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14096 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 57 / Tuesday. March 25, 1997 / Proposed Rules which substantive data on biological counties—along South Boulder Creek Compton and Hugie (1993) found it vulnerability and threats were not and St. Vrain Creek (Boulder County): difficult to assess historical trends and available to support a proposed rule. within drainages at Rocky Flats and current status of Preble's due to the On August 16. 1994, the Service along Coal Creek Qefferson County); scarcity of demographic data.They received a petition from the Biodiversity along East Plum Creek and West Plum recommended that Preble's be federally Legal Foundation to list all known Creek (Douglas County); and, along listed as a threatened species. However. populations of the Preble's meadow Monument Creek within the Air Force after a largely unsuccessful search for jumping mouse as endangered or Academy and along Smith Creek (El suitable habitat in Wyoming and threatened throughout its range and to Paso County). In Wyoming, Preble's has unsuccessful trapping surveys for designate critical habitat within a been recently documented in two Preble's at five sites in southeastern reasonable amount of time following the counties, along Crow Creek at F.E. Wyoming in 1993. they concluded that listing. The petitioner submitted Warren Air Force Base (Laramie County) Preble's might be extirpated from information that Preble's meadow and in the Lodgepole Creek drainage, Wyoming (Compton and Hugie 1994). jumping mouse populations in Colorado within the Medicine Bow National Their revised recommendation was that and Wyoming are imperiled by— Forest (Albany County). Documented Preble's be federally listed as an ongoing and increasing urban, populations at the Air Force Academy endangered species. Garber (1995) industrial, agricultural, ranching, and and Rocky Flats are by far the largest documented Preble's persisting at only recreational development:ongoing and known populations. Known Wyoming two Wyoming sites,commented on the increasing wetland/riparian habitat populations are separated from the difficulty of capturing Preble's on these destruction and/or modification:small closest known Colorado population by sites,and concluded that substantial size of known populations:and over 80 kilometers (km) (50 miles (mi)). additional work was needed to inadequacy or lack of governmental Preble's is not known to be present in determine the status of Preble's in protection for the species and its five counties in Colorado and three Wyoming. habitats. counties in Wyoming where previously Recent surveys for Preble's meadow On February 27. 1995, the 90-day documented. jumping mouse at a number of finding was approved. On March 15, Researchers are concerned with the additional locations in Colorado have 1995 (60 FR 13950-I3952). the Service lack of captures of Preble's at historical been unsuccessful in documenting published notice of the 90-day finding sites and other sites with suitable presence. Surveys funded and carried that the petition presented substantial out by the Department of the Army at information indicating that listing the habitat within its historical range and the Army's Fort Carson Military believe that habitat loss and Preble's meadow jumping mouse may fragmentation resulting from human Reservation in El Paso and Pueblo be warranted,and requested comments counties, resulted in no Preble's and biological data on the status of the land uses have adversely impacted captures despite 3,311 trapnights of Preble's populations,and continues to mouse. doo so. Ryon (1995) evaluated the current effort in apparently suitable habitat Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act, as status of historical Preble's meadow (Bunn et al. 1995). Private researchers amended, requires the Secretary of the jumping sites in and U.S. Department of Agriculture's umpg mouse cap Interior to reach a final decision on any Forest Service (Forest Service) petition accepted for review within 12 Colorado, addressing both the mouse personnel found no Preble's in limited months of the receipt of the petition. presence and current habitat conditions. surveys of seemingly adequate habitats This proposal constitutes the final No Preble's were captured when Ryon within the Forest Service's Pawnee finding on the petitioned action. trapped six historical sites in five National Grassland in northern Weld counties. Ryon found the lack of County (Fred Harrington. pers. comm. Summary of Factors Affecting the captures "disturbing"and related 1995) Species absence of Preble's to changes in Dozens of site surveys for Preble's Section 4 of the Act and regulations habitat. He concluded that the range of meadowjumping mouse have been (50 CFR part 424) promulgated to Preble's has decreased, especially conducted by environmental implement the listing provisions of the adjacent to or east of the Interstate consultants in recent years at locations Act set forth the procedures for adding Highway 25 urban corridor. of anticipated development. Beane (Ron species to the Federal lists. A species Meaney and Clippinger (1995) Beane, MDG Inc., pers. comm. 1996) may be determined to be a threatened or reviewed aerial photographs of 9 reported conducting Preble's trapping endangered species due to one or more Colorado counties and, based on habitat surveys at 11 sites in 1996 with no of the five factors described in section and other factors, selected 16 priority captures. Aside from Harrington's 4(a)(1). These factors and their sites to survey for Preble's. Of these. (1995) work on East Plum Creek, none application to the Preble's meadow seven sites in five counties were of these site-specific predevelopment jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius surveyed in 1995, with priority given to surveys have resulted in Preble's preblet) are as follows: counties representing the boundaries of captures. A. The present or threatened suspected Preble's range. No Preble's Decline of the Preble's meadow destruction. modification, or were captured at these seven sites jumping mouse is linked to widespread curtailment of its habitat or range.The despite 6,750 trapnights of effort. habitat alteration. Ryon (1995) best indication of range curtailment and Extensive studies of public lands in commented that recent capture sites he current status is the lack of captures at Boulder County in 1995 documented observed were on large. historically historical sites and other sites with Preble's on only 2 of 13 sites surveyed undisturbed lands supporting native suitable habitat within its historical (Armstrong et al. 1996). Sites were plant communities. Compton and Hugie range. Since 1992, efforts to document selected based on documented historical (1993, 1994) cite human activities that existing populations of Preble's meadow presence and perceived quality of have adversely impacted Preble's jumping mouse have increased habitat. One conclusion of the study including: conversion of grasslands to commensurate with rising concern over was that suitable habitat appeared to be farms; livestock grazing:water its status. Presence of Preble's in present on some sites where trapping development and management Colorado has been documented in four was unsuccessful. practices: and, residential and