Alabama 35229. Written comments and materials concerning 
the proposal may be submitted at the hearing or sent directly to the 
Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6578 Dogwood View 
Parkway, Jackson, Mississippi 39213. Comments and materials received 
will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal 
business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Hartfield (see ADDRESSES 
section), 601/965-4900, extension 25.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The six aquatic snail species are endemic to portions of the Mobile 
River Basin, Alabama. The cylindrical lioplax, flat pebblesnail, and 
round rocksnail are found in the Cahaba River drainage; the lacy elimia 
and painted rocksnail are in the Coosa River drainage; and the plicate 
rocksnail is in the Black Warrior River drainage. All six species have 
disappeared from 90 percent or more of their historic range. Known 
populations are restricted to small portions of stream drainages. The 
past decline of the snails is attributed to impoundment, habitat 
fragmentation, and water quality degradation. Current threats include 
the gradual and cumulative effects of sedimentation and nutrification 
originating from nonpoint sources on the snails' localized and isolated 
stream refugia.
    On October 17, 1997, the Service published a rule proposing 
endangered status for the cylindrical lioplax, flat pebblesnail, and 
plicate rocksnail; and threatened status for the painted rocksnail, 
round rocksnail, and lacy elimia in the Federal Register (62 FR 54020-
54028. Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires 
that a public hearing be held if it is requested within 45 days of the 
publication of the proposed rule. A public hearing request by Gorham & 
Waldrep, P.C., was received within the allotted time period. The 
Service has scheduled a public hearing in Birmingham, Alabama on 
Tuesday, January 13, 1998, at Samford University's Dwight Beeson Hall 
Auditorium from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
    Oral and written comments will be accepted and treated equally. 
Parties wishing to make statements for the record should bring a copy 
of their statements to the hearing. Oral statements may be limited in 
length, if the number of parties present at the hearing necessitates 
such a limitation. There are no limits to the length of written 
comments or materials submitted at the hearing or mailed to the 
Service. Legal notices announcing the date, time, and location of the 
hearing are being published in newspapers concurrently with this 
Federal Register notice. The comment period on the proposal was 
initially closed on December 16, 1997. To accommodate the hearing, the 
public comment period is reopened upon publication of this notice. 
Written comments may now be submitted until January 23, 1998, to the 
Service office in the ADDRESSES section.

[[Page 66584]]

    Author: The primary author of this notice is Paul Hartfield (see 
ADDRESSES section).

Authority

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

    Dated: December 11, 1997.
H. Dale Hall,
Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 97-33140 Filed 12-18-97; 8:45 am]
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