[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 56 (Thursday, March 23, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 15280]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-7204]



[[Page 15280]]

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

50 CFR Part 17


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Finding 
on a Petition to Emergency List the Amargosa Toad (Bufo nelsoni) as 
Endangered

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding and initiation of status 
review.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 90-
day finding on a petition to list the Amargosa toad (Bufo nelsoni) 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The 
petition was found to present substantial information indicating the 
requested action may be warranted. The Service therefore initiates a 
status review and will prepare a 12 month finding at a later date.

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on March 17, 
1995. Comments and information concerning this petition finding must be 
submitted within 30 days of the publication of the finding in the 
Federal Register to be considered in the 12-month finding for this 
petition.

ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning this 
finding should be sent to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 4600 Kietzke Lane, Building C Room 125, Reno, Nevada 89502. 
The petition, finding, and supporting data are available for public 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sheryl Barrett, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, see ADDRESSES section above or telephone 702-784-5227.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Service) make a finding on whether a petition to 
list, delist, or reclassify a species presents substantial scientific 
or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be 
warranted. To the maximum extent practicable, this finding is to be 
made within 90 days of the receipt of the petition, and the finding is 
to be published promptly in the Federal Register. This finding is to be 
based on information contained in the petition and otherwise available 
to the Service at the time the finding is made. If the finding is that 
substantial information was presented, the Service also is required to 
review the status of the species involved if one has not already been 
initiated under the Service's internal candidate assessment process.
    On September 21, 1994, the Service received a petition dated 
September 19, 1994, from Mr. D.C. ``Jasper'' Carlton, Director of the 
Biodiversity Legal Foundation, to emergency list the Amargosa toad 
(Bufo nelsoni) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 
as amended (Act).
    The petitioner states that the Amargosa toad qualifies for 
emergency listing as endangered under the Act due to present and 
threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat or 
range; overuse of habitat for commercial, recreational, scientific, or 
educational purposes; other natural or man-made factors affecting its 
continued existence; severely restricted range; and inadequacy of 
existing regulatory mechanisms. The Amargosa toad is endemic to the 
Oasis Valley, Nye County, Nevada, in an approximately 9-mile stretch of 
the Amargosa River and nearby springs from Springdale to the Narrows 
south of Beatty. The petition noted that Hoff (1994) asserts that off-
road vehicles, water diversions, grazing, and non-native predators have 
caused this species to decline from the thousands reported in 1958 to 
only 30 adult and juvenile toads observed in 1994 in Oasis Valley.
    The Service included the Amargosa toad as a category 2 species in 
the August 2, 1977, Animal Notice of Review (42 FR 39121). It was 
subsequently categorized as a category 1 species in the December 30, 
1982, Notice of Review (47 FR 58454) and again as a category 2 species 
in the September 18, 1985, Notice of Review (50 FR 37960). On November 
14, 1994, the Service changed its classification back to category 1, 
with a listing priority of 2 (59 FR 58982). Assignment of the Amargosa 
toad to category 1 means that this is a taxa for which the Service has 
on file sufficient information on biological vulnerability and threats 
to support a proposal to list the taxa as an endangered or threatened 
species.
    The Service finds that substantial information has been presented 
indicating that listing of the Amargosa toad may be warranted. However, 
emergency listing is not warranted at this time because an immediate 
threat of extinction does not exist. Several actions (e.g., fencing and 
removing introduced crayfish from Lower Indian springs, and removing 
catfish from Harlan/Keel Spring, etc.) aimed at conserving this species 
are ongoing. This decision is based on scientific and commercial 
information contained in the petition, provided as attachments to the 
petition, and otherwise available to the Service. The Service requests 
any additional data, comments, and suggestions from the public, other 
concerned governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, or 
any other interested parties concerning the status of the Amargosa 
toad. Of particular interest is information on the Amargosa toad 
regarding--(1) The existence and status of additional populations, (2) 
environmental factors determining its distribution, (3) life history 
information, and (4) existing conservation efforts.

References Cited

    A complete list of all references cited herein is available upon 
request from the Reno Field Office (see ADDRESSES section).

Authors

    The primary authors of this document are Dr. Patricia G. Zenone and 
Sheryl L. Barrett of the Reno Field Office (see ADDRESSES above).

Authority

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

    Dated: March 17, 1995.

Mollie H. Beattie,

Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 95-7204 Filed 3-22-95; 8:45 am]

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