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<br />PROPOSED RULES
<br />[ 4310-55 ]
<br />DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
<br />Flsh and Wildlife Savke
<br />[ 50 CFR Part l7 ]
<br />ENDANGERED AND THREATENED
<br />WILDLIFE APID PWNT$
<br />Proposed Determinetlon of Critical Habitat
<br />for the Wotrrtditn
<br />AQF.NCY: Fish and Wlldlife Bervlcc, In-
<br />terior.
<br />ACTION: Proposed rule.
<br />SUMMARY: The Service lsauea this pro-
<br />posed rulemnking which would det,cr-
<br />rtrinc the Crltlcal Iiabltat of the Endan-
<br />gered woundlin IPtagopttrtls arpentlsst-
<br />mtu), Th1s action 1s being taken because
<br />o[ the threatened modiflcatiori of its re-
<br />maining habitat. Destruction of habitat
<br />!n the past has been and fa presently. n
<br />major factor which leopwrdl2ce the con-
<br />tinued existence of thty epeclea. The area
<br />proposed is in the V1rg1n River system 1r>
<br />Nevada, Artwna, and Utah. This propos-
<br />al would provide for federal protection
<br />of the only rematning l~blt,at of the
<br />woundfin.
<br />DATES: Comments from tart public must
<br />be received by January 3, 1978. Com-
<br />ments from the Governors of States in-
<br />volved with this action must be received
<br />by February 1, 1978.
<br />ADDRESSES: 6ubmit comments to Di-
<br />rector (OES), U.S. Flsh and Wildlife
<br />Service, Department of the Interior.
<br />Washington, D.C. 20240.
<br />Comments and materials recclved will
<br />be available for public inspection durlns
<br />normal business hours at the Scrvirc's
<br />Oftice of Endangered Species, Suite 1100,
<br />1612 K Street, N.W„ Waahingtoti, U.C.
<br />20240.
<br />I•'OR P'URTITER INP`OItMATION CON-
<br />TACT:
<br />57329
<br />bir. -Keith A[. Sc21reiner, Associate Di-
<br />rectnr--F'ederltl A~afatancc, P9sh and
<br />Wildllfc Service, U$. Department of
<br />rho Interior, ~5-a.~ttingtcln, D.C. 20240,
<br />202-343-964H.
<br />SiIP1'I.A`tiF'?V'f ARY INpORM.A1'ION:
<br />1Barrcnaoaxo
<br />IiL.torlcally, the wotuadtln was known
<br />from much of the L"olorado River system
<br />downgtrettm from the t:)raa-~d Canyon fn
<br />northern Arizona, It 7nhlr.blts silty
<br />streams with moderate to swat current.
<br />The woundfln has been extirpateQ
<br />throughout most of its native range, and
<br />is nocv known only from the Virgin River
<br />system !n southern Nevada, northwestern
<br />Arizona and southwestern IItah.
<br />The atrrvival and recovery of this epe-
<br />cles depends upon the maintenance of
<br />suitable, undisturbed habitat 1n the Vlr-
<br />g1n River system. The Service recognizes
<br />that areas containing such streanla may
<br />qualify for recognition as Critical Habi-
<br />tat as referred to in Section 7 of the En-
<br />dangered Species Act al 18?~. A notice of
<br />latent to determine Critical Habitat for
<br />the woundfin was publJslu:d by the t3er-v-
<br />tre !n the F`caeawt RrorsTtrfr of Aley 18,
<br />1975 (40 FR 31499-21b00) . The Albu-
<br />querque Regional of3lce (Region 2) of the
<br />F'1sh and WJldllfe Service farwarded the
<br />Recovery Team report recommending
<br />that t}Iei Vtrgln River be dealgruited as
<br />Critical Il:abttat for the vroundfln. Addi-
<br />tional 6ervice contract reports from the
<br />Denver Reglorlal Oftlce (Region 6) also
<br />support rite propo(scd CrlElcal Ilabitat.
<br />After evaluating this rcctrmmcndation
<br />and supporting data, s decision was
<br />made to proceed with the Droposed rule-
<br />making. The areas delineated below are
<br />lnhablted by a wotlndlln and cot~ftlln the
<br />species' only known habitat ar.d hreed-
<br />!ng sites. If more populations arc dls-
<br />covcred 1rr the future, adriftlorlal areas
<br />may be prolxrsed for Crltlcal Flubltut
<br />designation,
<br />Er1LCT OP' TI[1: RULYIIQAICING
<br />,The eRects of tills drterminnClon are
<br />involved farlmnrlly with Section 7 of t11e
<br />Act,. which states:
<br />The Ileeretary shalt revl~w other progroiir~
<br />Wminlstered by him. and utlliza such pro-
<br />Qrams In turtherarice M the purpusee of this
<br />Act. All other ,Federal departments arrA
<br />agencies shall, fn consultatdon with and with
<br />the aaalstsnce of the Secretary, uttllre thrlr
<br />authorlUee In furtherance of the purposes nI
<br />this Act by tarrying out progrnm9 for ilia
<br />conaervstron of endangered epeclee snd
<br />threatened species 1lstrd purusnnt to section
<br />4 of th4 Act snd by taking such sctlnn
<br />n eCefi,4Ary LO Insure that actions wuthortred,
<br />funded, or csrrled out by them do not
<br />leopsrdl2e the continued existence of nuch
<br />endangered ~peclp and threatened Species or
<br />result In the dastructlon or modtf9catlun of
<br />hsbltet of such epecle~ Which la dMerrnlned
<br />by the Secretary, after cgnsultatlc~u as ap-
<br />praprlata with the aRactad SIaCeA, t,o Do
<br />critlcsl.
<br />An interpretation of the term CritlcaI
<br />Ifabltat was published by the Fish and
<br />Wlldlffe Service and the~iN.~ational Marine
<br />I•'tshcrles SeTVf('e In the l' LfJERAL REGISTER
<br />of April 22, 1975 (40 FFi, 177G4-17765>.
<br />FEDERAL REGISTER, VOt, 44, Nd. 911-WEpNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1977 .
<br />63
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